 Welcome back. The Financial Times has ridiculed the administration of President Mohammed Buhari in its latest publication. It noted that Najir has sleepwalked close to disaster under him. In the article titled, What is Najir's Government for, David Pele and Yasser accused Buhari of not finding the solutions to the country's economic quagmire, anti-curity and electoral malpractices haven't spent two terms. Now, reactant Garbashir Hovia, his Twitter account, wrote a letter to the editor of Financial Times seeking to correct the point highlighted in the article. He noted that Boko Haram now controls no territory. Joining us to discuss is Ife Wano, a security expert and Sherwin Schubertter, a public affairs analyst. Many thanks for joining us, gentlemen, on this particular discuss. Thank you for having us. All right. The Financial Times came out with some very mind-boggling report about the nation's economy, the nation's security and, of course, all that have been happening with President Mohammed Buhari's administration in the past, and two failures. Let me just quote something. I'll start with you, Sherwin. David Pullin said in his words, Buhari has overseen two terms of economic slump, rising debt and the calamitous increase in kidnapping and banditry. The one thing you might have thought a former general could control, that's about the banditry and kidnapping. Now, so basically, let's talk about the economic slumber. You followed the economy over time. How would you say the nation's economy has fed on the President's Mohammed Buhari in there? Two headers. Because the Financial Times seem to think that the economy is slumping and our debts are just rising momentously. Yeah. It's very, very hard to fault the position of the Financial Times, simply because if you look at the realities on ground, compared the various indicators from when this administration came on board in 2015 to now, you find that the truth of the matter is that it's not been cherry. All of the indicators have almost all, not all, but almost all of the indicators have been pointing downwards. Whether you want to talk about GDP growth rates, unemployment rates, inflation rates, the exchange rates, so if you just take all of those economic indices, those key economic indicators, you find that it's been a downward trend. Of course, to ensure that one is balanced and there's a bit of perspective to all of that, we must recommend the fact that there is a global context to those events. First of all, because we have an economy that is dependent on a government that relies on revenues from oil, any time that oil prices smizes, we catch all sorts of diseases as a country. And that's what happened to our GDP when we went into recession early 2015 into 2016. And with the coming of COVID-19 and the global recession, we also went into a recession. So that is a context to put all of this under. However, the point to note is that yes, those external factors were significant contributing factors. I don't know the repeat of the word. But government duty would have been to come up with policies that would have mitigated the impact of those external factors to ensure that it didn't hit us as hard as it did. So in that regard, the government failed very, very carefully. And again, it must be said that it's been seven years. It's been seven years. Time does tend to fly by when things are interesting. It's been seven years. And I find it difficult to find any kind of argument that would support the inability of any government at all to make fundamental changes. If they are serious and they have the will to the structure of the economy, to the structure of the political system and all of that to ensure that the changes that need to be made can be made. So this government has been just like the financial crisis. It's been slipping. Even at a point, President Wary even referred to himself as Baba Goslo and it seemed to have taken it as a compliment. I don't understand. The Nigeria situation is a situation where speed, urgency and the precise nimble decision making is required. But every decision gets delayed by six months, by one year and nobody is waiting. Time is not waiting. The rest of the world is not waiting. The economy is not waiting. Things are getting worse. So in that regard, this administration has not gone well at all. All right. Over now to you, Aifee. The financial time seems to have a bit of some expectations of the President who haven't been in the military for some time and they thought that he should have been able to tackle the issues of kidnapping and ban the tree knowing that he was a former general. But then again, the President came out in response that Boko Haram is not in control of any particular territory. Let's talk security now, Aifee. Judging by what the financial times have said and the President's response, how would you say that or what direction would you say we are headed in terms of security? I think that the financial time is absolutely on point. I think with the thinking with regard to what the expectation of President Wary's government and we all truly have the same perspectives, perception, expectation of President Wary when he became the President in 2015 with not a few people thought that one of the low-hanging foods of the President would be the issue of tackling insecurity head on beginning from police reforms and then reforming and retaking the entire security architecture. What we've had is basically a reactive position by the government of the day before the service teams were shown their way out the terminals were extended which was not constitutional which was not the proper thing to be done and they kept them for over one year after they were supposed to have retired from service or transfigures in service, the President left them. What we have thought because the way security is structured is a case of you give instructions, you take instructions and as the commander-in-chief the police and the entirety of our security apparatus if you