 Okay, you're welcome back. Just before we go to the papers to bring you what the headlines are, and we're going to be joined hopefully by Tunde Kolaule, who is a legal practitioner here in Lagos State. I would like to inform you that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has set the dates for elections in both Undo State and Edo State. It said that a Edo Governorship election will be held on September 21, 2024, while that of Undo State will be held on November 16, 2024. That's what it has said. And remember that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which they quoted as having the provisions, said that you cannot hold the election earlier than 150 days before the end of the tenor of the incumbent. So it has to be 150 days or less to the end of the tenor. But it cannot be later than 30 days to the end of the tenor of the incumbent. So that's why these dates have been set. Remember also we have offices and elections in Kogi State and also in Emo State. Those ones will be held in November of this year. So we're going to have those offices and elections. But for Edo and Undo State, you've just heard the dates that the elections will be held. So whoever you are, wherever you are, if you are a stakeholder in any of these elections, be informed that these are the dates for the election. September 21, 2024 for Edo State and Undo State is November 18, 2024. So we go to the headlines now and look at what the headlines are saying, beginning with the punch newspaper. We're going to reel out all those headlines that are there. And then when Tunde joins us, we're going to begin to X-ray them one after the other as much as we can. So we'll begin with the punch, like I said, and the punch newspaper we kick off with OPS kicks as labor vows to shut down airports, others on Tuesday. The writers on that story is a federal government labor leaders meeting holds on Tuesday. Tinnabu to unveil workers' package on October 1, manufactures the Association of Nigeria and orders one of massive economic losses, government food dragging on workers' demands according to NLC. That is the story. Indefinite strike is the story. Okay. We also have on top of that, Cadoso to clear dollar debts, suspend intervention loans, know that it has been cleared as a central bank of Nigeria governor, the new governor, Cadoso, is to clear the dollar debts, suspend intervention loans, fuel, car, others, imports, gulp 46 billion dollars annually, that's according to the federal government. Edul Molut, pray for Nigeria, Tinnabu tells Muslims. And by the way, today is a public holiday, and this is the reason. It's Edul Molut. So landlords bates 11-year-old with hot water, and Inaik unveils on do-ed-do polls and polls timelines. That's it for punch. We will move to the Guardian newspaper to see what the Guardian newspaper is also saying this morning. Guardian newspaper. Now on the Guardian newspaper, more factories, businesses may shut down as diesel heats 1100 naira per liter. Okay. That's the boldest headline there. Now Cadoso, how CBN will stabilize naira, slow down inflation, that's another way to put it. So the central bank of Nigeria governor is saying how he's going to turn around our fortunes. In search of qualified teachers for basic secondary education is a news analysis that you may want to read. NLC-TUC close ranks to begin indefinite strike October 3, and police arrest three Adamawa Monax councillor for selling palliatives. Palliatives and the palliatives were halla. Renewed insecurity, killings threatened guba polls in emo state. Then iPop plays history book labeling Ndibo as invaders, troublemakers. Okay. I remember also that there was the thing of no victory or no victory or no vanquished after the Civil War. And now this is coming up. So if history book is having that they are invaders, I don't know how we can marry the two together. So we go to the nation newspaper. Nation newspaper is next after the Guardian. On the nation newspaper, the boldest headline on the nation newspaper is how I will tackle inflation, Naira, forex crises like Cadoso, CBN governor, transparency, compliance to rules will be upheld. Okay. We will watch and see. We also have other smaller stories. Obaseki asks Shuaibu to drop governorship ambition. Tinibu okays purchase of 12 attack helicopters. We also have army aviation gets boost. Okay. Now we also have a story. OPS Pika orders oppose labor strike call. NLCTUC fix October 3 for indefinite strike. That is what you also have an interesting list there. CBN governors from 1958 to date. So you might want to see that if you're a lover of history. Ina fixes dates for a do under governorship elections. Okay. Those were the headlines. We also have some headlines from Nature News. But before we go into that, let's just welcome our guests for this morning. We're glad to be joined by Tunde Kolaouli, a legal practitioner here in Lagos State. Tunde, good morning and welcome to the program. Good morning, my brother. Thank you for having me. It's always a pleasure to have you. Okay. Let's begin with the punch newspaper where the labor is saying that they will go for this indefinite strike and OPS is kicking against this vow of labor, for instance, to shut down airports others on Tuesday. And labor is accusing the federal government of dragging their feet and so many other things on that headline. So what are your thoughts on this strike, this proposed strike that will come up even on the day that they are scheduled to have a meeting with the federal government? Honestly, I am frightened by the decision of labor and back on strike. Why am I frightened? I'm