The forum said the payment should be made to persons, who earn below N50,000 monthly.
The Third Force Forum has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Governors Forum to begin the payment of between N20,000 to N40,000 to low-income earners and self-employed Nigerians as "COVID-19 Intervention Fund".
The forum said the payment should be made to persons, who earn below N50,000 monthly.
The group posited that urgent actions must be taken to mitigate the effect of the outbreak of Coronavirus on the people.
The forum is also asking the presidency to convert 50 per cent of the security vote and catering budget of Aso Rock to a “COVID-19 Special Fund”.
The group said, “Commence a program that allows businesses that are unable to remit VAT between the 20th of March 2020 and the 30th of June 2020 to do so by the 31st of March 2021, to enable a stable business climate and adaptation to the demands of the pandemic.
“Establish a special COVID-19 Fund Raising Committee charged with the sole task of collating funds pledged from the organised private sector, well-meaning individuals, international community and other NGO’s. The funds will be used to sponsor other palliative measures like the procurement of food stuff, face masks, and sanitisers to every local government in Nigeria, depending on need.
“A moratorium on electricity tariffs for at least two months or more and facilitation of and an understanding with the telecommunications companies to commit N2000 to N5000 in Recharge and data per month over the next two months to all mobile subscribers in Nigeria as well as an emergency legislation or Executive Order allowing a three-month moratorium on landlord evictions as a result of the stay-at-home order by the government in affected cities.”
The forum called on the National Assembly to temporarily suspend the huge compensation package enjoyed by members comprising Senate House of Representatives by 50 per cent for the remainder of 2020 or the duration of the national shutdown.
It warned that failure to consider the above may set a stage for an eventual class-warfare in Nigeria.