 Niger is a federal government to recover over 3 billion Naira that's about more than 6 million pounds of stolen government funds globally between 2021 and 2022. We'll have some analysis of this or the preference this morning. The weekend is upon us and that means the English Premier League is back. We'll discuss that and the fortunes of Niger's Falcons. We also have an in-depth analysis of some of today's new super headlines and pretty interesting stories on the papers this morning. We call it half the press. Very good morning to you. We're back with the breakfast. Plus, we have a beautiful Friday, the last day of the weekend. We've been having interesting conversations all through this week, reaching a live from the studios on Victoria Island, Lagos. My name is Kofi Bartels. And I am Mr Bill Kors, beautiful Friday morning, and thanks for joining us. Interesting, interesting. I can't wait to go and thank you for your mercy. Very interesting conversations this morning and Friday is upon us, which means that the weekend is here. I don't know what plans we have for the weekend then. I'm not sure. But I'm sure that when we come up on Monday, we'll have some new drama to talk about. You know what I said about the quality and the currencies in the country today, new drama. Well, we'll talk about some of the drama that happened between when we were here, hours yesterday, morning, and now. And we call it a top training segment. I think we should call it new drama segment. Anyway, we have some, some training stories. The emergence of a gentleman by the name Roads Viva as a, as a governorship candidate of the people's democratic, of the Labour Party rather, in Lagos state. This is an interesting development. He's someone who has been in the polity for some time. The name is popular. He was, at some point, governorship-aspirant on the platform of the People's Democratic Party. We all know what happened with the People's Democratic Party. We all know how that went and the fact that the party, you know, produced the man properly called Jando, the founder of the Lagos or Lagos movement, who himself was an APC, as its governorship candidate. And the fact that he also went ahead to pick a running mate. We're talking about none other than the popular Jennifer, you know. I'm sure you like what's in Jennifer. So it seems to be a game of musical, a political musical chess. Remember back in the day we used to have this game where, you know, you know, I don't know, if you played this game at a party, student's party, where you sit down and put, maybe if you have five, they'll put four chairs. And then when they stop the music, you know, whoever sits down in the chair, the rest, the one who's left out, can't have to leave. So it seems to be a game of political music, dancing chess, you know. Jando was an APC, left the APC to PDP to get a governorship ticket in Lagos State. Rhodes Vivo was in PDP, left PDP to go to the Labour Party to get the governorship ticket for Lagos State. So politicians are not staying in one place, they're moving all over the place just so that they can get the tickets that they want, be it presidential ticket, be it governorship ticket. And it's nothing new. Le Mans, who is also the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter will be had to move from PDP to the Labour Party to get his ticket. Le Mans, who is the presidential candidate of the People's Democratic Party, article worker, had to move from APC to PDP to get the ticket. But before he moved from APC to PDP, had to move from PDP to APC. So it's a part of the policy in the country. So this is what we're saying. He is a former senatorial candidate of the PDP, Badebo Rhodes Vivo. He polled 111 votes to beat his opponent on one more shoot, Adego K Salvador, who scored 102 votes in an exercise that featured 216 delegates. The primary for the replacement of the candidate of the party, of course, we know the electoral act and what's been happening with all these placeholder candidates and all, but the party doesn't have someone yet. Or maybe the person came out, they'll say, oh, you know, step down, let's, you know, in Labour Party, maybe it was not part of the picture. It was Professor Patu Tome and Co, who told me step down, but they had not had the primary at the time, you know, but because the, the, the, the, Inaq deadline has already passed and for you to have a fresh candidate, the candidate who was elected would have to, will have to step aside, right to the party, say, I'm not doing again. Then, then I, Patu, right to Inaq inside, I'm not doing it. He's not doing again. They now do a fresh, fresh election. So it's quite interesting to see that the, the primary for the replacement of the earlier candidate was re-witnessed by Inaq. The exercise has been, had been told, we're too told, since Monday over allegations of compromise to the delegates list raised by Salvador. Now, Salvador is one of the, the, the aspirants for that membership ticket of the Labour Party. He was the opponent to Rhodes Vivo, Badebo Rhodes Vivo. Salvador, that's Honourable Mosheud Adegoke Salvador, scored 102 votes. So he came a close second out of 216 delegates while Woods River Port 111 votes. So, so Salvador had raised allegations of compromise to the delegates list. And so the thing didn't hold, you know, it didn't hold. He called for the primary council. He said that he lost