Joyce Onwuka
The Lagos State government has announced that it is set to compensate victims of the accident involving a train and the government-owned Bus rapid transit (BRT) Thursday, March 9, 2023 in the Ikeja area of the state.
The state Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Fredric Oladeinde, made this known on Wednesday in the state after a nine-member committee set up by the state government in the aftermath of the accident submitted its report.
The state government had set up a committee made up of the Permanent Secretaries from relevant Ministries of the State Public Service to identify the families of the deceased and their dependents as well as the injured officers, and also to determine appropriate compensation packages for each affected family and staff of the state government.
Recall that the victims of the accident were mainly staff of the Lagos State Government who were on their way to their different offices.
The Commissioner for Transport told journalists that findings of the committee report showed that six persons died out of a total of 102 passengers involved in the accident, saying that while 85 passengers were on board the Staff Bus, while 17 were on the train.
Oladeinde said that “The committee as part of its recommendations advised: Death benefits from the Group Life Insurance for families of the deceased, provision of employment to one employable child of the deceased and a concessionary scholarship to one of the deceased’s biological children.
“Injured accident victims were also recommended in the report to be paid full insurance claims as compensation while any staff victim with a permanent disability is also to be compensated in line with the Group Life Insurance Policy of the State, among other benefits.”
The commissioner added that “A final decision on the committee’s recommendations will be taken by the State Executive Council and further directives communicated by the Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola.”