 We're back. It's sort of breakfast and plus if you have got time to look at what the papers are saying quite interesting headlines on the front pages and I can't wait to Introduce our guest analysts this morning is Zickel in I took we call him what to a come right here in the house Who would do justice to that? Mr. Yeah, too. Good morning to you. Thank you very much for your time All right, all right good to see you in that all now very famous setup you have there behind you Always an inspiration to us Yes, indeed All right, let's quickly look at what the papers the same studying with the nation newspaper Which has some interesting headlines and paper has really given us blow-by-blow account of what it calls the PDP crisis I always point that out. The nation has a lead story PDP crisis Autumn attacks article as Mimico rejects job. This is quite a blow Autumn attacks at Tico as Mimico rejects job setback for PDP presidential candidate in Benwe X Undo governor vows not to ditch wiki. All right, so as a first story there caught to Kogi Don't disrupt dango taste operations marketers raised petrol price to 179 naira per liter from 169 I know somebody who said yesterday he spent 20,000 hour to buy fuel and was asking us to check on him to see if he was Well and still alive the next one. No admission offer has been canceled says jam online lotto casino others to pay taxes directly to F IRS Security alert no reason for evacuation of US citizens is coming for the federal government and CBN changes Naira notes 1,000 Naira 500 Naira 200 Naira to wear new look apex bank plans 3.23 trillion Naira cash mop-up in 100 days All right, so when we all be queuing in the bank to change our notes I think for I don't know how I guess it would tell us some more about that special dose of a lot of money at home Next to the leadership for months to 2023 elections CBN moves to mop up 3.23 trillion Naira from circulation recalls 200 500 1,000 Naira notes gives Nigerians 46 days to exchange old notes Exercise will check currency Hordes EFCC timing of currency change not right analysts IPAC CSOs disagree over apex banks Decision those are the writers to that interesting headline more from the leadership PMB seeks expanded trade relations beyond gas exports concessioning of G names preferred Reserve bidders for Buja Legos Kano airports Terralets we won't be stampeded FG tells US Government IPAC CSOs reject salary increment for president to governors others NEDC presents relief materials to Bouchie flood victims mimiko joins the tickles opponents autumn demands apology from ex VP and China honors 51 Nigerians for outstanding contributions very interesting stories on the front page of leadership We go over to the punch on Thursday. It leads with this story 2023 Legos Kaduna Rivers Kano voters top INEC register Legos Kaduna Rivers Kano voters top INEC register 2.7 illegal a million illegal registrants deleted 23 registration officers on the sanction INEC to display register from November 12 to 25 seeks cooperation More from the punch Buhari eyes over 1.3 billion Dollar trade with South Korea and L.E.A. freezes 20 billion error in socialites 103 bank Accounts tears as PRT vehicle kills trader apprentice laborer FG announces preferred bidders for airports Flooding experts warn of epidemic as corpses float It's quite glory DSS arrest terror suspects US evacuates Non-emergency staff CBN plans Naira redesign to counter counterfeiting kidnapping and the FCC rearrange suspended a gf over 109 billion Naira fraud stories on the front page of the point the final paper This morning this day Leads with that economic story in ambush of vote buyers run some takers CBN voids Naira notes by end of January redesigned 205 and 1,000 Naira notes says 80% currency in circulation outside banks vault a lot of writers that won't take time All of them for one type of time FJ is tackling growing inflationary pressure says finance minister says Krutall theft subsidy deductions responsible for poor 2022 budget performance. Oh My god laments effects of rising diesel cost on food prizes highlights highlights Measures to make ports attractive. That is the nation's finance minister Well, but you're not caught holds move to shut down dango taste cement by Kogi government at tico takes presidential campaign to United States FG Nigeria won't be stumped at by US UK travel advisories And those are some of the top stories on the front page of this day And I'm tempted tempted is equally I took to start with The CBN story your politician. Can you you understand what the CBN is saying? I'm not in any way saying that you've been a part of it. No, I'm not saying that But but do you understand what they're saying what they're doing as it affects affects the forthcoming election and vote buying I'll tell you that I very much understand it and But I would like to take it from a completely different perspective. My friend Said something that his father said that May the man who is always trusted never lie against you and I find that statement extremely instructive May the man who is always trusted never lie against you The reason is simple. Whatever he says everybody says no the man never lies. That's the truth Now bring that into what is going on today. The government have brought themselves to a point where You just never trust them for anything So that even when they come up with what should ordinarily be a very good policy You find people being very skeptical. You find people being very apprehensive You find who we're trying to find out exactly what what they are up to, you know the Bible says let not your good be even spoken of and you know right now there's a lot of money in the In the homes of people or outside the banking sector and when they say 80% I tend to agree