 Welcome back to the breakfast and plus CVF request time for of the press We will take you through the pages of a national dailies and then have a big guest join us analyzing the stories We do have on standby Chris Kane day one do is good to have you join us this morning All right as always attention would be on the big stories on our dailies I set off with the leadership newspaper this morning I'd be looking at the boat caption Governors disagree with President Muhammad of Buhari insist on state pleas That's the boat caption says military pleas overwhelmed by security challenges To upgrade vigilantes local guards Regional security outfit as interior major You also have ex-servicemen and security expert defy on state police The argument has surfaced again, and I feel that would just constantly dominate You know the discourse until we decide whether or not we want you know state policing in our country federal government and max 3.53 trillion investment to address 17 million housing deficit that's also another caption on the leadership and And Tinnubu's presidential ambition Stares the internet. I mean That has generated a lot of reactions NLC health workers knock bill to outlaw strike That's also another interesting one this morning and just before we move away troops kill five terrorists in Kaduna village After ten years you'll be lifts ban on motorcycles You also have Afghans super eagles made pharaohs today talking about that game with Egypt we see how that pans out. That's the much we can take on the leadership Newspaper this morning away from the leadership Let's turn our attention to the punch newspaper and on the punch newspaper the banner caption reads or Hanay's a fumes Alleges injustice as to know boo the class presidential bead. I Have informed Buhari of my ambition. He did not ask me to stop says the APC leader Tinnubu's presidential ambition not rooted in equity Justice its Igbo man's turn or Hanay's a is quoted P and ID from paid Nine thousand nine hundred and sixty nine into directors daughters accounts before agreements and Signing wow That's also another interesting caption. That's what a weakness is quoted to say the value currency further Raises interest rates IMF tells Nigerians and others EFCC we arrest Moffa for alleged thirty two point nine billion Naira money laundering and Disco's indebtedness heat 326 billion Naira nine months says the federal government and So you're looking at the punch newspaper this morning power generation drops as the vandals ground 504 megawatts planned Plans I take that again power generation drops as vandals ground 504 megawatt plans Internet subscribers fall by 11 million over NIM and S. I am that's the same linkages and orders. That's also another one you find this morning and parliamentary workers Pickett's National Assembly protests unpaid salaries and allowances APC picks January 27th for a kitty governorship primaries Quankuk so rubbish is zoning and begins consultation on 2023 presidential bead suspected court is tied Lagos Casino attendance hands and stab victims to death and You also have army arrest soldiers for alleged assault on or your traffic workers or whether Worthens I beg your pardon. It could be sales Boy disguised and threatened boss with kidnap and demands 1.5 million Naira And you also have the FRSC begins enforcement of speed limit and Arrest seven motorists. Now. This is some of the headlines on the punch newspaper We move away from the punch and let's all check out the daily independent newspaper this morning 2023 elections, I have confidence capacity to rule Nigeria Says to new boo I have confidence capacity to rule Nigeria says to new boo That's the boat caption for the daily independent ahead of 2023 says Buhari not Adverse to his live long presidential plan We have been vindicated by to new boo's declaration He should quits the stage for younger politicians This is a lot of back-and-forth following this particular, you know caption Gunmen and forcing seat at home order killed to and burned vehicles in Enugu and Anambra state You also have subsidy removal will help 2022 budget implementation. This is according to civil society organization regime responsible for Nigerians economic woes Lassa fever killed doctor to others in Benway states and fiscal deficit funding subsidies reform Present ricks to inflation With bandits declared terrorists, we will defeat them That's what the army chief is quoted to say and fan arrest 90 persons at Lagos a Booja airport over touting an extortion Vice president Yemio Shiban jaw and deputy governors meet over Boundary boundary cries This is some of the caption on the daily Independent and just before we move away. We just also check out the Daily Sun newspaper this morning and On the Daily Sun still dominating all of the papers this morning 2023 To new boo notifies Buhari of presidential ambition That's also on the board caption of any fair or Hanay Zay a CF and BF orders divided 57 groups and thus vice president Yemio Shiban jaw only PDP can rescue Nigeria Governor Deere is quoted on that and Bishop coca denies DSS invitation. That's also another caption here EFCC grills 22 suspected all thieves and recovers 1.5 to billion narrow 386 million Dollars in 2021 and I will see attacks nas over build to outlaw industrial action Nigerians once state Please and clack tells Buhari Accuses president of using please to obstruct free speech And persecute political enemies Social media Abia governor wants falsehood peddlers It's also another one and gunmen abduct emo X speaker for others I carry the loose sets of campaign against beef In south with southwests and all just people to embrace poetry instead I pop explains propose cow meat ban in southeast These are the headlines on the Daily Sun newspaper Which is going to have Chris Wendoo join the conversation this morning Once again, thank you for joining us. Good morning Thank you for having me. Good morning once again Good morning So so let's set off with the big stories on the dailies this