 Welcome back. It's time for Off the Press and I have my analyst with me, Professor Sani Fagi. He's a political affairs analyst and is joining us from Karno state. Good morning to you, Professor. How are you doing? Good morning, I am fine. Thank you. Okay, so we're going to start with the punch newspaper. The punch is leading with Nigeria's debt jumps by 75% in three months. He's 87 trillion Naira. The writer is there. How CBN loans to FG, new debts, promise to raise public debt by 37 trillion Naira between April and June. Tunibu's reforms will improve debt sustainability. DMO assures Nigerians as last figure of a shoots agency. Let us figure of a shoots agency projection by 10 trillion Naira. Let's talk about this. This is huge. This is a huge one. Jumping by 75% our debt. Yeah, I think this is a very huge or we can say a quantum leap in terms of our debt. You know, we have two sets of debt. We have internal and external debt, but now what the figures show is that our debt has jumped by 75% in three months. Now you see, if care is not taken, we are likely going to see our debt more than quadruple in a very short time. And already the effect is such that for every Naira that Nigeria owns, we have to pay the same Naira and perhaps 60 cobalt or 6 cobalt in terms of debt services, which means the country is heading towards an economic meltdown by this amount of debt that we are having. Now this administration has said it's not going to go by way of debt. And here we hear that from this headline that this public debt rose by 37 trillion Naira between April and June. Do you think this administration collected some money as well? I don't think they are taking the right step. They quite okay they said they are not going with that and they show that it is a worrisome thing. But the way they are going, I don't think we are going to see anything new from what happened in the past. In fact, like I said, if care is not taken, we are going to see even worse than what happened. Because in these three months, okay, the amount of debt or the percentage of the increase in the debt shows that there is nothing new that they have in stock towards addressing this issue of debt problem. All right. No doubt this government, just as they repeated, said they inherited a very bad economy. But then it's APC versus APC. So is there dirt to clean out, isn't it? It is their own problem. You cannot play a blame game here because it is the same party that is in power 80 years ago, now it's continuing for another four years. So I think whatever it is, is their own making. So I think if it were another client, perhaps this level of debt could have seen another party coming. That is when you have a blame game. What APC did in the last 80 years, it was blaming PDP, PDP for all the worse in Nigeria. And now it has taken over. We are now in the ninth year. So I think this one, only the government changed, but the same party, the same administration is the same people who run the country for over a year. So I think when they say they inherited, they created it because at least in the ninth year that they are in, we have to see so many new things that have happened. So we cannot always put it on the blame of other governments or previous administrations. Now we can say, okay, this is what we have. Even if we have inherited something, this is what we created also as a party. Okay, let's look at the three headlines above the masthead. I'm going to read them out and then we'll take them one after the other. Electricity consumer slum ebg over power grid collapses. Manufactured goods imported imports gop $6.7 billion in six months. There's a special report on page 25 of the Punch newspaper. And Tenubu orders Nami's retirement appoints Adedeji, FIRS chair. Details of that is on page 18. Let's start with this appointment of Adedeji. Many who know him call him a first class accountant. And Nami has been sent on pre-retirement, you know, three months before he set his due to leave office. He's been asked to go and cool off and then from there exit permanently. What do you make of this new appointment of Adedeji? I think we can look at the new appointment in two ways. Number one is the fact that we need to inject new blood into the system. Okay. And injecting it, you need to get competent people who can handle the situation, create a kind of message. And, you know, you will not see platforms. That is one thing. But on the other hand, we have to be mindful of the fact that this is a democratic government. As far as the appointment is concerned, the president has to show that he's a national figure. Because once you keep on getting it from the people you know from his own part of the country, no doubt about it will create a kind of political resentment. People will see that like his bias is tilted in one thing. So even if the person, I'm not saying he's not competent, the one who has been appointed is an expert. Everybody knows he is, but at least I think it's part of the political thing for the president to show around and see that he get from other places. Because this issue of reflecting federal character and others will hunting him. If we think he will just wait in one direction and always get the people he knows. Because he's no longer the president of a section. He's the president of Nigeria. So his appointment should try to reflect that Nigeria is in the appointment. Professor Sani, would you prefer he got someone from