Jonathan approves N5.7bn for post-election violence victims

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

BY: OLALEKAN ADETAYO

President Goodluck  Jonathan on Thursday approved N5.7bn as compensation for victims of the 2011 post-presidential election violence that rocked some states of the federation.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said this while addressing State House correspondents in Abuja.

Abati however said victims from only nine out of the 14 states affected in the violence would benefit from the first phase of the  gesture as inspection and assessment of damages and losses suffered had yet to be carried out in Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Kaduna and Nasarawa States.

The breakdown of benefitting states and the amount accruing to them are: Bauchi  -  N1,574,879,000.00; Sokoto – N55,888,506.00;  Zamfara         – N93,253,485.00;  Niger  – N433,375,875.00;  Jigawa -N208,667,634.00;  Katsina – N1,973,209,440.00; Kano -N944,827,000.00;  Adamawa   – N420,089,840.00 and  Akwa Ibom  -  N43,504,000.00.

Abati said the President’s decision to compensate the victims for their losses formed part of the report of the panel of enquiry headed by Sheik Ahmed Lemu which he set up shortly after the violence.

He said, “President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the release of a total sum of N5,747,694,780.00 to nine states of the federation for direct disbursement to those who suffered losses of properties, means of livelihood and places of worship in the post election violence of 2011.

“It will be recalled that following the post election violence and civil disturbances in some states after the April 2011 elections President Jonathan set up a Panel of Enquiry headed by Sheik Ahmed Lemu to among other things, identify the spread and extent of losses suffered across the country.

“Following the submission of the Lemu Panel’s report and its adoption by the Federal Executive Council, the Federal Ministry of Lands and Housing was mandated to assess the reported losses and damage to properties in all affected states.

“Based on the Ministry’s report, President Jonathan has approved the release of funds to nine of the 14 affected states.”

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

The committee, which will be chaired by the state governor or his deputy, will have a representative of the state government,  Secretary of the Sheik Lemu Panel, representative of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the representative of the Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development as members.

Abati said funds to cover the losses sustained by victims of the post election violence in the five states not yet captured would be approved and released at the conclusion of the assessment exercise.