 We're glad to know that you're still there and watching us on breakfast on POSTV Africa. We are being joined by Mr. Jideh Johnson, a chief lecturer in the Nigerian Institute of Generalism here in Lagos, to be looking at the headlines that made it to the front pages of some of our national dailies. Good morning and welcome to the program, Mr. Johnson. Good morning. Good morning and good morning to you as well. Okay. Well, so we have like four papers and we hope that we are going to be able to cover the major headlines on these papers. We're beginning with the punch newspaper this morning. The leading headline there is NNPCL marketers disagree over supply as cues spread. We'll just be taking your brief comments on all of this. Let's begin with that. Well, the true nature of the supply and the mind change of our own and the effect of it's not really clear to anybody. There seems to be a lot of clouds around the world. Any slight increase in the exchange rate of dollar to dollar automatically affects the supply chain or any slight destruction within the global international oil market automatically affects the supply chain and before you know it, the queue begins to emerge. It's not something which is just happening. It has been a recurring feature. And then we then ask this question, don't we have a dump site where we keep some reserves? Does it mean that it's on daily basis that we make, we import petroleum products and then we consume the one we import daily? And there's no strategic reserve in case of any natural disaster, war or water view so as to prevent us from being dependent on other nations. So that's why you have seen this argument between the NNPC and oil market. As we are NNPC, we make assurances that we give ourselves that okay, we have reserves that will last for the next one month. And before you see Dr. Robinson, the oil market has quickly changed the price of their petroleum product. Once there's immediate dislocation or a minor dislocation or once there is a difference in the exchange rate of the dollar to the dollar. It shows that that particular sector makes reform. There should be immediate transparency with what goes on with that particular sector. And some of us have thought that the president will have done a clean sweep of the NNPC just like what he did with the central bank and other ideas of the federal government. But it seems that the NNPC management team is protected from investigation in my own estimation, in my own opinion, am I wrong? Because this top state of the approach to the way this sector is managed is not doing the country any good. Because we don't even have a clear figure of the amount of crude oil we pump on daily basis. Nobody has an accurate figure of the amount of the fine product we import into Nigeria on daily basis. Nobody has a clear cut figure on the amount of petroleum products that we consume on daily basis in Nigeria. Everything is shrouded in secrecy. It's a situation whereby you don't have enough questions but you can't plan. It's hard. Well, but that ministry seems to be a superintendent over by the president himself. And I don't know how he intends to do that, why he's shielding these people from investigation. But another headline up there is INEG defends 2023 polls, says 712 petitions dismissed. Remember that two days ago, I think, there were reports of the fact that the credibility of INEG has dropped drastically as 94% of positions that were contested for are now being contested in the courts. In fact, out of 1028 or so, 1002 are being contested. Or maybe I didn't get that figure very right, but 94% that one I'm sure about are being contested. Now INEG is saying they did a good job because 712 cases have been dismissed. What are your thoughts on that? Don't tell me that part. Not also. The fact that you are 94% of the position is respect to the conduct of your election and the body that is well funded, well funded, given all the reports in your past, and by doing that, you are sure of people and you know that these are very confident and trust in the future. Maybe for them to find out that the body is not discharged in the process, anything that was given to you. And you know those individuals who are entrusted in the best way in that way to provide the agenda with the credible election. Then they are giving themselves first place. 94% of the position is trust. They are doing the speech to them of their conduct and showing that they are being able to buy books by party that are even in the election. It's not that in Nigeria we don't want people accountable. And I'll say it. And I'll say it. It's in Nigeria that we are working for the case. That's just my thing. For example, you will recall the INEI Commissioner of Tunisian State in 2018, that superintendent of that election was rewarded with the commissionership of Legos. And during the elections in Legos, you recall how Tunisian units were taken out of the GC and were placed on the road. And if you monitor the election, you saw what happened in the election. The voters that characterized the election, you saw how there was good compliance with the electoral act. You saw how there was good compliance with the guideline of the election by INEI. And INEI is calling itself first mark because of the judiciary and truly we, many of the cases, contact the guidelines. And because of that, they are shouting, well, there is the judicial system. You can win the cases in the court of law. But in the court of public opinion, that's what really matters. And that's what you have