like is under the federal and exclusive list so the President, my expectation was that that would have been a low-hanging food first few months, police reforms then the issue of retooling the military and intelligence justice with regards to ensuring that what you have is proactive and unique in the border and do not continue to be reactive to the issues we have for security I think the President missed it, the government missed it security would have been a very strong point and if you recall, very first few months of President Wary's essential to power many people were talking about the President's body language and we find that people, even in the public power sector that just went back to the discourse and what a view people were beginning to say that there was electricity even the policemen who he tattooed were collecting bribes on the streets who were extorted motorists they disappeared for a few days and suddenly when the sort of nothing was coming from the part of the President's he and the commander-in-chief as usual, when it took six months or there about to appoint ministers people now fed up, nothing is going to happen so I think that yes, sometimes the spot on as far as security is concerned that would have been one of the strongest points of this government but unfortunately that has not been a strong point police reforms, if you have law and order sorted almost every online index of development would build on law and order but that's not what we've had we've had a situation where people could no longer go to the farms not east and not west even in the south-west people were scared to go to the farms because you had all manner of criminals even those who were not necessarily full and in heads men people were not cashing in on the franchise to go to stop people and kidnap people from the farms so people could not go then the borders were closed and when you close the borders nothing was being done with regards to the home environment to ensure that there was a good purchasing power and you had the food supply for people what's going to happen in security is going to be the order of the day so I think that the initial times is absolutely spot on this one area that the President should have some strong strength and the strength for me has been lacking we have been basically reactive there's been a fair bit of approach there's one issue we react there's another issue we react rather than act like somebody who has actually wanted to be president at three other times before the time we succeeded so you must have a roadmap you must have a blueprint on how you want to tackle this thing it is not rocket science we see how countries like Georgia and elsewhere are tackling security in the public sector if your number one law and other agency is found to be irresponsible is found to be lackluster every other index that has to do with security would falter and that's what we've had over time so here's Herba Sheo's reactionary position to finish our terms it doesn't distort the facts the facts are there all right thank you you know that was shown to go out people felt it didn't do too much you have come in six years somewhere down the line what are we saying all right Sheo let's talk more the article also took a swipe concerning the way we go about our elections and the monetary monetization in the nations and politics and all of that specifically if I have to read them verbatim it's the familiar candidate to please him that's the president administration mostly recycled old men are already counting their money ahead of a costly electoral marathon it takes an estimated two billion dollars to get a president elected those who pay will expect to be paid back does this really heat home Sheo I mean look obviously the person that wrote this article knows Nigeria well enough to heat home at the key points that are affecting us and you know we mustn't miss a very critical point that was made by that article which is that so you sort of made the point in passing and then went into that section that you read just now you know which is that the problem of Nigeria is not entirely the problem of this particular president but the problem of a system so and the article went as far as to say you know I mean if you change this president and whoever is coming up on board so even if it's you know say the current vice president for example who perhaps has the good will of a lot of people and the trust of a lot of people you know I probably still wouldn't do much better because the system itself needs to be tackled and you know that then speaks to some of the issues that you raised you know the nature of elections the monetization of the same and the fact that you can't win any meaningful office in this country without spending tens, hundreds and you know sometimes tens, hundreds of millions and sometimes billions so then you come on board and of course you know when you come on board you want to regroup your investment in quotes you know so absolutely the article is bottom and now the point that has to be made is whoever comes on board after this administration leaves must not make the same mistake that President Buhari made President Buhari started failing when within the first one year in office he didn't tackle the fundamental reforms that must be tackled if this country is to do well you know so a president that means to change the country the way they sang the chain mantra you know at that time must address the civil service you must reform the civil service and make it efficient and unblocked if you like you must reform the police you must reform the judiciary you must deal with constitutional problems that we have any serious president that comes on board and fails to tackle those things in the first one and a half years maximum two years will fail it's guaranteed you know so it will be a degree of failure rather than whether they can succeed or not you know and I think that's the point that that article was making so let's say you get a