 Let's now take a look at the papers this morning on Off the Press and say hello to our guest, Mr Tunde Kolawalee. Good morning. Thank you for joining us. Good morning, my sister. Hope you have a great weekend. Fantastic. Thank you. Let's begin with the punch news paper this morning. The headline reads, High Commission Infections, Buhari Aso-Rock AIDS Take COVID-19 Test After UK Trip. It goes on to say that according to a villa official, presidential aides are agitated following positive cases in Nigeria's High Commission. Also, coronavirus cases hit 8,054. In two weeks, second phase of vaccination begins today with Moderna. Foreign reserves resumed decline after rising to $33.59 billion. Nigeria recorded $85.21 billion net foreign abilities, according to the IMF. Health sector strike looms, johesud threatens action over allowances, and health workers say that they are sensitive to the endings of Nigerians, but strike is an option. Also on the punch, Afghan president flees Kabul as Taliban takes over presidential palace. Jam, VCs, others meet on UTME cut off max on August 31st. We see more headlines on the punch news paper saying, Prophet tackles a courtier over attack on late TB Joshua. Buni, APC leaders meet La Dodja over party fortune. NDLEA nabs Italy bound woman, concealing 100 wraps of cocaine in her relaxer. Also on the punch news paper, freed ex-firmware engineer dies day after 4.5 million Naira payment to kidnappers. Two more stories on the punch. Outrage trails plateau killings, NSCIA, CAN reacts as tension rise. Lastly, Oyatollah Arabishola supports a verbal war over secretariat's invasion. Now on the daily sun, Catholic bishops, brand Nigeria, world's most terrorized nation claim situation not different from civil war, Anaki looms, J&I warns. PDP chair says APC has begun rigging of 2023 polls. Sit at home, Canoes family denies interference in IPOB's affairs. And NDLEA nabs Italy bound woman with 100 wraps of heroin at Lagos airport. Outrage over Joss killings, Governor Lalong imposes 24 hours curfew, NGF calls incidents horrible and senseless, and Catholic bishops tackle northern governors. UK trip, Buhari and others in quarantine, says the presidency. And also PDP, Southwest renews quest for chairmanship. Butadollah reveals how IBB advises Jonathan to assume Yeridwa's duty before doctrine of necessity. And finally, Oluwavwari, squabble over secession, normal in kingdom, says the prince. Let's take a look at the Daily Independent newspaper now. Bank's reap big despite floundering economy, while over 40 million SMEs grown for lack of access to credit. And analysts say they have abandoned financial intermediation. PDP crisis, Secundus, National Working Committee members agreed not to seek re-election, that's according to dopacy. Why convention may not hold in October. Togate, stop imposing more hardship on Nigerians, PDP tells APC. Afghanistan government collapses, presidents fleece, Chalaban enters Kabul. Oradollah recounts how IBB asked Jonathan to sit on Yeridwa's chair. Platter killings, 20 suspects arrested, 33 victims rescued, police deploy team, the long imposes 24 hours curfew on Joss North. Government musteries on the Daily Independent, 17 billion Naira tax evasion, Senate charges FIRS to go after the 14 agencies. COVID-19, Presidenty confirmed Oluwavwari under quarantine after UK trip. Governor Zulam says Bornoe entailama over repentant insurgents, 724 dead in Haiti earthquake as death toll climbs. And on the Nigerian Tribune, Taliban forces take over Afghanistan as president flees, VAT as weapon in battle for resource control, and also 2023 presidency, Buharis associates search for southern legacy candidate, PDP looks up north, 7 female minister may marriage APC VP candidate. Also, platu death toll rises to 32, government declares curfew, 20 suspects arrested, 31 victims rescued, unit Joss suspend second semester examinations, and also IGP deploys intervention team to restore sanity. 2023, Buhni, Bagudu, Badaru, Bankole meet Ladoja in Ibadan. And also army, 21 army recruits die in auto crash in Jigawa, INEC stopped, INEC stoppage of E-Voting machine purchase, apply to re-elections, says secondes. We can also find on the Nigerian Tribune, recover missing 17 billion Nair attacks within 90 days. Senate orders FIRS. All right, I think those are the stories we're looking at this morning on Off the Press. Let's now begin to see exactly what the meaning is beyond the headlines. I want us to begin with what's happening in platu state in just south and just north. About 20 people, over 20 people have been killed by, you know, herdsmen in that part of the country. The government says about 20 suspects have been arrested and all these killings really came after the governor, Simon Long, imposed a 24-hour curfew in the state. It's been a while we saw something like this happen in platu regarding the full anti-travelers being killed and especially the attack on that Unijoss students leading to, you know, the shutdown of the school right now. What can you tell us about what the government, you know, seem to be failing to do years and years after this security threats emerged? I want to say speaking, there is no sane person that would lead the story that is coming from just this morning and will not care who for Nigeria. I feel personally touched by this senseless killing, but the truth of the matter is that just has always been the resting place. Yes, before now we have had some camp in that part of the country, but it didn't mean that those who are bent on setting the country on fire have said their word. There are two or three issues, fundamental issues in just. Just has always been the home of Islamic fundamentalists who are very powerful and who are not too much different from the Bukwara sect and the Swab. They have also never hidden their intention to Islamize Nigeria. The second issue is just is like any