seen in public perception of what INEI is. And at the end of the process, you'll see what will be the public perception of the judiciary as an institution of instituting democratic values and democratic governance in Nigeria. We'll not wait for the end of the week to see. And then we'll look at what's possible between the concerning judiciary. This is all itself. If already the question is not tested, because on the end of the month, there was no conflict in Nigeria to my knowledge and to my understanding. Maybe you have a public campaign creating the consciousness of all eyes on the judiciary. Okay. We have this story down there on that same punch newspaper. Okada writers shown government's ban return to restricted areas in Lagos state. What are we not seeing? They have been banned. Now they are back. And silently and gradually they will flood our streets again. What do you think about what's happening? Well, the state of the roads in Lagos the state of the road in Lagos is only suited for Kada, not for Kasi. That's the basic truth. Now it is clear, it's just telling the roads that are good in Lagos all the roads are completely collapsed. And then the government decided to collect road wordiness from me and from you, from other car owners in Lagos, road wordiness. Are the roads worthy of a car? Are they worthy of a car? Now another thing that has also been done in Lagos is this group of ownership that on yearly basis to be rid of your people ownership. We make them on the years we have nothing to sue for it. It's just a basic infrastructure. Just look at the base, the level in the last one month has completely exposed the deficiency in the construction of roads in Lagos and the utter neglect with respect to maintenance of roads. So why would a Kada not return? I knew how much I spent on my car just running into a ditch and not a port pole on the roads. We don't have port poles again, we now have ditches and gritters. So why would a Kada not return? I would rather enter a Kada than for me to drive on some certain part of Lagos than to end up spending extra money repairing my car. Where is it going to come from? It's serious. So which means it's a problem of the government not doing the needs. The government created the plan with the transportation cost of increase. Cost of maintaining can't have increased and the government promised to release public buses to ease the bus. We are the public buses. Even if you look at the BRT corridor, the BRT corridor, they will have port poles and gritters. That's why the fact that government created that corridor for public transport and then they make money from it and they don't even allow commuters to pass to those corridors. That's why the fact that we are closed here. Okay. I lost your audio. I wasn't hearing you anymore so I was wondering what happened. But I can now hear you. Now let's move to the Guardian newspaper and we're not taking the leading headlines there which is Vasity's sad tales of underfunded understaffed medical centers. We're beginning with ENSA's Activist Lament Non-Implementation of Pro-Panel Recommendations. Well, if someone said if you don't want to get a job done set up a committee and if you don't want to get to the root of any matter set up a panel and you know how many panels we have had in this country that we don't literally get the outcome of the panel. It's very, it's very, very simple and it's very, very clear. As far as that particular issue is concerned the gloss over that, the gloss over that issue let me give you one panel that was set up. You recall the panel of that NEC chairman. NEC created a electoral commission we had that that declared the result in Madam Ewa's speech tilgandedly without getting the result. What has happened to the panel that was set up? So as far as the issue of panel is concerned you have different types of panel and then what you set up the panel is just to take the public eye of the problem and after a while a government will gloss over it and then there's nothing for us to think about it. Three years after, nothing has been done with respect to the end task protest. Hello Mr. Johnson. I'm with you. Oh, okay. I thought it was your audio that I lost. Okay, so answers panel recommendations have not been implemented. Well, let's not... Can we get justice concerning that matter? There's something of that magnitude upon the Nigeria and then it gets no consequences or no punishment or no sanction for those that were found culpable in the lives of young Nigerians. Have they still accepted that the lives of Nigerians were wasted? Even though we have now seen that the government said they were going to bury these corpses that Hitato never existed with a huge sum of money but we haven't heard a categorical statement saying that, okay, truly these people died because even these ones that they said they were going to bury, they said three other places apart from for instance, they told it that a lot of people said these things happened so I don't know how we can trust the government that they're doing the right thing. If you see the political outrage of Nigerians over what happened in other times in other countries when something of that nature happened in other countries I compared it to what happened in Nigeria when something happened at home then you have a clear understanding of what type of value is in the lives of the Nigerians. What is the value? The Nigerians in the lives of Nigerians what is the value? Do it please the government please in the lives of the Nigerians? Nigerians