#EndSARS: Lagos Assembly plans compensation for victims in 2021 Budget

The Lagos State House of Assembly has promised to include compensations to #EndSARS victims in the state’s 202 Budget currently before the House.

The Chairman, House Ad Hoc Committee on the Victims of Aftermath of the #EndSARS protest in the state, Mr Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni, disclosed this at the end of its three-day public hearing on Friday, November 20, in Lagos.

1st News reports that the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, had on Oct. 26, constituted a nine-member committee to investigate the level of destruction of property and loss of lives as well as to determine compensation for the victims.

Eshinlokun-Sanni, who is also the Deputy Speaker, assured protesters that the House would attend to all genuine #EndSARS victims, adding that the compensation would come as early as possible.

“If your property is insured, LASACO is here to assist you. We will do our best to ensure that you are well compensated.

“We will also make budgetary allocations from the 2021 budget for compensation to be paid. We will do our best and assist you in our own way.

“We want to perform our duty and identify with you about the incident.

“It is the duty of the government to intervene in such situations. You will soon hear from us about the money we want to give you,” he said.

Eshinlokun-Sanni said the compilation and verification of claims were to ensure that compensation was paid to all the affected persons.

“Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu spoke about the issue and went to the president to present the demands of the protesters and they were accepted.

“SARS was disbanded and the government started the process of police reforms. But hoodlums hijacked the protest and started looting, maiming and started burning assets,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday, November 19, flagged off ‘Project Zero,’ aimed at tracking and returning over 21,000 pupils who abandoned primary schools post COVID-19.

Sanwo-Olu, during the flag-off in Lagos, noted that those being tracked would also include pupils whose parents had relocated; especially in the aftermath of COVID-19.

Project Zero is an initiative deployed to tackle the menace of out-of-school children; by supporting and re-enrolling children who are out of school or on the verge of dropping out of school.

The initiative, in partnership with Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), is deployed to trace, mobilize, and support children; especially those who have dropped out of school due to the socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.