Food inflation: Reps pledge N648m, being 50% of six-month salaries, to provide succour for the poor

The House of Representatives unanimously agreed to sacrifice 50 percent of their salaries for a period of six months to help alleviate the widespread hunger affecting the people, totaling N648 million.

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas presided over Thursday’s session, during which Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu proposed an amendment to the motion, urging his fellow lawmakers to donate 50% of their salaries to the cause.

Kalu said: “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 percent for a period of six months. Our salary is N600,000 a month. I want to plead that we let go of 50 percent of our salary for a period of six months.”

By contributing N300,000 each, the lawmakers will collectively deposit N108 million monthly into a shared fund, totaling N648 million over a six-month period.

The money will then be handed over to the Federal Government to support its efforts.