Saraki Donates Severance Allowance to Leah Sharibu’s Family, Others

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki Sunday directed that the National Assembly management should distribute his severance allowance to families of three victims of the insurgency in the North-east.

He has also directed that children of late senators be also included in the list of beneficiaries.

Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said

the severance allowance should be used to support the families of Leah Sharibu, who is still being held by Boko Haram.

Saraki, who’s the President of the 8th Senate, said part of the money should also be donated to the families of two humanitarian workers abducted and subsequently murdered by Boko Haram insurgents – Hussaini Ahmed Khoisan and Hauwa Liman.

Also to benefit from the money are children of late members of the 8th Senate who may require financial assistance in furtherance of their education through a Trust Fund that would be established by the management of the National Assembly for the purpose.

“It is my hope that this Trust Fund should grow with more contributions 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,” Saraki added.

The statement said Saraki’s decision to use the severance package to support the selected victims of the insurgency was based on the fact that their cases represented some of the most touching humanitarian issues debated at the plenary during the four-year of the 8th Senate and on which his colleagues and himself made emotional and passionate speeches.

According to him, 20 per cent of the severance allowance is to be donated to the family of Leah Sharibu, while 20 per cent is also to be paid to the family of Liman, the aid worker brutally murdered by Boko Haram after she was captured.

Another 20 per cent is to be donated to the family of the second aid worker, Khoisan, also murdered in the same circumstance by Boko Haram.

The remaining 40 per cent should be used by the National Assembly management to set up a Trust Fund that would assist children of deceased members of the 8th Senate who are in financial need for their education.