other almost other cosmopolitan cities in Nigeria. It used to be like Lagos, it used to be like Potakot, in which you find different people from different parts of the country, and now beating that beautiful city in a very peaceful and quiet manner. Check out some of our musicians, check out some of our sportsmen, footballers and what have you. Most of them who are either Ibo, Yoruba, Usawa, Fulani, whatever, they were all born and brought up in just without any issues, but since the Islamic fundamentalists are taking grip of just, and certain persons are claiming that just belongs to one section of the country or the other, you have the Buram claiming just, you have some TV claiming just, you have some Fulani also claiming just, you have some Fulani claiming just. Since all these ugly incidents began to rear their heads, there has never been peace again in just. Well, the truth of the matter is that the government is set to blame, but now we have had about 10 or 12 years of this insurgency. That is quite enough time to unravel those who may be behind all this one-ton and senseless killing that we are seeing in the country, if the government has been proactive and have approached the issues in the plateau in the middle part with the clinical efficiency with which they have tackled the issue of Ibo and that of the Yoruba self-determination group. I'm sure it will have some sort of headway in the middle part and just in particular, but it won't appear to me, it is carousel for a certain section of the country where they apply stick, very heavy stick to the other sections of the country. And when you have that uneven and dead approach to very, very serious problems, you will continue to have the kind of crisis that we have in just today. Let's lay the whole blame at the two steps of President Muhammad Buhari and the APC government. These people have no right whatsoever to stay in power a day longer. I'm going to be harsh, and we need to be harsh because even though it is civil war, we didn't experience this kind of very, very, this one-ton killing, but because of incompetent leadership, lack of visionary leadership, and security chiefs who are coming from a section of the country, who do not see that they own the whole Nigerian people, and the corner approach to the tackling of security should be blamed for this selfless and one-ton killing that we see all over the place. Of course, the reports from John's also is detailing some sort of reprisal killing. It feels like it's a response to the killing of about 20 people that are taking place days earlier. So it might be into communal clashes. It might be headers and farmers clashes. There's still the need to seek clarity on what exactly is going on here. And that also includes in Southern Kaduna. There are still reports over there. But before we come back to Nigeria, let's move to the international scene briefly and get your thoughts on the issues in Afghanistan. The president has fled the country. The Taliban are forming a new government over there. But you can also see thousands of people looking for ways to flee the country. It feels like it's obvious that the security agencies have been broken down in just two, three weeks after the U.S. started pulling out troops. What are your thoughts on Afghanistan's current situation? My brother, Nigeria is gradually approaching the level of what is happening in Afghanistan. And when you hear people talking about Plan B, they are probably envisaging that sooner than later the rural bandits, the urban bandits, and some of these other bandits all over the country, they slamming fundamentally. Bukwara be swapped and all the rest of them might overrun the country and cease control of power just as it happened in Afghanistan. Because in play put, you are further than the slamming fundamentalists in Nigeria. And also starting infiltrating all faces of our neighborhood, all our cities, all our villages, all our forests, all our roads, they gradually taking over. As soon as they settle in those places and know that, they will launch a ferocious beat for power. What happened in Afghanistan is simply that when the Americans took control of their place, over about 20 years ago, when they were said to be pursuing the Osama Penargin, who had used the airplane to bring down some buildings and attack people in the U.S., they went in there, took over power, and then were reorganizing the so-called society and the Afghanistan army. But why they were doing that? The Taliban were the ones sending their soldiers, their people, to amuse them in the Afghanistan army. Thirty percent of the men and women you find in the Afghanistan army were Taliban's who pretended they were patriots joining the government army in Afghanistan. So as soon as this offensive was launched, the soldiers should confront the Taliban, lay down their arms, turn down their weapons, hide great weapons, and surrender to the Taliban. And so the Taliban is around the whole of the country in less than two weeks. IFKA is not taking Nigeria might experience that kind of a tragedy as well. So this is a lesson for other people. But even more fundamentally, more fundamentally, this will be the second time the Taliban will be defeating a very strong army. The Soviet Union went into Afghanistan before, and the Taliban defeated them. They said the Soviet army from the U.S. says that they run away from Afghanistan. The Americans have run away now from Afghanistan. With all the military's party, with all the skills, with all the airplanes, and everything that they have. Simply because war is not won by the weapon that you carry. One is won in the hands of men. And when you have men who are not convinced of the cost of what they are fighting for, the possibility is that they will at least approach the war or do the part to fight the war, the way it should be fought. These are some of the things we see