confidence in electoral committee. He said a lot of things, but the power was moved from the previous venue, which was the International Airport Road to another venue in the KJJ area. So these things are a lot of talking points here, but that's, that's a bit of a background to how Badebo Rhodes Vivo emerged as a Labour Party governorship candidate in legal states. So, so let me even start, you know, from the part where we've talked about, you've talked about the fact that you have some of these persons who are vying for offices, whether at the federal level or at the state level, moving from one political party to another. That has become a norm for us. And that has become, you know, part of, part of the political process. It has become, you know, a thing in politics where you have, some people have tagged it as cross-carpeting, or what I've said, decamping, I mean, different words and different phrases and whatever have been used to describe all of this. But it's quite saddening. I mean, it's just very simple. It's politics. And every other time that we talk about politics, it's interest. And so for every other time that you find people in conflict, is that interest has not been represented. And so, yes, you have people who are dissatisfied because, you know, their interest has not been represented. And at the party level, we know that some of the things that will cost, you know, the conflict at the party level would include the fact that the internal democracy is not even respected. So that would be one thing. And so there's a lot that goes on to the fact that you have the financing. And so who is actually financing political parties at the end of the year? So you have strong men at the party, and then they seem to dictate what happens. And so you also have the issue of Godfatherism where you have the governors imposing. It's a lot, but it goes on. And it just shows you that the kind of politics that we practice in Nigeria is the politics where, I mean, it lacks ideology. And so everyone can just move away. You stand for everything that consents your interest and nothing that consents the party. So loyalty is something that has been questioned over time with the party. So, but people have constantly questioned, you know, the movement from one party to another. And I also saw conversation and reactions from Niger and saying, hey, first of all, you had Salvador who had moved from, you know, the PDP, I mean, the APC, you know, to the Labour Party. And some people say we need to verify this presence. They need to be verified. So you have, that's what's going on. But coming to, you know, the recent development of the drama like Kofi would target, it's that it's quite interesting. Internal conflict, party politics, because a house that is divided against itself cannot stand. And that's on the one hand. Now the issue right here now would be between, you know, Salvador and Vivo, who has emerged, you know, the candidate, the governorship candidate for the Labour Party in Lagos state. Now, following the substitution primaries that held despite the protests by the parties, INEC recognized Cuba candidates. So you have the candidate saying, hey, we're not going to, I'm not accepted. And making reference to the electoral act, just as Kofi had mentioned, according to the electoral act 2022, the only means of replacing a candidate before an election through voluntary withdrawal or death, that's what it is. At this point in time, the candidate that has been recognized by INEC is saying, hey, I know go agree, you know, and he's actually raised some consent about electoral, you know, fraud and what have you, the fact that the process has not been very fair and free. But you have the candidate also saying on the other hand, hey, we're going to reach out to him as a party man and all of that. A big question would be if you want to become in a position because it's a thing. And if you follow the politics and, you know, the way things have actually evolved over time, you understand that the ruling party has been in power from inception. I mean, from the time that you talk about transition to democratic governance from 1999, has there been any other party that has ruled this particular state? So the opposition should get their acts together. That's what everyone would expect. At the time where you begin to have all of this, you know, round calls and you have all of this dispute and beatiness in the party, people not agreeing, because we need to follow the acts. Some people say, hey, we need to give the president big thumbs up for what he did with the electoral act. The fact that he allowed that, you know, to see the light of day, it's a plus on our democracy. But let's see how all of this pans out. It's quite unfortunate. One would expect that an opposition party knowing that they are in a position for a state as Legals would like to get their acts together. You don't want to be divided. You don't want to begin to have all of that back and forth. But let's see how things begin to unfold for the Labour Party right here in the state. Well, that's it. We move away from that. We're still looking at the top trending. And on the other hand, it's the fact that the Nigerian military has said that an arrest has been made of two peasants who were involved in the Awor attack. Now prior to this time, we also have the two peasants were arrested. So we're looking at a