frightened because the economy is already comatose. And if an already comatose economy is again visited with a strike, you and I can imagine the specter of what we are likely to see. Just this morning, you have read reports coming from the chambers of commerce in that so many industry, so many companies will most likely close down because the cost of this, the purchasing time and continue to rise. When you had that, so the challenges that we have with regards to the evaluation of the Naira or the value of the Naira, the scenario is better imagined. Honestly speaking, in order not to sink the entire major economy, I would have preferred that maybe labor do the kind of thing that the other people used to do, get as parts together from the academia, from the industry and draw a blueprint of an economic alternative that the federal government can embark upon to be able to stabilize the Naira, stabilize the economy, guarantee food security. The one strike is already enough. Adding an indefinite strike to it, my thought as well, sink the energy and economy, heat care is not taking, which also leads to massive insecurity across both and of course, food security that is already in geopolitics, we also before that was seen. So the federal government, I'm sorry to say, some of the monetary economy policies, the neoliberal economy policies, the IMF economy policies, the breaching wood economy policies that they are being adopted, will most likely not work. And why is it not going to work? It is not going to work because this economy is not producing anything. The only thing would sell in the market is the cruiser of petroleum products. Unfortunately, that is no longer in high demand. So in the interest of everybody, it might be better for labor to sit down like I used to do, get me inspired from across both to do a blueprint of alternative economy policies that this administration can embark upon and it is possible. What passing twice? That means if you pass it and you find out that it is so good, you will want to use it again and not the bad road. Now, ASU has been doing what you are recommending now. Has it really worked for ASU? Because they're still agreed. I don't think so. It has never worked. Most times, when ASU makes a proposal, the executive arm of Gomel is not there because they think they know better than all those egg heads that we have in the industry. One of the reasons we are making this recommendation is that ASU may be kind to ASU and ASU may also be kind to the NLT. If they say when you are going this way, we told you that was the wrong way to go and we gave you an alternative path as the gas was to go. So when all those two cars are laid on the table, the executive arm of Gomel, the federal Gomel will sit, the state Gomel will sit, the local Gomel will sit, and the ordinary Nigerian people will also see that there were alternatives which were ignored so that when history is assessing and giving marks to all the different categories of people who would have had their hands in the economic crisis that we are facing today, history will know where they blame should appropriately go to. Because as you said, chances are that whatever proposal that NLT makes another will most likely be ignored. More importantly, we have begun to see a divided rule on the part of the Gomel. ASU, TUC, NLT are no longer speaking with the same voice whereas organizations like the TUC and the NLT, organizations should be speaking with one voice. They may not be speaking with one voice because the Gomel is creating the wedge between these organizations. Okay, you talked about the economic policies that you are afraid may not work. And we are also seeing the new CBN governor, Cadoso, who is saying that he's going to clear dollar debts and he will suspend intervention loans. How will that work out for us? Well, for me, I support the suspension of the so-called intervention loan. Like I have said, it is a nightmare. It's thought to say an impossibility that the federal government will say it is borrowing the state governments and the local government. My means to be able to intervene in the economic crisis that the people are facing, whatever money comes or becomes accruable to the consolidated revenue account of the country, belong to all the three styles of government. Or if you like, you can add the judiciary to it, which has to be shared in the proportion which is constitution. As I said, it should be shared. So, where the government is getting this idea that is borrowing the state and the local government money, instead of saying that whatever or saying this social amount of money has become accruable. So, the privatization account, it will share it in the formula in which the losses will be shared. It would advise that to use some of this money, it's not all the money to alleviate and cushion the effect of the amount of subsidy on the petroleum and products. That is the way it should go. With the civilian government, I don't see where it's going to get the money. So, really, upset or pay off all the local debts and all the foreign debts that the nation is currently swimming in. Like we have already said, Nigeria is a mono economy with very thin productive base. So, if you are not positioning anything concerning locally and internationally, how will you earn money to be able to pay the local and foreign debts that are to our own? The alternative to that will be. So, it's also the way that means we, the Wadi administration, was using heavily in order to power some of the infrastructural developments or programs that government embarked upon. And what is ways that mean? It's mere