with this army fundamentally. And people have the kind of conviction that they have. They fight with their heart, they fight with their mind, they fight with their brain, they fight with their brain. And they put everything into it. So when you bring the personal weapons against them, it is hardly effective, it doesn't neutralize them. So I appeal to Nigerian youth, those who have the way with us to do it, to begin to take this Bokwara emergency thing. This is only fundamentalism that is on the rise in Nigeria as a very serious matter. And the Western world should be warned that surrendering to the Taliban two times now is only put an end to Western civilization. Because immediately the Italians set you down in Afghanistan, they will expand their base because they will not want to be isolated. They were already in link with the Pakistan army, with Pakistan. And Iran is also close. You and I also know Syria and some of these other countries that have pretenses, Islamic fundamentalism are also close to Afghanistan. So the possibility that Afghanistan will return back as it was for Islamic expansionism, for the talking of Western democracies and the civilization is very, very high. That was why I have in the past said the long road to a foreign army into Afghanistan, into Iran and start out this group, this barbaric and this backward regimes that now want to turn the hands of the pop, that want to reverse all the gains that humanity has made in terms, in the areas of science, in the area of culture, in the area of education, in the area of music, in every other area in science is aware that the humanity has achieved. The aim and goal of Islamic fundamentalism is to turn back the hands of the pop. Look at what is already happening. Women who used to work in Afghanistan, the Taliban have asked them to stay at home. Women who could dress the way they like, the Afghanistan is very insisting that they must wear a polka. Children also who are girls cannot go to school. Women cannot venture, they cannot go to market, they can't go to cinema, they can't go to sports play games. These are the dangers of Islamic fundamentalism that is tearing the world in the face. Other than the way of pressing, also this Islamic fundamentalism, most of them are considered very provoking and intrepid. They are narrow national intrepid. They are not seeing the larger picture. The aim of this Islamic fundamentalism is to reverse human civilization. It should take over the world. Please talk to what used to happen before Western civilization become topical all over the world. And come to think of it, immediately Western civilization goes, every game, like I said, that humanity has achieved, a deal of science will be imperiled. I want us to now juxtapose that what's happening in Afghanistan or what's happening in Nigeria. On the front page of the daily independent newspaper, we saw a story saying that Borneau State right now is in a dilemma over repensant insurgents. And Governor Babagan Azulum, you know, I'm going to read a statement from him. He says that we in Borneau State are in a very difficult situation over the ongoing surrender of insurgents. He went on to say that we have to choose between the endless wars or to cautiously accept surrender terrorists, which is difficult for anyone. Do you really believe that we have these two options, and that's all the options we have, to either continue the war against insurgency or to accept terrorists. Looking at what happened in Afghanistan, we know that the person who is leading this operation in Afghanistan, the head of the Taliban right now, was one of the men that the United States forced the Taliban or asked the Taliban to release. So he was in prison a couple of years ago. He was released now and he's now overrun the country. So looking at that and what's happening here in Nigeria, where we seem to have the attitude of embracing terrorists and, you know, saying that they have repented and reintegrated them into society, what really can you say about our own situation here in Nigeria? Well, when you look at our situation here in Nigeria, I have seen a clear-headed approach to really resolving this issue of Bukwara Meshwap and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Nigeria. My preaching, my advocacy over the time has always been that if Nigeria is going to be able to overcome this Islamic fundamentalist, is for the whole entire country and not in particular to subscribe to the secularism of the Nigerian state. They should be away with this Sharia law. We have to be away with this back. We have to be away with the situation in which people want to drink alcohol, cannot drink alcohol. We have to be away with this situation in which children cannot drink the way they don't like. Miss Akola Wale, apologies to interrupt. I really want to find out from you regarding this attitude of saying terrorists have repented and we are reintegrating them into society and they can rise to any height of political ambition that they so desire. Should this be the way forward? Should Nigeria and the military be accepting terrorists? I want people to come to that. Initially when I began my conversation with this, I said we don't have a clear-headed approach to really resolving this Islamic fundamentalist challenge that we have in our hands. Ultimately, how do you rehabilitate people you don't know? People you just maybe give education for one or two months and then you say they have been deserticalized. That is not the way things are done. What you do is that when people surrender and say look, we no more participating in this world we want to with, we become repentant, you do what you call profiling. Okay. After you have turned the profiling of them, those who have no people's blood, who haven't killed anybody, or those who are underage, who are children, or those who are women, who did not voluntarily or willingly