Reactions have trailed the decision of members of the House of Representatives to cut their salaries by 50 percent for six months as part of their solidarity and sacrifice to support the economic hardship and hunger Nigerians are going through at the moment.
Daily Trust reports that the decision followed the adoption of an amendment to a motion’s prayer moved by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, on the need for lawmakers to sacrifice 50% of their N600,000 monthly salaries to support Nigerians in view of the hardship in the land.
Kalu’s amended prayer was to a motion by Rep Isiaka Ayokunle calling on proponents of the planned nationwide protests to jettison the idea and engage the government in dialogue.
The deputy Speaker said the salary cut is to be used to support the federal government’s efforts to address rising cost of food stuffs in the country with the view to ameliorating the hardship Nigerians are going through.
By slashing their salaries by 50%, the 360 lawmakers will be sacrificing N108 million monthly for the next six months.
However, many Nigerians on social media have condemned the move, with some asking the lawmakers to slash their allowances instead.
On X, formerly Twitter, @donchia said: “This is the power of just preparing to protest. Think about what can be achieved when we collectively say enough is enough.”
@Comr_lucky1 wrote: “It’s not about slashing salaries, they should earn base on the minimum wage structure, that’s the best way to go..anything aside that is criminality.
@AbekheMA said: “But do we even know their actual salaries? So how do we now ascertain whats 50% slash? The NASS salaries are shrouded in secrecy, so we don’t even know what they earn.”
@maniac8989 wrote: “Slash allowances not salaries. We know the salaries are peanuts.”
@ibmbangis said: “Abeg all na wash, they would get their money elsewhere.”
@barllymarma wrote: “How about their allowances because we all know that’s the huge one.”
