The Nigerian Senate has approved a bill seeking to compensate victims of the #ENDSARS protests that took place in October 2020. Sponsored by Senator Gershom Bassey, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party from Cross River State, the bill titled, “A Bill for an Act to Amend the National Emergency Management Agency Act,” seeks to establish an #ENDSARS Victims Compensation Fund.
Senator Bassey revealed that judicial inquiry panels were set up across the country to investigate the protests and the damage caused to private and public property, as well as the killing of some protesters. The panels suggested the payment of compensation to those with verified claims of suffering losses, harm, injury, or death.
“The implementation of the recommendation of all the panels and committees regarding compensation has been very discouraging,” Senator Bassey stated, adding that the provisions of the bill aim to compensate those who have suffered from the #ENDSARS protests that rocked Nigeria last year.
The bill’s provisions address the need for compensation aimed at helping the victims heal from the unfortunate incident, as many suffered serious harm from the actions of rampaging hoodlums who seized and took over the protests, vandalizing and looting valuable assets.
With the establishment of the compensation fund as proposed in the bill, the victims of the 2020 #ENDSARS nationwide protest would finally be able to heave a sigh of relief, Senator Bassey opined.
The President of the Nigerian Senate, Ahmed Lawan, referred the bill to the Committee on Special Duties for further review and legislative consideration, with the hope that the issue would be resolved soon and the bill passed into law.
In Nigeria, many citizens consider the #ENDSARS movement a landmark event for the country’s democratic renewal, and now, with the Senate’s promise to act on the matter, those affected may soon receive the compensation they deserve.
SOURCE: Punch.