enlisted into the pokwara man and into the iswab army, those who can be radicalized, and not only have you to realize them, you find a way to rehabilitate them. But those who are taking weapons to kill people, those who have women blood in their hands, those who have been Islamic fundamentalism before pokwara can pay. How do you know the difference? Exactly. What you are supposed to do is to arrest those persons in courts, for murder, for asking, for all men of crime, drug trafficking. And those men of crime, they may have been caught. I want to ask you this question. Should all terrorists not be treated the same? Because really, how do you pick and choose which one you want to choose? I want to ask you this question. How do you pick and choose which ones were conscripted? Which ones were forced into terrorism? And which ones, you know, originally and fundamentally believe that terrorism is the way forward. Mr. Kolawele, if you can hear me, I'm asking, should punishment for terrorism not be punishment for terrorism across board? According to law, the punishment for terrorism in Nigeria today is, I think, large imprisonment, which is even more lenient compared to a crime for murder, compared to a crime to armed robbery, compared to a crime to even rape, compared to pipeline vandalization. And why the legislators have made this so? I really don't understand. I should think that this terrorism thing should carry capital punishment. Because in my humble opinion, it is worse than murder. It's usually one time killing of the people, mass murder. But as of today, what is in our statute is that if people are convicted for terrorism, you go for live imprisonment. And so when you go to prison, and some of these other places where the poor people have been jailed, I mean, the sentence is another. Most of them are living like princesses. Mr. Kolawele, kindly hold on, hold on to Mr. Kolawele. If you can hear us, kindly hold on, because we need to move to something else. But the question, I think Aneta is asking is, how do you tell the difference between those who are terrorists and those who, like you said, were forced or coerced into terrorism? If they've all committed murder, if they've all killed hundreds and dozens of people, regardless of how they got into terrorism, do you have a different sentence for two different people? And how can the Nigerian Army or the Nigerian Security Agencies tell the difference between... Hello? Can you hear me? Can you repeat that, please? Can you repeat that? All right. I think we can let's quickly just move on to something else because of time. All right. Let's move to the story on the Tribune this morning that says that 2023 presidency war is associated set for southern legacy candidate. So the PDP looks up north and the seven female minister may merit APC VP candidates. Share your thoughts on that quickly before we wrap up. Okay. That has been the pain of Nigerian politics. When people are running off their terms or when they are living power, they will usually shop for people who they think that can cover their track, who they think that they will continue their legacies, no matter what those legacies are. It shouldn't be the responsibility of President Muhammad Buhari to begin to shop for people or for the president or the vice president or for any governor who will replace the outgoing ones. That should be led to the political parties and then to the Nigerian people. Because when you shop for replacement for yourself and Nora, the possibilities are very high that you might be rigging the election in favor of that kind of a person. And so Nigerian people should see that they should stand up to the APC and President Muhammad Buhari. Let the electorate decide who is going to be president and vice president in 2023. For the PDP I wish to appeal to them once again to put their house in order. Nigerian people are disenchanted with what we have in our hands today and need to examine credibility for a semblance of fortitude to the APC. Apart from it will be the PDP because the time is about to short now for anybody to say will form the APC the time will also be too short for them to raise the necessary funds to be able to challenge the APC if there is any party that has the wealth without the experience and every people have the means to really give the APC a run for its money it is the PDP but no ambience you see what is happening the PDP is collapsing the APC is going on the country to poach for the most valiant members and because most of those valiant members also want to be in the winning team the thing that wants to return the APC all their sins are forgiven no matter how you know the crimes might be the most of them are flocking to the APC the winner mentality this doesn't all go well for the whole country because if the whole country collapses on their head nobody will take the principle people should have a Biden face people should have they should be ready to work hard to reveal whatever political platform that depends on today after all it took only the APC a few years to realize it's a little early to cope together a legacy party that was able to raise the power from the PDP the PDP can also do the same by going for some of these other orders and bringing their men into the fold and then throwing their energy into it come out with a very good candidate a nice excellent economic rehabilitation program and then go for the U2 other ideas all right turn to Kola Walee we can wrap up here all right thank you very much Mr. Kola Walee thanks for your thoughts on a Monday morning thank you Mr. Kola Walee thank you all right really interesting stories there too bad we can't take all of them but yes what we'll do is take you back in time and I'm going back to the 2018 fire season that occurred in a Canadian province how about you I'm sharing about the fastest man in the world in 2009 Usain Bolt