The House of Representatives will present N704.91 million to President Bola Tinubu on December 31, 2024.
This move, according to the reps, is to support vulnerable Nigerians struggling with the economic effects of the petrol subsidy removal.
Salary reduction to aid vulnerable Nigerians
In July 2024, the House resolved to donate 50% of their salaries for six months to assist ordinary Nigerians in need, following the adoption of a motion moved by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.
The salary reduction was part of efforts to mitigate the economic challenges faced by citizens, The Punch reported.
While moving the motion in July, Kalu explained,
“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.”
Speaker Abba praises members’ sacrifice
During Thursday’s plenary, Speaker Tajudeen Abba provided an update on the contributions made by reps, saying,
“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.”
Abba confirmed that on December 31, he would lead a delegation to present the funds to President Tinubu, ensuring it will be used exclusively to support vulnerable Nigerians, Vanguard reported.
He praised the commitment of the lawmakers, saying,
“The contributions you made highlight the steadfastness and dedication of members to addressing the critical needs of Nigerians.”
Knocks as lawmakers sing Tinubu’s mandate song
Earlier, Legit reported that some Nigerians have protested the National Assembly members’ singing of President Bola Tinubu’s mandate song during the 2025 budget presentation.
The president had visited the legislative chamber on Wednesday, December 18, to present a road map for next year when the incident happened.
Godswill Akpabio, the president of the Senate, first led the songs after his speech, where he praised the president’s transformative agenda, but the development did not sit well with some Nigerians.
