PDP to Buhari: Your budget proposal will impoverish Nigerians

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the National Assembly to redirect President Muhammadu Buhari’s proposed N10.7 trillion 2020 budget presented to it yesterday.

PDP, in a statement Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, expressed fear that if not redirected, the budget would further impoverish Nigerians and mortgage the future of the nation.

The party said “the core of the budget remained hazy, showing streaks of padding, fraudulent duplications, replete with false performance indices, deceptive projections and inexplicable expenditure assertions which create openings for continued looting of our national patrimony by leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and persons close to the Presidency.”

The party insisted that it was inexcusable that despite the huge natural resources at President Buhari’s reach, he articulated a N10.7 trillion budget that was completely lacking in wealth creation strategy.

The PDP added that the budget was skewed to serve the interest of the opulent, as projects that had direct bearing on the wellbeing of the masses were not substantially accommodated in the overall expenditure profile.

“Mr. President failed to explain why his administration has remained hugely corrupt and how his Presidency depleted our foreign reserves to an all-time low $41,852 billion, accumulated huge foreign and domestic debts and kept the naira at its knees at about N360 to $1USD under his watch.

“The party also challenged the Presidency to make public the details of the Presidency allocation for Nigerians to see the billions being spent to finance the opulent lifestyle of the Buhari Presidency, despite Mr. President’s claims of prudence and sacrifice,” the opposition party said.

Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the National Assembly to hasten the passage of the 2020 budget proposal.

APC National Publicity Secretary Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu said yesterday, that the ruling party welcomed the commitment of both the executive and legislative arms to ensure budget passage was returned to the January-December cycle.

It expressed confidence that the “patriotic disposition” of the leaders and members of the 9th National Assembly would ensure a cordial relationship with the executive arm, which would translate to good governance and proper implementation of the administration’s Next Level plans for Nigerians.

“To put this into effect, our party notes the early presentation by the President, leaving the lawmakers nearly three months to consider and pass the budget,” Issa-Onilu said.

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