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The House of Representatives on Thursday announced plans to present a fund of ₦704.91 million to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aimed at alleviating the economic hardship faced by vulnerable Nigerians following the removal of petrol subsidy.
The fund, according to the House, is drawn from a 50 per cent reduction in the lawmakers’ salaries for six months.
The initiative stems from a motion adopted during a plenary session on July 18, 2024, when members resolved to cut half of their salaries for half a year to mitigate the economic challenges faced by ordinary citizens.
The Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, while addressing his colleagues during Thursday’s plenary, said, “If you recall, about five months ago, we decided to contribute half of our salaries to address the critical needs of the Nigerian people. I am happy to inform you that so far, we have contributed N704,907,578.82.
“On December 31, I will lead a delegation of leadership to hand over the money to the president for the exclusive use of the vulnerable Nigerians who really need it.
“The contributions you made highlight the steadfastness and dedication of members to addressing the critical needs of Nigerians.”
Following a motion by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, the House, in July, resolved to donate half of their salaries to meet the hunger needs of Nigerians as part of efforts to stop the end bad governance protest.
While moving the motion, Kalu said, “This government is doing its best, but one year is not enough to address the challenges of this country. I want to plead with our colleagues to sacrifice 50 per cent for a period of six months.
“Our salary is N600,000 a month. I want to plead that we let go of 50 per cent of our salary for a period of six months.”
