Ministers donate half of March salaries to fight coronavirus

Lai Mohammed

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says the country’s 43 cabinet ministers have donated 50 percent of their March salaries towards the Federal Government’s efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Mohammed said in a statement on Saturday that the donation was coordinated by the Minister of State for Transportation, Gbemisola Saraki.

Saraki was quoted saying the donation was a gesture of solidarity and support for the federal government’s efforts to tackle the disease.

”This global virus outbreak will require nations, continents and smaller communities to pull together to contribute their resources and support one another. This will facilitate an early resolution of the problem,” she was quoted saying.

The ministers also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his leadership role in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.

Nigeria now has 81 confirmed cases of the coronavirus after 11 new cases were confirmed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) late Friday.