morning and the board caption talking about the declaration for the presidential beat 2023 talking about the former governor of lego state tunubu Bola met tunubu what are your thoughts and the reactions that these has generated over, you know, the last 24 hours Yes, the question we need as I said is Does the former governor of lego state national leader of a pc have the constitutional right to Lie for the highest office in 90 of course it does and That is not it is is right as enshrined by the 1999 constitution for the republic of Nigeria And and I that constitution does give me guidelines as to who can aspire to the highest office in the land age education And other issues So if you're able to meet that requirement, then there's no problem with that Don't forget it has been with the rents of rumors for months now Whether or not Bola met tunubu is going to run In 2023 and that is so many Permissions here and there but finally yesterday he showed up at asoro And they met with the president and he told us that he has formally formed the president of his desire to occupy the office in 2023 and and the tunubu office From the president and then so I have no problem with that But it is now within the party himself able to determine who is going to fly their flag What he did not tell us fully yesterday was the reaction of the president also He said the president has nothing against that would have I wanted to see whether the president was great Endows him and didn't tell us that Don't also forget that the president few days ago in a television interview said that He has his own candidate for 2023 that he was not going to name the person because it feels that if he names him There is the possibility that we need to expect good enough tunubu has thrown his hat in the ring And I can assure you that in the next few days or weeks Some other people within the political party also will also express their own ambition and I will take it from there But what is more paramount now is how he is able to put his hat together and what is national convention which it has put Was put separately There are so many Talk here and there on the reason why that convention is not good in but from what we're hearing that I think it is But whether or not Timbo has the right to contest fine But my own digital end here is that I I feel that one that He might have one or two things against him one is the fact that a Tunibu is not Uh, although I'm not a medical doctor, but I know that a table has been in and out of hospital for some time now I don't know how that is going to count against him because We also saw what happened in 2015 when we had a president that was elected That was going in and out of hospital or on the monthly basis and that in itself affected his Capacity and performance as a president for a long time That was a time he was in UK for months or weeks and he continued going in and that for me Was a minus for the president and you know that former governor Polar Tunibu has not been the best of health, but it's only got a big help So nobody can say it. So if you think it's really fit now, how will I go? Second is also the issue of age Polar In the 70s, it's going to 80s. Do we still need Such old people to be able to handle the affairs of the country. Do they have the capacity and the mentor? Ability to be able to handle Issues of governance in a polarized System like ours that is left to be seen but as I said, he has the right to contest and he has made this this thing So he says consulting and informally you inform Andreas. He is to come formally Okay, so um Within that particular premise now, let's also talk about the fact that you also have some groups like the Ohaneze among others who are saying that this is actually not very fair Because it should be The time for the south now when you talk about the south, we don't know if we're talking about the southeast or the southwest That's the issue of zoning. So what are your thoughts surrounding these Arguments that have been put out now. It should be, you know, the town for the south Well, nobody will drop The any office on your labs. We have to work for it So if the start is once the president's there, they have to work for it They have to consult with other stakeholders across Nigeria. Not just only the south. It's also in the north and with their confidence It also depends on the kind of candidate. They're breaking forward We then be able to match other candidates from other parts of the country That is also for them to be able to do that. We also have to put their hearts together And other what are they talking about if we let us be realistic The south has never had Have not had the best of time with a piece A most important a piece As a as a party South is mostly a pdp Where to be region right from 1999 and I'm not sure that although you have pockets of Governors coming from the a piece once in a while you have which are so crucial That was a governor of himo state before the opios or thema Was installed by supreme court Who is also the governor of the Of himo state presently in the south is you have an uptown governor in an umbrella state Then in the other parts of the State also you have a boy which is which is predominantly used to be a pdp state where the governor defected from a pdp to apc But most often than not If they're saying that no one is doing the wrong thing by not allowing The south is done as to have a shot at the president when that is wrong They have a work on the destiny apc who can also give ballast to no one for his money are they At the convention if they so wish so you have been gigging there you have so many of them If you have questions of courage you have so many members of the South is done as in apc if the tree that is there right then let them go to convention and also contest alongside with special aspirants of the apc and Let's see how it goes But if you think that they can just sit down and we say that give all the presidentry for 2020 nobody's going to do that Politics is about