 Welcome back. It's time now to visit the papers and see what the headlines are. We're going to try to cover four newspapers this morning beginning with the punch newspaper. We're being joined by Chief Lecturer Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lega State, in the person of Mr. Jide Johnson. Good morning and welcome to the program Mr. Johnson. Good morning Mr. Johnson and welcome to the program. Good morning to you and it's a pleasure to meet you and good morning to all of you as well over the world. Can you hear me? Yes, it's always a pleasure to have you join us. Let's begin with the punch newspaper this morning. Interesting headline there. CBN raises dollar supply lift ban on cement and 42 other items. Let's just take them one after the other beginning with this one. What does that mean for our economy? Just your comment on it. Well, that means that the demand for supply, the demand for dollar in actual sense in terms of people looking for forex will almost be met by the supply in the past year scarcity of dollars as a result of that that lead to increase in the value of the exchange of Naira to the dollar. We hope this measure it will not be a Nijak measure and it will not be a stock gap measure because it does. The challenges the Naira has faced in the last 100 plus days is as a result of the Nijak policy of the president doing this in our speech too. I have proclaimed that well the unified there's going to be unified exchange rate concerning the dollar to the Naira without any corresponding policy to address the unahending and unrelenting demand for dollar by Nigerians as a result of them looking out for foreign exchange in order to meet up with their economic and business activity. So we hope this and we will solve the problem in the short run. In the long run all we need to do is to grow our economy, is to improve our economy, is to improve our local outlook so that our export could be able to match up with our income. We could grow our GDP and we could grow Naira with good momentum and good strength and we would be able to compete with other foreign currencies. Do well. However if you are if you are raising the supply of dollar and they are also lifting the bans on cement another for the two items that were listed as being banned from being imported into Nigeria then you will see that one government is trying to solve a problem and the other government is trying to create another problem because don't forget that these items that were banned and people will usually exchange to import this item into Nigeria. So in my basic economic in my basic microeconomic understanding there's an attendant problem that this might also create however in the short run there could be a relief but in the long run there's a need for us to go beyond this nature policy for the government to come up with a complete economic and monetary policy in order to strengthen the Naira, strengthen the local economy and make our currency to compete favorably with foreign currency and another thing which I think we should also point out is it's also why can't we for example let any other house to buy a hall P in our own currency those that we sell the hall to P to Ros they should look for dollar and P to Ros in Naira and then probably strengthen our own those with proper economic understanding but have the clear cotton explanation to this effect but as far as I'm concerned what you have been seeing are Nijak policies and Nijak policies cannot be served in the short run it cannot solve your problem in the long run. Interesting okay another headline that we have is has to do with the controversies that have led to Atiku Abu Bakar of the PDP taking his case to the Supreme Court and according to the APC, Atiku's evidence from Chicago irrelevant, Tinubu tells Supreme Court so your comment on that please um the relevance of relevance of that of that particular case we put to test when proceedings when when proceedings starts at the Supreme Court with respect to the petition by the PDP candidate against the APC candidate as part of their pre, pre as with respect to the qualification or non-qualification of the president as a of today in who are close to be the presidential candidate of the APC um in the march in the entry in the genre of the 420, 25th presidential election so it's never the courts let's see the country looking to the matter I think the substantive element of the case should be looking to and not into the technicalities was not much more important if it was to lead to rest um and up up times of doubts and the the Supreme Court should look at the facts of the case and establish the case so that the case president could be could be established one to establish that well anybody seeking a higher office must come to higher credibility or two to establish that well um the case you have brought against this particular candidate does not open water because from what we have seen has been established by the institution that when this candidate attended the institution has the right qualification and by his or her claim he is entitled to to produce his own certificate so this are the facts that should be looked into and then I have said it when you bring a particular case if followers you see lawyers that will hand you for you see lawyers that will hand you a case and then even before judges we've seen cases where for example I give the case of Masarasti you record that two of the justices said well the election should be the petitioner should be declared the winner while the one of the judges said the the respondent should be should be she should still be retained as the governor so we have had cases of five to go but those of us that hold the society a true responsibility of impartiality of being the watchdog of being the ones that bring clarity to issue is the media the media the responsibility is an institution of of other there is a huge