the north? No, I'm not saying from the north. He's the president of Nigeria. At least his appointment should reflect that one. Because Nigeria is endowed with human and material. Professor, I mean it appears this is the style of the APC. We saw acute nepotism, if I were to describe it at that. When former president Buhari was in power, he got all the juicy appointments given to people from the north. He's his own part of the country. Nigerians watched the complaint but nothing changed. So it appears to be the style of the APC. You see, this is the momentum who does it, whether it was Buhari or Tinumbu. What is wrong politically. The only thing is that our leaders take Nigerians for granted. And it being the Nigerian electorate is up and doing a lead. Because you have to know that, like I said, whoever it is, he's the president of Nigeria. Not for his section, not for his ethnicity, not for his state, not for his religion, but for Nigeria. Every Nigerian is a stakeholder in water. And like I said, that is why I give it a rider. That it is a political regime, not a military regime. A military regime, you know, the president can elect even everybody from his family. Because Nigerians don't have claim that they have a hand in appointing him or in electing him. So I think that is what I'm saying. Yes, the person is competent. Yes, the president is doing the right step in terms of injecting nuclear. But he has to be wary of the fact that he's a political president and elected president. And that the whole Nigeria is his own constituency. So let him go and show for expert anywhere and everywhere from any part of Nigeria. I get your point. I get your point. And this office is critical. I mean, the nation's revenue watchdog. It's a critical position. And we cannot overemphasize they need to get the right person there. Perhaps that's why he chose who he can trust. And Ade Dayo, Wale, appears to be someone he can trust. And he's put him there. And before that, we had Mohamed Nami, who is from the north, who is now going on pre-retirement leave, three months pre-retirement leave. Let's move forward from that to electricity, consumer slum, energy over power grid collapses. Did you experience it in Kano yesterday? Blackout. We were still having it. And in fact, what we have been hearing is that it is a nationwide blackout. So, but whether it is nationwide or statewide, this also is something that is going to be a... It has been already, you know, a thorn in the side of Nigeria's development because due to lack of electricity and the expense of sources of energy, here in Kano, there are industrial areas which are ghost town now. You know, the electricity is more than household consumption. Household consumption is also for national development. And the irony of it is that this week, the president was in India trying to join 2020 nations. And one of the things that make them there is electricity. None of them is producing not more than one times, I mean 10,000 times to Nigeria's. So if you want to join, this is what you should address. If you want to develop, this is what you should address. If you want cut inflation and other things, the issue of electricity should be what the government should address. Especially given the fact that in his inaugural speech, the president talked about electricity that will be available and affordable to Nigerians. But since our going on now, I think we have a long way to go in terms of addressing this perennial issue of electricity that has been shut down in the country. So power has not been restored in Kano. What are the consequences? If you look at me, the background is a little bit dark. I have to use the sun and strategically put myself in a way that through the window, the sun will shine so that you can see my face. Otherwise, it will be a dark thing. You will just see my voice, you will not see my face. Even I rely on electricity. So indeed that headline that power has been restored is a bit misleading because not everyone has their power restored. Okay, let's move forward. Going down a bit, you have Alake has provided, okay, I'll skip that. I'll skip that to NURTW president, 21 others arrested for alleged killing. That's on page four. And then you have zero allocation or go LG chair impeached Lampoon's Abiodu. Let's talk about the NURT president when one others are being arrested for alleged killing. What do we know about that? You see, the only thing is that the issue of stealing is becoming part of... I can't say, I'm using it rather geographically, that it's becoming part of our own culture now because we seem to tolerate corruption, embezzlement and theft. And because we tend to treat such crimes, let's use crimes with a kid club. So I think perhaps beside the headline news that we see it, maybe within the next three months also it will not even appear. So I think that is quite an unfortunate thing. If we have this kind of situation going on and decide the problem, it is also denting the image of Nigeria abroad because this headline and others, nobody knows where it will stop, it will be all over the world. And this will be like it is part of our stamp that we tolerate these issues. Yeah, and then you go to Augustade, you have zero allocation or go LG chair impeached Lampoon's Abiodu. You know, Wali Ade Dayo, he was the council, the chairman that opposed Lampoon's Abiodu. And then he was arrested or taken in for questioning and now he has been