Ime Akpan
The outgoing senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has announced the donation of his entire severance allowance to the family of Leah Sharibu, some other victims of insurgency and a trust fund for the children of deceased senators.
Leah is a school girl who has been in Boko Haram captivity since she and 109 students of Government Girls’ Science and Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi, Yobe State were abducted by the terrorists on February 19, 2018.
The other beneficiaries are the families of two humanitarian workers – Hussaini Ahmed Khoisan and Hauwa Liman – who were abducted and subsequently murdered by the insurgents.
Also to benefit from the largesse are the children of late members of the 8th senate who may require financial assistance in furtherance of their education as a trust fund is to be established by the management of the national assembly for that purpose.
Although he did not mention a specific figure, it was gathered that a senate president’s severance package is about N7.5 million.
Saraki’s media aide, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu said in a statement that his principal’s decision was based on the fact that their cases represented some of the most touching humanitarian issues debated at plenary during his four-year reign in the upper legislative chamber.
He explained that 20 per cent of the fund is to be donated to the Sharibu family while 20 per cent goes to the Limans. Another 20 per cent is for the Khoisans.
The balance 40 per cent is for the national assembly management to set up a trust fund to cater for the needy children of late lawmakers in the outgoing assembly.
“It is my hope that this Trust Fund should grow with more contribution from my dear colleagues, present, past and future, who may be moved to put in additional money into it.
“The clerk of the national assembly will immediately get an official letter from me mandating him to act as stated above on the disbursement of my severance allowance,” said Saraki.
