 Welcome back to the breakfast and plus TV Africa time for off the press and as usual Well, we'll take you through the pages of a dailies and we have G.D. Johnson Who is live in the studio with us this morning? He'll be making sense of all of the top stories on our papers. It's good to have you join us this morning G.D. Johnson Good morning. It's a pleasure to be with you, Masiyan, Osarawe, and Happy New Year in advance to have you as all over the world All right, then let's start off the papers this morning with the leadership and newspaper and of course the focus would be on the major stories on the leadership newspaper now the banner caption on the leadership newspaper reads Memento's event that shaped the year 2021 many sides of a Difficult eventful year. That's what you have underneath the caption Niger and stick stock So you're looking at the papers federal governments cause president Mohammed the Bowery high on economy and security in 2021 Be ruthless with terrorist bandits Coas or those generals and foremost medical doctor Dante Ahmed dies at 83 You also have another caption here saying CSOs alleged fresh plot against electoral act amendment bill And this is some of the headlines on the leadership newspaper and also the daily independent big story there says forensic audit Bowery vows to recover every cobalt stolen from NDC Says corporates will face the law Also AUGF in Dykes National Assembly Management Commission in 9.4 billion Naira unexplained expenses Quarries reps over five point five two billion Naira on a counter expenditure Gunman Q police officer a docked one in Anambra And also federal government lives to the list 100 achievements of Bowery's government in 2021 Says president will leave legacy of safe prosperous Nigeria Senate launches investigation into a ward of seven point five billion Naira contract in NPA We can also find on the daily independent Iqazou meets Buhari insist in debut deserve presidency in 2023 and I oppose in security not Buhari's administration says Bishop Kuka All right, let's move away from the daily independent and check out the punch newspaper this morning And the board caption says APC national convention Uncertainty over February dates as peace panel flops Very very interesting ruling party fears outcome of pending court cases may nullify convention At the most panel can't conclude reconciliation before convention That's what the chief tain is quoted to say and you also say have the caption here CBN forex policies may threaten economic growth in 2022. That's according to reports and Six multinationals to pay 249 billion oil proceeds in January according to the NNPC Buhari vows to recover and EDC funds from looters and justifies audit panel summons clerk as AG says the national assemblies 9.4 billion Naira unaccounted for and Still looking at the pages or I mean the front page of the punch newspaper. You also have a CNS vows clamped down on maritime troops colliding with criminals and EU's Caesar's 82 percent of Nigeria's agri-products Exported illegally. That's what the federal government is quoted to say Acura Monarch intervenes in on these marital wreath. You also have another caption here Mockingday's loyalists kicked as APC capped governor over insecurity and infrastructure And just before we move away Igbo more knowledgeable and should be president in 2023 and that's equal to Quoted and all of that but that's the much we can take this morning on the punch newspaper and finally to the Guardian newspapers So four years on Nigeria lags behind in open skies 1.3 billion dollar revenue agenda for the government of praetors divided on implementation strategy and prospects We can also find here military combs like Chad kills 22 terrorist Loses six troops audit report in Dykes National Assembly over 9 billion Naira unexplained expenditure Boko Haram destroys 1 million public and private buildings in Barnau and why Igbo should be president in 2023 And that's from it buzz once again doubts over federal government's capacity to remove for subsidy as election nears And with that we say good morning to GD Johnson. Thank you for joining us a pretty interesting stories that we can find across the papers I'm not sure which would be a nice place to stock. Maybe the federal government's 100 achievements in 2021 I think that's in the scorecard of the federal government and it's It's very interesting in the sense that the federal government is calling the federal government It's calling the presidency. You said the exam for yourself and you're examining yourself I believe that it should be the Cities in the should examine them. I was the press conference and before across all Media reportage of that event. I didn't see anywhere the minister was asked questions I think the mr. The issue shouldn't just being a session whereby the Minister who just made his presentation without taking tough questions as far as I'm concerned if you look at it To top most item identified by the minister that is called the government high on the economy and only security the reflections the inflation on Ground and the insecurity Across the length and breadth of Nigeria is an indication that the government did not square anything high based on what the minister said Because in one of the stories that we read said book alarm destroyed 1 million houses in Bono That's one of the stories that we read and we see the spate of the economy across across board What has been The cost of living the standard of living of an average of an average Nigerian Let's use this yield type period as an index of Measuring what our government has really done when it comes to the economy or that government has not really done Well, you quite know you and I know people that are asked us for a lifeline You know I mean because they see on screen And I think you have all the money in the world and today that I'm even dressing like a senator I've even created problem for myself So essentially as far as I'm concerned if you look at the scorecard is federal government setting the exam and the federal government Examining itself. It should be within Nigerian people. I think what the minister shall have done is to have commissioned An organization to do a public opinion polling to see how