The House of Representatives will present a sum of N704.91 million to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on December 31, 2024. This donation, drawn from six months of salary cuts, aims to alleviate the economic hardships faced by vulnerable Nigerians following the removal of the petrol subsidy.
In July 2024, the House resolved to donate 50% of their salaries for six months to support citizens grappling with rising living costs. The decision followed a motion moved by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu during a plenary session on July 18, 2024.
While presenting the motion, Kalu emphasized the need for lawmakers to show solidarity with struggling Nigerians, stating:
“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% of our salaries for six months. Our salary is N600,000 a month, and I propose we contribute half of that to help our people.”
On Thursday, Speaker Tajudeen Abba expressed pride in the contributions made by the House members. Addressing his colleagues, he said:
“Five months ago, we committed to contributing half of our salaries to support the critical needs of Nigerians. I am pleased to announce that we have so far gathered N704,907,578.82.
“On December 31, I will lead a delegation to deliver this fund to the President for the exclusive use of supporting vulnerable Nigerians. This gesture underscores the steadfastness and dedication of members to addressing the critical challenges faced by our citizens.”
The initiative reflects the House’s efforts to provide direct support to Nigerians during a challenging economic period.
