 Today on the breakfast, bandits attack communities along the Abuja Kaduna Highway, abducted and specified number of travellers. Also on the breakfast, many people reportedly killed during clash between traders and commercial motorcyclists, popularly called Okada riders at the DDA community in Abuja Municipal Area Council. And like always, we will be reviewing the major stories making headlines across major dailies. Good morning to you. This is the breakfast on Plus TV Africa. I am Justin Acadone. I am Mesipu for a beautiful morning and it's good to have you joining us. Yes, it is a beautiful morning. How is the morning for you? It rained in some parts of the lake yesterday. I don't know if it is raining around you but whatever it is just trying to take things easy. How it could be when it rains in Lagos, maybe some parts of Nigeria. So just try and take things easy so you can get to your destination on time and just be aware of how things work and don't try and fight people on the road. I am just seeing that out of experience. All right, I will just slide on to top trending. Remember the accountant general of the Federation who was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over 80 billion Naira fraud. One of the latest in that particular story is that he has been suspended by the federal government. I think it is just about time. It is only logical that he gets suspended when he is in the middle of an investigation. Okay, so apparently we are waiting that there will be a court action to wait. I mean it has to be proven that he is found guilty. It has to go to court, that is a normal thing. So we would say that it is a commended action by the government, right? Are you asking? No, I am just trying to understand what all of this means. No, but logically if you are in office and you are involved in some sort of investigation you have to step aside. And of course, I don't know if it is going to be an indefinite investigation, I don't know the terms, but it is expected, well it is not as if it is a big thing really if you ask me. Well, like you said, it is not as if it is a big deal. I mean we have seen all of this process. We have seen all of this, and some people will say it is IGG, it is just the initial gra gra. Or IGG, oh really? So let's just hope that it is also not one of those practices or behaviour and processes that we have when it has to do with a public office. Because right now I think that there is a lot of trust deficit. The people are already questioning and querying the pattern and behaviour of government. Oh, we have seen this before, it is nothing new what exactly is going to happen afterwards. He might just be still on the salary scale, I mean getting his salary or something. Probably before you just wake up and toss to the other side, you just imagine that he has been promoted. So these are, yes it is true. Just like what happened with Mago, right? Exactly. So people are not really excited, especially for government that says that they are bent on fighting corruption. The reason that you came. You came on a certain mantra. So you say corruption, the fight against corruption, economy and of course security. All of this, seven years and counting. What do we have to show for? It feels like the fight against corruption is nepotistic, it also looks as though, even though the presidency and the president had taken time before having these persons as members of his cabinet. Do you know how long it took the president to constitute members of his cabinet? Yeah, but what we can see on the screen right now is the letter of suspension signed by the Minister of Finance, Zaynab Ahmed, following a recent arrest by the Economic and Financial Times Commission on allegations of diversion of funds in Monty London. I would like to convey your suspension from work without pay effective 18th May. That's yesterday, this is to allow for proper and unhindered investigation into the serious allegations in line with public service, Rose 03, 04 or 06. So it went on to say that during that period that he's not allowed to, you know, be at the space of work or contact any official except for any disciplinary hearing that may be advised. It also said he's expected that he will strictly comply with any instructions that will be forwarded to him in his current location on a non-recorded address as chip-related in the extant rules. So well, let's just believe the letter for what it is, he is on suspension without pay. I hope he will not be given any other appointments in the future. I don't know why you're looking at me in that manner, but the point is it's okay. I mean, it's part of the process like you have rightly mentioned, it's what's right, it's what's obtainable, that's what should have been done or that's what should be done. Yes. Well, how effective would that be? It's also another question. We're here and we're definitely going to monitor that. We'll monitor that. All right, let's stay away from the AGF for a bit and let's talk about something that's equally trending here in Lagos. Commercial Motorcycle Operators, popularly known as Okada, they will not be allowed, you know, to apply in six local government areas as announced by the state governor, Babajideh Sororulu, and specifically, let me just read that the local government areas, Ikeja, Suruliri, Etyosa, Lagos, Mainland, Lagos Island, and a Papa axis of the state. Merci. A lot of people would say that this is not the first time this... What is this the first time? The Lagos traffic law has been still in force, you know, there is a law concerning that restricting this Okada riders from clients. I can't remember the number of routes in Lagos since 2012, you know, I remember Corvin Transportation then, so it's been over 10 years and there's been some back and forth, you know, there's the issue of helmet, there's the issue of specific bikes that could ply, you know, some routes, but right now, specifically indefinitely, they are seen as the Lagos state government is saying that these Okada riders cannot ply, you know, along those six local government areas. So, I mean, it's not the first time, so it's nothing new. Let's see how all of that pans out for the Lagos state government. But in 2020, I also think that there was a refresher