Kemisola Oye
THE Chairman, Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), Mr Femi Falana (SAN) had called on the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress and other civil society organisations to lead the Nigerian people in mass actions to demand the provision of free health care and education, affordable housing and transportation, increase in the national minimum wage to match the rate of inflation, as well as adequate physical security, to herald the new year 2024.
The senior lawyer, in a message to herald the New Year, observed that in his inaugural address delivered on 29 May 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the immediate removal of fuel subsidies. He said in justifying the removal, the President stated that “Subsidy can no longer justify its ever-increasing costs in the wake of drying resources. We shall, instead, re-channel the funds into better investment in public infrastructure, education, health care and jobs that will materially improve the lives of millions.”
He said he has also confirmed that since the removal of fuel subsidies, the monthly statutory allocations payable to the federal, state, and local governments have increased phenomenally. According to him, this development was confirmed by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Mr Wale Edun when he said that “the Federation Account witnessed improved revenue inflow since the removal of subsidy from an average of N650 billion monthly to over N1 trillion in the last four months.” The disclosure, the human rights activist, was made by Mr Wale Edun on 20 November 2023 at a four-day retreat organised for members of the Federation Account Allocation Committee in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
While pointing out that the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursed the sum of N1.89 trillion to the three tiers of government in July 2023 and the sum of N1.7 trillion was disbursed to them in December 2023, Mr Falana stressed that it is common knowledge that while the federal and state governments are smiling to the banks, the masses are groaning in excruciating economic pains. “In fact, while top public officers are living in opulence, the masses are asked to continue to tighten their belts.”
“We are also aware that on 3 December 2023, the federal government disbursed N135.4 billion to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, after the second Independent Assessment of Results achieved under the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES). “The National Coordinator of NG-CARES Programme, Dr Abdulkarim Obaje said the funds were disbursed based on the results achieved by the states and FCT in their efforts at supporting poor and vulnerable Nigerians under the NG-CARES programme. The NG-CARES is a World Bank-assisted $750 million Performance For Results Programme.
“In view of the increased revenue for the three tiers of government, we are compelled to call on the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress and other civil society organisations to lead the Nigerian people in mass actions to demand the provision of free health care and education, affordable housing and transportation, increase in the national minimum wage to match the rate of inflation, as well as adequate physical security, to herald the new year 2024.”
Eighteen-Eleven Media