Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the
All Progressives Congress, APC, Timi Frank, on
Thursday, 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 forwarded to DAILY
POST, 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 Femi
Gbajabiamila to tell Nigerians the implementation
level of the 2019 budget.
The activist further 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.
He said
“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.”
The former APC deputy spokesperson urged
Nigerians to be strong and endure the times, saying
“even those who were used for the re-election of the
APC administration in 2019 are already regretting
their actions and participation secretly.”
Young-po Reporters 