The North-East Development Commission (NEDC) has donated professional media equipment worth millions of naira to journalists who lost their work tools in a road accident while inspecting NEDC projects in Bauchi State.
The presentation was held on Monday at the commission’s office in Gombe State.
Reports gathered revealed that at least 13 journalists sustained injuries and had their equipment destroyed during the accident, which happened during an official inspection tour of NEDC projects with commission officials.
Items donated included Canon and Sony video cameras, tripods, Samsung Galaxy smartphones, iPhones, and other essential media tools damaged in the incident.
Presenting the equipment, the Minister of State for Regional Development, Uba Maigari-Ahmadu, praised the NEDC for responding quickly, describing the intervention as timely and thoughtful.
“This gesture is not only timely but also reassuring. It shows that the Federal Government values the welfare of journalists who put themselves at risk to promote transparency and accountability, especially in reporting development projects,” he said.
Maigari-Ahmadu added that journalists remain key partners in promoting the Federal Government’s development programmes across the North-East.
Speaking earlier, the Managing Director of the NEDC, Mohammed Goni-Alkali, explained that the donation was meant to help the affected journalists return to work after recovering from their injuries.
“These journalists were on official duty, carrying out their professional responsibility of assessing and reporting NEDC projects when the unfortunate incident occurred.
“As a commission, we consider it a moral responsibility to support them and ensure they are not further disadvantaged,” Goni-Alkali said.
The National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Alhassan Yahya, also commended the commission, noting that the NEDC had supported the journalists from the moment the accident occurred.
Read Also;
Osun Monarch Says Four Suspects Arrested Over Ido-Ayegunle Killings
“The NEDC has shown uncommon concern, from ensuring medical care to now replacing the tools of work destroyed in the accident. This is a clear demonstration of institutional responsibility,” Yahya said.
He further appealed to the commission to consider enrolling practising journalists in the NUJ Life Premium Insurance Scheme to strengthen welfare support.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the NUJ Bauchi State Council, Sa’idu Umar, expressed gratitude to the NEDC, describing the intervention as rare and morale-boosting.
“The NEDC stood with our members from the scene of the accident through their hospitalisation and recovery. This support will greatly boost the morale of journalists working under difficult and risky conditions,” Umar said.
