BY UMMU ABUBAKAR
GOVERNOR AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has announced a donation of N500 million for owners of last Friday’s looting of business concerns by suspected hoodlums in parts of Ilorin, the state capital.
The governor said this was part of the administration’s efforts at helping the affected people get back on their feet.
While condemning what he described as the mindless looting of businesses in the state and some other parts of the country, AbdulRazaq said there was no justification for such criminal behaviour.
He said, during a visit to the Kwara and Agro Malls, that the looters did not know the implications of what they had done to businesses.
According to the Governor, the incident could cripple businesses and trigger massive job losses.
He said, “We are therefore not going to leave the business owners like that. We are setting up a N500m fund for those that were affected to access.
“The application form is live and active on the State Government’s website and can now be filled by interested parties. We are going to get them back as soon as possible.”
AbdulRazaq noted that stolen food items from the Cargo Terminal had been donated to specific vulnerable households and were being distributed on behalf of the private sector-led Coaltion Against COVID-19, across the state.
He said items looted from Agro-Mall were relief materials donated by the Federal Government to victims of flood in eight Local Government Areas of the state.
The governor stressed, “What happened was bareface stealing and some people are playing politics with it. This is not the time to play politics. It is a time for all hands to be on deck. It is not just Kwara they wanted to burn down. They wanted to burn the whole country down. I urge all of us to stand up and resist this.
“We engaged the #EndSARS youths in Kwara and it worked out for us. They were not violent. They had a five-point agenda which the Federal Government has agreed to and has started implementing. In Kwara State, we have also set up a judicial panel of inquiry to look into the allegation of Police abuse.
“I visited the Police barracks to see how we can improve the welfare of the Police in the state. While the hoodlums were looting, I was holding a meeting with executives and members of the National Association of Kwara State Students and National Association of Nigeria Students, Kwara axis.”
