18th December, 2020
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq on Thursday presented cheques of varying amounts to 48 business owners whose shops were looted during the October #EndSARS protest in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.
The government had in November set up an 11-person committee, including civic groups and representative of the business owners, to fact-check claims submitted by 342 businesses who filled an online form to benefit from a N500m SME Recovery Fund established to support the victims.
Out of the 342 firms who registered, only 64 turned up for verification out of whom the committee established 48 for compensation while 8 injured vigilantes manning the looted Cargo Terminal were also captured for some support.
The governor presented cheques to all the affected businesses in Ilorin, with the highest beneficiary getting a grant of N17m, the middle earner getting N15m and the lowest getting N100,000 as recommended by the adjuster and the committee.
The total grants awarded stood at N180,775,000 in line with the recommendations of the committee.
“Today, we issued cheques to 48 business owners whose wares and assets were looted by hoodlums during the EndSARS protest. The total grants awarded to these businesses stood at N180,775,000, and it was based on the recommendations of the independent adjuster/committee that was set up to assess the damage and propose interventions,” AbdulRazaq wrote on Twitter.
“I really sympathise with these business owners and I regret that such a thing ever happened to them. We do not have the capacity to give them everything they have lost but the grants given are our token of support to encourage them not to give up.
“Our administration is always willing to help businesses of all sizes to thrive. Just like we are supporting petty traders with micro-loans (Owo Isowo), we are also supporting SMEs to make sure they continue to grow and create more jobs.
“Government cannot do everything. Business owners are our partners in evolving Kwara from a civil service state to an enterprising one,” he added.
Today, we issued cheques to 48 business owners whose wares and assets were looted by hoodlums during the EndSARS protest. The total grants awarded to these businesses stood at N180,775,000 and… pic.twitter.com/Xm8FSeXG0T
— Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (@RealAARahman) December 17, 2020
We do not have the capacity to give them everything they have lost but the grants given are our token of support to encourage them not to give up.
— Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (@RealAARahman) December 17, 2020
Government cannot do everything. Business owners are our partners in evolving Kwara from a civil service state to an enterprising one.
— Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (@RealAARahman) December 17, 2020
Deputy Governor and Chairman State SME Recovery Fund Kayode Alabi, who was represented by the acting General Manager Kwara State Social Investment Programme Mohammed Brimah, said the occasion is in fulfilment of the government’s pledge to support affected business operators.
He said the step of the government will help to boost public confidence in the administration.
Representative of the Elite Network for Sustainable Development (ENETSUD) Fatimah Bintu Dikko said the whole process of ascertaining who got what and what they got was credible and transparent as the group was on the committee to observe what transpired.
“We commend the government for what it is doing today by putting smiles on the faces of the victims of #EndSARS protest. This is exactly what we at ENETSUD want,” Dikko said.