The House of Representatives on Thursday revealed plans to submit N704.91 million to President Bola Tinubu to support vulnerable Nigerians grappling with the economic hardship resulting from the removal of fuel subsidies.
This decision follows the House’s earlier resolution to dedicate a portion of their salaries to assist citizens impacted by the subsidy removal.
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During Thursday’s plenary session, Speaker of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, addressed his colleagues, stating, “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.”
He further announced, “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.”
The move originated from a motion by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu in July, when the House resolved to donate 50 percent of their salaries for six months to help ease the suffering of Nigerians amid rising costs. Kalu emphasized the government’s ongoing efforts while acknowledging the scale of the country’s challenges, 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 percent for a period of six months.”
At the time, members of the House agreed to forgo N300,000 of their monthly salary of N600,000 for six months to provide financial relief to citizens.
