CITIZENS COMPASS— The Osun State Government is set to disburse the sum of ₦500m to victims of election-related violence in the State.
The government also constituted a committee to oversee the disbursement of this Election Violence Victims Relief Endowment Fund and verify claims made by the victim..
The committee, constituted by Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, is expected to conduct a transparent and credible verification exercise to establish genuine claims and ensure that the relief fund reaches deserving victims.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the committee is chaired by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Olumide Egbedun.
Other members include Mrs Eniola Omotoso; Mr Emmanuel Ologun, representing civil society organisations; Alhaja Balkiss Akinleye; a nominee of the Nigeria Police Force; Alhaji Moshood Suleiman of the Ministry of Information; Moses Faremi, Esq., of the Ministry of Justice; a nominee of the Department of State Services; Hon. Yemi Lawal; and Mr Sola Sonibare, Executive Secretary of the Osun Investment Promotion Agency, who will serve as Secretary.
The government said the committee has been mandated to receive and verify petitions, claims and supporting evidence submitted by victims, determine the eligibility of claimants and recommend appropriate relief for verified victims in line with guidelines approved by the state government.
The committee will therefore examine claims from individuals who suffered injuries, property losses, displacement or other forms of hardship arising from election-related violence before recommending eligible beneficiaries.
The state government stressed that the verification process would be critical to ensuring that the ₦500 million fund is not diverted from its intended purpose.
“The committee is expected to ensure that the ₦500 million relief fund is administered transparently, fairly and strictly for the benefit of verified victims,” the statement said.
The government urged persons affected by election-related violence with genuine claims to cooperate with the committee by submitting accurate information and relevant documents required for the verification exercise.
It said the initiative reflects Governor Adeleke’s commitment to supporting residents who suffered losses, injuries, displacement or other hardships as a result of election-related violence.
The inclusion of representatives from the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Information and civil society organisations is expected to provide broad institutional participation and strengthen the credibility of the verification process.
The government urged all affected persons to submit their claims and supporting evidence to enable the committee to determine their eligibility.
It maintained that the ultimate objective is to ensure that the ₦500 million relief fund reaches genuine and verified victims of election-related violence in Osun State.
