The Kogi State government has compensated victims of the GSM village fire that occurred in the Paparanda Kpata area of Lokoja, the state capital.
The deputy governor, Joel Salifu Oyibo, presented the cheques to the affected victims and said that the compensation payment was a testament to the Governor Ododo administration’s commitment to supporting those affected by the fire disaster.
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Recall that the GSM village was razed by fire on September 12, 2024, destroying shops and property 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 of the State Emergency Management Agency (KOSEMA), Alhaji Mouktar Atimah, to investigate the remote cause of the incident and compensate those affected.
Fulfilling the promise, the deputy governor, who also serves as the chairman of the Board of State Emergency Management, handed cheques to those affected by the fire incident.
He said the 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 an inventory of those affected by the fire incident, and we will compensate people according to the enumeration process. We are here today to fulfil the promise we made to you.”
The executive secretary of KOSEMA, Muktar Atimah, handed over the cheques to the victims, with some going home with N5 million, N1 million, and N500,000.
Atimah said those who have shops and cell phones and phone accessories were given a higher amount than those who were just phone repairers.
He, however, announced that the committee had recommended the relocation of the GSM Village.
“This committee was set up the second day after the incident and given two weeks to deliver a verdict.
“Part of the committee recommendation is to relocate the GSM village for safety purposes.
“We are also happy that the governor responded quickly and approved the sum of N34.2 million we estimated to compensate affected victims. This shows that the governor is feeling what you’re facing.
“We checked the cash flow and business accounts of victims and went to forensics before we arrived at the estimates. This was done without religious sentiments, tribe, or political affiliation of the affected victims.”
Responding to the governor’s good gesture, the GSM Village Phone Association secretary, Miracle Elom, expressed appreciation for the compensation and promised to make good use of the money.
The state commissioner for Water Resources, Engr. Yahaya Farouq, the member representing Lokoja 1 in the State Assembly, Bin-Ebiya Shehu Tijani, and other government appointees were present at the presentation.