 We're still on the breakfast plus TV Africa. Thank you for staying with us so much. We have a zikko Yeah, I took who joins the conversation this morning a zikko Compliment of the season happy new year to be precise Very same to you happy 2023 to all those I said we will not be here too bad for them right here Definitely we're here let's start off with the papers this morning and Would like to take a quick look at One of the papers has been made available by our paper vendor We'll be looking at the daily trust newspaper on the daily trust newspaper The headlines is state federal FCT to spend over 11.5 trillion naira in 2023 Projections barely, you know an annual retros that's what a spotter say bags orders must be weary granting loans to outgoing governors and That's also a picture of unprecedented crowd the shutdown candle for the state APC Presidential rally you could see a picture as well, but at some point It looks a save these pictures are photoshop, right? You look at it to some extent. I really don't know why People do this things, but you know, we have to be very honest as a people Let's quickly turn our attention from the daily trust. We have the nation newspaper Also in front of off to the bull shatima APC chiefs shot down canon and There's also a pictorial representation to that on the front page of the nation ex-legislative governor promises to serve Nigerians progressive Nigerians progressive governors will deliver at polls says Baguda now away from that central bank of Nigeria says the 1.35 trillion naira Polaris bank sales must be competitive is a competitive offer bite away and Another caption says government targets 8.2 trillion are from known oil sector It would really be great because as much as we make all of these projections on pep on paper Most times were still very dependent on people we K confident of victory for his preferred presidential candidate and Air Force redeploys the branch chief AOC's NDDC bad from awarding contract above limit These are some of the headlines you find this morning on the nation newspaper The next paper we have is the punch the punch says disco hike electricity tariff secretly and consumers kick So whatever is done in secret Cannot be hidden for too long the people will know that's why the consumers are kicking consumers accused this cause of a hike and Operators and ERC silent. You also have this goes begin new tariff January the first They are all the arbitrary increment of Anna who's saying all of that But these are some of the consents that you have underneath the right and right there and a PC prospect for oil in Nigeria and Borno NSPC Prospects for oil in Niger and Borno. I mean some people will say should we be celebrating about this? Especially when we look at the oil sector How far we fed what has gone on with the discovery of oil and the prospects all What can we say about it now just dead to heat? 77 trillion Naira loan 17 go up 5.2 trillion 25 buyers invited for the Polaris bag sale. That's what the CBN is saying Again, I don't understand why assilence killed my brother wife son That unfortunately so then the happen CBN Walker's sibling is quoted to say and The 2023 elections election I next set aside 1809 Beavers as backup quite commendable fuel marketers boycott private depots and 2174 or Let's look at it closely 274 trillion Naira security budget Low reps panel is saying The Guardian is the paper we have next Guardian says that servicing gobs eighty point six percent of the 2022 revenue federal government six fresh eight point eight trillion Naira loans lawmakers All does to take home 228.1 billion It's been dominating the papers yesterday. We talked about it on the show federal government to fund 553.46 billion Naira budget gap with spectrum fees Maritime tax security to go up with 13.4 percent of total expenditure outlay Education allocation increased from five point four percent to eight point two percent only 1.88 billion released for capital projects as at november Government not doing enough to generate incomes as expired. These are the riders you find this morning and Petrol petroleum tanker drivers threatened nationwide strike, okay Nigeria records that five fresh covet 19 cases as much as There's been different reports from different quarters But these are some of the headlines to take this morning and zika on yaitouk It's good to have you join us. Thank you so much. We appreciate your time Thank you again Then let's get straight to the crux of the matter. There are several interesting headlines, but let's look at the issue of revenue for Nigeria and the country debt servicing gobs 80.6 percent of the 2022 revenue federal government six fresh eight point eight trillion Naira's loan And we also know that the lawmakers have allocated 228.8 billion away from the 59 billion Naira that's been allocated So there's been a kick even despite the fact that was struggling, uh, you know, with revenue for our country That's on the guardian newspaper Yeah, um, thanks again, you know last week we were like playing with figures and I'm wondering where the missing link was and everything I did go back to look at the budget and the missing link Was the debt servicing because we're trying to add up, you know, the capital the recurrent And it didn't meet up to the 21 billion 21.7 billion the difference was in debt servicing and I don't know how many of us really I mean for somewhere like myself that is running for the governorship of a state When you look at the budget One of the very very critical areas that bothers me no end is the debt profile of the state And if people understand you see this the debts that we borrow They are shrouded in so much mystery that we don't really know the terms and conditions We don't know the conditionalities attached to this debt and if you come to a state level and Maybe and of course not even maybe there's going to be an ispo attached to it And you may not be able to reschedule it at any point you may realize that you you're projected income of about say 20 billion you may discover that about three four billion Is going to be going on a monthly basis to debt servicing That means that when you now have your capital and recurrent and you put together then you have nothing left For for or rather way take your your recurrent Where you have the Salaries and wages and running of government you may discover that there's nothing left for capital And because what you projected to be for capital is now going into debt servicing So the issue of debt servicing is something that every Nigerian every state government At the federal and at the sub national levels should take really really serious This issue of just borrowing borrowing borrowing