Free healthcare and education, reasonably priced housing and transportation, a national minimum wage increase in line with inflation rates, and increased physical security are all included in his proposal.
In a personal message made public on Sunday, Falana, the Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), went into further detail on these topics.
He emphasized that these actions were necessary in order to bring in the new year of 2024.
“We are compelled to call on the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, and other civil society organizations to lead the Nigerian people in mass actions to demand the provision of free health care and education, affordable housing and transportation, an increase in the national minimum wage to match the rate of inflation, as well as adequate physical security, to herald the new year 2024,” Falana stated, referring to the increased revenue for the three tiers of government.
Falana disclosed how federal, state, and local government revenue has increased in his statement headlined “2023: MORE FUNDS FOR GOVERNMENTS BUT MORE POVERTY FOR THE PEOPLE.” He advised NLC, TUC, and CSOs to demand an increase in the federal minimum wage. Falana stated, “President Bola Tinubu announced the immediate abolition of the gasoline subsidy in his inaugural address on May 29, 2023. The President said, “Subsidy can no longer justify its ever-increasing costs in the wake of drying resources,” in order to defend the termination of fuel subsidies. Instead, we will use the money to better invest in jobs, public infrastructure, healthcare, education, and other areas that will significantly enhance the lives of millions of people.
We have verified that the monthly statutory allocations owed to the federal, state, and local governments have skyrocketed since the fuel subsidy was eliminated. The development was validated by Mr. Wale Edun, the Coordinating Minister of Economy and Minister of Finance, who stated that, following the elimination of subsidies, the Federation Account’s revenue inflow improved, rising from an average of N650 billion per month to nearly N1 trillion during the previous four months.
“On November 20, 2023, Mr. Wale Edun made the revelation during a four-day retreat in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, for members of the Federation Account Allocation Committee.
“In July 2023, the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) distributed N1.89 trillion to the three tiers of government, and in December 2023, they received N1.7 trillion.” It is well known that the general public is moaning in agonizing economic misery while the federal and state governments are grinning at the banks.
In actuality, the general public is asked to keep tightening their belts while wealthy public officials live lavish lifestyles.
We are also aware that following the second Independent Assessment of Results obtained under the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES), the federal government distributed N135.4 billion to the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory on December 3, 2023. Dr. Abdulkarim Obaje, the National Coordinator of the NG-CARES Program, stated that the monies were distributed in accordance with the outcomes attained by the States and Federal Capital Territory in their endeavors to assist impoverished and marginalized Nigerians through the NG-CARES program. NG-CARES is a $750 million Performance for Results program supported by the World Bank.
We are forced to call on the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, and other civil society organizations to lead the Nigerian people in mass actions to herald the new year of 2024 by demanding the provision of free health care and education, affordable housing and transportation, an increase in the national minimum wage to keep up with inflation, and adequate physical security—all in light of the increased revenue for the three tiers of government.