Kogi State government on Wednesday paid compensation of over N34 million to victims of the GSM village Fire Incident at Paparanda area of Lokoja, the state capital.
The Deputy Governor, Joel Salifu Oyibo while presenting the cheques to the victims said that the payment of the compensation was a testament to the incumbent administration’s commitment to supporting those affected by the fire disaster.
It would be recalled that the GSM village was razed by fire on September 12, 2024, leading to the destruction of shops and properties worth millions of Naira.
The governor of the state, Ahmed Usman Ododo visited the scene the second day and immediately set up a committee headed by the Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency (KOSEMA) to look into the immediate and.remote causes of the incident with a view to compensate those affected.
Fulfilling the promise, the Deputy Governor, who doubles as the board Chairman, State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, handed cheques to those affected by the fire incident.
He said their administration remains dedicated to providing immediate relief and long-term support to all Kogites.
He said: “We came here after the fire incident and promised you that we would come back. We sympathise with all the victims of the incident. The committee has done inventory of those affected by the fire incident, and we are going to compensate people according to the enumeration process. We are here today to fulfill the promise we made to you.”
The Executive Secretary, KOSEMA, Muktar Atimah handed over the cheques to the victims, with some going home with N5 million, N1 million and some N500,000.
Atimah said those who have shops and sell phones and phones accessories were given higher amount than those who were phone repairers.
He however announced that the committee has recommended the relocation of the GSM Village,
“This committee was set up the second day after the incident and given two weeks to deliver verdict. Part of the committee recommendation is that the GSM village be relocated for safety purpose.
“We are also happy that the governor responded quickly and approved the exact sum of N34.2m we estimated for compensation to affected victims.
“This shows that the governor is feeling what you’re facing.
“We checked the cash flow and business account of victims and we went forensics before we arrived at the estimations. This was done devoid of religion, tribe or political affiliations of the affected victims.
Reacting to the good gesture by the Governor, Secretary of the GSM Village Phone Association, Miracle Elom expressed their appreciation for the compensations given to them and promised to make good use of the money.