paper money. You merely have the money to print money and then you begin to spend it. And any nation that begins to do that, of course, other countries of the world that are producing whose citizens sweat to be able to earn money, will not fold their hands and allow you to be cheated on others or the world economy or for their own citizens to be subsidizing the living conditions of your own people. So, the civilian governor, if he's got those things arranged, I have a feeling he will require not less than between six months and one year to be able to do it. And one of the ways this could be done is to look at the area of the marine and blue economy, the ministry which the federal government has created. A lot of money could be earned in there. A lot of things can be tapped into which are correctly done. So, the federal government will require to look for very honest people to secure that sector, especially the import and export, the airports, and then some of these other revenue generating areas. This cadoso is able to persuade the federal government to block all the leakage at the port in the seaport and through the border. And of course, we are not able to know the quantity of food sector that we produce every day and stop illegal siphoning of those products and selling them internationally. And we also are able to block all the dirty things that are led that are led to be taking place in that sector. Chances are cadoso might be able to raise money to be able to do some of the things that he wants to do. But if it doesn't go that way, and with the kind of people that he's working with, I doubt it whether he will have the courage or whether they will allow him to embark on that road. Because embarking on that road will mean stepping on the toes of so many people. The people that I see now in government are not people who commit class suicide, who just within 24 hours turn around and begin to get some of the things they used to do and begin to learn the economy in the interest of the average Nigerian person. Okay, well, in spite of everything that we're talking about right now, we also know that our president has been globetrotting in the past few months after he was sworn in as president, asking people to come and do business in Nigeria. He used the opportunity of ONGA to do that, every other opportunity that he has had. He has spoken to the international community to come and do business in Nigeria. But if you go to the Guardian newspaper now, the screaming headline there is that more factories, businesses may shut down as diesel heats 1,100 Naira per litre, sorry, for diesel. And I don't know. Well, even though it was a mistake I made per dollar, we know that the dollar right now is 1,100 Naira in some places and in others 1,000 Naira. And even in the Ian eye window, it is also really, really high. How can you who investors to come into a country whose little industries are folding up already? Yeah, it's a very tall economic policy which when you look at critically, it is difficult to realize. As Mr. President, it's junketed around the world and so the people investment, some countries of the world are also the one in their position to stay away from Nigeria, especially from the northern part of the country, the south-east and the south-south. And you and I will know that it wouldn't be just the U.S. that are issued such one, Britain as in the past also, you were here as with drones on Nigeria and stop giving this up to our people. And then some of the apple stands taking place in the West African subways, especially the airports of region. It's also hot in the Nigerian economy. Say for example, the embargoes and some of these other things that we have imposed on Nigeria, Burkina, Paso and some of those other places that the coup d'etats have taken place. The economies have been short and the economy of most of those countries revolve around the Nigerian economy. So if my grand businessmen are unable to do businesses in some of those places, it will have sooner than later or it is already having a very serious impact, a very negative impact on the Nigerian economy. I would rather want to see Mr. President, not like I said, consolidate first at home before venturing outside to begin to ask for investment. Aren't you able to guarantee security, stabilize the Naira and also come out with very clear economic policies that the whole world can look at and give a pass mark. They will most likely not come here to invest their money and we must also not forget Nigeria is not the only country that's solicited for investment. If some of these other countries have better advantages than Nigeria, a critical example is South Africa and also Ethiopia and Northern. Look at the BRICS, just recently they held their meeting and invited Ethiopia, Egypt to come and join BRICS. When Nigeria is said to be the largest economy in Africa, before then they had incorporated South Africa into BRICS. One of the reasons or some of the reasons they are not inviting Nigeria is because the economic indices that would encourage that kind of invitation does not exist in Nigeria. So I want to repeat what I've always said that Mr. President concentrates on solving the problem in the energy sector. Let him also don't say devote more energy into maintaining existing infrastructure. Raining in security and also ensure that the farmers are able to go back to their farm. If he's able to do this, the economy will begin to bounce back and these two will be very very kind to him. Yeah well it's it's becoming an insult to be a Nigerian. I heard the other day there was news that Ghana was offering