Hunger in Nigeria: Cut your allowances not salaries – Nigerians tell Reps

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.

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, reports Daily Trust.

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 based 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 what’s 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.”

On Facebook, Ozibo Ozibo said: “Their salaries are never a problem. Their humongous, devilish and wicked-induced allowances are major issue.

“But much more sinister is the criminal enterprise called “constituency project.” That’s crime against humanity. No other place in the world are lawmakers given billions to waste in the name of constituency projects.”

Adam Ahmad: “We don’t want it. Bring back fuel subsidy, return the Naira values, return the subsidy to education, tariffs on electricity and then securities issues.”

Yusuf Ahmed Tanko: “It has been long overdue for the drastic cut as austerity measures for our so called Representatives. Glad they spoke out before it gets late. How about the Administrative Arm of Government, what sacrifices are the Head of State and his cabinet doing about the turbulence? Time shall tell gradually and we are on course for sanity in the country, Nigeria!”

Suleiman Zaria: “What about the extra cash generated after subsidy removal why not use it to import food items to cushion the pains ordinary Nigerians are going through.”

Abdurashid Isah: “Even if you stop earning salaries, nothing will change. Economic policies aside., Just return subsidy and open our borders.”

On Instagram, @s_lamido2015 said: “The question here is, how the remaining 50% will reach us ????”

@liquid_auyo: “They should be receiving 25% throughout their tenure.”

@I_am_aziml: “Salaries and allowance or only salaries.”