Arewa youths reject Govt’s N5.8bn
compensation for post-election violence
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April 26, 2013 | 12:38 am
News
ABUJA— Northern youths, yesterday,
spurned the Federal Government’s offer
of N5.8 billion compensation to the
families of the victims of the 2011 post-
election violence that rocked most parts
of the North and a few southern states.
The youths, who denounced the offer
through the National President of the
Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, Alhaji
Yerima Shettima, noted that the offer
was a Greek gift from the Presidency to
the affected states so as to win their
support for President Jonathan’s re-
election in 2015.
Yerima, who queried the sincerity of the
government in the offer, wondered why
it had taken President Jonathan more
than two years to remember the families
of the victims while the issues that gave
rise to the violence were yet to be
addressed.
The youth leader noted, “to us, we see
this as medicine after death and a
desperate attempt to woo the North
once again to support Jonathan’s re-
election in 2015. ”
But, we are not fools and can no longer
be taken for granted by those who think
that they can always deceive us and get
away with it.
“Why has the government suddenly
remembered that so many families lost
their loved ones and property since April
2011? This government is not sincere to
us and they have continued to make a
mockery of the people of the north,
thinking that we are fools.
“It is unfortunate that the Federal
Government is just realising that it
should release the money for the
compensation of the families of the
victims, some of who have since died out
of frustration and hardship. Why have
they released the money with just a few
months to the beginning of
electioneering for the 2015 Presidency?
“We want right-thinking Nigerians to
read between the lines and know that
this government has never been sincere
with the people and that it is not
responsive enough to the yearning and
aspirations of the people of Nigeria,
particularly, the north that has been
afflicted by series of violence in recent
years.
“The Presidency should stop playing
politics with everything in Nigeria. It
should be able to differentiate between
providing service to humanity and
playing to the gallery for political gains,”
the ACF leader warned.
The Federal Government, yesterday,
announced the approval for the release
of N5,747,694,780.00 to nine states of
the federation for direct disbursement to
those who suffered losses of property,
means of livelihood and places of
worship in the post-election violence of
2011.
Special Adviser to the President on Media
and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, who
announced this, said government’s
decision was to assist those who
suffered losses during the crisis as
recommended by the Sheikh Ahmed
Lemu panel that was set up after the
crisis.
The states to benefit from the money,
according to Abati, are, Bauchi, Sokoto,
Zamfara, Niger, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano,
Adamawa and Akwa-Ibom.
Abati explained that the interest of those
who died in the course of the crisis
would be accommodated by the Federal
Government.
It would 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, identified the spread and extent
of losses suffered across the country.
The committee recommendation was
adopted by the Federal Executive Council
which directed the Federal Ministry of
Lands and Housing to assess the
reported losses and damage to property
in all affected states.
The Special Adviser to the president
noted that based on the Ministry’s
report, “President Jonathan has
approved the release of funds to nine of
the 14 affected states as follows:
Bauchi; N1,574,879,000.00; Sokoto,
N55,888,506.00; Zamfara,
N93,253,485.00; Niger,
N433,375,875.00; and Jigawa,
N208,667,634.00.
Others include: Katsina,
N1,973,209,440.00; Kano,
N944,827,000.00; Adamawa,
N420,089,840.00 and Akwa Ibom
N43,504,000.00.
The presidential spokesman explained
that” Inspection and assessment of
damages and losses suffered are yet to
be carried out in Borno, Yobe, Gombe,
Kaduna and Nasarawa states as
modalities and further instructions for
the ex ercise are still being expected
from the state governments.
“Funds to cover the losses sustained by
victims of the post election violence in
these five states will be approved and
released at the conclusion of the
assessment exercise” he said
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