you are putting the country or your state In a situation where they may not be able they may be crippled You know not even for the next generation, but even for the present generation for the incoming administration I think that Nigerians should wake up And make sure that one of the most important considerations one of the prime considerations Is how how How how concerned The the presidential candidate or the governorship candidate is about the issue of debt And what the person wants to do concerning it in our case We do have any option than to say number one change the music and number two go low profile because unless you Change your test boards from that consumption of we can't have a private jet attached to the government again We can't have this concept of government house that is taking so much money There are many things you've got to cut the waste stages Because the music has changed there's no more money And this has to apply at the national level and at the sub national levels We need to be very very careful about the character the personality the mindset Of the person that we want to bring into government when you see Let me be a little more specific One of the things that has endeared mr. Peter will be to a lot of people Is this aspect of feeling that look public funds? must have a a certain Conscience about it Where you must manage it in a way that must bring dividends to the people And this should be the mindset of anybody seeking any public office. It's not about your personal ego It's not about yourself because the dead body in Nigeria all the state We must have a very serious conversation around it even also. Okay. Look at the nationals. This chinese loans that we are taking up and down There's been a lot of speculation that they are tied to national assets Why can the the national assembly? Look into that allegation or assertion or What do you call it? Maybe conspiracy theory Is it a fact? And if it is which national assets are our debt tied to are we going to wake up one morning and discover that I don't even know. Maybe the the the villa Is in is being controlled by another government Or wake up and discover that nmpc has been taken over by another government Or wake up and discover that you know Some very very strategic, you know Investments that we've made over the years and are under the control. I don't want to even talk about the place They said they took over the police. I mean, I mean that's absurd. That's ridiculous. That is unthinkable You know unfathomable So this issue of debt. I will say it again and again Nigerians should wake up and smell the coffee the person that wants to be your president What's his mindset with respect to how you spend money where you spend money? prioritization and if you look from You know, uh in our language, they say they don't get a bit, but that you learn Dead from sleep The campaigning structure The way they spend money the approach to things doesn't show people who are going to be extremely Spend drifts or those who are going to be very full girl with money or those who are I mean What's the mindset because who you have today? Is the person that is going to run your life for the next four if not eight years Ezekiel let's move away from the garden newspaper and turn our attention to the punch because Nigeria's the country's where we're still talking about the issue of revenue revenue Is a major issue for us and that's because we have not been able, you know to convert all that's around us, you know to Reality and make it, you know tangible However, the daily trust reports that 36 states government and the federal capital territory Have proposed to spend over 11.5 trillion naira in 2023 fiscal year. Of course, we're already in 2023 now A fourth analysis shows that You know 6.482 trillion naira will be spent on capital project While 4.989 trillion will be spent on recurrent capital and you know that we have been very big You know on the issue of allocation How much we allocate to capital project and how much we used to run the cost of governance Now this is a holistic analysis You think that 2023 is really going to be a happy year for us in some states actually not entirely I'll tell you this There's a mindset that I've tried very hard to talk about and enlighten people The sort of democracy that we run Is such that the office of the chief executive whether the president Or the governor the third tier is just there in principles The local government they really don't they are the appendages of the state government between these two people The mindset of the person is so crucial Because they have such overwhelming powers That they can literally do or undo When the bible says that when the righteous is on the throne the people rejoice It's just a typical case of Nigeria We've got to know that the person that we bring into power The person that we support It's a sowing and reaping principle Those of us that have the mindset of Make I collect my own this time or going to collect going to collect Not that it is your reaping season and that you are going to be sowing for the next four years Why would you reap of two months and so for four years? It's nonsensical It makes more sense for you to think of a person you are going to support You are going to sow You are going to help he doesn't have but he knows he doesn't have the money But he has the spirit he has the mind he has the exposure He has what I need to manage this country or this state for the next four to eight years So you support that person on the 29th of of may that person comes to power And then you can relax for four years Because you have elected a competent capable person with character and love above all Love for country or for state You realize that there will be a new spirit that galvanizes every single person We start to work towards a common goal and that will be the beginning of our emancipation For people who have seen people that are completely You know Disenfranchised not disenfranchised They are not in a position to be able to do the regal's of the job And you're following the person because he has money The problem is not the person because everybody has a right to aspire the problem is you That you know this person is not competent to handle this job You're following the person as if a spell has been cast on you as a matter of fact in our last radio program We have to spend time Grateful this covering cast the spell that comes on intelligent articulate people during election And then suddenly leave them after election But um as I can yeah, I took is it not worrisome that out of this state as much as we're talking about the 2023 You know budget. There's only 20 states out of 36 that