giving and taking so you give and take so you but don't forget that also the pdp has not only his own presidential Seeds to any region yet. So that's what I say The problem is he's only to be south or southeast has to be but If what is coming out of the pdp center to go by if you look at one of the headlines this morning From our cabinet stage well, you know, right people once have said that pdp must not so soon is presidential Slot to the south that you should leave it open And if that's the kind of information and my say that is coming from the north then Uh, there's a lot of challenges there. But as I said South east should put their ass together work together I'm able to come up with credible candidates that can Fist anybody from any part of the continent that would be there for me just to not put a candidate of their choice All right, let's also look at the leadership on the leadership. You have the nlc and health workers Not built to outlaw strike Uh, that seemed, you know, very a little bit undemocratic Uh, because strike has always been, you know, means where Different persons have actually deployed it to to demand, you know, their needs I mean policies and demand good governance and, uh, you know, push their own concerns To government across board That's the way that I can stop anybody from going on strike. There is that a constitutional right That's facing that to agitate to your mind. I think that's all right. So I've been Stubborn of all or you are not getting the necessary Regulation as Agreed then you have the right to go on strike. There is no budget. There's no cut in the land I can't stop anybody from Bring on strike. So if anybody is making that addition that you should go on strike and rather just wasting his time They will usually go on strike. That is only way that they can press for their demands and demands On issues concerning the especially when it comes to welfare of workers That is only legitimate way of agitation except you now want them to resort to violence, which is against No man knows and also the constitutional So that's you stop everybody from going on strike. That is not an equal the constitution is very very clear of this And there have been so many judge judgment and co-pronouncement on those issues and that's the fundamental right of every worker And so that is not even a Something to discuss about there is no Every worker has a right to go on strike. But you know that it we're talking about, you know an act of legislation here That's almost, you know Seeing the light of day and what if that becomes a law that you know strike should be outlawed Yes, don't forget that before people anybody it is of that or before any organization or group Go on strike. They have always been negotiation strike is always the last point um At which you work as a Because it is a bit as don't forget that I always the room for negotiations And you know gations in negotiation and rest of it. It is only when that fails That strike begin nobody comes up. No, I've never seen a little labor organization or any organization that comes up And just say we are going on strike. No, it is not done What normally happens is that there will be negotiation After negotiation must have broken down. Then there will be notices They give notices in the next three weeks in the next one month in the next two months If you don't meet our demands aggressive of them, we go on strike. So and that is the number that is number one because so Whether legislation or not as I repeat and I continue to say that is no law that stops any person That stops any work up or going on strike in Nigeria none There is none. So the only the best way to go about it and how why do people go on strike is because most of them are not organizations And government agencies or government goes into negotiation goes into agreement with workers Sign a document sign a contract and at the end of what they fail. It has happened several times Over and over here. We see with asu. We see it NMA. We see it with local government workers We see it with judiciary workers and rest of them at the end of it or that the government or some of these organizations don't meet up to the contract in terms of the contract and that is what needs to Such as strike. So, uh, but if you don't want Such there you have to meet the demands of the Of the workers else as I said strike is always the last option All right, and you also like to share your thoughts on the seated home order that's been enforced in You know inugu and an amber state And the argument surrounding it and some people say it has not yielded any result for the iPop and so a different approach should be taken. However to press forth their demands iPod iPod iPod every time The issue which I the issue is up with iPod is It's multi functional As it were now I think the most critical point in western is now is whether or not Uh, the issue surrounding the continuation of non become Seraphic from the southeast have felt that There's the need for the for the government to just let go and so that there'll be need for Proper negotiation on some of the issues raised by inam de calo and ipod I don't forget to say to me that in an interview Few days ago the president came out to say that there is nothing he's going to do about inam de calo That's two months ago. He's going to go through the means of prosecution and he should be able to defend himself in court that That is office Table now that inam river bet. I know that so many leaders of the southeast and also Hones and people have come out to say that That is not the way to go that the president should have anything Don't don't forget also some months back leaders of Leaders from the southeast met with the president at the villa They think that it should be able to handle the issue of inam de calo With some kind of fatherly based on fatherly role and see whether it can be released but the on a very on a daily basis iPod in itself is thinking it and Of recent if you have a statement coming from ipod is