are much more concerned about what is happening in Gaza what is happening in Israel because even government as well and even political stakeholders like Nigerians, Nigerians and traditional people what is happening inside the town what is happening in the grandfathers place what is happening in Nigeria or in Nassarara where we have these illusory farmers edads clashes where we have this technique and then we are much more concerned about what is happening in the transfer area unfortunately the bottom line is what value is in the lives of the Nigerians the value of the lives of the Nigerians is much more important to the Nigerians and it is much more of concern to our government officials and critical stakeholders like traditional and religious leaders in Nigeria. Okay the president has appointed has appointed very many young people into this cabinet one of them is the FEMA boss who is said to be 24 years we have seen him appoint someone who is still serving into the accounts committee we have seen him appoint ministers that are still under 40 and all that but I don't know whether it should give me worry or I should be happy about it because he has removed according to how the headline is Tinobu revokes Imam's nomination as Firmah Chairman appoints CEO for Paris Tattles now there was public outcry that he shouldn't have appointed this person into that position maybe because he was too young or whatever was the reason that people gave this outcry and then he revokes it because people said I don't know if I will say I will clap for him that he listens to the people or I will be sad that he cannot take a decision and be firm in his decision knowing that the person he appointed is competent enough you know the bias the bias was you know what on that body that anything that is done on the account committee if you record the one skin appointment you find a lot of bias in the account you see you can't contact it is nothing but number I think that you must have one spectrum of people that cross all things to track that from young to old to the elderly that's the beauty of being a robust public public service I saw nothing wrong with the 24 year old being appointed if he is qualified for that job after all Abbas became president at the age of at what age I think at something where Abbas job as far as I'm present it is nothing but number the critical component and the critical element it depends on the position it depends on the position no problem but after all you can vote from 18 and be voted for but however we place some certain restriction that you cannot speak of this until your certain age there was nothing wrong with the 24 year old being appointed if he is qualified if he is experienced enough if he has the capacity it should be the least thing we should consider if he has the capacity and the competence of the person that's right and then if the president directs only to public opinion because people criticize the speech then Abbas making the selection for the president and not doing what they are supposed to do what is the quality of work that is put in the selection process of people that are appointed I think they need to put their rights under but as far as I'm concerned I see nothing wrong with the 24 year old great great anagency great anagency of problems there is nothing wrong with it if he is qualified and if he is competent because a case like this happened as well in cross river state someone was nominated to become one of the commissioners in the NDDC and there was public outcry that he was not APC so he shouldn't occupy that position and the very next week after the person was jubilating the appointment was revoked so that's why I kept asking myself and this one was not a young person he was a very competent very grounded politician but it was revoked on the basis that he was not APC it is not the last presidential election APT had less than 9 million votes in that process I think about 34% the elections have ended the elections have ended next week this year we will first different some elections and other elections here it has you think the monsters therewas the host base the row and this was as one of the presidential elections I agree with you totally now as we face the transportation problems in Nigeria the new directive is that if you are a startup airline you should have six so operators fault new six aircraft fleet rule for startup airlines I don't know what you you would make of that six for startups well and probably I don't know whether and the addition minister in Beijing of best of the year I hope we learn from the mistakes of them at the city car and then the most also understand that there is a need for us to have a lot of players in that particular sector and not to create great policies that will stop people from that are interested investing in that sector to invest in that particular sector the number of airlines we have operators I mean and the number of routes they travel in Nigeria it's still minimal and they will still need some small players that will travel okay let me see for example and legal do you bad know those and then some who just speak some certain areas which they will just use as their own co-computers I think they need to have everything if somebody wants to start by flying to a battle I say I want to fly to a battle alone and ask to aircraft let him let him operate but I show that he complies with all the safety it is not about the number of airlines you have it about the safety regulation the focus should be on the safety