with it and that's not healthy for the economy the bands have to be Re-regulated to become, you know, strategic development partners with the government But what you realize is that government people are those who are the main owners of bank So the interest of banks cannot be properly sanctioned by government Because that is going against their own personal interest Service is no longer the essence for seeking public office all this is spread to the point that Now when you say bring this money in so that we can have control You can just get out a hundred million and pay for ransom and he has got to come out from somewhere They've got to trace it and in fact during the process you may even be able to track, you know Put truckers. They are saying things like technology has become so simple that you can put a trucker on a note And nobody knows about it and with that you can tell where it's going That's where you have a government that is how to serve the people But what do we have government that you don't even trust what they are doing? Well, still we bring you know this political season Everybody brings in one into the system and then you discover that election time comes and you have no access to I mean the sort of money that is okay I'm running election and they are setting funds I'm going to spend because I have a threshold of one billion to spend for my election So if you do your calculations well, you discover that you are going to keep about 45% Some people say a lot more depending on how much you have, you know For that election day being able to mobilize all your you know Every polling agent that you have you may need to mobilize them to be able to go to the place Effectively without being hindered in one way or the other and also to have something to eat So it's not like they were going to buy something or look for money or something You know just the official and legal money You may discover that the government in power have access to how they can get out the funds and your position may Have access on how to get out of the font. These are the apprehensions the anticipations But I'm sort of that if they were to be honest and sincere I believe it would ordinarily be a very very good policy My prayer is that then we know that one day they will be on the other side of the divide So let them do things that are in the better interest of the generality of the people and not things that will serve your personal interests exclusively all right, we'll stick with this day and One one of the government officials who is of particular interest to me happens to be the finance minister What some have observed would be that Apart from really announcing how bad the economy is doing and apart from maybe announcing how much a government wants to spend Announcing, you know, how much a government wants to borrow Announcing how much government is owing and maybe giving excuses She doesn't really do much Of course, she has a lot to do in terms of behind the scenes, but you know planning and everything For the economy don't we have a budget office and an economic planning ministry, you know, but I Don't see the finance minister doing other much other than announcing these things and you know Not really coming up with solutions now. She's made another announcement and given some more excuses FG is tackling the growing growing inflationary pressure. It's what she says, you know FG is tackling it More excuses. He said the crude oil theft and subsidy deductions are responsible for the poor budget performance in 2022 So, I mean, she's also talking about high diesel cost and his effect on full-price SM Do you think that the finance minister has gotten away softly, you know, people don't really talk about her as much as They talked about maybe probably came here at the ocean Are you are you what's your assessment of her performance? You know Every minister Unfortunately, you know, one of the things I Campaigning on in my state is that nobody that has been a commissioner Should come near the seat of power of the governor Because for you to be a good commissioner, you have to be the one that you have no opinion You are the one that your boss says jump and you say how high You are the one that has absolutely no understanding of what they call executive decision taking the systems the processes You don't understand any of those things. You are just a very good. Yes boy. And then you are a good commissioner, you know Now when you when when I look at the ministers as well I do not know to what extent the minister of finance has an independent mind to be able to Give opinion on matters or take issues decisively outside of what does the party think? What does the president want? So as much as your your duty is to to kind of actualize the mind of of, you know, most clever yant where you you read the mind of your boss and then you bring it into Practical demonstration and actualization, you know to manifest was in the mind of your boss Which you believe is in a larger interest of the people so long as that is not your paradigm Then you are just so it's that it becomes difficult for me to access the Performance of any minister whatsoever, you know But then you can be smart enough to know that your role is to be able as a finance minister to be able to look at the Finances so to speak generally when he said finances holistically the economy of The state and see how monetary policies would help. No, I'll say fiscal policies will help to Give directions to where we are and where you need to work closely with the central bank governor To kind of have that married between the fiscal policies and the monetary policies so that we have an economy That works so I want to see the function of the finance minister through a buoyant economy