total of four peasants. These peasants have been linked to the eSwap and they have been arrested. First of all, because that's the statement. Some people are saying, should we make this a big issue? Should we begin to, you know, put our hands together and say, hey, it's suspected. It's what's suspected. If you have an attack, if you have people, because it's government's responsibility across different quarters. Governance, it's what it's expected, whether in Nigeria or outside of Nigeria, it's responsibility of government, which is constant, that they protect lives and properties. And so if government or, you know, those are the hem of affairs, moving on and arresting these peasants, then it's okay. It's just, you know, your duty to, you know, go ahead and ensure that they're arrested. Now beyond being arrested, people are saying we don't want to begin to hear stories because we know how all of these things actually pan out. Let the law actually take, you know, a full cost, the entire process. If they're found guilty, they should be prosecuted. And we're expecting these peasants, you know, it's just more than that. So that there are a lot of peasants who are out there. But we would like to say, well, we see what, you know, the security agency, the Nigerian military collaboration with all the agencies are doing, and we see times up to them. Yeah, mercy. So let's just give a background and so listen, let's go and understand what exactly happened. The Chief of Defence Staff, Floki Rabohad announced on Tuesday that four, four peasants have been arrested in connection with this whole incident. And then yesterday, they gave an update. This is coming from the Director of Defence, or Defence Information, Jimmy Akbo, yesterday, given an update, saying that really hours after the announcement that was made by General Floki Rabohad, Chief of Defence Staff on Tuesday, that two more of the attackers had been arrested. And this arrest was carried out in somewhere in Ando State, Ose, Ose, local government area of Ando State on August 9, or on August 9. Today is August 12. So 9, 10, 11, 12, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. You know, so that Tuesday, after the man announced it on national TV, then they made more arrests. This is a coincidence. So are you saying there's no possible? Yeah, I'm just giving a background. Now according to the statement by the Director of Defence Information, Jimmy Akbo, those arrested where Al Kassim Idris and Abdul Haleem Idris, this is what he said. He said, quote, it is instructive to note that Abdul Haleem alongside other high-profile ISWAP commanders had also previously coordinated attacks on military targets in Okena, Okena local government area of Kogi State, resulting in casualties a part of the statement said. So is it that they were on the trail of these guys while the announcer was being made, you know, maybe they could have waited till they arrested these two, so they still were arrested, found six, you understand? Or they just happened to have arrested them, you know, coincidentally? I don't get it. So there's a lot that isn't too clear about what's going on. But the Director of Defence Information went on to say that the arrests were made through a collaborative effort by the military and SSS personnel. So that's good. That's a welcome development. However, there is a lot of this that is shrouded in controversy. The emergence of the setting Idris, Jimu, I think that's his name, there's an Idris who whose name popped up on the list I was given by Locker about the CDS. And Nigerians being Nigerians fished out the guy's picture as one of those who escaped from the Kuzei prison attack. They were asking if he was in Kuzei medium security prison and the attack in Kuzei occurred after the massacre. How did he, is it that he was in prison and then went to do the attack and went back to prison or what? So they're asking what's going on? Idris or Joe? Nigerians are wonderful. They went to, you know, of course we say, you know, the federal government showed them, she shows the faces of those who escaped from the police, put up something, try and kick. If someone sees them, they can say, you come here. I saw you, you escaped from Kuzei prison. Come, I'll catch you. Stay there. But faces were actually put out. Yes. So now one of the faces put out, his name is Idris or Joe. One of the names he called by the CDS on Tuesday as those they captured for they were masked. His name is Idris or Joe. So is that something that we don't know? You know, is that something played? Now, hours after that statement, in order to take his also take what the glory came out, say, yes, he had to boogers more. Yes, we had, we were also part of this, you know, we know we've been, we've been aware, you know, we're just waiting for the military to announce and they finally announced, by the way, he's not paid all his workers salary. That's once the rest of his budget. He's the only state in the Southwest or in salaries. Is this one? Anyway, let's go on. That's a nice one. So he said yes. But he said, we've been arrested since before now, I've been waiting for them to announce and I'm happy to announce it. We're doing everything. But when the question was raised, who is Idris or Joe? Is it that he escaped from left Kuzei prison, went to shoot people, mask people in cold blood, you know, and then went back to sleep in prison