has you know gone ahead to Passing to law what they intend to spend for 2023 And so you have the remaining state is it not worrisome how will there be you know running the states at this point in time It's not budgeted for because i'm sure that the budget cycle Had already been expired except there's a different budget cycle that might be running on I'll tell you it comes to the same thing I say all the time almost sounding like a broken record When you expect a dog to meow Or a cat to bark The problem is not with the dog or with the cat the problem is with you that should know better These people have never been interested in governors They have only been interested in state capture the treasury So a little important little such a fundamental thing as the budget that should be A very very serious consideration for any state governor You realize that these these charlatans are still monkeying with it All their own is politics politics my Successor my successor because if you look at those states Literally all of them are people who are like doing their second term completing their second term So they are busy with what am I going to take? How am I going to take it? What do I do? What can I delay so that I can do this and do that and not how can my state be properly run It's worrisome like you said extremely worrisome But I think that There are eye openness to us for us to think in terms of the sort of people that we are going to bring in Into governance by next dispensation, which is just a few weeks away Well, let's see how all of that pans out and the next question will be because I mean this report and this conversation is Such that we should you know have over time over and over again Because in order to see some of the states that have you know put out their budget Have passed it and what have you just a few of them have stated how they intend to fund the budget Most of them have not stated that how they intend to you know, solve Fund this budget just only to be dependent on what comes from their allocation the federal allocation And now we know that you know, what's coming into the federal allocation Is not so big because of the challenges that we have so Is it no time that we we tell ourselves the truth and You know begin to decentralize power and allow states to begin to think outside of the box Maybe these states are becoming very lazy Just because they have to depend on an allocation that comes from the center Two things yesterday In a quibomb states the council of elders made up of past governors and their deputies past Ministers, you know the the attorneys general and things like that they came together and called all of us That want to be governors And said talk to us. They did not allow any other person coming strictly the council of elders and I think at the end of the day The jury was out there because luckily for us their lives streamed it The only problem that some of us had was that I wish they had more time to do more drill down to specifics So that You can tell us how you want to get the resources To fund these phantom projects this fantasy that you have in your head But I think that the little time we had We could tell who was ready for governance and who was just thinking Let me just go and collect the money and share. Okay. So what am I saying? I think people should start to drill down the professionals in every state Get yourselves together. Don't be in a hurry to endorse anybody drill every single person on the house How how how I want to create jobs. How I want to be able to fund this project. How Give us specifics on how you want to do all these things youth unemployment restiveness Tell us specifics security your finances tell us specifics So I think that the best we can do now is to tell all this whether you're or haneze and the different different groups or You know, whichever you are whichever you are call all your candidates Drill them now Put them to debate. I'm surprised that some people don't want to open themselves up to debate Like in aquaibong one of the people that said is a front line person. Come and let us talk Let's take you on one on one Let's know what you have because it's what is between your ears that we need not how much deep your pocket is That's absolute boulder that come and face the public Tell them who you are what you want to do and how you want to do what you want to do That is what should give the public the inspiration to line up behind you and not to go and vote by using the resources of the people and God is watching All right, then the garden newspaper This issue is about covet and we know that there's been a lot of concern in china The you know center for disease control in igia as we are sure that We haven't recorded. I mean that was you know some kind of report that we have not recorded anything I mean, there's nothing to be scared of or worried about However, uh, there are social recent reports saying that nigera records about 35 fresh covet 19 cases And the foreign airlines have also kicked fault in the return of ineffective covet 19 protocols Travel protocols. We know that it's not just nigera. I think nigera was following the lead You know following what was going on globally because even in the united kingdom and amongst other Countries, they had relaxed travel protocol. They have relaxed, you know, the covet 19 protocols When of no smacks and public and we'll have you so we're here again And should we be worried especially when we're itching closer to we're getting closer to the 2023 elections That's in november 2023. You see already sounds like we're in 2022 when we're very close to the elections How many more weeks how many more days before the elections in february? So should we be should we be worried now? I I think I need should use this opportunity to Happen what I have always always always advocated Play down on the rallies where you say next nothing where you spend so much money Do more of town hall and debate Play down on the rallies because the the fully of the rally has been exposed These are people that I mean look at the last election You know the cycle when article entered cano It was wow It was like like a tsunami was achieved here taking over the whole state But during election how many votes came out was an anti-climate So Nigerians should refuse to be impressed by these rallies where you pay people humongous amount of money Pay them and bring all sorts of it's called mobilization. We all know It's a silly trick that by today we should be tired of It's a simple thing Get the people bring me 20 buses from this place 20 from this place 20 you they pay there and they go like Where did they go? How much? To 2,000 bam. Everyone will