A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Tunde Braimoh, has told the Federal Government to review the wages of workers urgently to ameliorate their worsening hardships.
Speaking in an interview with a political correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ikeja on Thursday, Braimoh said the economic hardship of workers had taken a turn for the worse because of the current high cost of gasoline.
Braimoh, representing Kosofe Constituency II at the assembly said the way out was for government to review wages upwards to enable workers to cope.
He argued that there was also need for government to channel funds saved from the fuel subsidy removal into development of education, health, housing and other critical infrastructure.
Braimoh, who is Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, said the populace would always show their appreciation by standing with the administration through thick and thin.
According to him, the citizens will always stand with the administration if the funds saved from subsidy payments are put into the basic needs of the citizens.
“Removal of subsidy has become necessary but I will advise government to use the money realised from this to develop critical sectors of the economy.
“If all our public schools are standardised and filled with adequate equipment and qualified teachers, people will make savings from the high fees paid to private school owners.
“If all our hospitals are equipped with state of the art equipment and qualified doctors, much money will be saved in seeking medical care in private hospitals.
“Another basic need of people is housing because it drains the income of workers like education and health care, so if government can give attention to these, they will serve as palliatives.”
The lawmaker also pleaded with government to employ more doctors and to provide free drugs in hospitals across the country.
He said further that government should pay serious attention to refurbishment of schools and provision of more primary health centres in the 774 Local Government councils in the country.
On the N5, 000 monthly stipends promised by President Muhammadu Buhari to one million vulnerable Nigerians as social security, the lawmaker said the gesture was a step in the right direction.
Braimoh also commended Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode for providing 50 Bus Rapid Transit buses to alleviate the suffering of commuters in Lagos State, advising Buhari to provide such services nationwide. (NAN)