responsibility based on the media looking at the facts of the case what does the fact of the state beyond the void of um legal interpretation beyond legal technicalities because once you bring two lawyers to look into a particular case it is technicalities that we're looking at for in order to win the case either for the case to be thrown out or in order for them to win the case so we hope and we hope the society a comprehensive account of the true nature of things in explaining where what has been established and what has not been established but I hope that these justices of this group will do justice to this particular matter so that we establish a clay court incident with respect to the qualification and non-qualification okubu-sikinaya offices in Nigeria not looking for technicalities there's fear because when the media talks about it I don't know what I will call it that there's a blackmail that comes because they keep saying media trial has no holds no water when it comes to the law and all that so people should not be talking about it in the media always so I see that as a blackmail telling you that you should stop talking until it is decided at the courts and then you you express fear about the fact that sometimes they use technicalities and technicalities have become the order of the day where people will just tell you that because of technicalities no matter the merits of the case the case will be thrown away I take the confidence from Bayelsa yes Bayelsa state where the former governor Timi Pritzilva has or is contesting he is the candidate of the apc and the court has said that he cannot be sworn in up to like three times because he has already ruled for about five years or so and if he if he contests and he he wins again he will be sworn in like for the third time which contravains the constitution and in that defense the apc is saying that he will continue to be their candidate whether they have the time to change it or not he will continue to be their candidate because the person who took the case to the court did not contest with Timi Pritzilva so it disqualifies him probably on technical grounds so it is giving them confidence that technical reasons will make them throw away the case so if we are judging our cases mostly on technical grounds and throwing away very credible cases how do you think this is going to be anything different? As long as it is concerned I think we should test it to the Supreme Court wherever there have been cases there have been precedent that has been established that qualifies Timi Pritzilva I don't know him from anywhere to contest that election don't forget that in Junatan Junatan sought the election in 2015 in 2015 haven't been sworn in after the date of yadua and then won the election and we also have a governor that spent 10 years and I think this is a serving senator where if he's not in minister now came down came down of UB get down of UB spent 10 years 10 years in office he was he was adopted governor and then the governor then died in office the governor of UB then died in office when the governor died in office he completed the term I think it was about two years or so to be expiration of the term of the governor and then he saw the first term and he saw the second term so those cases have been established if you have that that have been established and the courts have known the matter I believe that it has laid down in particular precedent because it can deny somebody an opportunity that others have enjoyed within the same system within the same frame of the constitution it gives you clarity indication so as far as I'm concerned based on my own due to interpretation if they're in dam had had that opportunity and there was no consular crisis with respect to that if Junatan had won the election in 2015 Junatan will have done 10 years in the presidency and it would have cost any concern why would you now apply to Timri Preciva so as far as I'm concerned if I'm in APC if I'm in APC or when leaving council to APC I will throw a kenshaw to all of those to all of those pointers that I've raised and then I will insist that we Preciva is a candidate I think that they should not be talking about the whether the president contested the election he did not contest the election whether he is a party contested for me or not he should just cut the substantive nature of the matter and from some stance and from what we have seen with interpretation and people that have either replaced their principle well if you say that he has been sown in the on time so you are denying the opportunity of becoming the the country only the provision for eight-year tenure and he's only spent five years so because you want to apply that you know you deny the opportunity of having three years and I I I see this this this thing is is is is is is is a bit ambiguous and it's on measure of of clarity and we are still talking about technicalities that we don't want people to talk to talk to talk about I think the first time which he won I think the court rule that he was in his election was nullified and then the election was conducted again or I think that probably replaced you not I can't recall too much about biza but as far as I'm concerned there have been precedent that have been set that people have been sown into that office three times okay well let's move to the guardian newspaper they say the biggest headline there is on sports how funding and low patronage has robbed Nigeria sports to 500 billion naira revenue yearly but I'd like us to start with a smaller headline there where uh the same controversy you want to comment on that yeah it's very very important if you know the the value of sports to the economy and the kind of contribution it makes that is is an area which I'm very very much interested is and it's an area that I've been really researched in not just sense and we'll just do take out sport of the American