regulations and not on the number if you have if you have that year aircraft and then you don't comply with the safety regulations you are just putting the land of people in danger so if you allow players to come in those that want to have a new market operate with him within a limited zone and then just ensure that they comply with safety requirement okay so we move to the nation newspaper and one of the headlines there is federal government and states to join forces in mining I do not understand much about what this mining is about I'm sure crude oil is a product that is being mined gold in the north is a product that is being mined are they talking about the fact that they are going to return to the state and see how they can join forces to talk about crude oil mining and then other things mineral resources that are being mined in Nigeria or are they going to do that when it comes to gold and other mineral resources and leave crude oil only for the federal government as it is right now yeah you know oil is constituted in some in certain section of the country compared to other solid minerals that are scattered all over the land at better Nigeria and I'm sure that the federal government does don't have any sources you want to go to Nigeria data you put in Nigeria data you have the corridor company in Nigeria person you could monitor the exploration of oil which is mining actually like you said in simple terms even with that we still have oil test in that particular in that particular in that particular sector on that particular area now you talk about knowledge to monitor how they monitor the mining of good in Zafara or they come to illicit an effect in Oshun state and then the ones in Nassarawa state I think Nassarawa state seems to have to be distributed in larger reserve of of solid minerals in Nigeria and then they go to and they go to bonus I think using a joint vector with measure of transparency is what can be done with your expected for our government to synchronously monitor it I can assure you they don't have the resources and presently a lot of these resources have been mined to my knowledge I might be am I be wrong I've been mined illegally yeah by by by foreign nationals I don't want to pigment but the particular nation for committing what I call economic crime against Nigeria but if you if you are and I've had follow-up issues in the media you will know that it's starting national for one of the major powers in the war illegally mind our natural resources so we need exploiting the state we connive ourselves of certain element without the government at the federal level making money out of it so I think that the government and the state government needs to work together as a team yeah but would that be fair really we know that the bush rat cannot come into the house if the house rat doesn't lead it lead the way so we know that people who are conniving with them but will it be fair to say that okay when it comes to gold and other mineral resources the states will collaborate and then possibly shady assets and all that and then when it comes to crude oil the federal government takes charge because they can see where these things are and they take charge of mining it so will it will that be fair to the states that their own mineral resources are the oil that is being is the oil that is being drilled from their land you know the unfortunate thing about Nigeria the progressive element came together in 2013 and join forces with other progressive element in the north and a change of the conservative element and that progressive structure took over the range of power in 2015 you have thought that all the progressive ideologies that have been propagated in Nigeria like local government autonomy and resource control devolution of devolution of power and strengthening other institutions but what we see in the last eight years under the progressive put on put on the line in Nigeria is more concentration of power at the center but having devolution of power at the state and local government level you see this conversation concerning the resource control and concerning the regulation and devolution of power to still be an ongoing conversation because I agree with you if the government put 100% control of oil exploration in the Niger data that government should put 100% control of the mining of 20 minerals in Nigeria yeah that's that's the bone of contention because it will be really unfair if they're removing it from whatever lease exclusively or concurrent lease whatever they're putting them mining should be mining so if the state and look federal government are coming together to do it for any mineral resources it should also be done for oil as well what our advice the oil is turning states to do is to challenge the federal government to take the federal government to come and challenge and secure a judgment one if you ask for two prayers one be granted the reliefs that are given to state and have other solid new year two or two should be that whatever it's been done in the Niger Delta should be extended to other other other solid mineral state so it's a win-win situation okay well mr. Gide Johnson that's the much we can take from off the press this morning we'd like to thank you so much for being a part of our show today thank you very much okay we've been talking with mr. Gide Johnson chief lecturer at Nigerian Institute of Journalism he spoke to us from here in Lagos state we'll take a break and when we return we talk we'll go over to our first hot topic stay with us