or what? So the governor had to come out to yesterday. I think it was yesterday to disagree with the CDS chief of defense staff over the arrest of this Idris or Joe, you know, insisting that the suspect was one of the escapees from Kuzei prison. This was Niger had fished out already, you know. So it's a bit funny. But the governor, in a statement by his chief press secretary said, cool, there was a mix up. This is what the governor said. There was a mix up in the announcement by the chief of defense staff, General Loki Rabbo. The attention of governor has been drawn to the announcement of Idris or Joe as one of the attackers of St. Francis Catholic Church or arrested by school agencies. It says governor acknowledged the confusion the statement has created in the public space, considering that the ugly event of June 5 attack in our preceded the unfortunate Kuzei prison incident. It says there was a mix up in the announcement by the CDS. It is a Joe who was number 14 on the wanted list of Kuzei prison escapees was arrested in his brother's house in Akure. All right, in Akure. The announcement of Idris or the announcement of their arrest of Idris, arrest rather of Idris as one of the perpetrators of the June 5 attack on the St. Francis Catholic Church or was a mix up from the chief of defense staff. His brother, Jim O'brahim, received and accommodated him after he escaped from Kuzei prison. He listened. His brother received and accommodated him after he escaped from Kuzei prison. He was there after moved and kept in custody of security operatives at the same time that the attackers of the Catholic Church were arrested and brought into custody hands the mix up. You know, so when you begin to have such mix up from, it's like, it's like throwing somebody in prison, you know, for stealing puff puff. And then you want to take people who are not possible. I'm coming for, if there are people, some people in jail. For stealing, I think someone stole something small. But not puff puff. You know, it's like puff puff. What is an example anyway? And then maybe you are taking people on death row going for murder and you just carry one of them. And then, you know, the black person stole puff puff, adding him to them. And some of you on travel and he says, Oh, I was I was taking him for stealing puff puff. They saw, sorry, made a mistake. You know, so, so how possible is it? And this is the kinds of confusion. And then after the governor says this, two days after they said they arrested two more people. The same day the CDS was announcing that, and this one's now that they are they swap because people were saying, look at the names that government said that it's up. It's one of the ones behind it. You know, they didn't waste time. They didn't waste time. And then we're looking at the names that you're bringing out. They may not be a swap because these are not the people not to profile anyone. But it's what people were saying. I'm just, you know, they were not, they're not names normally associated with each one. They fast forward two days later. They said, as the CDS was making, they already arrested two more. So maybe the military, the Nigerian, you know, the armed forces they need to do in the square regions need to do a lot to convince Nigerians about what's going on, you know, like, what kind of mistake is that? You know, who the chief of defense staff is that you have a name, a mix up. I mean, and then I just have to say, oh, no, no, I can't see you. You made a mistake. That one is one of those who I escaped from. Oh, okay. Okay. Ah, sorry. Oh, it was a mix up, you know, so much. So it would definitely mean this is the highest level of security in Nigeria. I mean, so people believe that there's a lot that is despite deceiving Nigerians about that just don't believe it anymore. Nigerians don't even believe it anymore. And, you know, to actually add to that now, if you say, I mean, that's the situation. There was an attack that happened. This attack happened before the prison escape. So if the prison was attacked, like you would say, is it that, you know, the young man strolled out of the prison, came and attacked, you know, the church and then went back to the prison and let her escape, it would therefore just mean that, you know, the names that were published for those who escaped from the prison was not really true. No, the governor said it all that he was one of those who escaped. He did not participate in the massacre. Okay. So imagine now he was in Dakujie prison for maybe stealing something, right? As his name has been mentioned, they would put him on trial for massacre of people in that church, which is what I'm talking about. The governor said it was a, it was just a mistake. So it's a governor who has had to come out and say he was a mistake. He said the record straight. I mean, so, so these are the things that are giving people suspicion, you know. For me, I don't, I don't go with the bandwagon, but you can't fault people when they suspect. And it was Nigerians, there's other people, some teenagers, young people, who picked phone and said, look, oh, ah, you know, that person was, and then, oh, yes, yes, I'm sorry, I was going to mix up. Are you kidding me? So the authorities need to do better. So people stop, stop, stop suspecting the mess. Let's move on to the last one. We're staying under state. Where the governor of under