Members of the House of Representatives, on Thursday, agreed to donate 50 per cent of their salaries for a period of six months to assist the Federal Government in addressing the economic situation in the country.

The resolution of the House was a sequel to a motion of urgent importance for “An appeal to the proponents of the proposed nationwide protest, to maintain peace, eschew violence and open windows for meaningful engagements with the governments at all levels in order to address their issues.”

The motion was sponsored by the member representing Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency, Ogun State, Ibrahim Isiaka, during Thursday’s plenary.

There have been reports of an impending nationwide mass protest by youths, to express displeasure about the hardship in the country, reflected in the high cost of living, food scarcity, unemployment and so on.

A viral flier on social media announced a nationwide protest scheduled for August 1 over the hardship in the country.

While admitting that Nigerians had the constitutional right to demand better living conditions, the Ogun lawmaker urged the youths to give the government a chance to fix the challenges facing the nation.

Isiaka said, “The citizens of Nigeria have the constitutional right to peaceful assembly and protest to address their grievances but the House is pleading for reason, understanding, and unity in the face of adversity.

“This honorable House appeals to the proponents of the proposed nationwide protest in Nigeria to consider a different path, a path of patience, dialogue, and collaboration, prioritise peace and open channels for meaningful engagements with the government at all levels.

“We urge all stakeholders to uphold the principles of democracy, respect human rights, and uphold the rule of law in their actions and engagements.

“We trust that through peaceful engagement and dialogue, we can collectively work towards building a better and brighter future for Nigeria.”

The All Progressives Congress chieftain said there was no denial of the reality that “the issues of insecurity, unemployment, and poverty weigh heavily on the hearts of every Nigerian,” stressing, however, that “the desire for change, progress and a better tomorrow is a sentiment that unites us all.”

“The House urges you, our fellow Nigerians, to consider the broader perspective, to act with wisdom and foresight, and to support efforts towards a more stable, secure, and prosperous Nigeria,” Isiaka said.

The Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, who presided over the session, yielded the floor to members to contribute to the motion, and when it was the turn of the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, to speak, he amended the prayers by pleading with his colleagues to sacrifice 50 per cent of their salaries to support government’s intervention efforts to address the situation.

“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 per cent for a period of six months.

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

He noted that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration did not shy away from the difficulties it met a little over a year ago, assuring that “The challenges will not be there forever.”

He reminded young Nigerians that their complaints are genuine, warning however that “The solution lies in dialogue and not in street protest.”

In his contribution, the member representing Damboa/Gwoza/ Chibok Federal Constituency, Ahmed Jaha, said the challenges facing the country were a product of many years of neglect, adding that such problems could not be tackled overnight.

“I want to appeal to all Nigerians, especially the youths and women. It takes a reasonable period of time to correct what was damaged over a long time. There is always light after the tunnel.

“We are reminding young Nigerians that this government is barely one year old. There are good policies that have already taken off such as the student loan scheme. Let us please give this government the benefit of the doubt,” he pleaded.

On his part, the lawmaker representing Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, Delta State, Ngozi Okolie, said the situation of the country was not hopeless.

 “There were people in the past who were able to manage the situation. In the past, people like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala were brought in to assist. Let us join hands to salvage the situation,” he said.

Similarly, the spokesman for the House, Mr Akin Rotimi, appealed to the youths to be patient, noting that soon, things will be better for everyone.

Before the motion was put to vote by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, the Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, said, “We are moving forward despite what the social media is saying. With this amendment, I am sure we will have no reason to worry.”

Members subsequently voted in support of the motion.

With this development, each member is expected to make a monthly contribution of N300,000 as the legislative chamber will contribute N108m monthly to the Federal Government and N648m in total for a period of six months.

Niger youths won’t join protest – Gov

Meanwhile, the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Bago, on Thursday, assured Nigerians that youths of the state would not be part of the planned nationwide strike held between August 1-10, 2024.

Bago spoke during a town hall meeting in Minna, saying the youths in the state were peaceful and would not be drawn into any national protest.

“You can start demonstrations, but you cannot end demonstrations. To youths who are agitating for this protest, let us end this agitation. Let us communicate and dialogue on the best way forward,” the governor said.

He announced the release of 50,000 metric tonnes of grains, which, he said, would be sold at 50 per cent of its present price and called on security agencies to be on their toes in monitoring and ensuring that the directive was followed to the letter.

“We have over 100,000 metric tonnes of food in our reserves out of which we will be releasing 50,000 metric tonnes to be sold at 50 per cent of its present price. Before the end of the year, we will slash food prices by 90 per cent,” the governor said.

Bago, who also announced his support for the autonomy of local governments, urged LG chairmen to sit up and be ready to pay workers’ salaries.

“I do not need FAAC in Niger State. The roads I am building, and the projects I have undertaken are not being done with FAAC. We are producing and that is the secret behind what we are doing. There are people who have invested in Niger State for the next five years.

“The food I am giving out at 50 per cent subsidy was originally meant for export, but due to the hardship faced by the people, we have opened our warehouses to feed Nigerlites.”

In his remark on the planned protest, the Emir of Bida and the Chairman of the Council of Traditional Rulers in Niger State, Abubakar Yahaya, urged the youths not to be tempted to embark on the planned nationwide protest.

The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, in his address, also urged the youths of the state not to be part of the protest, stressing that the state would organise programmes for the youths to engage in.

NGO warns against protest

Also, a non-governmental organisation,  Community Advocacy for Peace and Strategic Leadership Initiative, on Thursday, raised concerns about the planned nationwide protest, saying the development would have adverse effects on national security and public safety.

While acknowledging the challenges staring the masses in the face, the group said that protests would only worsen the already-tensed situation.

In a statement jointly signed by its National Chairman, Akwuobi Francis, and National Secretary, Pius Pamela, the group acknowledged that both the federal and state governments had shown commitment to alleviating hunger through various interventionist initiatives and palliative measures.

“From experience garnered over the years, there is the possibility that hoodlums and other enemies of progress will infiltrate the ranks of the protesters, thereby hijacking the process.

 “This, no doubt, will trigger violent attacks, with consequential negative effects on national security, peace and order in the polity.

“While recognising the pressure that the current economic realities have brought to bear on the masses, CAPSLI believes that protests will not solve the problem, but rather worsen it.

“Intelligence at our disposal indicates that subversive elements, who have an axe to grind with the current political leadership, are currently recruiting vulnerable people, to destabilise the polity, using the instrumentality of the planned protest as a disguise.

“We, therefore, appeal to parents and guardians to rein in their children/wards, while stressing the importance of public support to enable governments at all levels to deliver on their people-oriented programmes.”

PUNCH