society what do you think we happen to the africana what do you think we happen to the african american community now take out sport from the beauty economy what do you think we happen to the to the immigrants in in beauty and take out take out the number of african players that are playing or athletes that are that are performing across different countries in Europe and look at the type of revenue it brings look at the type of investment look at the type of investment americans invested in the British English Premiership you have Arabs on competing with one another the Abu Dhabi family invested in mancity the Saudi family invested in Newcastle now the catalyst are looking to invest in Manchester United put the money into that look and make money through sports or you make money through through through through through education in actual sense the fastest route to becoming welding for the for the other privileged scientists to use their talent and we have had a situation whereby government over the years in actual sense since the advent of this fourth republic government at various levels have paid less attention have paid less attention to sport and as a result of that the kind of revenue they should generate we should generate in terms of teaching revenue in terms of advertising revenue in terms of revenue that grows the looku looku looku economy i recall when when mfm was in the was in the was in the heap was in the Niger Premier League and then i was talking to a friend i used to work with the sister station of yours the ring one of the foremost in fact the first sport would be a sport fm station in Nigeria and then we went to watch this mfm past us canopilas you need to see how agigree sedia was packed full and then we are talking about the impact on the looku economy people come to watch the game they buy they buy they buy drinks they buy water they stay in hotel you know the hospitality and everything and now it grows the looku economy and now we come to the looku economy and if you look that if that as well you see people even coming from other countries to come and watch your game or you know this this is critical idea that government needs to to to invest to invest to invest in you know invest in it and you make money from it and you take a lot of it from drugs you take a lot of it from the street see what see what the see what the music industry the music and entertainment industry see what it has done you see what it has done for someone like bonnamboy for someone like the video for someone like whiskey you can begin to mention their name the opportunities how these people grew up from nothing to become global stars to become people are you look at the amount of money they are collecting just because they have an opportunity to exhibit their talents and that's an area in which you need to to invest I I many times I want to be stadium in my in my in my teenage years and in my early early 20s and early 30s all you need to do is to pay visit to national stadium it has done to really that's not that's not really I mean I mean what Rupa used to be I mean what Rupa used to be ah ah ah play basketball play and ball play you know all of this is and we need the value of national sports festival we need the value of youth fund that creates opportunity and we need the value of the shared cup between secondary school across the length and breadth of this of these talents are discovered and these talents as a result of being discovered had an opportunity to pursue their career through their talent through the gift that God has given to them it's not everybody that will go to school in that sense the easiest way for you to make money is to make money through your talents you know what it is then said you know it is then said that he doesn't understand how you will be paying the amount of money for doing what you love to do just imagine what it will have been for you if not for football he grew up in an island one of the poorest island in in portuga madira but look at what spot has done for him look at what spot has done for the grand james look at what spot has done for David Becker and government across levels from local government to state government to federal government in Nigeria in the last 25 years have not paid attention to spot at all we just leave service we are paying to it okay um a smaller headline there uh it's uh on so many newspapers now about the fact that there is a new efcc chairman but on this particular newspaper the guardian it is written controversy trails appointment of a lawyer or look on your day as efcc chair well um the the argument people released was that um there's a provision that there are stand provisions in the efcc art which disqualifies him but because it said that somebody must be in law enforcement and what have you and my own argument is very simple which area lawyers are creating from we like creating empire for ourselves uh i don't know this man from anywhere i don't even have any interest in the matter but my my my my my argument is very very simple for example in Nigeria you say okay before you can become before you can become the minister of health you must be medical doctor there's no way it is written now lawyers if lawyers are into law enforcement they are lawyers that's what they are trying to do and now you have a lawyer and someone is arguing that when it has to be in return assistant commissioner of police has to be the argument that this man is not into law enforcement does no good water because by training by design by career pursue lawyers are into law enforcement who are those that they are pointed to everywhere united states of america um as far as this if you really practice the judicial system which some some have argued there is a need for us to even appoint people in private practice with certain experience into our bench across board into the bench of the operate court into the