 Welcome back to the breakfast in Plasti, the Africa time for of the press while we check out the front pages of the National Dailies We do have GD Johnson who joins the conversation in no time. Good morning GD Johnson. Thank you for joining us All right I started with the leadership newspaper this morning and looking at the front page of the leadership new newspaper quite interesting caption we have their 16 days to go lawmakers ready to override President Muhammad of Buhari's veto on electoral bill lawmakers ready to override presidents Muhammad of Buhari's veto on Electrobeo, that's the board caption on the leadership newspaper Presents nas present nas lacks courage to overall president the governor of river state is quoted Yes, I'm weak a civil society's regroup and demand presidents assent You also have President Muhammad of Buhari Abbas on draw governor's mon Joseph wires a former Senate president who died at the age of 80 He saw rest in peace. You also have Nembe oil spiel will end soon operators tell community Aisha Buhari six special court for rape and please nap 13 over canoe APC office in Fennel, I mean you remember all of the confusion that's ongoing That's also another one you have there on the leadership newspaper That's the much we can actually take at this point in time All right, we'll slide on to the nation newspaper Amendment act still is in the news are pressure on Buhari to reject electoral amendment bill with some writers there I make here to act on Buhari's requests The Semper night in deadline for presidents to sign Governors insist on indirect primary CSO's ascent will aid electoral Reforms other stories on the nation this morning Nigerian investors are lose 553 billion Naira in four days our cell pressure stokes anxiety Why sensors should hold the for 2023 general elections by the yen and PC? All right, most stories on the nation does more than on the red strip below the paper and then be oil spiel Leakin well had to be contained in days. All right couple abducted About the must-have. There are other stories on the nation Ex-Senate President wires dies at 80 last his students activists to join song will in peace walk other stories there are 10 months after Emirates Airlines returned to Nigeria in sky Judge to Kamu's lawyer stopped writing Lee Directly Let's see if there are other stories that are interesting this morning. Although assembly confirms 14 commissioner nominees or shul Highest 1000 teachers. Those are some of the stars you can find on the nation newspaper this Friday morning Away from the nation newspaper. Let's check out the punch newspaper this morning the board caption reads Omicron states Resume testing and demand funds there and spreads to 23 countries Vaccine hesitancy Funding of molecular labs major challenges. That's what cross river state is quoted to say Low vaccination drive in Nigeria's rural areas feeling transmission says WHO and You also have a new or shoe Kogi lead Deitya states Cleanup Niger is quoted on that You also have reps invite Ainec over finding challenges. I take that again reps invite Ainec over funding challenges for direct primaries and Buhari wouldn't sign electoral act amendment APC plots Regan the governor of river state is quoted on that 21 humanitarian workers six civil servant abducted in Boron new state and Brack seeking legus, please men Shoot woman Britalizes husband for complaining Aisha Buhari Advocate special card for rape and sexual violence cases 2014 Paul EFCC rearrange fire shea on a mended 1.2 billion narrow fraud charges You also have PDP chieftain kicks as Kalu host national Escobre feels dictation Defection rumor, that's what you also find here They're also interesting headlines Buhari La one others month second Republic Senate president Joseph wires And this is some of the headlines you find this morning on the punch newspaper Away from the punch removal next to the daily in the pendant the main story this morning choosing PDP candidate Will be turbulent governor we kill with a writer alleged is planned by APC to read 2023 elections other stories their federal government hasn't learned from and says protest or Tommy Mimodo are quoted as saying could do not to dismiss 233 teachers over fake certificates Now ten months after emirate returns with daily services to Lagos and the Booja Buhari at the cool are you mark law on the money Mon. Joseph wires? Now the kind of code insist on January trial date Kiyama or Lobo Dior differ chances in 2023 presidential Election or let me take that again. Kiyama or Lobo Dior differ on APC PDP chances in 2020 repressed in show election above the must-have Society at the risk from technology and new media as according to the speaker of the House of Representatives by Jabba Miller police arrest 13 suspect over 17 ablaze Kano APC office Building those are the stories you can find on the front page of the daily independent All right, let's have GD Johnson share his thoughts and some of the headlines this morning Thank you once again for joining us GD Johnson There's a pleasure to be to be with you. I once again back at you. I love you as a All right, so let's do it. All right, let's set up with the leadership newspaper now 16 days and counting lawmakers ready to override the president's veto on Electrobeo This might just be maybe the the second because or maybe the third I mean the first way experience was in June 2000. Do you think that this National Assembly they have what it takes To do that You recall proud 2019 election The eight national assembly came up with an electoral form and then the president refused to sign that Be into an heart of nation for me The legislature are just not aware of what their right is Across the globe the exception of failure