The Katsina State Government has earmarked N247, 819, 025.19 for disbursement to not fewer than 680 victims of the Katsina central market fire.
According to the Chairman of the committee in charge of the compensation, Ahmed Usman El-marzuq, who is also the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney- General in the state, the government has decided to compensate shop owners with payment of 40 percent of the lost value.
El-Marzuq, on behalf of the state government, flagged off the disbursement of the funds on Tuesday at the Katsina Motel, starting with victims in the first cluster in an exercise scheduled to last for four days, Tuesday 31 August to Friday 3rd September 2021.
He further said the palliative given to the victims was realized from contributions made by the state civil servants including political appointees as well as donations made by well-meaning individuals and organisations.
He, however, said that for now only 68 percent of the promised 40 percent will be disbursed to the victim as the payment of the remaining 32 percent will follow subsequently.
In reaction to the government gesture, the Katsina State chairman, Market Trader Association, Abbas Labaran Al-baba, thanked the committee for its effort in ensuring that all the victims are captured irrespective of political or religious affiliations.
Al-Baba however urged the state government to expedite action in its effort to rebuild the market to save traders from further risk and exposure to unfriendly weather.
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