By Olanrewaju Adesanya
Respitee came for victims of the arson and looting which greeted the #EndSars protest, especially those who are residents of Agboyi-Ketu, as the Council boss Mayor Dele Osinowo the Executive Chairman, made good his resolve to restore a gleam of hope back to faces of 103 individuals and corporate bodies, who suffered a degree of economic damage in the ugly incident, as he officially presented an emergency relief fund cheques to proven victims.
Making the presentation at the council’s secretariat, Mayor Osinowo hinted that the gesture is basically targeted at rejigging the affected residents local economy, as many of the victims are bread winners of their various homes and could no longer find things easy, owing to the degree of los they suffered.
He added that his aim for considering a number of corporate bodies who are victims,is to forestall loss of jobs on the part of youthful residents of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, who are gainfully employed in the said enterprise but due to the loss,may have been out of jobs now.
” We have companies like HS Petroleum and Sweet Sensation,victims of the arson that greeted the protest, making the list of our beneficiaries.
“We are aware they employed some of our residents and due to the development may have laid off some, with this gesture we plead for consideration that at any point they needed hands to start off again, our residents who were former staffers there be considered with much preference.”Osinowo added that many of those affected are politically active individuals,including none Yoruba speaking ones, whose interest need be protected.
The presentation was made possible due to the concerted efforts of the special committee constituted by the council boss, to investigate the extent of damage and manage the disbursement of the N10m emergency relief fund to victims.
The committee having concluded its fact finding mission and adequately administered the forms filled by supposed victims, reeled out a list of qualified applicants, who consequently got a token of the council’s largesse to aid them bounce back to life economically.
The Chairman of the said committee, Comrade AbdulWaheed Odunuga in a short speech raised a poser noting that employment for the youths is key, as it shelves them from being use as instruments of disruption of public peace.
According to Odunuga the 10m voted for emergency relief fund could have address this but for the ugly incidents that lead to the wanton destruction of business assets that abounds in the community.
He said: “four names were included on compassionate grounds as well as the mind-blowing claims being noticed during the committee’s fact-finding tour.
“The Balogun Oyero Market was disqualified, as all applicants in the market were treated individually.
At the end of the day a total of 103 individuals and corporate entities were dimed qualified, and they received a portion of the emergency relief fund based on the level of damage.
A total of 10m naira and an additional fifty thousand received as donation by public spirited individuals will be disbursed between the range of N40,000 and N2million as listed and approved beneficiaries”. Odunuga said.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Helen Ojomah who trades in foodstuffs like rice, beans, garri,semolina, groundnut oil, spaghetti and others, got a cheque of 165,000 naira.
She notes that her business worth several thousands of naira was destroyed while some were looted, leaving her in a sorry state.
“I thank the Chairman for turning my sorrow to joy, I pray God continually bless him and his family in Jesus Christ name.
The day the arson was carried out they took away bags of rice from my shop because they noticed I just got new supplies,they even killed one guy who begged them to leave my rice as they destroyed and carted away my goods.
Really the amount I got cannot sort my problem completely as I used to supply in large quantities prior to now.
Another victim, Chief Tunde Ogunshola, the Editor In Chief Nigerian EducationTimes who claimed his office at 5,Demurin street in Ketu was vandalized and a number of Computers and other office equipments smashed, got a cheque of 50,000 naira.
He commended the government for the gesture, though noting that the amount given was a token when juxtaposed with equipments that were damaged.
“The actual amount we lost is enormous but we are full of appreciation at least we got something, if nothing was given what can we do?
Mr Wasiu Adeleye the manager operations at HS Petroleum Ketu, claimed that their operational vehicles,tanker and the whole filling station were razed down notes that though they requested for 200 million but got 2million, they remain grateful for the token.
“My car even got burnt as well, the proceed of the day was taken away by hoodlums while products were deliberately siphoned,the loss is huge”
He added that his aim for considering a number of corporate bodies who are victims,is to forestall loss of jobs on the part of youthful residents of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, who are gainfully employed in the said enterprise but due to the loss,may have been out of jobs now.
” We have companies like HS Petroleum and Sweet Sensation,victims of the arson that greeted the protest, making the list of our beneficiaries.
“We are aware they employed some of our residents and due to the development may have laid off some, with this gesture we plead for consideration that at any point they needed hands to start off again, our residents who were former staffers there be considered with much preference.”Osinowo added that many of those affected are politically active individuals,including none Yoruba speaking ones, whose interest need be protected.
The presentation was made possible due to the concerted efforts of the special committee constituted by the council boss, to investigate the extent of damage and manage the disbursement of the N10m emergency relief fund to victims.
The committee having concluded its fact finding mission and adequately administered the forms filled by supposed victims, reeled out a list of qualified applicants, who consequently got a token of the council’s largesse to aid them bounce back to life economically.
The Chairman of the said committee, Comrade AbdulWaheed Odunuga in a short speech raised a poser noting that employment for the youths is key, as it shelves them from being use as instruments of disruption of public peace.
According to Odunuga the 10m voted for emergency relief fund could have address this but for the ugly incidents that lead to the wanton destruction of business assets that abounds in the community.
He said: “four names were included on compassionate grounds as well as the mind-blowing claims being noticed during the committee’s fact-finding tour.
“The Balogun Oyero Market was disqualified, as all applicants in the market were treated individually.
At the end of the day a total of 103 individuals and corporate entities were dimed qualified, and they received a portion of the emergency relief fund based on the level of damage.
A total of 10m naira and an additional fifty thousand received as donation by public spirited individuals will be disbursed between the range of N40,000 and N2million as listed and approved beneficiaries”. Odunuga said.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Helen Ojomah who trades in foodstuffs like rice, beans, garri,semolina, groundnut oil, spaghetti and others, got a cheque of 165,000 naira.
She notes that her business worth several thousands of naira was destroyed while some were looted, leaving her in a sorry state.
“I thank the Chairman for turning my sorrow to joy, I pray God continually bless him and his family in Jesus Christ name.
The day the arson was carried out they took away bags of rice from my shop because they noticed I just got new supplies,they even killed one guy who begged them to leave my rice as they destroyed and carted away my goods.
Really the amount I got cannot sort my problem completely as I used to supply in large quantities prior to now.
Another victim, Chief Tunde Ogunshola, the Editor In Chief Nigerian EducationTimes who claimed his office at 5,Demurin street in Ketu was vandalized and a number of Computers and other office equipments smashed, got a cheque of 50,000 naira.
He commended the government for the gesture, though noting that the amount given was a token when juxtaposed with equipments that were damaged.
“The actual amount we lost is enormous but we are full of appreciation at least we got something, if nothing was given what can we do?
Mr Wasiu Adeleye the manager operations at HS Petroleum Ketu, claimed that their operational vehicles,tanker and the whole filling station were razed down notes that though they requested for 200 million but got 2million, they remain grateful for the token.
“My car even got burnt as well, the proceed of the day was taken away by hoodlums while products were deliberately siphoned,the loss is huge”