bench of the supreme court when someone has practiced as engaged in private practice to the certain number of years you could you could nominate such a person into the supreme court you could nominate such a person into into the apricot as far as i'm concerned this guy is a lawyer and a lawyer is a law enforcement officer globally is a global standard who must usually have a global approach to the way we do things sometimes when people write act when the when the when they are proposing this bill they propose this bill in such a way in order to create empire or some certain people who do the police use to prosecute their cases who are the is the not lawyers so as far as i'm concerned the man is qualified based on the fact that he is a lawyer and this is that not a 15 years experience if your question is qualification you have already appointed him as a secretary to that body so somebody had been a secretary of your body you mean the person is not qualified to be so it's into law it's into law enforcement we shouldn't be using drama there's no controversy over this particular over as far as i'm concerned there's no controversy over this particular matter okay um we move to the nation newspaper as we are drawing closer and closer to where we draw the curtain work begins on 260 federal roads nationwide it do it does seem like the minister for works is really working and he came up with an innovation that the roads in Nigeria do not need any other thing than concrete and people express fear that the price of cement will go up instead we're seeing the price of seven crashing down and this competition between the two giants producing cement in Nigeria and all that some people have said it will raise the capital expenditure of the country because of the way it is going to be constructed but the gladdening fact is that 260 federal roads nationwide uh the work will begin and contractors have been ordered back to the sides how realizable this is is another kettle of tea so where there is too much euphoria and too much entusiasm we have come to comment as a no kid on block just like the euphoria and the entusiasm and the excitement that characterize specialist appointment as minister of works power and housing the first time of bari before the portfolio was further reduced as well as i'm concerned we already see this entusiasm and this this this excitement at the beginning i hope the momentum will be will be sustained because for example for us in diga state we are the minister of works for eight years minister of works for the first time at federal level for eight years all you need to do is to take it to third milan bridge and you know the amount of money partial hours and partial last worship of of this of of the ministry of works spent on third milan bridge but on enforcement of the bridge but you call look at the surface of that bridge now i passed to that bridge and then i knew what it did to my car and then i went from ligust i went from ikuro due to imota imota now i go from ikuro due to imota leads to ijebo this if you know is it we won't believe that ligust are the opportunity of having a minister for eight years that road is a complete mess in front of ligust state investia after global it's a complete mess i regretted because i took my son to school i regretted driving my car through that road in natural sense i didn't know how much money i'm going to spend on that on that particular road so they come they are now we are doing we are renovating 360 roads the co-oprest conference and at the end of the reality that we have on the ground does not meet up with the the excitement and the enthusiasm and the publicity they are giving to what what and they are doing i hope they will keep to their promise and hold them accountable i think we should we hold them accountable to what they are doing eight years of partial i did not help us we told me nambi is no help us with kuru due to imota did not even finish that of shagamu to equal do as well so we wait and see what this this this administration we do with respect to um do use concrete do use concrete natural sense concrete would last longer it lacks better it's considering the trend that we we have we have we have in Nigeria it it's it's i think it it's is better and it it will last longer i hope they just keep to their promise at the momentum with which they start is sustained towards till the end other than for us to start with the with a good momentum and then as and that last thing and as we progress they begin to lose steam and it begins to take they begin to take their eye off the ball as far as i'm concerned some of our roots are dead trap some of our roots the 12 million bridge that they spend money that they close many times and i'm saying it if actually it's hearing me it will be it is it is a major stain in his career with respect to with respect to his performance as minister as minister we need a number of times they close 12 million bridge under balance administration but just go and look at the surface go and look at the surface of that of that is it dead trap is in dead trap is is a major disgrace to us as a country to us as a people and to those that were given the opportunity to support everybody ministry of works for eight years i pass through there every day so i know what you're talking about it's you pray for a hold up to happen on that bridge because if it is free and you are trying to speed you enter into more trouble than than necessary okay um we'll move to the nature news nature newspaper is uh uh leading with a story tinu bu that's flood control tinu bu forms committee to tackle nigeria's flood crisis and the rider is 45 killed 171,545 displaced by flood in 13 states that's according to nema well um you know what happened last year when we don't mean this we always have every year when camera released water from one of its dam we knew it and how many states were