A member of the House of Representatives, Lado Suleja, says he and his colleagues at the lower legislative chamber were forced to donate their two months salary for the fight against Coronavirus disease.
Mr Sule, an All Progressives Congress (APC) member representing Guevara/Suleja/Tafa Federal Constituency of Niger State, stated this in a radio interview on Tuesday.
The politician who spoke in Hausa language when he featured on Prestige FM 91.7 Minna said despite the forceful donations he is still assisting his constituents whom he said are in dire need.
“Though we were forced to donate our two months salary, we still help the poor with the little that we have and we will still continue doing it till we see the end of this virus,” Premium Times which translated the excepts of the interview quoted the lawmaker as saying.
“Yes, we donated the salaries because of the progress of Nigeria but I’m assuring you, most of us were not happy about it, that’s the truth. It’s Just the way you see workers not happy about salary deductions without their consent,” he affirmed when asked to confirm if lawmakers at the green chamber were persuaded to make the contribution.
But the spokesman of the green chamber, Benjamin Kalu, by sms, confirmed to the news medium that the claim of his colleague is not true.
“We were not forced. It is our sacrifice to assist the citizens going through hard times now,” Mr Kalu said.
The speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, had on March 31st, in a 7minutes video clip he posted on Facebook, announced that all members of the lower chamber have resolved to donate their two months salary for the fight against the pandemic disease.
The lower chamber houses 360 lawmakers earning between 750,000 and 800,000 (excluding other allowances).