of the fusion of the Legislature and the executive which is in form of parliamentary system of government Outside of that across the globe you seen that we have seen the executive have become so powerful That they get away with a lot of things which They don't choose to do that conceived representative democracy and this type of governance Did not MBC at that particular point in time and natural sense They're buggy that we have seen the emergence of president becoming M Pro becoming M Pro Most most nations of the world for me It's there is is within the purgative of their of their office to do whatever they want to do in the conference I want the power that the country has given to them. Let's see whether they will exploit it Or let's see whether they will call on that pressure not to be however is the content of the electoral as good as as far as I'm concerned with the exception of the close on on undirect Permaries and that the only option that we have to select are the other Permaries with the exception of that every other thing in that electoral Amendment peace is wonderful You can see that the civil society of Nigeria are putting up pressure on the president sign and then you actually have this question Putting up this be what are the level of concentrations? Consultations that were done they will criticise the orders the party leaders and the government's at various states the the presidency and The the last enough says of the president to the National Assembly what level of because I don't think that there should be Too much who love a little about signing an act that is over. We're merely passed by the National Assembly You see that the governor's insisting that and She being direct parents and For me most times you will make close about self-preservation Most of the National Assembly members knew what you went through Before they got their ticket and because of the governor's own the rents at the bureau state level So they are trying to insulate and protect their their emergence Which in any cases is the first rule of survival self-preservation by insisting that we should have direct power I think where the media is you concerning this be is the issue of direct primary indirect primary and If you check the story in the punch in his paper, whereby reps are invited. I know after you have passed The be your past the be you afforded it for presidential assent Rebs are now inviting the I need to come up and talk about the issue of funding the your funding of formal Direct panels where I and I can't do the source to form direct Doctor internal elections primaries, which is called out is meant for the parties to conduct and it is meant to supervise And I got no responsibility conducted that so you see that particular section I think they could take that out or if the president before the party them and tell them now You know the section let's this with this contentious session How our scientists are with the understanding that I will be the consolation the rep and the Senate and the executive concerning some such an aspect which we don't Which we don't agree with or which the good us and not I'm not in agreement with and then you do the amendment And you bring the king couple for me to sign must understand how democracy how it works How do trappings of these peers or guys of government? Interface and Isn't it for us to have to have that me and then the other question you ask yourself is that why do we need to 2021 at the tail end of 2020 today the election and in process for 2023 I started in NS let's face the reality of time Governance is suffering at all levels. What are the state at the future or at the look coming that we suffer because what the Everybody's eye is on 2023 which we check almost all the stories. It's about 2020. Yeah, we're 2021 So this is December 2021 forget it every Nigerians first know that what is going to take place in 2022 It's about the push for 2023 Governance is going to suffer public policy is going to suffer. So why do we have to wait till now? For us to pass that to pass that be Folding into the president when we had the other experience the last time that they said that there was no time Yes, I was even by the president in 2019 Is that the time was too short for him to sign that electoral be into an app the amendment be into an app So that I know we use it too. Well, hopefully something positive will come out of it but outside of The the ones for the direct primary I think provisions in the in the bill are good for for for Sustaining our democracy and our electoral process which is critical to sustenance of democratic Governance and democratic principle in in Nigeria. So we wait till December 19th to see whether this National Assembly have as the college a Temerity The way we die through to do what the country has given him the right to which is to make laws and then To override the president to bet on be able to talk members of them Putting against it and it becomes an act with the February public of Nigeria All right, GD Johnson, let's slide to the nation I just want you to react to you know, too, you know What's been trending across some several spaces lasso students activists to runs or to join rather song all new in peace walk Well The mother there's a body blessing in my local Dalit if lies travel for 20 years One day the truth will come up. I really didn't save the Nair On San Indian 12 for many many years I have come to the realization of even those that live in said in our actually agreed that well That election was free and fear today. We are living in said in Nair that there was No bloodshed I'd like he told it that we are dealing with numbers. So it's one. It's two. It's 19 23 the question you need to ask your service Does