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The pledge by Peoples Democratic Party Senator representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District, Senator Ben Murray Bruce, to donate half of his wardrobe allowance to unpaid workers in Osun State, had not gone down well with the State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, who came down hard on the Senator, accusing him of trivialising the situation in Osun State and making a mockery of the Nigerian worker.
But Murray-Bruce insisted on Thursday that no amount of attacks from the Osun government will dissuade him from going on with the donation.
He said that in the spirit of the month of Ramadan observed by Muslim faithfuls, he will not respond to critics over his decision.
He said in a tweet:
“I’ll take whatever attacks come my way but nothing & nobody can dissuade me from doing what my conscience directs in helping my fellow man.
The month of Ramadan is here. Many unpaid workers will fast. With what will they break their fast? I thought of that and it moved me to act.
I may not be a Muslim, but I respect Islam and I believe that it is wrong for me to respond to any attack during the Holy month of Ramadan.
I wish the Muslim Ummah a successful fast. Please pray for God’s intervention in Nigeria so that peace may return. Ramadan Kareem.
The senator’s pledge on Wednesday reads: “I, Ben Murray Bruce, will not sit down idly, while my fellow citizens die because salaries have not been paid. As a first step, I am immediately donating my wardrobe allowance to unpaid workers in Osun State and widows in my Constituency. We are starting in Osun, but we will not end there. I will do as much to help workers who’ve not been paid in other states.”
See Osun State Government’s full reaction to the pledge