affected and then we knew what a flood industry to the environment and we knew what flooding does to to to to to to farms of farmers across the land and plate of of this country and then if you look at the amount of money government said the the the the invest in terms of subsidy to farmers and the rest of it if you need to access this question is this money actually going to the farmers or is he actually going to the private cofast of those that are meant to implement or is it this policy as far as this issue of flooding is concerned it's a perennial problem there are people in nema we have our permanent secretary we have our people we have our technical people technical experience that have been in these agencies for more than 10 years and that have received common funding with respect to tackling this problem you see when new administration come people begin to talk tough they begin to act like bandam and they begin to to form to form tough guy like bandizu and after a while ice are taking away from the ball and then the people are left to to to their fate and it becomes business as usual the issue of flooding is not just a problem it's not about setting up a committee there are the series of committees set up over and over and over by successive government what is required is is decisive action what are the steps they are taking to address this particular this particular this particular this particular this particular issue one thing i can never take you in from pashalas administration when was governor of ligosthic is the EU of of flooding of dealing with flooding of of of channeling all the canards all the canards in ligos to ensure that there was no there was because the test case to his administration happened in 2011 when there was this heavy rainfall in ligosthic and it opened their eye and then in a serious comprehensive effort was put in place to return the hukana in ligos that takes all the floodwater and for many years ligos is no problem with flooding we have done back to it so there are ways to solve this problem and ways of solving this problem is not by setting up committee is not by having a talk shop or a workshop is by having an action shop government to take actions what do we need to do to solve the states are well which states are bordering kameroon and i can really be telling what about water that is released from the dam back into the ocean this should be the states not committee not committee at this stage well maybe the committee will be looking at that because there is this talk that since 1982 that kameroon built that dam we were supposed to do something as well maybe build our own dams that will cushion the effect of the release of that water which we never did and we keep warning people every year to be mindful to live where they live leave their crops behind leave their ancestral lands behind every year to go to higher ground and all that maybe this committee will look into those issues and address them once and for all like you said fasula did it in ligos it can be done at the national level don't you think yeah yeah it's it's just it's just basic as ABC for us to be decisive about it and for people not to make money out of the misfortunes of that if you knew the amount of money Nigerian folks year in year how to address this problem show it that some of this challenge you have you have raised it if kameroon is releasing the water from the dam there is in it for Nigerian from Nigerian and for us to also control our own to control to build our own dam in order to control the flow of of of whatever water is released is released by by kameroon from the dam we had agreement we had agreement with Niji with respect to River Niger we had agreement so why can't we have such such such such agreement and such agreement with kameroon in order for us not to have a perennial problem that renders people that destroys people's economic economic investment that destroys that that destroys their lives and their property without getting any adequate compensation from government on people i cannot show you that these people are compensated on paper if you want to check the records on people and this is the compensation government has given to to to flood victims from this from this particular area but in reality this people will not have access to money the evidences are there all they need to be used for somebody to just receive them in view of the flooding social that affected it at this stage please have to release of social as compensation for families that are affected and then the money will be collected by one person or group of people and at the end of the day they will not even get to actual victims of this flood there is need for us to to put in place proper measure that takes care of our citizens and not some select individual or powerful powerful elite within the system you know that's also the excuse we give for the reason why we remove we remove first subsidy in the first system said it's some kaba so powerful elite are making money from from from from the subsidy payment and it's the same thing who applied with what we have with these and people that are faced with the premium problems of flooding as a result of what are being released from the dam in cabero okay well thank you so much for your thoughts this morning on the headlines on our national dailies mr jide johnson thank you so much for coming it's a pleasure to be with you thank you for having me have a good friday and ensure that you you you you enjoy yourself and also put your safety into constitution when you try to told me love me everything thank you very much i have been my players thank you thank you so much okay we've been talking with mr jide johnson a chief lecturer at nigerian institute of journalism here in lego state will take a short break and when we return we'll be looking at the fact that cbn has lifted for x band on 43 items stay with us