Members of the House of Representatives have agreed to donate their two months contribution to the fight against the coronavirus disease.
The speaker, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila who announced this via his twitter said: “We have in the House of Representatives jointly committed in contributing 100 per cent of our salaries for the next two months to the fight of COVID-19 in Nigeria.”
He said the donation will be to “support the provision for the welfare of the frontline medical professionals and health workers and other interventions to provide for the well-being of Nigerians through this trying time.”
Gbajabiamila said all the salaries of the 360 lawmakers will be transferred to the relief funds account.
The donation was announced 72 hours after the senate resolved to contribute 50 per cent of their salaries to the fight against the deadly virus.
“After due consultations following a keen review of the national efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria, the Senate wishes to announce that from March, 2020, Distinguished Senators will be donating 50 per cent of their salaries to these efforts to stop the spread of the disease, otherwise known as COVID-19, in our country.
“This monthly contribution from the Upper Legislative Chamber will be sustained until Nigeria is declared safe from the ravages of this deadly disease,” said senate spokesman, Mr. Godiya Akwashiki in a statement on Monday.
It would also be recalled that United Bank for Africa (UBA) announced a donation of N5 billion to provide beds for isolation centres, intensive care unit facilities and direct access to medical advice to up to 450,000 citizens every day.
Wealthy businessmen and captains of industries including Femi Otedola, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Herbert Wigwe, Segun Agbaje and Aliko Dangote, all contributed N1 billion each to support the government’s effort in containing the pandemic in the country.