Nigerians have scored this This comment whether it has really done. Yes, they do. They do this ratings every now and then, you know That's not it's not it's not it's not Therefore the minister of information to tell us that the government has done Well, it's for us here to do a survey a public opinion polling to see how what is the public approval and written of president? Muhammad Bari what is the public approval and reason of his economic policy? It's you know, like you said every month on monthly based on quarterly basis Different types of organization release. They are posed to show The performance of government about if you give it to if you ask me to assess myself, Osara again How do you think I will assess myself? I say I've done well And that's what them the federal government has done federal government has engaged in self assessment And it's an exercise in self-dilution and as far as Nigerians are concerned the reality on ground does not match up with the with what the minister said with respect to This cockaddle on real achievement security and the rest of it when even if there's a particular story where the chief of army staff directed them the Military to go after to go after to go after bandits. I'm not to show We have really done well when it comes to that two items that they list as number one and number two on their scorecard I don't think so and I'm sure a lot of Nigerians will agree with me that Things are not okay when it comes to the economy and things are not okay when it comes to security Okay, I'm just there on the leadership newspaper. It says events that actually shaped 2021 and you also have like Pictures to actually tell some of those story. I mean the death of TV Joshua You know namdi khanus case. What have you several issues before you? What would you say that is that major event that happened in Nigeria that shaped 2021? I'm not even looking at what shape 2021 was going to shape 2022 was going to shape 2023 Which is the electoral the non passage of the electoral? Bill that was sent to the president for his assent as far as I'm concerned politics ships everything It is the politics that determines the polity the polity determines the policies and it is policies that ships people like now You recall in 2019. We provided an excuse that okay Well, you know what it was to was so close so the president cannot sign the electoral act of 2019 into an act and then we provided a rescue and it's like is to repeat itself syndrome and now We are going to 2023 election some of the challenges we have with 2019 election have not been addressed But some of the issues discovered have been addressed by the electoral There by the electoral bill that has been forwarded to different that has not been passed Now if you will lead that to a story of the of the APC convention where the peace panel has failed To creep to that there's every likelihood that the convention will be we'll be shifted in February because a Lot of litigation is going on concerning the APC permaries across APC Conventions across the states at the state level at the local government level. So as far as I'm concerned it's what as Ship 2023 is non signage of that act of that being into an act that will guide the Conduct of 2023 elections and that's moving forward because without politics you can't politics affect the economy Politics affect technology politics affect every aspect every aspect every aspect of our lives And it's like we are going back. We are going to use the 2010 Electra act that means how many years we are 13 years Behind behind schedule we fail to do the needful in 2014 to 2015 We fail to do the needful in 2019 now we are having these challenges in 2023 and people are providing the excuse And we have argued that you know what if the contentious area is the direct permaries or indirect permaries Esponge that particular Section or that particular call cross and send it back to the National Assembly and sign it until except We don't want to have a framework that will guide the 2020 election because if there is no governance There won't be a policy and if there is no policy they won't be there won't be National Assembly might do that one day You know for me, I think that both the National Assembly and the presidency are playing politics with us That's the reality you recall that it took the intervention of well many Nigerians and all Nigerians both civil organized labor Parties and the rest of us technocrats politicians business to clamor For the National Assembly to include The electronic voting unit was jettison in the first instance to include the electronic voting now We press your the National Assembly to include that now the National Assembly went ahead and insert Direct permaries into into the bill knowing quite all right that Critical stakeholders in their party. That's the governor and the presidency and even the party structure itself We're not in favor of that Mode of permaries for their party and they went ahead to do it So as far as I'm concerned, I think there's a conspiracy among the political class to truncate the 2023 election Well, I totally understand the fact that you're very concerned about 2022 and events that are actually shaped it Of course 2023, but I also like you to show your thoughts on this paper You have different events that they put out for them But what event do you think that happened? What what really happened in 2021 that you think, you know took a toll on the country? there are so many events That happened them in 20 21 I think that for me. It's a Is the usual vote user call That was freed by the court that was thrown away and Then you have a story in the newspaper where the president is saying that he's vying to recover All the money stolen from in the disease I have a case that was tried over a period of 12 years and the case was thrown off By you had a conviction given by by by lower courts and then the Supreme Court through with that case as far as I'm concerned It shows that we are not really fighting corruption Because if indeed we are fighting corruption, we should make examples of those that have dipped their hand into the covers of public funds Besides that what measures have we put in place to prevent people from stealing I get