In his lead debate, Bassey said the bill seeks to provide for the establishment of the EndSARS Victims Compensation Fund.
A bill seeking to compensate victims of the nationwide EndSARS protest was passed by the Senate on Wednesday, for second reading.
The bill titled, “A Bill for an Act to Amend the National Emergency Management Agency Act” was sponsored by Senator Gershom Bassey, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, Cross River State.
In his lead debate, Bassey said the bill seeks to provide for the establishment of the EndSARS Victims Compensation Fund, PUNCH reports.
He said, “Distinguished colleagues, you may recall that as a result of the Endsars nationwide protests in October 2020.
“Judicial panels of inquiry were constituted to address the demands of protesters and compensation for verified victims of the EndSARS protest.
“The findings of the judicial panels of inquiry and the Senate Joint Committee on Endsars revealed the killing of protesters, and destruction of private and public properties by rampaging hoodlums, who seized and took over the protest vandalizing and looting valuable assets.
“However, the implementation of the recommendation of all the panels and committees regarding compensation has been very discouraging. The victims have been left to continually groan under the pains of injury inflicted by hoodlums during the protest.
"The eventual establishment of the fund and implementation of the recommendation of the judicial panel of inquiry and Senate Joint Committee on Endsars would certainly bring succour to the victims of the 2020 EndSARS nationwide protest.
“Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, it is my prayer that you support this amendment bill that seeks to bring hope to the victims of the 2020 EndSARS protest,” he said.
President of Senate, Ahmed Lawan, thereafter, referred the bill to the Committee on Special Duties for further legislative input and report back to plenary in one week.
Years after the #EndSARS protests in Nigeria, in which the establishment of the judicial panels of inquiry to determine the extent of human rights abuses, awarded billions in compensation, many of the victims have not been rewarded.
The report submitted by panels in many states of the federation has also not been implemented.