in 2021, in 2020, if I'm not mistaken again, where you say you're banning. If you ban anything, it's been banned. Yeah, it's still in force. How did we come back to 2022 and say you're banning what has been banned? It feels like... I think all of this is just coming up, you know, the frack had happened. No, but that's not the point. The point is if you have done your due diligence since 2012, we will not be in this position in 2022. So it means that at the end of the day, if you say there was a ban that was put out, you don't need to have a quota riders and all of this, then all that was banned should have been banned. Yeah, you know, a lot of things happened with this, you know. Sometimes a lot of people would say that the government soft pedals when it comes to times of election because the book of, you know, the supporters are from the hinterlands and all of that. You know, so during the election period or an election year, they tend to just go easy on some of their roles. So they don't seem as though they're trying to offer some segment of the society. And really, that's what people say. So do you think that this is actually different? It's exactly different because if you ask me, what I mean different is that ordinarily during an election year, they would be soft on some laws, but right now they actually train the sledgehammer, despite the fact that we're talking about from 2012, clamping down, clamping what down. Or quota riders. Yeah, it wouldn't have been if they have kept to, you know, the rules. If you say for how long. But they actually relented a bit. So it doesn't mean anything. I mean, the fact that we also have a statement saying that you are banning again. Why are you banning? So why are you banning? You ban something you're banning again. That's the thing. You can't even ban again. Okay. Initially. Because it's been banned. No, initially it was not a ban. It was what? It was not a ban. The highlights of the Lagos traffic law of 2012, restricted Orcada riders from playing some major routes. But right now what they are saying is that there will be no Orcadas generally in those six, before now you could actually play the, what did you call them for the feeder routes and everything. But right now you cannot even play the feeder routes along those six corridors. So just as when he, I mean just as he happened in 2012, I really don't know what's going to happen. I don't know how the Lagos state government is going to achieve it. Just as you have it with every other government is a thing of not being effective and not being strong on policy implementation. And so it feels like we're going to go back in the same sec. So we're just going to be back and back again. Well, if you also look at the argument that's been put out, it's like saying the government had said at some point we're going to ban the importation of foreign rice to Nigeria. So we need to ensure that, oh, there's local production. The question would be what plans have you put in place to caution all of this effect? With feeder routes you cannot joke. Feder routes will always be feeder routes. And you know how this city is. So dear some, it's almost impossible. I think if I don't be to stem the tide because of what just happened recently. So maybe they want a bit of an order and calmness in that area. Let's see how, but maybe over time I think they might have relaxed some of those measures. What's the essence then? No, for now there is a crisis. There are issues that people, someone was killed and there are clashes in the particular area. So you wouldn't just let it be like business. You don't think that that would further trigger a lot of actions from this other community? Because if you see this community that we're talking about, I mean it has a lot of strong presence. You know how these people can be. So it's also a security concern? That's one of the reasons why the... Okay, let's hear from the governor. I understand we have a truck. Let's listen to governor Babajudisong and what he said precisely concerning this particular development. A total ban. A total ban on this and all of the others affected from the festival tune. This is the first banning that we're going to get back in on. So that others know that in a short while it's either to get out or for something else to do. And from the festival tune, from the festival tune, the other cities that are underneath them, we're going to publish them, we're going to list all of them. And so we're given the notice now, right? Where you can begin to do your recce, begin to do your strategy. From the festival tune, please to want all of the Okada to be completely off this video. The whole of Ikeja, Okada men. The whole of Suley, Okada men. The whole of Izyosa, Okada men. The whole of Mainland, Okada men. The whole of Parma, Okada men. And the whole of Libos Island, Okada men. A total ban. A total ban on this festival tune. This is the first banning that we're going to get back in on. So that others know that in a short while it's either to get out or for something else to do. And from festival tune, from festival tune, the other cities that are underneath them, we're going to publish them, we're going to list all of them. And so we're given the notice now, right? Where you can begin to do your recce, begin to do your strategy. From the festival tune, please to want all of the Okada to be completely off this video. Welcome back there. You just heard from the League of State Government, a talk specifically about this new development and the six local governments involved. And the Governor said it is a total and indefinite ban. Ok. Are you ok? I mean it's commendable of the Governor to say all of that. But let's see how the implementation goes. The League of State Government with the ban has not been very effective in implementing the ban. So we don't know how this would go. Maybe this would just be a change that everyone has been expecting. But the next question would be if you make this ban, have you also considered other factors? For instance, I know that in some states we'll say we're banning Okada from the roads. But you have the fact that the major roads, they can't apply the major roads. And so they will still have to deal with the feeder roads. Because some