The Dangote conglomerate has offered to pay compensation ranging from monetary, employment and scholarship to families of students and other residents recently killed by one of its trucks at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo state in fatal crash.
This was disclosed on Saturday in Ado Ekiti, in a statement issued by the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS), Sunday Asefon.
Asefon said in the statement titled : “Our Colleagues Must Get Justice’, that the compensation pact was reached with Dangote group after a meeting with the management of the conglomerate, on Thursday .
He said NANS leadership under him, in fulfilment of its vow was able to secure assurances for the reparation for the victims, because the current leadership would never allow sweeping such unfortunate incidences under the carpet, no matter who is involved.
He said prior to the peace meeting, NANS had threatened that students across the country would be directed to boycott Dangote’s products and declare all its trucks persona- non- grata, 10 kilometres away from all tertiary institutions, in protest for the gruesome killings of their members .
“We also told the company to henceforth take the safety of all Nigerians serious on roads”, he said.
He said the meeting was attended by himself, the NANS’ Senate President, Chuks Okafor, Vice President National Affairs, Yasiz Tanko, NANS Zone D Coordinator, Samuel Kappo, and other elected Executives of NANS, as well as the Leadership of NANS JCC in Ondo State.
Asefon added that with the tragic way with which the crash occurred and the attendant pains it had inflicted on the victims’ families, it was imperative for the company to compensate the deceased students.
The NANS President explained that aside financial compensation, Dangote Group was mandated to give employment to qualified members of each of the bereaved families. ”
We made it clear that where there are no qualified family members for employment, Dangote should award scholarships up to the university level to a member of each of the families ”
We also requested that Dangote through tax arrangements with Federal Government should fix the Isua-Akungba Akoko road where the carnage happened . ”
We told them that under the Company’s Corporate Social Responsibilities policy, a project should be executed for AAUA or Akungba metropolis and should be named after the victims of the 23rd January , 2021 truck crash to immortalize all, including our fallen students”, he said.
Asefon disclosed that an all -inclusive committee was set up to ensure all the agreements reached at the meeting are executed within the stipulated time. ”
NANS under my leadership will do everything possible to ensure improved welfare and adequate protection of the interest of Nigerian students local and global”, he said.
Recall that six students of the university and nine other residents were killed on Jan. 23rd, 2021, when a truck belonging to the conglomerate rammed into a shopping complex near the university gate, killing the victims, including three members of same family in Akungba Akoko.
It is also recalled that a day after the incident, the NANS President had vowed to seek justice for the victims, assuring that their deaths would not be in vain lime those before it.
