Saraki donates severance allowance to Family of Leah Sharibu

Outgoing Senate President, Bukola Saraki has donated his entire severance allowance to Leah Sharibu and some other victims of insurgency.

The former Senate President made this known via a statement by his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, on Sunday, Premium Times reports.

Severance allowance is a one-off payment to lawmakers who are not returning to the National Assembly.

Mr Saraki, in the last general election, lost his bid to return to the Senate in his Kwara Central Senatorial District.

The severance package of a Senate President is about N7.5 million.

Mr Saraki has now divided the amount into four in donation, the statement notes.

The beneficiaries include the family of Leah Sharibu, a school girl who is being held by Boko Haram after she and other girls were abducted from Dapchi town in Yobe State, and the families of two humanitarian workers abducted and subsequently murdered by the insurgents, Hussaini Ahmed Khoisan and Hauwa Liman.

Ms Sharibu was kidnapped in February 2018 while the aid workers were murdered in October of the same year.

The fourth beneficiaries are children of late members of the Eight Senate who may require financial assistance in furtherance of their education.

After deaths of some lawmakers, the Senate in 2018 resolved to establish a Trust Fund to assist their family members.