to provide electricity to Nigeria. It was a shame to me whether they were joking or not joking but it was a big shame to me that Nigeria will be producing less than 5,000 megawatts for a country of over 200 million. We have been producing less than 5,000 megawatt for more than 60 years. It's it's terrible it's terrible and we keep asking is it that the leaders do not know or they just do not care because even if we want to go or have alternatives solar power or wind or anything we have that in abundance. Why are we not able to do this? Why are we not able to even have a refinery for crying out loud? This is Nigeria that had so much money we didn't know how to spend. That was the slogan of one of our leaders and now we are so poor that we'll be going cap in hand to every every country and comparing ourselves to Rwanda which is a small nation that just experienced genocide in in in the 90s. Well, well, let's go political now. What is happening in Ando and Edo states? Let's begin with Edo state. Edo state governor has said that his deputy should drop the governorship ambition that is Obaseki Azakshuaibu to drop governorship ambition. So that is on the nation newspaper as we move to the nation newspaper. That's the first headline that I'd like us to look at because the biggest headline there is how I will tackle inflation, Naira, Forex Crises, that is Cadoso. We've already talked about the central bank governor so let's go to Edo state. The deputy governor wants to be governor after this governor and it didn't go down well. It's not going down well with the governor. That seems to be the bone of contention. He's been sacked from government quarters, he's been sacked from a lot of places. Things have been taken away from him and now he's just telling me if you want to be in my good books, drop your ambition. Is that still a democracy we are talking about? It is not. Honestly speaking, when you hear and see what some of these governors do, you begin to marvel how we have gotten to this level in terms of the arrogant, which is the governor of the age, the messianic role that most of them try to play all the time, just like he was ever rightly identified. It is left to the voters in Edo state to determine who will become the next governor after Mr Obaseti and not Mr Obaseti to unpick anybody and impose it on the party and eventually impose it on the Edo state people. The situation in which it is individual that unpick those who occupy an elected office is no longer a democracy. I am not in full opinion. It is not fair for the governor to begin to pester the deputy or his deputy to abandon or decision his governorship ambition. That is not fair. The only right that the governor has is not to support the mess in his governorship ambition. When Mr Oshio Mone also did not want Obaseti to go for a second we saw how Mr Obaseti thought suit and male to ensure that he clings to the governorship proposition that he return to power. So if he says has been a victim of the iron deadness of the Godfather, why is he playing the same role? Why is he behaving the same way? That is totally not fair With regard to what is happening on those days I'm sorry to say I am shocked by what Mr Keredolu is doing or the impeachment proposal against the deputy governor. Like I've always said I suspect that the deputy governor is a victim of blackmail and propaganda. I suspect that the deputy governor is a victim of some underambitious person who don't want him to succeed in Keredolu come the 2024 election. Are you really colleagues? I mentioned the example of what happened between President Buhari and Vice President Oshin Bato when the president went abroad for about six months. Before he came back there was a sort of a simulation of blackmail propaganda that Oshin Bato was trying to top it all but was trying to take over the post of the president and some of the policies that he had embarked upon were most likely concerning the president of President Buhari to the dustbin of history and so as soon as the president came back he released his vice president on most of the post or most of the things that he's used to do. That is what is what that is what has to be happening and on those days today but with the quality of education of Mr Keredolu with his exposure I think he should have been able to lead him between the lines and not begin to embark on this kind of very vindictive action against his deputy. If I say there's anybody that should be impeached it is Mr Keredolu that should be impeached. So when you look at the picture when you look at his being marooned in the bottom and not in a period in which it's a capital where your relatives should be domiciled you begin to say that the man might not have the wealth or in terms of health-wise to be able to run the state. So what I may be having is a lame duck governor that subordinates will be running government for or the other election is done and the win-outs won in and on those days. Remember in a place like Cameroon in Metiau, Cameroonian President Bia permanently lives in France because of the air challenge that is facing and he has been running France and he has been running Cameroon from France. How is that possible? It means I'll be taking file to Keredolu in the bottom. For them more with the state of health we need to be able to be inspecting projects all over the state where there is a need to do so. We need to be able to be going to Abuja to attend the federal executive meeting. We need to be able to be convening the federal executive meeting which will be held once a week. For God's sake let's behave like civilized people in some