Yemio Shibago or a professor Kisly Mogadu that is so popular with a lot of people or maybe a Patutomi that is very erudite and all of that if they fail to make those changes those fundamental reforms and changes in the first few years or in the first few months of the administration they will fail because the system is rigged and designed to ensure that the process of governance is ineffective so that people can live off the rent that is created by the capture of state infrastructure by the capture of the entire governance system by a certain clique of people who have widely failed from the beginning very quickly because we are almost out of time I just want to read part of the presidency's response and I want you to comment let me just quote the false comprehensive plan to deal with the decades old clashes between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers experienced across the weeds of the Sahel has been introduced pilot ranches are reducing the competition for water and land that drove past tensions banditry grew out of such clashes criminal gangs took advantage of the instability flush with guns that flooded the region following the western trigger implosion of Libya the situation is grave yet as with other challenges it's one that the government would face down that's what the statement added basically the president was trying to explain how far it has come with the nomadic herders issues that we've had in the country would you really say that we actually are seeing them or it is who were yet in the country absolutely not absolutely you recall that at some point in time many people other than in the northwest and not east of the country believed that the issue of herders farmers clashes gain front burner position and prominence because of the perceived latent support of the president being himself an ethnic fuller need now this is the president that would have himself been at the best position to tackle the situation and solve it for instance you are aware that yes the certification climate change is causing people to come down to graze their cattle but this is 21st century Argentina is believed to be the highest exporter of beef so do they have nomadic farming what I would have expected the president to do you don't of course just show down the system entirely but of course you let them know this cannot continue indefinitely so you give them oratorial you say within a year for instance all nomadic grazing of cattle in the country must stop and the federal government will partner with states, local government and other agencies to support creation of ranches across the country in different zones and not the issue of water resources bill and then ruga and what a view and not the issue of excusing remember when people were killed in Binway and the response of the presidential spokesman Mr. Femme Adeshinow to the effect that it is better to be alive and if you have to leave your land leave your lands and something of that effect and that was very uncalled for created the impression that the government of the day was giving tacit support to the Maraudi headsmen that is one issue that we would have solved because if we had done the proper thing even the full landing it couldn't have meant anything negative for us right thank you so much Eiffy and of course Shergou Shibuta that's as much as we can take we are completely out of time Eiffy A1 is a security expert Shergou Shibuta is a public affairs analyst and of course an economist many thanks gentlemen for sharing your thoughts on this particular issue with us tonight we do appreciate it you're welcome, thank you pleasure and now to Randolph we'll let you know that some Nigerians have to say about the government seriousness in the fight against insecurity my name is Justin plus politics returned again so stay with us the case of insecurity is not something that can just be undue at once like that it's a complicated matter and it's obvious that the president is making some efforts and it is not something that can just be done at once so let us believe that some of the efforts that have been made we yield fruit but it's obvious that efforts have been made so it's just left to different agencies to ensure that they they had towards they are doing because it's becoming more complicated almost every day I don't think so, why the reason being this because this is not the beginning and it's not this thing has not started today it has been starting for very long time we've been clamoring on them too hoping now they've not been able to do anything so I don't think it's government issues but it's only got intervention that can really help us out in this case well with the look of things I'm not sure the government is ready or they got a president because I expect them to have put a lot of measures in place at the moment of insecurity and possibly to put people's mind at rest because people are agitated you know we want to do Christmas a new year with peace of mind with our family you understand but many people don't want to travel like me for example I just want to stay in one place of course I think it's doing its best I mean what can one do you have your security operatives they are the people that will have to go and confront whoever is creating problems the president needs to give his support provide whatever they need I think he's trying his best it's like the president is just ignoring the insecurity in Nigeria because every day you hear new news like in different states of something something happening I don't think the president is ready to really tackle the issue as of now it's more like something that the government is just ignoring and we itself in this place we are kind of in like Lagos that's what I mean we are kind of shot off from the news we don't even know much of what is going on but when you really take a look at other people that are in other states like Shokoto, Josa you get to see the reality of things that are going on in Nigeria and it's not a good thing