Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has announced a ₦500 million endowment fund for victims of pre-election violence in the state, alongside full scholarships for the children of people who died during the unrest.
Governor Adeleke made the announcement on Wednesday, while receiving his certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following his re-election as governor.
According to the governor’s Special Assistant on Digital Media, Olalekan Badmu, the endowment was established by the state government in memory of victims of violence recorded ahead of the governorship election.
Badmu also said members of the Adeleke family had offered to sponsor the education of children of those who died in the violence through university level.
He said the beneficiaries would be selected irrespective of their political affiliations.
“The Osun State government establishes N500 million endowment fund in honour of victims of pre-election violence in Osun State.
“Adeleke family offers full scholarships to children of the deceased up to university level. Beneficiaries are to cut across party lines,” Badmu wrote in a social media post.
He added that a special committee would be responsible for identifying and verifying eligible beneficiaries.
According to him, the committee would be headed by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun.
Governor Adeleke described the intervention as a humanitarian initiative rather than a political programme. He said eligible victims would not be excluded because of their political affiliation, religion, ethnicity, gender or social status.
“This is not a political intervention. It is a humanitarian responsibility. No eligible victim will be excluded because of political affiliation, religion, ethnicity, gender or social status. In grief, there is no political party. In our common humanity, we are one people,” he was quoted as saying.
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The governor also used the occasion to appeal to residents of Osun State to put the election behind them and work towards reconciliation and unity.
He assured residents who supported his candidacy as well as those who voted for other candidates that he would govern the entire state.
“The election is over. The campaign is over. The contest is over. Now is the time to govern, unite, heal and build,” Adeleke said, according to The Daily Beam.
He also offered prayers for families who lost loved ones during the violence, those who sustained injuries and the continued peace and development of the state.