impeached. He was impeached yesterday matter of fact. You see, we are going back to the problems of authoritarianism and, you know, our leaders should know that opposition is something that is not just illegal in a democratic system, but something that keeps the system going. So if you are not, you don't condone opposition, you take every measure to cripple the opposition. I think we are heading towards the tutorial system and we knew what happened. The past previous democratic attempts that we had, the past republic, the second republic, the third republic was aborted. But these were the last two. I see one of the things that contributed to this is a kind of that the tutorial tendencies of the leaders. Then we have seen it in many African countries that is what happened and that what, you know, lead to the crisis in the system. And if there is any crisis or if there are crises in the system, you know, it doesn't work for the system to survive such crisis. Okay. All right. So let's move to the next newspaper. Now you have The Nation. And The Nation is leading with DHQ. Please turn heat on oil thieves, economic saboteurs. The writer there, one million liters of stolen crude seized in one week. IG orders clamped down on firearms production. So DHQ, please turn heat on oil thieves, economic saboteurs. Prof. You see, this oil theft and economic saboteurs is a major problem that is crippling Nigeria. And it is a major problem that has been going on for long. But we seem to, you know, give less attention to the issue, except for headline when it comes to our news. Other than this, it will go on as usual. In fact, it was those yesterday, all day before yesterday. I had somebody talking in BBC House of Society that he has, you know, he has come up with something that will be able to detect this oil theft. And he said that he is there in London. And he has been trying to get Nigeria government, even try it. But they just allow him finally to try it in one small place. And he demonstrated it and it shows that the moment you go any pipe to any pipe you touch it, the soon will indicate like that, look at what other oil producing countries are doing. Saudi Arabia. This is not a problem to them because they have a way of detecting oil theft. But we rely on the old-fashioned way of doing it. For obvious reasons, of course. For obvious reasons, of course. I say for obvious reasons, of course. Because there are people who benefit from the surplus called a spate. In Nigeria, Nigeria's problem is some people's business. So that is why they don't allow it to end. Now, at it being, we pitch out this thing. You see, a lot of hails head will roll if we take a serious measure on this issue of oil theft. But here we are, the system is being crippled. Instead of the government to take action, it took the easiest way. To pass on the problem onto Nigeria by saying that we are losing this money. We can't talk about that. So that is why they now push in the idea of a oil subsidy removal and other things. When we are living the real problem and we seem to allow them to perpetrate this kind of crime or that's it. Because this is not going to be, for sure, it's not going to be the end of this issue of the oil theft. After this news, maybe within no time you will hear more about it. We are going somewhere and nothing will be done to those who are guilty. Let alone taking action on them. Just going on a merry-go-round. I was saying to one of our analysts back then, I think it was a week ago, that some of the things, the way we handle things in this country, sometimes reminds one of when we were kids and we used to play this game. It was a game of Janglova. I just got emotions without movement. And that appears to be what we keep seeing from time to time. So much talk, no action, emotions without moving forward. Our only situation is there is even no motion. We are in one state stagnant and we just talk and talk and do nothing about it. So there is no any motion towards moving either forward or backward. We are still stuck in one place and we just make noise and become like a Tuesday's book called Dog that barks and cannot bite. Okay, let's look at the headlines on Above the Masked Head. You have that same story, Adedeji replaces Nami as FIRS Chair. We've talked about this. Zaccheos Adedeji replacing Mohamed Nami as the FIRS Chair. You've given us your thoughts on that. Besides that, you won't allow one party rule, says PDP. You won't touch on that. You see, like I said earlier on the opposition is one of the things that keeps democracy going. One party rule in any part of the country is people try to pollute them up. The excesses of those in power. Three, it gradually erodes democracy by leading, taking the country towards the tutorial and authoritarian administration. But you see, PDP also is blowing just hot air because since it lost the election in 2015, it has never sat down or sit down rather to look at itself critically and take its new position as an opposition party. And you take measures so that it will now sell its own program to the electorate. But other than that, you hear nothing about it. It's only when election comes that it will talk. And given the Nigerian politics, many people will gradually be leaving the party. So if the party hasn't put its own house in order, I assume by the time you have 2027 election, it will be terribly weakened by its opposition position because it hasn't taken any