my point now if That was a story last week that we read where The NDC deputy director the recover 60 building you know you call last before 60 building was recovered That's just one deputy director. What about all the directors? So as far as I'm concerned is the is the is the NIP service That we are paying to fighting corruption because if you actually deal with corruption in this country if we manage it I'm sure Nigeria Dubai will not compete with Niger. Well, we're gonna get back to this You know because it's also an old story on the daily independent talking about the attorney general of the federation Like isn't the National Assembly of a general general general beg your pardon Indicted National Assembly management commission in 9.4 billion our unexplained expenses. We'll get back to that but we need to give you quick updates on Accidents, you know that are accord on the legacy by the expressway multiple car accidents that Accord lady early this morning the first involves an articulated vehicle with an unknown registration Loaded with diesel which has currently been a cordoned off for a translation of products In the second multiple vehicle accident involves an articulated vehicle once again looted with PMS with registration number unknown and for the vehicles of black Toyota Corolla With registration number a PP 681 FL a year a yellow commercial Boss a gray Honda Accord with registration number a KD 36 a GP and a gray Toyota Sienna which were all involved in this accident further information gathered revealed that a tank a lost control Due to a mechanical fault a break failure as it is Stated hit the Honda Accord from the rear before of course falling into onto the Toyota Corolla Seven casualties received on the spot treatment from the pre-hospital care unit our fathers were taken to the trauma center No, fatality has been recorded so far and of course at the Legos fire service and Others are present at the scene will of course give you further updates On this as the time passes on the program this morning once again It's a report on the multiple accidents on or Ted Ola bridge on the legacy battle expressway That I I saw the traffic builder because I left him around 5 15 a.m. And I was trying to navigate through that axis and Google map through to another route and then I came Out at a loss and I saw and the question we need to access That to Ted Ola bridge that particular section. We've seen it's a recurrent feature of Articulated vehicles current diesel current PMS tumbling and I've it's a problem of design And if government want to release of this problem and not to waste the life of Niger Oh, we need to do is to redesign that that section. You see if you are coming from beggar you descend and then You are sent Almost simultaneously He on either either side of that section and you ask yourself this busy question Who was the engineer that was involved in the design of that particular because you are not ready to spend money at that Time because it should be elevated it be should be elated to to to this one as you are coming You don't need to decide and we need to correct that once and for all in order not for us not to lose life every time I go to I keep maximizing do we have engineers in Nigeria working in Ministry of Works and In the state and at the federal level is is just a basic problem of design and in research We tell you if your design is if your design is wrong Your hardcore will be wrong because what the term is your your your evidence you gather is the design Yeah, is the design so the design of that particular is wrong And if we don't correct it once and for all we have lost even one leaves home Say for him and I'm sure many people have left home around that time to travel outside of Lagos You'll be shocked to see the traffic that build up. I left home 5 15 a.m. This money And I saw I was shocked and it's that same that same place that we lost many lives And it is that same spot and government has refused to do something You just don't you just me just drive through it and you know that it's a problem of design simple as ABC now something is building up To us at the base of Todd me land bridge, you know, they've recovered those land. It's just a matter of time Is the design when Todd me land bridge was designed? the recovered land as you are approaching Orochoki was not recovered. It was it was higher now. You need to see that place. It's is not higher than Than the base of the Todd me land bridge So it's just a matter of that we pray to heaven for God to come and solve the problem When it's just a basic problem of design people should follow design Permit me to use this when God Told Moses to build the temple. He said build the temple according to the pattern I've shown to you. So it's a problem, but this is so we keep losing lives and we keep blaming God I'll be blaming the devil now. Nothing will come out. There's nothing. Yeah, I'll come out That may be I pass to you that this money nothing will come out the building that collapsed What has happened to it? I was arguing. Yes, we continue with our life Well, let's also you started with you know talking about the fight against corruption So let's talk about the auditor general's office, you know that is indicting national assembly in a 9.4 billion Naira unexplained expenses Can the senators still money without the clerk can they take money without the auditor general of the National Assembly? The people that are in charge to maintain due diligence. They should be arrested and prosecuted. I've said it Never get to see any of it. Exactly. I mean have you ever seen any auditor general being inducted in Nigeria? Have you ever seen any director of finance being inducted in Nigeria? Now auntie you put measures in place To deal with and that's the question works. What are the measures that have been put in place to fight? Corruption beyond the rhetorics on the pages of newspaper. I will recover above. I will recover direct Instruct same thing. This is story Same thing we didn't do this. So we don't have a stock and yet we have the due process act that talks about our Funds the question I keep asking myself. How is it easy for people to take fund at or public? Public pause without people raising flags