By Abiola Olawale
The lawmakers of the House of Representatives on Thursday announced their plans to slash their salaries by 50 per cent for six months in support of the Federal Government’s plan to combat rising economic hardship in the country.
The lawmakers said they would raise a total of N648 million which would be aimed at supporting the food sufficiency policy of the current administration across the country and to address the high cost of food items.
The resolution came after Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka raised a motion on the floor. The lawmaker appealed to his colleagues to slash their salaries as a sign of solidarity with the Federal Government and Nigerians who have been made to sacrifice heavily as a result of the policies implemented by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Following an ensuing debate, the Speaker, Rt. Hon Tajudeen Abbas called for a voice vote, of which the lawmakers voted in support of the motion.
The Speaker also mandated its Committee on Appropriation, Humanitarian Affairs, Finance and Budget to ensure compliance.
In his address, Abbas also appealed to Nigerians to exercise more patience with the Tinubu-led administration in addressing challenges and hardships faced by citizens.
The New Diplomat reports that this is coming amidst rising inflation rate in Nigeria which has continued an upward trend, reaching a new high of 34.19 % for June 2024.
This was revealed in its latest data from the National Bureau of State Statistics (NBS).
According to the official data, the inflation rate for June 2024 witnessed an increase of 0.24% points when compared to the inflation figure for May 2024.
