The Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, has described the 2020 appropriation bill presented to a joint session of the National Assembly as a heavy travel bag but empty in substance

The coalition said the budget is the final weapon to consolidate Buhari next level of economic ruins, poverty, looting and visionlessness

It further described the budget as a ‘come and chop’ document that is high in volume and empty in substance.

CUPP, in the statement signed by its Spokesman, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, pointed out that the inclusion of over 7 percent VAT increment in the budget is designed to inject poverty into the blood of Nigerians by taxing them to death.

It said that the 2020 budget proposal is impossible to achieve because the nation is already broke and looting of fund is part of the All Progressives Congress, APC’s daily life.

The CUPP said it is heading to court to challenge the move to increase VAT and inclusion of the proposed increment inside the budget

The statement added, “The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), having listened critically to President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2020 Appropriation Bill as presented to the joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday, regrets to inform Nigerians that the days of the nation’s suffering are not any way close to an end. The president has by today’s budget presentation shown that he has no formula to save the nation’s economy from the impending final ruins that his mismanagement has caused.

“Opposition parties see this fiscal document as empty document that is not worth the paper on which it was written. It is full of rhetoric; Buhari’s appropriation bill can best be described as a heavy travel bag that is empty in substance or value.

“The CUPP notes that this document is a final weapon to consolidate Buhari’s next level of economic ruins, poverty, looting and visionlessness. It is a come and chop document meant to further impoverish many and prosper the privileged few.

“The Opposition rejects the inclusion of the illegal proposed increment in VAT as part of the 2020 budget expected source of funding. This has shown that the budget is built in the sky with no serious source of funding except taxing the people to death.

“The opposition coalition has, therefore, resolved to head to court this week to stop the planned insensitive move to tax the suffering citizens of Nigeria to death with the proposed increment in VAT from 5% to over 7%. The president should not force the suffering citizens to bear the consequences of his leadership failures.”