Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

Nigeria’s  Federal Government on Monday announced the constitution of a Committee on Victims Support Fund “to mobilise resources and administer appropriate support to victims of insurgency and Boko Haram terror activities all over the country.”

The announcement completes a policy somersault by President Goodluck Jonathan on the need to compensate victims of the five year old insurgency.

Last year November, President Jonathan was widely reported to have said his government would not pay compensation to the victims of Boko Haram, a gesture costing hard-hit  Borno and Yobe state governments billions of naira.

Boko Haram refugees in Cameroon

The President spoke then on 5 November, when the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North submitted its report.

See http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/11/compensation-boko-haram-victims-

However,  Jonathan days later said he was misunderstood after being hit by a barrage of criticisms, even by his closest ally, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. He said he opposed the ‘word compensation’ and that a committee would be set up to advise on the level of support government would give Boko Haram victims.

In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim,  unveiled the composition and appointment of members of the Committee on Victims Support Funds as approved by Jonathan:

(i) ​Gen. TY Danjuma, GCON​​​​-​Chairman

(ii) ​Mr. Fola Adeola​​​​​​-​Deputy Chairman

​(iii) ​Alh. Mohammed Indimi​​​​​-​Member

​(iv) ​Alh. Abdulsamad I. Rabiu​​​​-​Member

​(v)​ Alh. Sani Dauda​​​​​​-​Member

​(vi)​ Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija​​​​​-​Member

​(vii)​ Mr. Cosmas Maduka​​​​​-​Member

​(viii) ​Mr. Jim Ovia​​​​​​-​Member

​(ix) ​Mr. Wale Tinubu​​​​​-​Member

​(x) ​Alh. Sani Sidi, DG, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)​​​​​​-​Member

​(xi) ​Air Vice Marshal Tony Omenyi (Representing Defence Headquarters)​​​​​-​Member

(xii)​ CP Salisu Fagge, representing Nigerian Police Force​-​Member

​(xiii)​ Mr. Sayana Yusuf, representing Department of State Services​​​​​​-​Member

​(xiv)​ Chief Uche Secondus, PDP Deputy National Chairman (South)​​​​​-​Member

​(xv) ​Alh. Tijani Tunsah, APC Deputy National Chairman (North)​​​​​-​Member

​(xvi) ​Representative of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) –​Member

​(xvii) ​Representative of Jamaatul Nasril Islam (JNI)​​-​Member

​(xviii) ​Chief (Mrs.) Nkechi Mba, Representing National Council of Women Societies​​​​-​Member

(xix) ​Prof. Ben Angwe, Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)​​​​-​Member

​(xx)​ Representative of the United Nations (UN)​​-​Member

​(xxi) ​Representative of Department for International Development (DFID)​​​​​-​Member

​(xxii) ​Representative of Unites States Agency for International Development (USAID)​​​​​-​Member

​(xxiii) ​Representative of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)​​​​​​-​Member

​(xxiv) ​Alh. Balarabe Musa, Representing Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP)​​​​-​Member

​(xxv) ​Two (2) Representatives of Local Civil society/Youth Groups (Male & Female)​​​​​-​Members.

(xxvi) ​Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF)​​​​​-​Secretariat

TERMS OF REFERENCE

(i)​To identify sources and ways of raising sustainable funding to support victims of Boko Haram terror activities;

​(ii)​To develop appropriate strategies for the fund raising;

(iii)​To ascertain the persons, communities, facilities and economic assets affected by Boko Haram terror activities;

​(iv) ​To assess and determine the appropriate support required in each case;

​(v) ​To manage, disburse or administer support to the victims as appropriate;

​(vi) ​To address related challenges as may be appropriate; and

(vii) ​To advise Government on other matter(s) necessary or incidental to support victims of Boko Haram terror activities.

The Committee will be inaugurated by  President Jonathan on Wednesday.