Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has announced a N500 million endowment fund to support victims of pre-election violence in the state.
Adeleke made the announcement on Wednesday while receiving his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following his re-election.
According to the governor’s Special Assistant on Digital Media, Olalekan Badmu, the state government established the fund in memory of those who lost their lives during the violence that preceded the governorship election.
Badmu also revealed in a social media post that the Adeleke family would offer full scholarships through university level to children who lost their parents in the violence.
He said the beneficiaries would be drawn across political party lines.
“The Osun State Government establishes 500 million naira endowment fund in honour of victims of pre-election violence in Osun State.
“Adeleke family offers full scholarships to children of deceased up to University level. Victims are to cut across party lines.
“The verification and compilation will be done by a special committee to be headed by Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun,” Badmu wrote.
According to a report by The Daily Beam, which published details of Adeleke’s remarks at the event, the governor also said the intervention would be humanitarian rather than political, assuring that eligible victims would not be discriminated against based on 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,” the report stated.
Adeleke also appealed for unity among residents following the governorship election, assuring those who voted for him and those who supported other candidates that he remained the governor of 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,” he said, according to The Daily Beam.
The governor also prayed for the families affected by the violence, the recovery of those injured and the continued peace and development of Osun State.
