Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has unveiled a N500 million Election Violence Victims Endowment Fund to provide relief and support for victims of violence associated with the August 15 governorship election.
Adeleke announced the initiative yesterday in Osogbo while receiving his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following his re-election for a second term.
The governor, who lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for ensuring the votes of Osun people counted, said the fund was part of measures by his administration to heal the wounds created by the electoral contest and provide assistance to individuals and families that suffered losses.
He said the intervention would cover verified victims of election-related violence, including those who sustained injuries, lost property or livelihoods, as well as families that lost loved ones.
According to him, the decision to establish the fund was informed by the need to ensure that the conclusion of the election did not mark the end of government attention to those who suffered during the process.
Adeleke said the election was a contest for political power, but the consequences of violence could remain with victims and their families long after politicians had moved on.
He said the state government therefore considered it necessary to introduce a structured intervention that would provide assistance while also promoting reconciliation among the people.
The governor said a Verification and Relief Committee, headed by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, would oversee the identification of victims and the distribution of relief.
He explained that the committee would be expected to verify claims before beneficiaries receive assistance, in order to ensure that the fund was not abused.
Adeleke assured that the process would be transparent, adding that genuine victims would not be excluded because of their political affiliation.
“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 said.
The governor said the initiative was designed to demonstrate that the government recognised the pain suffered by residents during the electoral period.
He appealed to political leaders and their supporters to avoid actions capable of deepening divisions in the state, saying political differences should not become reasons for violence.
Adeleke also paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the violence, including Ezekiel Olapade, Aderogba Ajayi, Remi Abass and Kolade Eluyera.
“Even in victory, we must be sober in reflection. Citizens were injured, properties and livelihoods were destroyed and, most painfully, precious lives were lost,” the governor said.
He said the government would not treat the victims as mere statistics, stressing that behind every casualty was a family and a community affected by the loss.
Adeleke said the state had a duty to support families struggling with the consequences of the violence and help them regain a measure of stability.
He further disclosed that his family, through the Springtime Development Foundation, would provide full scholarships up to university level for children and dependants of people who died in the electoral violence.
The scholarship programme, according to him, would complement the N500 million endowment funds and ensure that the children of victims did not suffer further because of the loss of their parents or breadwinners.
The governor said the interventions reflected his administration’s commitment to putting human welfare at the centre of governance.
He added that the election had provided important lessons for the state and its political actors, particularly on the need to ensure that future contests were conducted peacefully.
He said his victory imposed a greater responsibility on his administration to govern for all residents rather than only those who supported him during the election.
“The election is over. The campaign is over. The contest is over. Now is the time to govern, unite, heal and build,” he said.
He assured residents that his second term would focus on consolidating ongoing development projects while expanding programmes aimed at improving the welfare of the people.
The governor’s announcement came shortly after INEC formally presented him with his Certificate of Return following his victory in the August 15 governorship election.
The presentation marked the formal conclusion of the electoral process and the beginning of preparations for Adeleke’s second term.