Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has announced the establishment of a N500m endowment fund for victims of pre-election violence in the state.
Adeleke announced on Wednesday, while receiving his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission following his re-election.
According to the governor’s Special Assistant on Digital Media, Olalekan Badmus, the fund was established by the Osun State Government in honour of victims of the violence recorded before the governorship election.
Badmu, in a post shared on his social media account, also disclosed that the Adeleke family would provide full scholarships up to university level for children of those who died 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,” Badmus 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.
The announcement comes after Adeleke was declared winner of the August 15th governorship election, having secured victory in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas.
The incumbent governor, who contested the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, defeated his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, who won in 11 local government areas.
