Reps slash own salaries by 50% for six months over economic hardship

Members of the House of Representatives on Thursday resolved to “sacrifice” their salaries by 50 per cent for the next six months to support Nigerians amid the hardship in the land.

The lawmakers passed the resolution during plenary following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance.

The motion was titled: ‘An Appeal to the Proponents of Proposed Nationwide Protest to Maintain Peace, Eschew Violence and Open the Windows for Meaningful Engagements with Government at all Levels in Order to Address their Issues’.

The motion, sponsored by Ibrahim Isiaka from Ogun State, also urged proponents of the proposed nationwide protest to shelve the plan and consider patience and dialogue with the government instead.

The lawmakers agreed that the challenges are not unique to Nigeria, stressing that the road to change is not easy.

They called on Nigerians not to lose sight of the reforms and strides made by the government toward a more prosperous nation.

In his contribution, the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, supported the motion, stating that one year of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, is not enough to fix the problems of the country.

Kalu revealed that members of the House earn N600,000 monthly as salaries, and they would sacrifice that for Nigerians for six months.