Through policies that promote, you know, the sort of economy that we want to have that Education now, let me run into very very quickly because of time an issue Why are you the one coming to tell me that our economy performance is hindered or Difficult through something like oil theft When it has been established beyond every reasonable and any reasonable doubt that the oil theft is perpetuated by the institution So are you now telling me that you are the problem of your administration? If it's something that is within your outside your control I can I can even start to sympathize But they told us that you can never undertake Bunkering at that level without the direct connivance In fact, not even connivance collaboration of the institution So finance minister, are you not aware of this? Where are you? Are we living in two different worlds? So all she's saying to me is absolute Let me not use the wrong word, but I just look forward to Nigeria's waking up and thinking right Living sentiments aside. Yeah, but is it going to I took are you would agree with me that you know before now I'm not even talking about this current a republic even before now in the 80s When you had, you know successive administrations both for the civilian in shark shaggy era and The the military who appointed civilians as ministers, you know And that that that that might use finance ministers had personality because you brought to that office to have Some sort of bring your wealth of experience as a financial person to bear You know, even in recent times you can look at them goes your country. Well, who was there? We can look at camey the embattled camey Adele she was there. They had ideas They had ideas they would even share these ideas on what they think is a way forward And you would realize and you could sense that they were always pitching these ideas to the president to help him make Inform decisions about the economy. Oh, mr. President. We can go beyond this point of boring miss president I think we need to we need to do this Otherwise we are going to at least let it be on record that you said it But we need to do this because the president has advisors in America You have for instance a White House chief of staff who would always be having the president's listening here advising him, you know So but what I mean for for now what we see is it's just announcement, you know No personality attached to this woman, which to me is worrying Let me this is response to what you said about being a good commissioner being a you know You just dare to do what the president but as finance minister you also have some ideas. That's why you're there Let me let me tell you for madam. Oh, come join. Well, who happens to be my boss Boss for life one of my greatest inspirations. I could understand because I mean even though Where she was coming from she had a job and she could go back easily the person that surprised me Positively, I will say this is madame Kenny Adele shoe When she came on board, I mean I had very little expectation of her. I was like, oh, no This is like an anti-climate, but she positively impressed me and Unfortunately, we had to do what we did to her because of what NYAC Satificate not even this other world that people are looking for certificates left, right and center and Let me not go into because it's a major talking point in a private state So anything I say a long certificate can be taken out of context, you know back home and I'm running election So let me leave that for now But the current meaning here the current minister of finance I don't know whether it is. I don't know what the problem is, but there's there's something missing I don't know. I don't know how to really place her. There's something. I don't know whether she doesn't feel Secure enough or I don't know a little of knowledge and exposure. I've tried to dig into her past But you see I don't think I'm asking anywhere worse than that of that of lower than that of Kenny Adele shoe I think she just needs to wake up to the fact that there's posterity ahead of her and there's going to be a comparison There's going to matter. We're like there's going to be a girl. She and she's going to be there And she doesn't want her children to look at that comparison I think there's still a little time left for her to wake up and come and be the finance minister where you don't only Give reports that you inspire directions get advisors. They'll tell you what to do get public coach My son is excellent at it. I can learn how my son get public coach and with expert advisors And they can come and start to inspire hope in the faces of Nigerians and that would just help us Not only to give her a better image, but to also give us a better financial and preschool direction and policy thrust All right, it's quite interesting. Let's go back to the nation Which has I think even more coverage than the near the paper or Over what it calls on what it calls the PDP crisis And as we can see from the front page of the nation PDP crisis or Tom attacks Artiku as Mimiko rejects job. It seems to be The the the house of cuts that is is falling down I don't know in the people's Democratic Party with Mimiko being appointed the presidential campaign council Chairman or the or the leader and now rejecting it. So it's after there were some Pushback, you know, we had some pushback by some members of the party who were against that move And is this are we nearing the end of the road for for the PDP as a party and a formidable force in Nigeria? you know on one hand, it's such a shame such a shame because I Don't belong to the APC PDP camp I don't belong there a party had challenges on presidential candidates But we belong to the new generation. No, I've always painted three boxes The first box