By Lawal A. Dogara
Kaduna State Government has decided to partner with the media with a view to achieving lasting peace in the state.
Speaking while commissioning the NUJ Shopping Complex in Kaduna today, Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero said his government decided to partner with the media, due to the facts that the media have a lot to offer towards ensuring peace and unity”.
“We realized that the media have greater role to play in our efforts towards ensuring peace,
unity, stability, togetherness, mutual understanding etc .We want the media to support us in order to achieve the desired results”, Governor Yero explained.
He commended the PPP arrangement between the Nigeria Union of Journalists,NUJ Kaduna State council and Kaduna State Markets development Company (KSMDMC) which led to the construction of the NUJ shopping complex saying that the state government would continue to support the NUJ with a view to ensuring more development.
In his speech, the State Commissioner Of Commerce And Industry, Hon Joshua Shekarau said the NUJ shopping Complex was built/ developed by KSMDMC under the PPP arrangement explaining that NUJ provided the land while KSMDMC spent the sum of N34 million in constructing the shopping complex.
He further explained that KSMDMC financed the project with an arrangement to collect rents
for 8 years, from the tenants, the KSMDMC will in return collect further 8 months as its consultancy fee.
Hon Shekarau said for now KSMDMC will manage the shopping complex until the expiration of the agreement between the NUJ and KSMDMC.
In his welcome address, the Chairman, NUJ Kaduna State Council, comrade Yusuf Idris commended the state Government for its support and cooperation to the council saying that the gesture has help towards achieving a lot.
