PDP tasks presidency to make details of 2020 budget public

By Lateef Ibrahim

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has expressed its unhappiness over the failure of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led presidency to make the details of the 2020 appropriation bill public, despite demands by well-meaning groups in the country.
This is even as the PDP has tasked the presidency to explain the basis and source of presidential support for the office of the First Lady, including the appointment of aides, contrary to his promise not to run that office.
The party said these in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja.
The PDP declared that the failure to make the details of the budget public, places a huge burden on the on presidency, particularly in the face of allegations of budgetary corruption and financial sleazes.
The leading opposition party contended that unless the budget is made public for Nigerians to see, any directive on cost cut remains cosmetic.
The PDP further challenged the President to lead by example by ending the profligacy that pervades his Presidency in order to give validity to his directives to ministers and other functionaries.
According to the statement, “In the same vein, the PDP tasks the Buhari Presidency to explain the basis and source of Presidential support for the Office of the First Lady, including the appointment of aides, contrary to his promise not to run that office.
“The PDP holds that Mr. President remains responsible and answerable for his presidential assurances and Nigerians expect an explanation on the violation of such sensitive undertaking.
“While the PDP is still monitoring the implementation of directive to government functionaries on cost cut, the party tasks President Buhari to take the first step by immediately fulfilling his promise to reduce the Presidential fleet, as well as cut his over bloated entourages and curtail the opulent lifestyle in the Presidency, which is daily flaunted before suffering and impoverished Nigerians.
“The PDP invites Nigerians to note that the Buhari Presidency has proven to be extremely expensive and a major draining pipe for valuable resources, while millions of compatriots, who look up to government for solutions, wallow in hunger and acute poverty.
The profligacy that permeates the Buhari Presidency had further manifested in the public fight between the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, and President Buhari’s nephews over issues of opulent accommodation in our presidential villa.
“The party further urges Nigerians to note that the Buhari Presidency has failed to make the details of its budget public, despite demands by our party and other well-meaning groups in Nigeria.
“The failure to make the details of the Presidency budget public places a huge burden on the Buhari Presidency, particularly in the face of allegations of budgetary corruption and financial sleazes.
“Unless the Presidency budget is made public for Nigerians to see, any directive on cost cut remains cosmetic” it said.