Jonathan approves compensation to poll violence victims

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the release of N5.7 billion to nine states 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.

Demonstrators on 19 April after the election in Kaduna state

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. follows: Bauchi got N1.6 billion, Sokoto N56million, Zamfara N93million, Niger N433million, Jigawa N208million.
Katsina state got the highest compensation of N1.9billion, Adamawa N420 million, Akwa Ibom N43.5 million
President Jonathan has also directed that an Implementation Committee for the disbursement of the funds to beneficiaries in the nine states be constituted, with the governor or deputy governor as the chairman.
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 exercise 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