state, who has not paid according to budget? Yesterday budget brought some information of states that haven't paid salaries. Those are going up to six months. Those are on three to five months and so on and so forth. And what's remarkable is all in salaries. I don't know if you ever should give him more publicity. You should go and pay his work, yes, first, before it comes to the media. Anyway, he is saying that he has no problem if Peter B. wins the 2023 presidency, as long as presidency comes to the southern part of country. So why, why are we giving him coverage? Well, why is it generating attraction? It's because he's a governor of the all-progressives Congress. So when he says something like this, people will jump on it, you understand. But he should pay salaries. There's only one, there's only one state in southwest Nigeria owing salaries, according to budget. This according to budget. There was this information yesterday that's under state. And last time, if I'm not mistaken, under state is all bearing state. If I'm not mistaken, you know, but anyway, he spoke on Wednesday. This two days ago on a TV program, he's a member of APC, you know, and he's close to Bola Mettin, who I'm not mistaken, you know. So he was a candidate, a lawyer for one of the APC candidates, and later he was, you know, able to become governor himself. So on numerous occasions, the Accord Law has insisted that the presidency must go to the south, since President Mahmoud Buhari, who's turned out will be completed in 2023, is from the north. He was asked if he, he would have supported the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket if he was in an opposition party. And he said religion should not be an issue in 2023. All right? So, I mean, I don't want to take him out of context. He's not saying he doesn't support his candidate. But he says, well, if, if I mean, it's an honest answer, we should not read too much into it. If, if the APC doesn't win, if it will be wins, yeah, it's to the south, as long as the south gets it. And I think it's okay. It doesn't mean he has left the APC or it doesn't mean he won't come be vulnerable. It's just an honest statement. Yes, he's made an honest statement. I mean, he's talked about whether or not you have the all-progressive Congress winning. That's a Shiawaju-Bola-Tunibu, or you have Peter be winning. The most important thing for him is that, you know, the south must actually produce a presidency. And that's because in 2019, there was some sort of agreement, which is not constitutionally recognized. Some people have described the agreement as a gentleman's agreement, that, you know, power must rotate between the north and the south. The north and the south would definitely have to produce your presidency. But that's also has, has also constituted, you know, a lot of issues because when you talk about the north and you talk about the south, we, you need to know that the country is divided into different regions. So it's not necessarily the north and the south. You have the north, you have the north east, you have the west, you have the south, you have the south east, you have the southwest, and all of these are issues. And so people are saying, oh yes, power must go to the south. Some people are very resolute that, you know, apart from saying that power has to go to the south, it has to be very specific, power has to return to the southeast or has to go to the southeast. Because the south is that, you know, at some point hasn't really, you know, produce any president or, you know, have anyone at the hem over first called the president. And so that's also another issue. But we can also not take out the fact that as much as we constantly say, yes, it's okay to have power being rotate, being moved from one spot to the other, from one region to other, we can also not take out the issue of competence. I mean, at the end of the day, we also need to have people who are very competent who have what it takes, you know, to call the shots and move this country to the next level. It sounds like there's some mantra now. He should go and pay salaries. Very important. I mean salaries are important. Pay your workers, pay your workers. It's not about doing buga for, for, for this. Why have you decided to incorporate the word buga into your vocabulary? You know, when they announce that they've attacked, arrested people, he's the same governor who, the last attack, you know, in, in oceans, you know, in those states, yeah, these same people are suspect people suspect to be those terrorists, all right, went to attack a community, you know, that is close to a construction company yard. Let's call it a yard, you know, location. And then they were repelled by some security operators. Some of them were injured. Some of the security men, they were injured. And the bullets hit the walls of a construction company. The bullets touched the, the tires of the, the caterpillars and all those things. And the governor said, well, that they only came to shoot at the equipment there, you know. But he's going more than six months, six and more, you know, for some workers. So it should pay with his workers first before we, when he pays, we can talk. We have to go. We have to go. That's it on, on our top training segment for now. We'll be right back. I mean, so we have an interesting analysis off the headlines on today's national day. Stay with us.