anything to come by Apple is saying by it by every That they will ban or beef or cows Eating of beef or cow meat in the southeast that they will stop movement of cows into the southeast So not that groups are also come out to say that if that would then also they are going to Place ban or goods coming from the southeast into the north. This to me is not the way to go We should be looking for solutions to the problems as it's fair and what we are seeing now is an escalation of crisis both from the iPod and some other This is not the way to go. I think that we can still have a more a robust approach to the issues Stay. Yes. The question we always have always said is that You know, which is I don't believe in ipod or water ban and this kind of thing But most of that now we cannot true the way the video with the With the bad water most of the issues raised by inam de calo is it? Some of this issue is it true and it's true because you're talking of a marginalization Don't forget some people say we are talking about statists saying that they deserve the presidency in 2023 And they believe that all that part of the country should support them That is part of all the free that they have been marginalized Because come to think of it since 1999 the southeast is the only region that have not produced the presidents Is not a produced a president Have produced president In the press papillar agrar the southwest produce A militia go and pass on your the south has south that have produced Good Lord Jonathan, but nothing. Uh, nobody from the south is so some of these are the key allegations being made by agitators from the southeast and I think that should be looked at instead of just sweeping it under the carpet But I think that I will the best to the best way to go about it is for us to have Georgia Discussion on issues of agitation not only the south is but even the south was Don't forget the bohos and the rest of them are also agitating and so we have so much on our table now that Any level of distraction would be not it would not be good for the 90 what we need now is a united force to force To fight the problem we are having which is the problem of insecurity All has must be on deck whether from the north from the south or from anywhere to make sure we have to cut this I'm able to kill this Issue of insecurity that is practically taking over Nigeria that to me should be about All of that level of this should go into the rest of the negotiation and I think we can get it right If we have the best of ways to do that All right, so I'd also like to draw your attention to another you know caption here on the daily independent He says that subsidy removal will help 2022 budget implementation This is according to civil society organization. Do you agree with that ideology? Anybody can come up to say he's a civil society organization. Also, so this chankara Civil society, I don't know. They're not going to decide. I don't know which of them everybody wake up when they say I'm a civil society and Forget this They are just talking for the face of who have been giving so many reasons why How removal of subsidy Can Can help the economy fine I am for removal of subsidy but the fact is that at the end of it or what comes out of it What of them we'll be able to be able to make we'll be able to make Are we going to channel it truly as the program has always told us into capital projects and projects that will benefit Nigeria's That itself has always been an issue and if you say you're removing subsidy Then what is alternative? We are talking of non-Nigerians are going to buy petroleum at 300 and something Don't forget that this is Nigeria that already be overtaxed Even recently just as a few days ago when the minister of finance was talking about issue of start There's some dreams that you are 19. There's going to be tax on more tax on it I'm sure you are aware of that They just came up with that when they call it the carbonate drinks that's going to be taxed We have moved back from 5% to 7.5% on a daily basis the bank are charging us Charging us there's that so many other taxes are called like this. So Removal of subsidy I have we've said the time and time on it is not removal of subsidy On petroleum that is the problem. We find that The fact is that we have to make a reverse to work. We must stop the importation of fuel no matter what the buy is if you remove subsidy The problem we got to in as much as we continue to import fuel the prices of this product will continue to go So the promises made to Nigeria's in 2015 by this current government This ad going I call it the ad going government because they practically had about seven years and just have barely one year to go Is that they're going to revive and use so many requirements that The other people will not be voting for us But what we over 95% if not 100% of the fuel that we consume and people will consume in Nigeria I bought it and that is the reason why we have these high prices We it is only Nigeria that is a country that produces food or you a sport food or you and not buy petroleum No other country in the world even within a peck does that and that is where the problem is So if you continue to say oh, we will remove Sources the on petroleum. We are going to channel it this thing into Other sectors and rest of them. I don't believe that I don't believe in that analogy because even if you remove subsidy tomorrow They have to come up with something so but I don't so for me forget all this wannabe Society for whatever they call them. I don't think they have a person just for Nigeria They should be telling us the alternative for us. They should be telling us what we should be telling the government what I'm not just adding Added to the talk and saying that we need to use so I see if we seem to remove subsidy. That is the end of the book That is not the end of the problem All right on the punch. You also have the value currency father raise interest rates IMF tells Nigeria and others well We always are the begger