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Members of the House of Representatives have donated their salaries for the month of March and April to support the fight against coronavirus.
This comes after the Senate on Monday March 30 donated 50% of their salaries to fight the novel coronavirus disease and announced it would remain so until the country is declared free of the contagion.
Similarly, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila in a statement together with a video message on Tuesday, said the two-month salary donation would be independent of the contributions by individual lawmakers to alleviate the hardships being faced by their constituents.
Gbajabiamila said the money is meant to alleviate the hardship that their constituents face at this time of national emergency.
He said: “We have in the house of representatives jointly committed to contributing one hundred per cent (100%) of our salaries for the next two months to the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria.
“Starting from March salary, the lawmakers’ donation will be transferred directly to the National Relief Fund account for the fight against COVID-19.
“Our contribution will support provisions for the welfare of front-line medical professionals and health workers, and other interventions to provide for the well-being of all Nigerians through these trying times.
“Accordingly, I have directed the clerk to the national assembly to see to it that all members’ salaries are transferred to the national relief fund for this month and the next.”
Gbajabiamila further urged the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN to make cash grants available to the 774 local government areas in the country to alleviate the suffering of the masses amid the pandemic.
He said the grant should be for the provision of food and other essentials to vulnerable individuals and communities.
The speaker of the lower house however said relevant house committees have been mandated to oversee the distribution of items donated by local and foreign donors to ensure proper management.
He added that the crisis has exposed in the worst possible way the evident weaknesses of our health system.
“After this is over and moving forward, we must do everything in our power to ensure that we will never again come upon a moment such as this, as ill-equipped as we are now.” He concluded.
Nigeria confirmed four new cases of coronavirus in the country on Tuesday, bringing the total number to 135 and two fatalities have so far been recorded.
