Hardship: Nigerians including Atiku ask Reps to slash allowances not salaries

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 Reps agreed to cut their salaries by half on Thursday, July 18, 2024.

This decision was reached during a plenary session on Thursday, where a motion titled ‘An Appeal to the Proponents of Proposed Nationwide Protest to Maintain Peace, Eschew Violence and Open the Windows for Meaningful Engagements with Government at all Levels in Order to Address their Issues’ was passed as a matter of urgent public importance.

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The motion, sponsored by Ibrahim Isiaka from Ogun state, prompted Deputy Speaker Ben Kalu to propose the amendment, suggesting that legislators should willingly reduce their earnings for the next six months.

Initially indicating a monthly salary of N500,000, he was corrected by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, who clarified that their actual monthly income is N600,000.

There are 360 members in the Nigerian House of Reps which means the lawmakers will be sacrificing N108,000,000 monthly.

However, many Nigerians including ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar have condemned the move, asking the lawmakers to slash their allowances instead.

Atiku via his X handle said; “The sacrifice of members of the House of Representatives is commendable. But it is a drop in the ocean. The demons are in the allowances and not the salaries of lawmakers and government officials in general.

“Whatever happened to the much-trumpeted implementation of the Oronsaye Report? Recently, the ballooning of MDAs with the attendant cost implications has been observed. There’s too much wastage and prioritisation of non-essential expenditures. What is desirable is an across the board cut in expenses. We can no longer afford to borrow money to fund continued irresponsibility in government. -AA”

Also on 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.”

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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 crimvnal 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.”

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