Tuesday, November 12

Govt. Announces N5.75b Compensation for Victims of 2011 Violence

VICTIMS of the 2011 post-election violence in 9 of the affected states will be compensated by up to N5.75bn, a State House release disclosed on Friday.

Signed by Dr. Reuben Abati in his capacity as President Jonathan’s special adviser on media and publicity, the statement revealed that the monies released are to assist pepple who lost their property, means of livelihood; places of worship and families of those who lost their lives in the post election violence.

According to Abati, the prompt approval by president for the funds to be disbursed followed the recommendations of a Panel of Enquiry headed by Sheik Ahmed Lemu and the assessment carried out by the Ministry of Lands and Housing, last year.

Abati said that based on the Ministry’s report, the president approved the release of the funds to nine of the 14 affected states.

They are Bauchi N1.57 billion, Sokoto, N55.88 million, Zamfara, N93.25 million, Niger, N433.37 million and Jigawa, N208.67 million.

Others are Katsina, N1.97 billion, Kano, N944.83 million, Adamawa, N420.09 million and Akwa Ibom, N43.50 million.

Abati said the president had also directed that an Implementation Committee for the disbursement of the funds to beneficiaries in the nine states be constituted.

He said Jonathan also directed that the state committees be chaired by the governor or deputy governor.

According to Abati, the inspection and assessment of damages and losses suffered are yet to be carried out in the other five states of Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Kaduna and Nasarawa.

He said modalities and further instructions for the exercise were still being expected from the state governments.

Abati said funds to cover the losses sustained by victims of the post election violence in the five states would be approved and released at the conclusion of the assessment exercise.

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