Delta State government has disclosed that those who lost their lives during the #ENDSARS protest would be duly compensated, while noting that though no amount of money could bring back the lives of those who died during the protest.
This is part of the recommendations the #ENDAARS Judicial Panel of Inquiry cane up with to mitigate the sufferings of those left behind.
The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, made the disclosure on Thursday September 30th 2021, while briefing journalists of the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting held in Government House, Asaba, the state capital.
Flanked by his Economic Planning counterpart, Barry Gbe, the Information Commissioner, said: “in that recommendation, there a number of issues as to what the police need to do.
“And then also issues of compensation of families whom may have lost their loved ones. We have gone halfway, we are hoping that in our next State Executive Council meeting, we will continue and conclude consideration and adoption of the white paper” Aniagwu assured.
Fielding questions from newsmen, the mouthpiece of the State government, explained that the compensation vary from one affected person to the other.
Hear him: “You know all issues are not the same, it is been considered case by case basis. You do know that no amount even if it is in trillions can bring back anybody who has passed.
“We are looking at it case by case. If it is brutality, there are certain amount, depending on what also happened. If somebody have committed a crime and along the line he is not handled properly and he passed on, you don’t consider it with the same way you consider somebody who is just taking away from his house without any crime and his is murdered”
Speaking further, Aniagwu revealed that a N66 billion Supplementary Appropriation Bill has been proposed to be sent to the State House of Assembly for onwards approval to enable the state meet certain policy priorities and programmes.
According to him, “We also at today’s Exco consider the 2021 Supplementary Appropriation Bill of the State. We are proposing N66 billion as part of issues to augment the 2021 Supplementary Budget.
“Now that it has been adopted, we will proceed to take it to the House if Assembly for appropriation. The reasons we have to come up with a Supplementary Appropriation is that the provisions in the 2921 Budget, abintio, needed to be tempered with so that we can meet up with certain policy priorities and programmes that we have been marked to carry out in 2921”.
On the 2022 budget, he said: “And then also we discussed certain key areas in the 2022 budget with a view of coming out with priorities and so MDAs were asked to identify a number of the key areas.
“So we are hoping that in the not too distance time, we will be coming up with the full 2022 budget to be presented”.
Similarly, approval was also given for the state government to pay her counterpart funding for the State Universal Basic Education fund.
“Now, you also do recall that the law setting up the Universal Basic Education Funds make provisions for counterpart fund.
“For the 2021 counterpart fund, Delta State is expected to contribute N946 million and that means that the federal government will also bring equal amount of money for us to be able to find our commitments in addressing infrastructure needs in the Basic Education sector and that was also approved today”, Aniagwu added.