Without what EFCC will go about is to arrest boys on the street Probably that are two on their body or that something that red locks and the rest of it now. They were they were designed to Do it economic and financial crimes in government Now these agencies of government. What are they doing beyond prosecution? There should be intelligence gathering. We should have still assist you have a unit that prevents this from happening Not until we get to prosecution. Do not parade these people We have media trial and the the the the money the perception the manipulate public opinion and it let us feel that oh We are fighting corruption. This person has been arrested. He has been taken to court. Oh, we have his media trial and I've said it. Where do we have records of funds that were recovered in the last six years? You don't used to recover this between where is the record? It was the record released of acts by the auditor general of the Federation Was it gissetted by the attorney general of addition We just see it on the page of this paper and we too will run to town with the stories the federal government recover 60 Building those buildings that they said they recover last week. We are the buildings. What are the numbers of the buildings? We are those houses Now those houses, what are we going to do with it? Now if you recover those houses Are we selling it up and returning back the money to go home? Oh, are we combining converting it to to to public housing whereby you partition the house and you you ask people to Apply and then they use it. So until we begin to recover those property and convert those property to public use Until we begin to recover funds and convert those funds to public use. We are not making any How can 9.4 billion get missing from the National Assembly? Without any flag mirrors without any agencies of the government, you know, this money went through banks I mean FCC had access to it went to bank went to the banking system All right, let's also take a look at, you know, the leadership newspaper on this one. It talks about Be ruthless with terrorists bandits COAS orders generals and they were still talking about the issue of in security doesn't need the direction of You know in 2023 a government is saying we're going to you know get all of this element out of the system What's the essence of the army and the military? Is to protect defend the territory integrity of Nigeria and we have seen the situation whereby we read the story of Boko Haram destroying One million houses in Bono. We have stories of banditry in Zamfara state There was a major news yesterday that the 20-year-old was arrested in Zamfara in a tourist bandit was arrested in Zamfara We had cases of iswap making a new road and collecting taxes in Nigeria Republic You had case of banditry in in in Karsina stadium state of the president. So It doesn't need a major Call or Clarem call or directive or the for the chief of army staff that they should Fight by the tree. That's the rule of the military. Okay, but let's also look at another thing as well The constant involvement of the military in, you know, civil affairs in internal security Issues in the country that has called for a lot of concern and some persons have constantly said that that reduces the professionalism of the military as the military was created like you have rightly mentioned, you know to protect The country from external aggression and attacks when you have that in United States, you know, what they are called They are called National Guard. Yes the moment the God involved in Civil they become National Guard They have a different orientation different aspects different uniform, you know Once there is you came on this natural disaster. You see the the American military comes in but they are called National Guard now, do we do we do we have they been trained that When you are operating as a National Guard, this is the code of conduct and we are operating as the military This is the code of conduct. Haven't you had encounter with these people? Haven't you seen even seeing at night people were in camouflage? I have said it was our organ missing We are still in the civilian administration. We are not in a democracy in democracy military authority Subjects themselves to civilian control. That's one of the basic requirement of democratic society The military authority subject themselves to civilian control. So the the the Nigerian military Update been trained and equate to deal with civil matters That's that's and then if you are bringing them in we need to change their uniform for them to have a different perspective And then you need to orientate them to training for them to understand that because the military is trained to see you as an enemy That's is to fight the enemy Anything in front of the military is to be crossed. Yes or no So but if you are bringing them to deal with an internal affairs You must understand that they must be given a different orientation and they must be given a different Uniform and they must be given a different name Because we need to go that would be in a society that values, you know those civil those rights, you know of the Nigerian Value of life man life. That's the basic thing This is the value that we play the premium we place on life. Absolutely. And that's and that's the premium What's the what of a life? That's the premium and that's what when there is a society that values those things Values the rights and the life of a Nigerian then that training will be set aside for military Officers that will be involved in civil, you know, what what gives you that right or sorority is life Well, a dead man does not have a right. It's that life every right is entrusted in Life now if we value that life, then our society will be a different a different bug in who have that accident We have on Othedola Bridge a current one that we keep having over and over and over again all right, we'll take a short break and share with you what happened on this day in history and Right after that we get into our first major conversation for today And we're talking about you the citizen and the role that you have to play in Governance and in nation-building that's what comes up next. Stay with us I'm a size case