Members of the House of Representatives have committed to donating 50 per cent of their monthly salaries for the next six months.
The decision follows an amendment motion proposed by House Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, during the plenary session on Thursday.
Kalu introduced the amendment while addressing a motion that urged young Nigerians to refrain from protesting against the country’s current hardships.
He appealed to his colleagues to contribute half of their N600,000 monthly salary to help address the widespread hunger.
“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 stated.
The proposal received overwhelming support when House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, who presided over the session, put it to a voice vote.
Speaker Abbas praised the members for their willingness to sacrifice part of their income to tackle the pressing issue of hunger in the country.
He also echoed calls from some members for the Executive branch to make similar sacrifices.