Osun Government Constitutes Committee To Verify Election Violence Victims, Disburse ₦500million Relief Fund | Sahara Reporters

The committee comprises representatives from government institutions, civil society organisations, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.

The Osun State government has constituted a committee to verify claims of persons affected by election-related violence and oversee the disbursement of the ₦500 million Election Violence Victims Relief Endowment Fund provided by the state government.

The committee, constituted by Governor Ademola Adeleke, is expected to undertake a transparent and credible verification process to establish genuine claims and ensure that relief reaches deserving victims.

According to a statement issued on Monday by the spokesperson to the state governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the committee is chaired by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Olumide Egbedun.

The committee comprises representatives from government institutions, civil society organisations, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.

Its members are; Adewale Olumide Egbedun as Chairman; Mrs Eniola Omotoso; Mr Emmanuel Ologun, representative of Civil Society Organisations; Alhaja Balkiss Akinleye; a nominee of the Nigeria Police Force; Alhaji Moshood Suleiman from the Ministry of Information; Moses Faremi Esq from the Ministry of Justice; a nominee of the Department of State Services; Hon. Yemi Lawal; and Mr Sola Sonibare, Executive Secretary, 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 to verified victims in accordance with the guidelines approved by the state government.”

The committee is therefore expected to examine claims submitted by persons who suffered losses or other forms of hardship as a result of election-related violence before recommending those considered eligible for assistance from the relief fund.

The government said the process would be guided by the need to ensure that only genuine victims benefit from the ₦500million fund.

“The committee is expected to ensure that the ₦500million relief fund is administered transparently, fairly and strictly for the benefit of verified victims,” the statement said.

The state government also called on persons affected by election-related violence with genuine claims to cooperate with the committee by providing accurate information and relevant evidence required for the verification exercise.

The initiative is coming amid renewed attention to the impact of election-related violence on residents, particularly those who may have suffered injuries, property losses, displacement or other forms of hardship during electoral activities.

The Adeleke administration said the initiative underscores Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen 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 affected persons to submit relevant claims and supporting documents to enable the committee to determine their eligibility for relief.

It further stressed that the verification process would be critical to ensuring that the fund reaches the intended beneficiaries and is not diverted from its purpose.

The committee’s membership, which includes representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Information and civil society organisations, is also expected to provide institutional representation in the verification process.

The government said the committee would work in accordance with guidelines approved by the state, with the ultimate objective of providing relief to verified victims of election-related violence.