other countries of the world when political office orders, when they are children, when they are wife, are not even themselves. They are not in good health. Some persons will design and say look I want to think, I mean I want to design and go and attend with the friendly health of my wife, with the friendly health of my son, with the friendly health of my daughter or to the fairness of my relations. I think I will be losing concentration. I may not be able to give this job to any person that it deserves so I'm stepping aside. Not here in Nigeria. We saw Yadad was dying and he cleaned onto power until the very last minute. For God's sake power is a temporary thing sooner than later. You are separated from it by the number of years that you are expected to stay or you are in peace or even death like he did Yadad was. Separate the Maouk of this power so much from such power. What is happening in those states? What is happening in those states? I'm not a diviner at all and I send your own signal to the whole world. Remember that we have most of the embassies, I mean all the embassies most of the countries of the world have the embassies in Nigeria and they are seen at reading distance and recollect that they be sending notes and memos back home as they get out of the SEO, our discretion for power. Now we continue to cringe into power while we continue to write dead houses instead of not only leaving one. Even though it's not part of the headlines today but what is also happening in Obun State might just need some mention. You know a local government chairman accused the governor of misappropriation or not giving the amount of money that was due for the local government and all that. Now he's been removed, he's somewhere in jail or something and people are running after him. Yes so how can we hold our elected officers accountable when when the people at the hem of affairs have absolute power to do and undo. Nobody talks about the allegations whether they were true or not true. Nobody investigated, it does intimidation. House of Assembly is after the man, police after the man and everything. Our democracy, are we really running democracy? Well maybe you've already answered that question but let's move to Nature News where we have some headlines here. One of the headlines is that CBN will partner IMF on climate change impacts mitigation through fiscal policies and I'm sure that will culminate in taking loans or taking aid from IMF and all that because when you say partner with IMF or any international body what comes to mind is the kind of money or aid that they will be looking for from these people. I'd like you comment on our struggle for to fight against this climate change in our country. Remember that we had like one of the biggest forests in Nigeria here that the world was giving us some money for. In cross river at least we had that kind of a forest. We also have the cross river gorillas in dangerous species that are only in cross river in the entire world and so many other things but are we deliberate enough with our policies back home without first of all partnering with IMF are we deliberate at all with our policies to mitigate the impacts of climate change in Nigeria? It's very very unfortunate. There is no doubt about it that the north is happening in the area of the climate that has been diverting the environment not just in Nigeria but around the world. Look at the erosion that are going on in the southeast. Also look at the desertification. Most parts of the north is almost engulfed in desert and of course not too long ago we are still flooding in the little bit and different parts of the country. The south west itself is not insulated. This is like a koei banana island and some other parts of the country. What is the lithium-4? The whole environment becomes a swimming pool of very stagnant waters. These are indices very graphic indices of the reality of climate change but unfortunately we have not been paying attention to the changes in climate rather most times when funds are located for deforestation. When funds are located for controlling of erosion when funds are located to fight flooding those monies are usually embezzled. Remember that a governor in Nigeria or these two have once been convicted of crimes and jails for embezzling ecological reforms. So if you have had this experience I will not encode the CBN to begin to go in that direction. This will have been better for the CBN to allow the ministry, the victims of the environment and the respective statesmen of the environment to be charged with the responsibility of fighting whatever challenges that we have in the area of environment. The CBN doesn't have the tools to be able to do anything meaningful in these areas and the CBN like we always know the sole responsibility or the material responsibility of the CBN is to manage the finances of the country and not to begin to embark on capital projects, physical projects like we have seen the CBN of Nigeria embarked on in the recent time. Also recollect that with the quantum of debt both falling and local that the country is presently counting today why would the CBN again be borrowing money or be going out to borrow money from the IMF to fight a climate change. Right now, like the MRP they are done in one of the international fora they should be solicited for aid from international donors and from the developed economies who are the ones the world's polluters of the environment to be able to invest in the challenges that we have with regards to the environment. It wouldn't be a wise decision in my own opinion to begin to borrow money to fight