just drop the boom boom boom. They come and empty in this space and watch the people that are there They are just milling around because as far as they are concerned They just came here on a contract pay me my money and go my way. I don't get problem You don't get problem you understand So is that is that campaigning? Is that what I need to to see the people people should put up record of their campaigns Look in acquai boom. I keep saying this I've been to 28 out of 31 local government where I can give you the report from every village Village not word Recorded by I went with NTA crew for weeks Span we're doing three hours in every local government Especially selected people strictly by invitation to cover every village and we sat down and hear the problems of Every village I doubt that any other candidate in this country can say that That is about somebody that has a heart that wants to work for the state And not the rallies and the jamborees where you say next to nothing. They asked me one on one questions I listen to them and I get on record the problem of virtually every village Three hours sitting down listening you say you cut it. How many words they say they are 11 words Okay, word one. How many villages there are four villages, right? Who is from this village they come what are your problem your name your word your problems and Of course. No your name. No, but Ezekiel Yeah, I took My concern here is Do you see us getting to a point where we feel that all that's happening in china will affect us We're in january rd and february Just around the corner and so we get to a point where You know We begin to record cases and then there's a need for us to go back to status quo Where we where we came from, you know from 2020 they're about and you know that I really don't know. It's the elections So do you see us getting to that point? where Yes, every question is relevant to the context and the essence The problem is COVID-19 The context is the situation we are in now, which is political error So the relevant answer is what i'm giving you limits the people limited spaces Contain yourself within Town hall meetings and not these crowds that you achieve nothing You spend all the money and then there's a higher risk of a spread of any disease So I was giving context to the essence of the question If not says oh the other wood job is not talking not but practically Political error is people gathering Can we limit the people through a simple policy guys? Please play down on the rallies. Maybe have an opening rally Maybe close it and do a closing rally But the rest of the time do more of town halls do more of the bed Do more of door to door so that we don't have these mega crowds Gathering achieving nothing and yet risking the lives of the people That's within the context that I was trying to give you my answers Okay, and just as we course this down Yeah, I took There's also another report from The punch newspaper that discourse have hiked electricity theory secretly And consumers have kicked. How do you describe this? Would you say that this is? You know some sort of robbery Yeah, when you buy 10,000 naira credit And you load it on your meter Everybody has known how many units it gives you So the next time you buy as you mean it gives you 228 units The next time you buy and load and you this power that is of 228 you are getting 180 you know that something has happened So you can't hike things secretly You know the issue is What is the consumer protection agency doing? Who do we report these matters to? What should the processes be have we come to a point where Enter the filling station any price you see you buy but you see that is on petrol but on this we is a monopoly where The phc end and the only people That can give you this credit and this power And if they choose to just take it above your roof and we need the power Is there any law? Is there any body? Is there any reprint? Is there anything we can go to? It's not like mtn and this other maybe It's a lot or any of this that if the price is high here you go to the other one If it's not this network you go to that network In this power matter. We have only one network which is phc end And the federal government has to come and let us know what you understand Is it I've had to have a very serious dialogue with the boss the chairman You know and there is a certain lie that we tell ourselves and we need to have A government that is honest. What is the lie? You can produce something for five naira and sell it for four naira. It doesn't make sense If you produce it for five naira And I government I want you to sell it for four naira It means that I am going to come to you and give you the differential of one naira Then plus your profit a reasonable profit reasonable markup On the other hand if you produce it for five naira and you want to sell it for 10 naira I'll tell you as a government you can do that a profit margin is too much. You're putting the load on my people The question is asked at today What is the cost reflective carry for a unit of power that we consume? What is it? Why is it don't it's just like the mystery of the barrels of oil What is the important cost of a barrel of petrol? You know a liter of petrol was what why can't we just label coming and give us those Those those statistics So that we all know if as a Nigerian, I know that the cost of bringing fuel in is 200 naira I know that for a fact is not disputable Then the person wants to sell it for 210 naira. I would say it makes sense Yes, go ahead just just finish up with that We don't really know what the cost reflective carry of this power is we need to know Number two, we need to know whether there is any subsidy on it Federal government cannot subsidize everything power will subsidize fuel They don't have the money they have borrowed in their broke come down tell Nigerians Surreal no vets. We don't get money again cost of bringing fuel in is 200 naira We've begged them to just peg it make just five naira profit on it We've brought down the tariffs at the port so that they can now make so please This 205 naira Nigerians will buy it. Yes Of course the reflected target of the addition of power is say 10 naira Please accept to buy it at 12 naira Yes, let's leave it at this point because we need to connect with our next guest For the next conversation. We appreciate your time So much and have yourself a wonderful 2023 Same to you and the whole of the management of plus TV Africa. All right, then As you go. Yeah, I took as a public affairs analyst. He joins us every other time on off the press We take a break when we return. We'll be looking at a second major conversation Please stay with us quite interesting