has two people in it a PC PDP the old and the on the old the second box has two people on it Peter will be and Conquerso the old in a new skin and then the third second was supposed to have You know two people a DP candidate and then a DC candidate Unfortunately, right now. We have a problem with a DC So for me the first box of old and old is out of the way completely But I've been looking forward because each of them attacks different markets, you know That the new or new was to attack the new market But the new on old talk about Conquerso and them Peter will be they are coming into the new markets And they are doing very well. So I was looking forward to a PC not having monopoly of the old market The PDP, you know kind of taking a good chunk of it That leaves a better chance for either the new on old or the new in the new So I'm not happy that PDP is just it's just becoming a problem It's out and I've said it in this place time and time again, you know, the memory of man is treacherous We forget a little too soon. We forget what I'm on the Jonathan when I met you put out We try to go up and they love the election a man like I'm like we can not just I met you We case don't reverse take we can't is an a one-man institution We can have his hands in different states and different capacities and capabilities we can alone can take on the southeast and Find them this man goes to Lego state and gives us three hundred million as if it's nothing Does it make it right? That's not the point right now But the point is that if you look at we can as a man, then you've lost the plot. Okay now I think that Mr. Attico for the sake of him helping to Have a better chance on that market of the old and old issue. Please wake up the consign with we can For now Decides to let me tell you this. Let me tell Nigeria's this for free We can now decide to join Peter will be he's not going to concentrate on the south side I can tell you that for free. He's going to go up to the north is going to Activate a lot of capacities within the north and able to hold enough for Peter will be He's going to be able to bring a kind of working relationship I don't know how it's going to be with with one or two other parties that have a good hold on the north I think I'll be that you say is it a party guy is just on the south. I think you are dismissing him You know wrong, you know, or he didn't know measures up with someone like maybe the SDP candidates And they are in please know that I'm not talking as a party man. I'm talking as an analyst So my party didn't forgive me, you know, if it's Such an understanding with like the SDP candidate, which has a good understanding of the southwest and part of the north and comes in There will be a fight that will remove a PC and PDP and that is my All right, it's equally I took a we'll try and get back to you if you're there Let's look at most stories are still from the nation newspaper the situation between Kogi state and dango te cement Company Almost called dango te state, but I've now remembered as a company not the state, but the state is taking out the company the actions of the Kogi state government well documented a Court has told the government to to stop disrupting dango te's operations and it's something Interesting and interesting involvement I think we have you back All right, we'll try and get it back up to him as time goes on But let's look at another one some details as far as the CBN's Attempt to change your plan to change the Naira note design is concerned Well, we try to get back physically I took him this will affect 1,000 nanote 500 nanote and the 200 nanote It's quite interesting now for some people who are Who are cashless like me? It's no problem. We'll just spend the little one We have on on us and then we go to the bank and we draw 80 many time They decide they want to put it out to the public and I think it it goes to show sometimes It's good to go cashless, you know I believe in in being cashless because it just saves you from a lot of stress really it does but I'm Naira Notes are to get a new features from December 15 is what we hear this is What a central bank of Nigeria said yesterday that's Nigeria's apex bank for those of you who are watching from outside the country The central bank of Nigeria governor Gordon in Mayfield. He told reporters that the 1,000 nanote the 509 note and the 200 nanote Denominations will wear new looks as part of measures to mop excess cash from circulation and tackle inflation is what he said. This is also he went on to say that Well, he addressed a conference in these conference in a buja and he said the apex bank will start issuing the redesigned notes from December 15 and that existing Notes will cease to be legal tenders by January 31 2023 According to him the president Mount Buhari has approved The redesigned production and circulation of the bank notes now Analysts are disagreeing with that if you want to read some more on that you can go to the This day you read some more on that you see what they say in there quite extensive coverage also On the front page of leadership quite extensive coverage on that as well. I'm sure What the analysts are saying Some of that might include Some of that might include a you know, the fact that there will be a cost a high cost of designing V's notes, you know, it's not going to come for free You know, it's not going to come for free. So that is something to look at as well What will it cost Nigeria's federal government? To to print new notes to design and print new notes how much of what's the budget For that a kind of country of thought to do that at this time, you know, but Then again, like we read from some of the papers and like our guests have said the effects on You know vote buying And you know