people live in communities where it's a feeder road because it takes you to the major road. That's why it's a feeder road. So if you take a passenger from a certain location, of course they live in a feeder road. So the feeder road leads to the major road. So what happens? I think they're alternative. What alternative? No, you don't. No, they have. For some roads, I don't know, maybe not in all local government areas. But some feeder roads, they still have commercial motor tricycles that still operate there, that work within roads. I know that I've seen some of them along a limo show. And they still have some of these mini-vans called a cork bay or something. Yeah, it's actually not in all the local government. And like we would say, it can be difficult where you have to walk 20 minutes or 25 minutes to get to the feeder road. It's a lot of time right there. So I doubt how this is going to pan out. But let's see how it works out. If you look at history and antecedent, we haven't really fed enough. Have some faith. Faith can move mountains. Faith without works is dead. Preachify me. Come on, dickiness messing. All right, let's just move away from the Lagos traffic law and the ban on Okada in six local government areas. I think it's a season of, well, it's not really new because when you find things like this happening, you wonder what happens to people, morality, what happens to people's sense of reasoning. And for instance, when you are placed to manage funds in an area that has been marginalized us, allegedly marginalized over the years, and there is a commission set aside to bring development to that particular region. And that we hear of mismanagement of funds. We hear of fraud for monies that would ordinarily be used to develop that particular community. What am I saying? Just the other day, it was the accountant general of the Federation. But today, again, what we hear is that EFCC has arrested ex-NDDC MD in Sima Ikere over alleged the 47 billion Naira fraud and the Sinaija Delta Development Commission. And so some people would say that it's because of the corruption. I mean, there's a lot of consent that's been raised about the NDDC. And the fact that attention needs to be paid. And if you look at the fact that you still have the agitations ongoing, you ask yourself what's going on. Even with the main resources that you have or the fact that you have an agency or such, you expect to see a little bit of result, not exactly, not entirely, but you shouldn't see. So for me, I'm not shocked. I'm not surprised because a lot is going on. I think it's just when the authorities decide to pan the light or such light to a particular area, and that's when they get the result. But it's very embarrassing. It's really, really embarrassing that those who should be custodian of the resources that we have are taking advantage of the system. It just shows you the kind of system that we have. He probably wouldn't have gotten his way out of all of this. We're talking about 47 billion Naira. You hear 80 billion Naira, that's a lot. He would definitely have peasants in the system who have been aiding this process. It's not possible that he would run by himself. It's not a solo thing. He didn't do this on his own. He probably had people who have aided and continue to aid and abate this. And we talk of restiveness in the Niger Delta and the Utah taking up militants and all of that. When monies that have been airmarked for development in the particular region are not even used for it, and some set of people are just looted the monies away. Apart from that, you also find out that sometimes when these resources come, you also see the agitation within different communities where they come out to cry and all of that. There's no sincerity of purpose at the end of this. So people would come out, but they also have their different interests and reason why they are crying and clamoring for such. At the end of the day, personal interests always supersets national interests. The reason why we are underdeveloped and the way we are today, you could actually hear statistics and institutions making reference to the fact that the capital, the headquarters of poverty or capital poverty, however you want to put it. This is because of the fact that those who should be calling or those who are calling the shots, those who are manning the affairs of the country at different strata have decided to put their personal interests above national interests and that's the results and that's what we're seeing. We constantly see all of this. It's really amazing. I'm just imagining that you take out $47 billion. The law would say that you're not guilty until you're being proven by a cut of competence jurisdiction. So over to the law, over to the judicial system and let's see how all of that pans out. But we have to be very deliberate about the fight against corruption. We cannot continue to mount one thing and act differently and behave in a certain way. And like I always say, you might never have the opportunity to become the president or the governor or a House of Representatives member or whatever it is. I mean, let's begin to look at the elective position including the appointive. But in your little sphere, imagine that we're all doing what's obtainable and what's expected. You're doing the right thing in your different sphere. We will not be where we are today. We've seen the changes that we have been looking for craving over the years. So we're here because we have allowed personal interest to rob us of national development and national interest. We don't care about the people. We don't care about any other thing. We care about ourselves. We care about the flamboyant lifestyle we want to leave as political office holders. What are you going to be doing for $7 billion? How much can you consume? So you're taking that enough for not just yourself, maybe for your unborn generation. Really. You've kept it all up. It's just selfishness and not caring about the people who you're supposed to be fending for their interest. But that's it on Top Trending for this morning. Top Trending will return again tomorrow on the breakfast. But this time around we'll take a quick break and when we return, we'll go straight off the press. Stay with us.