By Ahmed Dan Asabe Lokoje
The Kogi State government has donated N34.2 million to traders who lost their wares in a fire incident that ravaged the GSM Village in Lokoja, the state capital. Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo made the donation on Wednesday, fulfilling an earlier promise to assist the traders.
The fire incident, which occurred on September 12, 2024, destroyed shops and properties worth millions of Naira. Governor Ododo had immediately set up a committee headed by the Executive Secretary, Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (KOSEMA), to investigate the incident and compensate those affected.
Represented by Deputy Governor Comrade Joel Salifu Oyibo, Governor Ododo said the administration remains committed to providing immediate relief and long-term support to all Kogites. "We sympathize with all the victims of the incident. The committee has done an inventory of those affected, and we are going to compensate people according to the enumeration process," he said.
The Executive Secretary, KOSEMA, Muktar Atimah, handed over the cheques to the victims, with traders receiving amounts ranging from N500,000 to N5 million, depending on the level of losses incurred. Atimah explained that those who had shops and sold phones and phone accessories received higher amounts than those who were just phone repairers.
The committee has also recommended the relocation of the GSM Village for safety and security purposes. "We checked the cash flow and business accounts of victims, deployed forensics, and arrived at the estimations devoid of religion, tribe, or political affiliations," Atimah said.
The Secretary of the GSM Village Phone Association, Miracle Elom, expressed gratitude for the compensation and promised to make good use of the money.
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