By Shina Abubakar, Osogbo
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has constituted a Committee on Election Violence Victims to disburse the N500 million Election Violence Victims Relief Endowment Fund provided by the state government
A statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Monday in Osogbo, said the committee would verify claims by persons affected by election-related violence before and during the governorship election
The committee, chaired by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr Adewale Egbedun, is expected to undertake a transparent and credible verification process to establish genuine claims and ensure that relief reaches deserving victims
Other members of the committee are Mrs Eniola Omotoso; Mr Emmanuel Olowu, representing civil society organisations; Mrs Balkiss Akinleye; Mr Moshood Sulaiman; and Barr Moses Faremi.
Also on the committee are nominees of the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), as well as Mr Yemi Lawal
Mr Sola Sonibare, Executive Secretary, Osun Investment Promotion Agency, will serve as the secretary
The committee is 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 accordance with guidelines approved by the state government
The state government said the initiative underscored Adeleke’s commitment to supporting citizens who suffered losses, injuries, displacement or other forms of hardship as a result of election-related violence
The government urged all affected persons with genuine claims to cooperate with the committee by providing accurate information and relevant evidence required for the verification process
It said the committee was expected to ensure that the N500 million relief fund was administered transparently and fairly and strictly for the benefit of verified victims