he want it for you to for a Nigerian to lose his life for marching or for protesting the right to protest is one of the fundamental Values of democratic governance. The majority will have their way And the minority will have their seat Majority will have their way minority will have their seat now every government is embarking on peace walk white peace Then there must have been walk in the state against the people Well, those that want to join the press those that want to join the government should join in and those that want the last Two dead another activists that want to join can join is within the confines of their fundamental human rights. However, I Always ask this question Public communications management is different from permission distribution or repertory activities Now one of the fundamental mistakes people that manage public communications in Nigeria is that they believe that this journalist I can have them. It's a first major. This is pure public relations effort on the part of the government But however, you did not inform the critical stakeholders who want to march with you First you didn't have a meeting with them. You only are now sit on there. And that's why some Major players and stakeholders in the instars movement did not want to join. So last was to that company another activists that want to join and join But for the government to engage in peace walk Is the relation of duty as far as I'm concerned is the government that you only see people and I hope whatever Conditions they are good to provide for the government When he engages in this peace walk Will be provided for that would I have the same thing to do for any society to grow? You must have this end of it any culture any culture that does not tolerate the same That does not tolerate contrary opinion. It's not ready for growth. It's not ready for good. Look God said come let us reason together come with your strong reasons and Comfort let us reason together. So any culture That does not tolerate dissent is not ready for growth God did not give us he gave us two eyes He gave us night and day all of us can sleep and put our heads together Well, those that are around the society want everyone of us to think in a monolithic way All of us go to land made us not Will have made everyone of us to be shot and to be of certain height to be of certain shape and to speak the same language So I hope the same condition will be provided who would come on accounting and I hope we hold the security agencies Accounting to see whatever conditions they provide for the common in engaging in a space for so that we want to engage in our own work work for life work for for For youth work for employment work for light Work for for water work for housing. Those are the type of works the governor should be in is that of walking? It should be working It should be working for light working For housing working for employment rather than do the work. He should do the work That's my conclusion All right, GD Johnson. Let's also look at the punch newspaper this morning The issue of the Omicron Omicron variant the fact that states have resumed testing and they are demanding for funds now The WHO is saying that low vaccination drive in Nigeria's rural community or areas as a reason for the transmission of COVID-19 Was said that those that take the bus in I mean from that that that this is I We have had as far as I'm concerned there's the politics of this COVID-19 and you can call whatever you want to call me you can call me Whatever name you want Cosplay's theorist and the rest of it. Now we've had a series of variants that have evolved over time The other variant now we have the Omicron variant what I've told my colleagues and my friends and those of us That I will gain the assured of my opinion is that if COVID-19 broken out of Africa We'll have been in trouble We will see the nature approach that the world developed towards the Omicron variant that broke out of South Africa And people should not forget that this is December and in December in the Western world They deal with flu. This is their season of flu. They are no more flu. And there's a change in weather and this COVID is a severe acute respiratory Syndrome so as a result of the change in weather you will discover that there's a lot of dust in the air For us in Africa This is dry season. This is the amaranthus. This is when the weather becomes easy and becomes dusty You have to dust your room dust everything. So essentially, we should be expecting something of this nature I'm not a medical doctor. What basic knowledge you tell anybody to have a clear understanding of what we have Now what do they do? They provided a label for it They provided a label for it when you do label it to be meditation So they identify it with a particular region with a particular place with a particular country For the world to associate COVID with china But it was easier for them to associate the delta period with latin america And it was easier for them to associate the omicron period with africa and south africa So when the whu place then what happens to be the former minister of Of the former minister of them of health in in utopia And then who the former president of united america called it lucky Of of the nation where the covenanting broke out from What what do you get? I listen to an interview of the vice chairman of african intervention And he said something about the politics of this person That i don't know what is boss one or something like that that Paid higher than what is normally paid? For for the party Why the entire world is getting That why the western world is going about 60 70 percent vaccination rate What is happening? Remember what they said when this thing broke out