By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna In a landmark welfare move, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has allocated land for a permanent s...
By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
In a landmark welfare move, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has allocated land for a permanent secretariat and an additional parcel for Urban Agriculture to the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, Kaduna State Branch, ending years of operation from a temporary structure.
The offer was formally presented to the Union on Monday at the Kaduna Geographic Information Service, KADGIS, by the Director General, Dr. Bashir Garba Ibrahim.
The allocation is sequel to an appeal made by NUP, Kaduna State Branch, during a courtesy visit to KADGIS on August 5, in which the pensioners requested land to establish a permanent office.
Making the presentation, Dr. Ibrahim said the request came at the right time, noting that Governor Uba Sani is deeply committed to the welfare of pensioners and is always ready to respond to their needs.
In addition to the land allocated for the Union’s permanent office, the pensioners were also presented with an offer of land for Urban Agriculture. According to KADGIS, the farm land is expected to engage members in productive agricultural activities and provide them with alternative means of livelihood.
Receiving the offers, the Chairman of Kaduna State Pensioners Union, Mr. Aboman Ladan, expressed gratitude to Governor Uba Sani and the KADGIS management, saying he lacked words to adequately describe the joy of the pensioners over the gesture.
Mr. Ladan prayed for continued success and wisdom for the KADGIS Director General in the discharge of his responsibilities. He explained that the Union had struggled for many years to secure a permanent office space and had been operating from a temporary structure.
Describing Governor Uba Sani as a compassionate leader, the NUP Chairman said the welfare of pensioners had, for the first time in history, been given significant attention by a serving Governor.
He noted that out of about ₦30 billion in outstanding pension-related payments, approximately ₦17 billion had so far been paid in pensions, gratuities and death benefits, describing the development as unprecedented.
Mr. Ladan assured the Governor of the Union’s continued support and conveyed the commitment of pensioners to the Governor ahead of the forthcoming election, declaring that “all pensioners are for the Governor.”
He further disclosed that upon completion, the new permanent office of the Union would be named after Governor Uba Sani in appreciation of his commitment to the welfare of pensioners.
The presentation marks another step in the Kaduna State Government’s efforts to support the welfare and productivity of senior citizens through access to permanent facilities and opportunities for economic engagement.
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