climate changes with the quantum of debt on the nation's aid especially when we have never made the inquiry or be able to account for the different money that have been allocated in the past for the forestry for fighting desertification for fighting erosion in the in the southeast and then for preserving nature the animals in the forest and to budu and kauri villages in kanji and some of these other parts of the country and of course we must not forget the ecological disaster in the oil producing areas of Nigeria the Niger Delta all the years you have been paying these services to the cleaning up of that place the people can no longer farm the fishes in the oceans and the liver can no longer thrive gas is being burnt every night an environment heated up and the people living in oven rather than living in an environment a normal man should be residing let the CBN Cosmo Concentrate of managing the nation's rate many debt making money available to the federal government the state government and the local government to fund their projects and pay salary let the CBN Concentrate effort for fighting inflation and not begin to dev into capital and physical projects okay sorry Tunde we lost that audio for some time there we went back to the nation newspaper where there is a headline a headline that we skipped earlier on it is said here that the federal government needs 217 billion Naira to complete 289 roads that's on page two of the nation newspaper and I'm just wondering how we're going to get that how long will it take and now the the minister of works is saying the roads the minister Dave Umay is saying that the roads should be more durable the roads that should last for longer at least he has done it in his own state when he was governor in a budget state if you go there the quality of roads it's superb the bridges are superb everything is superb as far as the works there are concerned and he's saying that that kind of a thing can be done in at the federal level in fact he said the Abuja Lagos highway will cut down the amount of travel from 14 hours to four hours that's what he said and he's very confident about that but right now the problem is having to raise 217 billion Naira some people are asking how can we get it but also others are saying if Naira could get 400 billion to do nothing with it why can't the works ministry have it what is your take well i have been following the activities of of the works minister living to mind and it would have appeared to me that the man meant well for the country but again we must be careful by saying there are sometimes almost times wishes are not houses just like you said they all require an amount of money so be able to do some of the things that he has said he would like to do now with regards to crossing the traveling from Lagos to Abuja to four hours that is not possible if we go by sand loss of the land you and i will remember that the speed limits on most Naira Naira ways is the 100 kilometers per hour when you look at the Lagos to Ibadu that is about 100 kilometers that is already one hour at the time you travel from Ibadu to Apulia you already would have taken from other hours if we were to be obeying the speed limit i'm not sure that the four hours to Abuja from Lagos is realistic except we want to be flying on the roads or driving directly or driving at the neck breaking the speed and then there will be no reason to stop over to fuel and replenish now with regards to building roads with a concrete I think it is a good way to go studies have shown that roads that are built in concrete will not meet any major repair until after 25 years even though repairing them when they break down will be much challenging but we have seen experiences have shown that with the nature of our climate the torrential rain falls that we that that that we have visited in Nigeria the nature of our soil the nature of our soil near use of beauty men to build our roads are proven not to be reliable it has been proven there is a mere waste of money but when you build these roads by the time it falls on them two three years and every first drive on them the roads break down and they are washed off whereas if you do concrete like it's been done from the pubs to this or no like it's been done from along the Bagada road and what are they you'll find that at the road can be more durable and then it allows it to improve the lifespan of the vehicles that drive on these roads well as regards to where it might raise the money that we talked about I think it is possible I have always pointed out that the cost of contacting this part of the world is the highest whereas it does not to be when you look at the the imputes that goes into building roads okay basically cement let's let's let's wrap it up here today I'm fine and I'm young yeah let's let's wrap it up here well I'm glad that you have the confidence you can raise the money and you also buy the idea that it should be concrete like I said I have first hand experience in Eboni state the roads are really really good and if that can be replicated in at the national level that would be good as for cutting the time we do not know but if there are no potholes on our roads who knows at a hundred kilometers per hour we will see where that will take us but let let us have good roads and he's saying that it will be told so which means maybe the private public partnership will be at play here so well I would like to thank you for being a part of our show this morning it's always nice to have you on our show thank you okay we'll take a short break and when we return we go to our first hot topic stay with us