election more practice will be will be huge Also the effects on crime in the country, especially the crime of kidnapping And the crime of a banditry Will be also huge as well terrorism will be huge as well Because you have to go to the bank to to exchange the money you have, you know, you have to show your face But will this end in security in the country? Is what Remains to be seen. All right is what remains to be seen. We hope that we can have our guests Back on the line as soon As possible and then we will allow him do justice to To the headlines Do we have him back? All right Well, let's look at some details on of one story on the front page of the nation And what I was asking Ezekiel, I took before he went off abruptly The kogi state situation with dangote refinery and you can see it at the top left corner of the paper Court restraining the kogi government from further disrupting Dangote cements operations The obergenery refinery incident has been quite well documented with people stopping the place And chasing the workers of dangote away Well, the court has ruled that that is not a method to seek redress in such issues. You don't just go to Corporate environment And chase people away You actually should approach the courts. Ezekiel, are you back with us, please? Yes, can you hear me? Yes, fantastic. Nice to have you back. So according to the nation A federal high court in abuja has Restrained the kogi state government and its agents from further disrupting the operations of dangote cement plc And its associated companies and this is still in relation to the obergenery incident, which is well documented Milot, the arbor justice bintan yanko Yesterday also in that ruling restrained the state government and its agents from further shutting down Disrupting or suspending the activities of dangote coal mines limited and dangote industries limited located in different parts of Kogi state What are your thoughts on this and also the whole entire incident? I mean when you talk about the state government masterminding such, you know an action on on a corporate organization Okay, now the issue is as one who is um You know aspiring to be a state governor There are many dynamics you need to understand about the state. For instance One of such dynamics is the resources that should accrue to your state Which a lot of times things have been the policies and the practices have been such that Many times the state is short changed. You are Very no kind of saddled with the responsibility of making sure that the social infrastructure in the state Is good enough for the generality of the people But you realize that there are some industries that have I I hope you can still hear me Yes. Yes. Yes Okay A lot of times you realize that there are some industries that um, I kind of bring a lot of Wait so to speak Uh on on the infrastructure of the state, you know, the mega shrugs they apply the the inner way of the state and you are You know saddled with the responsibility of maintaining such roads and then you realize that the resources that come from such companies Probably go a lot to the national and you have a little to take from it So you cannot as a responsible state governor just keep quiet and watching you've got to take steps But there comes in the caveat. You cannot also unilaterally take steps that are not law You know in conformity with the law as are today The law in the court is one place whose laws you must respect and the judgment you must respect So if the court says Don't disturb them again. You have to stop but Activate the second mode which is going to seek redress legally as well So the state governments cannot do anything as tradition. They must follow the legal processes And where they feel that they have a right and that their right has been infringed upon They should get a good lawyer go to court and get their rights activated It reminds me of a state government, you know, or not far or a state not far from where you are Where supporters of the government or governor chased away EFCC staff who they attempted to apprehend an official of the state government Who might end up becoming the next governor, but I mean, some would say it's politics politics of wits Yeah In this case is a little more than politics is about resources Who controls the resources? How it is managed? What is mine? Where there is fairness where there's equity and where there's injustice is a matter of balancing or But you must do that legally and officially and formally But but I mean what I said was politics of wits That is um, you know Sometimes you have to be a strong man and use some some crude methods to to achieve your aims Yeah, it's part of you're right. It's part of you know, it politics is a very intricate thing even governors There are several tools in the toolbox. You have the good the bad the ugly You know, and of course, I always believe there's also the excellent that which is better than good You know, so I think that um In every family you do out as a bad boy as his uses, but you need to use it very very Wisely, all right. It's not so A good thing can turn out really bad All right. Thank you so much. I like the word the way you put it the excellent You know tools in that toolbox. That's the best way to go about it Is it coming out? It's been great having you on the program this morning. I'm sure you've seen the latest ionic Figures and statistics of rested voters from your state. We will look at that some other time, but I wish you all the best That's the promise and I'm ready to eat Thank you so much. And that's a size Thank you very much And that's the size of of the press when we return we'll have a first major conversation looking at the field scarcity situation ravaging parts of the country still does