that there's trouble in africa They thought we are going to die like pigs And we are going to die like chicken And we are going to just There'll be a lot of text but caught in a simply messy as a way of doing as a way of doing these things that give up Immune system because it's going by the kovid protocol And what has been associated with it and the lack of resources and the technical know how and the and the and the medical Facilities that are required at the drugs. You should know that african should have been she'll have been wiped off She'll have been wiped off the map by now The western one needs to look at how not audience the technology not audience the information and not audience the vaccine It should be shared across across across should be shared across board so that Everybody will be vaccinated. Everybody will be vaccinated and when we get the vaccination We see whether actually the vaccine that has developed is actually meant to deal with that particular problem Or we have created a problem for the big pharmaceutical company There's what you call the big farmer to make money Some companies that have almost gone out of extinction that they had no business line again They have been they have come back to life as a result of this as a result of this kovid 19 I'm not the conspiracy theories, but just this information information together you need to put companies that you do that were household names Before and then we didn't hear anything about them. They even pulled out of 19 after a while as a result of the Puyo Puyo vaccination the effect of the Puyo vaccination in Northern Nigeria and then all of you saw the these companies Are they doing it for free? Are they doing it for money? Well, it's left for african nations to know how they should react when that apple and trump places a ban Place the ban on african countries They said it was a little bit now You biding is dead When the humane country react mean our vassal has been developed and everybody replace the ban on african countries And then the african representative with the e2 went ahead and says because blue vaccination drive what has it done to ensure that this is vaccination drive in african This is improved All right, doctor. Mr. G. D. Johnson, uh, let's talk about another story from the daily independence. You are A lecturer. You are in the teaching profession. I just really need you to react concerning that kaduna to the smith 233 teachers over fake certificates There's nothing There's nothing we just don't report this on the pages of newspaper If once they do satirical politicians and they check the politicians, you just discover that a lot of people are operating I Did themselves as having one certification Or the other which did not say if you go to the national assembly If you go to the state as yourself If you go to many workplaces, you see a lot of people using certificate They mean to have one certificate. They don't have So it's it's nothing. It's nothing surprising to me. It's nothing new every every now and then you see organizations writing schools writing the registry to to validate to To validate fine validate the claims that their employees have made with respect to To to desegregate the process of with same situation. However, people came to our phd and didn't have And so every school just that they don't they don't report they don't report And it tells you they're not within the system. Why uh, what does it take for for people to validate whether Someone has said it or not said it. It's been employed. There are people in the civil service that I want them to How many years of the clean service? Why can't you write schools to ensure That they reply you to see whether their certificates Declimate any or they are they are fake. So imagine You cannot know let those teachers will have will have passed across to the student over time So as far as I'm concerned Those ones should not only be dismissed and they should be denied their title Because you can't deceive the states and Deceive the state and destroy the lives of others And destroy excuse me please and destroy the future by imparting fake knowledge And inadequate knowledge on the purpose they are they are teaching And it puts you recall the governor card not either the controversial in his first term Where he conducted tests for all the teachers in the state and then some teachers will eat out of the system And I hope it's a cleaning process and it should be done across both so that the right people They have the right qualification. We are the right at the right place so From top to bottom you go to the presidency You come to the national survey that people parading with Please No one of the media's media contention for 2022 election Is that what the president actually had the complication which he claimed to have Got it and we have seen even in In 1999 the governor of my state Then he knighted him from Lagos state the governor of my state based on his With with relation to Saturday, whether he's from the west of Chicago. He's from Chicago State University. So he's it's It is what it is in our country But those that are meant to do what they are supposed to if they don't do what they are supposed to We live with the reality of parading themselves to fake certain things of fake identity All right, let's just share your thoughts on another headline on the punch knees before this morning a pdp chieftain kicks as kalu host national You know escrow. So this might just be another defection move We are not seen defection. Let's wait for the power is being that's truly what we can say we can say them In the in in in In dealing the benefit choosing pdp candidate will be turbulent that's according to wiki and them Then it's very clear to