called off IMF and the workman. They tell me what happens when economy and rest of them But why we're always having so much uh What I would say that so much so and we cannot be able to arrest the issue of the devaluation and probably from there we are having with the The dollar is because we are not exporting more We are a dependent but dependent country and when you continue to depend on potential that is what happens You cannot have a control over your own chorus because if you are exporting more you are exporting enough Then you also be making foreign exchange that in this time we bring down The capacity of your own bet as of as of few days ago In the local market the dollar is going for over five five five hundred and fifty four hundred and fifty nine to a dollar that is on a high size The official market is about four hundred something but I mean we could have the opportunity of what we need to do is to create A not avenue for exporting. We should create be more creative In our economy. We have talked about the issue of a agriculture We have talked the issue of mining these are other sectors. We're even IT Most countries live on IT There is a that's what that's what they live on a country like india A country like china I still think that we can do a lot in that bet Once we continue continue importing and importing and importing That is going to be the problem and it will continue to have a college Listen on on our currency and don't forget that we practically come to a growing country on a daily basis We are going to china and they have cost to borrow money And that is not investable if you put a country that goes anybody that goes the program goes are so wrong So we are the pecker call of some of these countries that we practically go to On our needs every the pegging for money instead of looking for ways of I believe and that's the thing that this government Has the capacity we have enough ideas that can have the capacity to think out of the boss And we go to revive this economy turn around this economy Bet we play politics with everything. You don't have to come from game Of course, I just did it in 1999 by bringing so many technocrats. Somebody like okonjewana Uh People like eruphi who was in charge of we are not members of PD They just they are technocrats which were brought into government and you saw what they did By the time the government of a passenger was leaving we were practically paid off all our foreign debt And we had nothing but what have we happened now? We just have yes, man and party can be a pointer who don't know they are left on the right And the economies continue to lose that as we are having it well, but What would be the implication if you know, we have to pay attention to the advice of the mif i mean the International monetary fund that's the imf right now And you also mentioned the fact that We are constantly at the messy of the international monetary fund. Now. What's that? It's not today. I may have been telling us it's don't forget that Yes, but remember what it is of sap Uh, if you remember the day of structure adjustment program in those days, it was an imf policy ims we always go to developing countries and be able to give all sorts of Monetary advices are there i mf cannot open his mouth and tell russia or united states of america what to do Because these are strong economies. They cannot they cannot go to a price. They cannot go to germany I'll tell them what they cannot tell china what to do It's only developing countries like ours that are dependent at bigger nations that i am who are leading That we must always find a home group solution to our economic problems and not what i am able to work on tells us That is my that is what i'm saying. We must find a home group problem solution to our problem We cannot be waiting on i mf on the daily basis to tell us what to do. Are we saying that? Don't forget that you are talking of i mf or work on in idea was the former president Um, this thing of a work bank. Don't forget that In the country while at once was in the work bank and the end of work bank Our own Was a name I just got a name now was also the work bank as the vice president at one point Obviously it's a facility the fact i'm trying to say is that onto record who going to start off always depending on foreign rules on foreign debt are not really Um, you didn't enough capacity Economically in nigeria to be able to empower herself and be able to handle ourselves Then we come to ruby because they know you always come around to borrow from i mf. They know you come Broke from work bank and when you go borrow it They are going to give you the time it's just like asking for a bank loan If you go to a bank to borrow money to be asked not only collabs But the bank also wants to tell you what to do with the money you have borrowed So that is the problem we are having so i mf we always come A work bank will use come to tell us what a bet are those money to policies physical or whatever policies are they good enough for the country as he could have Nigeria as he work for us it has no work So what we need to do is build up our capacity look at our economy transform our economy make ourselves He put ourselves in a position where we don't need to wait for anybody to tell us what to do But if we continue to wait on them depend on the i mf and work back for our survivor Whatever they give us we have no option than to take it Oh, well, thank you so much chris one do for being part of the conversation this morning We really do appreciate your time and your thoughts on this issues. We look forward to having more of you Thank you very much for having me and you having nice All right you too Well, that's the much we can take on off the press this morning when we come through We will head straight to our first major conversation Where we will be looking at the cyber attack on the national identity management commission that has cost Allegedly cost over three million national identity cards of Nigerians. Please stick around