JUST IN: Reps move to appease angry Nigerians, slash salaries as nationwide hunger protest nears

Joseph Irikefe

Members of the House of Representatives on Thursday, beat a quick retreat in the face of approaching nationwide protest that could recreate the days of #EndSARS, in 2020, where angry youths took to the streets to push back against what they saw as unbridled police brutality in the land carried out by the now proscribed Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a special unit of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).

The lawmakers in the 360-member lower house of the National Assembly, against the backdrop of manifest discontent in the land as a result of massive hunger and poverty, mostly attributed to bad policies of the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, announced the “sacrifice” of 50 per cent of their monthly salaries to address the current economic crisis in the country.

The rare move came after the consideration of a motion by Benjamin Kalu (APC-Abia) and Deputy Speaker for an amendment to a motion appealing to young Nigerians planning a protest as a result of the hardship in the country, saying members should consider sacrificing 50 percent of their pay to address hunger in the land.

Abbas Tajudeen, the Speaker, had put the motion to voice vote, with majority of members voting in favour, meaning that the lawmakers would now receive N300,000 – 50 per cent less than the N600,000 the Speaker claimed was the monthly take-home pay of the lawmakers.

Kalu, who reminded members that the House took a similar decision during the COVID-19 era and that it worked very well for the country, was commended by the Speaker, who also hailed the members for acceding to the request to make the sacrifice to address hunger in the land just as some members asked the Executive to also make sacrifices in line with what the Lawmakers have done.