you um This the political class are chess players They are chess players they play games and then if you understand chess you understand that Sacrifices are made not afraid is the end game that matters. It is not it is not the game as you have pleased is the end game How do you get to the end game? You can sacrifice your bishop sacrifice your home sacrifice your night and then as long as You win the end game As long as your king is not captured You win the so it's about the end game So we see them this thing you are seeing it's about positioning Some people are positioning themselves for The vice president so they are doing the competition So I can tell you for someone that has observed the political landscape for a very very long time where All you use your caliber that's in his chances If he says means the as regards of getting either the vice president's or running for the president's So you might think that you know what better for me to go to pdp Where there is every likelihood that the president's might be shown to be the south south or the southeast Or we're likely that and if the president's or not come from there Probably usually presidency to the north east where there has ever been any president and then okay The vice president will come from the north from the southeast or south south So it's about positioning too as far as I'm concerned those that are true They are they have an understanding inside but with my level of Involvement and understanding of nitrogen politics. I can predict that you have not seen any create You have not seen you have not seen why the week is it's going to be turbulent It's going to be turbulent because you will see a lot of factors you will see presidential candidates perennial presidential candidate Like who's all of you can pursue that will not say anything about answers That will not say anything about what is going on inside It will come out when presidential election is coming out You will see that kolhazan akir has declared his own intention You will see that tampua will declare his own intention Over last week article went and had business summit in the north east with the north east business business summit in in gumbay I think it was on Tuesday or it was Tuesday No, it was not last week it was this week it was it was this week that the business summit was not so Let's wait for it That's why they are kicking because you know once he crossed over as the chief people of the national assembly of Of the senate they will they will just hand over the structure to him and I saw a picture This is what I tell people don't worry yourself about it I saw a picture of odd user card teodorage and The present government it appears The three of them I think two weeks ago or last week the three of them add one function At one function and I was just I just I just laughed I said these are the people That have held abbey estate Old stage since 1999 You know abbey estate is called God's home country I saw them and they will say they are fighting and people have killed themselves They have found themselves friends have become enemy of one another because of this This this this this characters this characters that will move from one party to do that I will fight themselves and at the end of the day in the night. There will be conference The last in in ugon state There was this picture of a motion bengar daniel and the present governor that were built when a motion was When bengar daniel was competing to be the governor of ugon state the two of them inside the truck One was holding the microphone. One was holding the umbrella one was holding a light nitrogeners I have never have Don't have hope in any Nigerian political class when they tell them to keep it in It's about safety. It's about self-survival. They don't care about you. It's about power. It's about it's about the It's about the lost For power they crave power. They like that office. Some of them have been in Congress since 1999 And you ask yourself this question. What a big turn And we have said it. I did it. Do I say I'm going to ask questions That's The majority we have to have a week but minority by responsibility placed on me as a member of the front estate of the red Provided for by this section 22 of 99.9 as amended that I shall be the watchdog of this site And we shall hold the governor and we have to ask them to give an account We asked them give an account of what you have done Now why would some people prefer it in themselves to be presidential? They've been in the state of power and color since 1999 Since 1999 you have been what have you done more than a quarter of a century They've been in power across but see them in the national assembly Since when has the senate president been in in national assembly? Since when has the speaker of the house of red been in national assembly and the speaker went ahead to say a story That technology and new media is destroying the society technology and new media Is driving the latest car. He didn't know that that car Is is was was driven by technology is using the latest phone He didn't know that that phone was driven by technology is living in houses That is powered by generator and not by national lights on national grid He didn't know the right people by by by technology. So let's when we get to that We had some of us we asked questions because we have privilege of representing the people or being invited to come and talk and Be be the voice of the people. So we surely speak about those issues. We have same questions questions All right. Thank you so much. Um, gd johnson. Um, he is the chief lecturer of uh, Nigeria institute of journalism and we have been looking at um, what the papers are saying this morning. We'll call it off the press