measure to strengthen itself. It is always fighting itself against itself. And, you know, so many things that is less self-implicated wound that the party is impolitan on itself. All right, let's move away from the nation newspaper now and go to nature news. And nature news is leading with Libya. How catastrophic flow to the face, Derna. Biders there claims over 6,000 lives. Tinibu declares humanitarian support for Libya. Deadliest floods in 2023. You have India, Philippines, Libya. All right, so the pictures coming from Libya is a horrible one to see. The videos, the pictures, the web buildings, a whole community I understand has completely been wiped off. The numbers are increasing by the day and it's just so painful to see people and their property being destroyed the way we are seeing it play out in Libya. Let's have your thoughts on this, Professor Sani. You see, this is a double tragedy in Libya. Already the state is almost, Libya is almost a pale state since the collapse of Gaddafi. And now we have a natural disaster that is taking place there. So I think it is a very serious thing. And it is something that is a humanitarian crisis, which I think is going to take Libya back to literally the dark ages because of what is happening now. So there is a good thing that countries are coming to assist Libya, which used to be one of the African countries that give assistance. But like I said, because of the collapse of the government or the state and now this additional thing. But the other thing that we have to check in is the issue of when Nigeria is going to give humanitarian assistance. We need humanitarian assistance with the policy of the regulations. So I think this one also will be something definitely that many Nigerians will complain about it. Even though I'm not saying it is wrong for the country to offer assistance to other sister African countries. But I think the timing and the issue given what we have is what the president has to balance out not to be seen as more of a statement outside than what Nigerians expect from me. It is good you mentioned the late Mama Gaddafi. Just like me, yesterday I was watching some of the pictures, was it two days ago? And I was just remembering what Libya used to be when they had Mama Gaddafi as their leader. It was an enviable country. And today look at what is left of that place. It's so sad to see, isn't it? That's a double strategy for the Libyans. The other one, the past one in terms of the demise of Gaddafi, I think that is a self-inflicted wound. Some people with Libya conned with foreign powers to topple the regime. Even though, you know, despite the fact that he had been doing so many things, they use it in the name of democracy. So I think that is a great lesson, a big lesson for not only Nigerians. But all the African and developing countries should be wary of. We should learn from Libya that the foreign powers are more interested in the national interest than the interests of any country. So counter people should not, you know, relate to them with caution. Because by the time you think you are pleasing them, then if they are, you know, saying that you are doing a good job, literally your people are suffering because you have to sacrifice your people for them to press you there for doing a good job for them. And then you have experts advocate for larger dams and flawed mitigation measures. Page 5 is where you have details of that on the nature news. Let's talk about this. There have been a lot, you know, about this, flawed. So experts are advocating for larger dams and flawed mitigation measures. Yes, it's true. You see, a flood has been a current issue in Nigeria. And we seem to do nothing about it. It is only when it comes that we have a kind of payable-to-get approach that we now say about weight and then try to, when it destroys so many things and lives are lost, then we come up with relief. I think we need to head up these proactive measures, what we need. And because one will save the disaster, two, by building larger dams and this in some of our problems, if we put the large dams into use, are going to be addressed. The issue of flood, for example, will have irrigation. And the issue of electricity also will address it and so many things. So I think there is need that we take proactive measures rather than always take proactive measures. And our active measures usually come rather too late. When we have a flood, it is after months or weeks or months that we will see the government responding by sending relief materials. And the relief materials are just no minute. People have, for example, being destroyed, their property being destroyed. You just give them too much and perhaps corrugated, as I mentioned, about 10 of it or a dozen. And these are not things that you address a disaster. You have to take, like I say, proactive measures to head it up. And when you have it, then you give serious response. Luckily in Nigeria, we are lucky that some of the natural disasters that affect many countries, we are immune to them. That is the providence of God, which shields us from others. But otherwise, if things like that happen, we are going to have a serious problem in our hearts. Indeed. Thank you so much, Professor Sanifage, for your time on Off the Press today. Thank you very much. Professor Sanifage has joined us from Cannes State. He is a political affairs analyst. 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