Nigeria Members of the House of Representatives, on Thursday, agreed to donate 50 per cent of their salaries for a period of six months to assist the Federal Government in addressing the economic situation in the country.
The resolution of the House was a sequel to a motion of urgent importance for “An appeal to the proponents of the proposed nationwide protest, to maintain peace, eschew violence and open windows for meaningful engagements with the governments at all levels in order to address their issues.”
The motion was sponsored by the member representing Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency, Ogun State, Ibrahim Isiaka, during Thursday’s plenary.
There have been reports of an impending nationwide mass protest by youths, to express displeasure about the hardship in the country, reflected in the high cost of living, food scarcity, unemployment and so on.
A viral flier on social media announced a nationwide protest scheduled for August 1 over the hardship in the country.
While admitting that Nigerians had the constitutional right to demand better living conditions, the Ogun lawmaker urged the youths to give the government a chance to fix the challenges facing the nation.
Isiaka said, “The citizens of Nigeria have the constitutional right to peaceful assembly and protest to address their grievances but the House is pleading for reason, understanding, and unity in the face of adversity.
“This honorable House appeals to the proponents of the proposed nationwide protest in Nigeria to consider a different path, a path of patience, dialogue, and collaboration, prioritise peace and open channels for meaningful engagements with the government at all levels.
“We urge all stakeholders to uphold the principles of democracy, respect human rights, and uphold the rule of law in their actions and engagements
“We trust that through peaceful engagement and dialogue, we can collectively work towards building a better and brighter future for Nigeria.”
The All Progressives Congress chieftain said there was no denial of the reality that “the issues of insecurity, unemployment, and poverty weigh heavily on the hearts of every Nigerian,” stressing, however, that “the desire for change, progress and a better tomorrow is a sentiment that unites us all.”
“The House urges you, our fellow Nigerians, to consider the broader perspective, to act with wisdom and foresight, and to support efforts towards a more stable, secure, and prosperous Nigeria,” Isiaka said.
The Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, who presided over the session, yielded the floor to members to contribute to the motion, and when it was the turn of the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, to speak, he amended the prayers by pleading with his colleagues to sacrifice 50 per cent of their salaries to support government’s intervention efforts to address the situation.
“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,” Kalu said.
He noted that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration did not shy away from the difficulties it met a little over a year ago, assuring that “The challenges will not be there forever.”
He reminded young Nigerians that their complaints are genuine, warning however that “The solution lies in dialogue and not in street protest.”
In his contribution, the member representing Damboa/Gwoza/ Chibok Federal Constituency, Ahmed Jaha, said the challenges facing the country were a product of many years of neglect, adding that such problems could not be tackled overnight.
“I want to appeal to all Nigerians, especially the youths and women. It takes a reasonable period of time to correct what was damaged over a long time. There is always light after the tunnel.
“We are reminding young Nigerians that this government is barely one year old. There are good policies that have already taken off such as the student loan scheme. Let us please give this government the benefit of the doubt,” he pleaded.
On his part, the lawmaker representing Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, Delta State, Ngozi Okolie, said the situation of the country was not hopeless.
“There were people in the past who were able to manage the situation. In the past, people like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala were brought in to assist. Let us join hands to salvage the situation,” he said.
Similarly, the spokesman for the House, Mr Akin Rotimi, appealed to the youths to be patient, noting that soon, things will be better for everyone.
Before the motion was put to vote by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, the Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, said, “We are moving forward despite what the social media is saying. With this amendment, I am sure we will have no reason to worry.”
Members subsequently voted in support of the motion.
With this development, each member is expected to make a monthly contribution of N300,000 as the legislative chamber will contribute N108m monthly to the Federal Government and N648m in total for a period of six months.
