Daily Independent Online.
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Tuesday, August 24, 2004.
Lawmaker awards
scholarships to fire victims
By Benson Agwu,
Correspondent, Benin City
The Deputy Minority Leader in the House of
Representatives, Mr. Emmanuel Arigbe Osula, has unfolded a scholarship award of
N500, 000 to 50 victims of the 2001 kerosene fire explosion in Edo State.
Osula representing Oredo federal constituency, who
made this known while condoling the victims at Benin City, lamented that Edo
State government was yet to do anything meaningful towards uplifting the plight
of the victims since three years ago.
He pledged to join hands with any willing Edo son and
daughter in sponsoring 50 of the victims annually to overseas for a
reconstruction plastic surgery while his scholarship award of N500, 000 for
every 50 of the victims would be awarded annually, commencing from this month.
He said even though Edo State government was crying over deductions from its
federal allocations, its functionaries were still spending money lavishingly in
foreign countries.
While urging the victims to remain united in prayer
by their pains and scars, Osula said there was no justification for any person,
no matter highly placed, to rob them off the funds donated for their
rehabilitation by individuals and corporate bodies.
He confirmed that the petition of the kerosene fire
explosion victims to the National Assembly has been received on the floor of the
Assembly and vowed to join them in their struggle for justice.
He said
he would procure additional legal services for the victims as well carry their
protest to the United Nation and Edo National Convention at Michigan next
month.
In their individual responses, the victims urged the
Edo State government to enlist them among those presently undergoing
reconstructive plastic surgery at the Igbinedion University, Okada.
The 2001 kerosene fire explosion victims alleged that
the 38 of them currently undergoing plastic surgery at Okada were mainly those
who sustained minor burns without any deformity.
In his own contribution, the Publicity Secretary of
the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Comrade Godwin Erhahon, challenged the
Edo State government to publish the list of donours with the respective amount
donated in order to prove to the world that there was no scam.
“Also Edo State Government should make public
any expenses incurred on behalf of the victims and names of any victim who has received
assistance of any kind from the state government,” he said.
