The former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, yesterday, described the 2020 budget proposal President Muhammadu Buhari presented to the National Assembly as a “scam.”
Frank urged Nigerians to prepare for tough times ahead of 2020 budget circle.
In a statement he signed and made available to newsmen, Frank said after a careful study of the content of the fiscal document, what the President submitted to the National Assembly showed that not only will Nigerians be heavily taxed, fuel subsidy will be completely removed while social investment programme will cease to exist.
The political activist said from all indications, the 2020 budget presented had nothing in stock for the common man.
Frank said Nigerians should observe that since the APC’s administration came in 2015, “national budgets have been increased annually but without concomitant positive effects on the lives of ordinary Nigerians.”
He charged the National Assembly under the leadership of Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon Femi Gbajabiamila to tell Nigerians the implementation level of the 2019 budget.
The activist insisted that the current National Assembly would “rubber-stamp the 2020 budget presented by Buhari without asking necessary questions expected of a functioning and independent arm of government.”
“After careful study, I have concluded that this 2020 budget is more or less a scam. It is not meant to rescue Nigerians from the current economic hardship that has sent more than 94 millions to below poverty line.
“It is a document without fuel subsidy, social investment scheme but a very high level of taxes. So, I urge Nigerians to prepare for the worst.
“Unfortunately, the country will miss the 8th National Assembly under Senator Bukola Saraki and Hon. Yakubu Dogara, who resisted many anti-people policies which would have scaled through against the express wish of Nigerians. Under the current NASS, it will, most definitely, be a ‘yes sir’ kind of National Assembly,” Frank said.
While challenging Buhari on the effect his previous budgets have had on Nigerians, Frank asked the presidency to tell the world why the country does not have a new refinery since the partial removal of fuel subsidy by the administration and what has happened with the recovered loot since 2015?
“Since the partial removal of fuel subsidy, the APC’s government has not stopped borrowing money both locally and internationally to fund yearly budgets just as Nigerians are yet to see the new refinery promised by government.”
According to him, “The more increase in the annual budget, the more poverty in the land.
“The proposed 7.5 per cent VAT to fund education, health and infrastructure is another bogus tactics by the APC’s government to further compound the hardship of suffering citizens.”