Hardship: Reps Agree On Salary Cut By 50 Percent For Six Months

By Ayodele Oni

In tandem with economic realities confronting Nigeria, Members of the House of Representatives have agreed to release N108 million monthly from their salaries.

The amount is expected to be sourced from the 50 percent salary cut agreed upon by the 360 lawmakers for six months.

They described the gesture as part of their solidarity and sacrifice to support the economic hardship and hunger Nigerians are going through at the moment.

This followed the adoption of an amendment to a motion’s prayer moved by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, on the need for lawmakers to sacrifice 50 percent of their N600,000 monthly salaries to support Nigerians in view of the hardship in the land.

Kalu’s amended prayer was to a motion by Isiaka Ayokunle calling on proponents of the planned nationwide protests to jettison the idea and engage the government in dialogue.

The Deputy Speaker said the salary cut is to be used to support federal government’s efforts to address rising cost of food stuffs in the country with the view to ameliorating the hardship Nigerians are going through.

The motion was adopted and referred to the committees on Humanitarian Affairs, Finance and Budget for compliance.