 President Bola Ahmed Tinobu is touted as one of the most sagacious when it comes to money management and by extension growing the economy, having grown the economy of Lego states in leaps and bounds. With Nigeria's economy in shambles according to experts, what is the future under a new presidency led by Bola Ahmed Tinobu? We'll be looking at that today on The Breakfast. We'll also be taking a look at headlines and some national delays and all the press where we have someone join us to analyze them. Very good morning to you and thanks for joining us on The Breakfast. My name is Snyambu. And I am Maureen. Good to have you join us on this new beginning of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. You're welcome. Today we'll be looking at various issues, mostly political and what concerns us as a nation. But our theme has not changed from what it usually is because Tuesday we zero in on technology. So we'll be having as a team of the day, has technology made us smarter or dumber? Has technology made us smarter or dumber? That's the question we'll be attempting to answer today. But at least we'll have you think it in your heart as we go along on the show. Yeah, there's been lots of questions raised about technology. Concerns raised about not just whether it has made us dumber or more intelligent, but whether we can control technology in the future. Founding fathers of technology have raised those concerns. We've talked about it a bit in the past. And being technophile Tuesday, we have raised some of these questions. How is technology impacting our lives? One of the experts, like you mentioned, said that if AI, which a lot of them are withdrawing from now because they think it's dangerous. If AI is given the attention that they want to give it right now and nothing seriously is done to control it well, people may use it to kill others. So it might become so dangerous that you cannot, because you cannot send assassins anymore. You just send an AI to do the dirty job and it's going to be really hell for some people who maybe cannot afford it. Because if you can afford it, maybe your own AI will fight. I don't even know how that is. But something must be done to either stop it or put measures in place that can control it. Yes. Do you know that the leader of Bahrain now has a bodyguard that's a computer. It's a huge giant robot. I think it's costing them about $15 million. Huge. I need to see him. And so they're saying, the person who posted that on the group that I belong to said, well, Andrea, I see you're talking about these and that. Look at where the world is going right now. But yes, there are huge concerns about the information technology that we're getting absorbing and patronizing. How safe are they and how lazy have they made us? Do you read without the use of spell checks? Do you write without the use of spell checks? Can you write a letter right now or send an email right now? On your own without using your spell check to confirm what you've written. So those are some of the issues you need to ponder. And that should also make us embrace hard copy. We've left hard copy. A lot of people have abandoned hard copy. Novels, books, newspapers and things that either to challenge our intelligence. And we have become a little bit more relaxed. Yes, they help. They help. They make things faster and all of that. But let's not lose our strength to these computers. Like let's say sometimes when something comes too fast, it goes too fast as well. A candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long. So you take something, I teach a lot of students and when I ask them to maybe get something like a dictionary because if I'm teaching them how to talk and all that, I ask them to get a special dictionary. And they say, why can't we just download it from the Internet? And I say, no, I insist that it has to be a hard copy. Because when you have a soft copy, you just go there, you press it, maybe it pronounces it for you. But when you fail to learn on your own, you encounter a word that you need to put in your head. You don't even know where to start from, how to transcribe or how to write it out and all that. You don't know that because you didn't have that discipline to learn it. You just wanted the computers to do it for you, but it wouldn't always be there. You go to my village now and they tell you, my name is Arawa and you're like, okay, let me write it down. You don't know how to do it. Let me go to the phone. You can't find it in the phone. So Google Translate is your friend. What are you going to do? So I insist on hard copy and hard copy is really, really interesting. It is, because even though Google Translate would help you give you the sound. If you had the foundation on phonetic notation, you'll be able to transcribe yourself. It'll be easier for you to be able to break down the different, you know. So it's important to not let go of what we have because of what we are getting from computers. I watch movies. I don't know if you watch movies as well. But if I compare the time I was only getting the stories from the hardly chases of this world and the cutters of this world, the novels and the movie, there seemed to be something really missing. I don't know where that is because in the novel you don't miss any single thing because it is you at your own pace and your own time that you read it and you absorb it differently from how you're watching the movie. Movies are fine, yes. But the experience of novels, the hard copy novels, is something else. Of course, you can't compare novels and movies. You can't compare them. They are two different things and it is beautiful. Well, technology for you, I'm going to bring back my word, balance. Because technology is good. It's helping us, making things easier, making life easier and making things faster. Yet, there are some values that we had before the use of this technology before the help and assistance of this technology that we must not throw away. Otherwise, it would be the worst for it. One of them was friendship, physical friendship. Now, there are a lot of people who have millions of followers but they really don't have friends. You're just there until you really have a friend. You would know the difference between just having an internet friend and a real physical friend that will be there for you. And at the end of the day, in all age, all of us, what we will really need is companionship, nothing else. So if you don't build that companionship right now because you're concentrating on the followers everybody is talking about self. It's myself. You have to love myself. Everybody is now becoming selfish, nothing like Community Live anymore because we have everything at the palm of our hands. We have people deliver food to us, we have people deliver clothes to us and everything will just sit in our houses and some people even work from the comfort of their houses. So no more exercises, no more anything. You just stay there and you're getting too comfortable. There's a point you can get too comfortable and it's not good for everyone. You know you read some very current points there, these virtual friendships. It's made people, and that's why a lot of them who depend so much on these virtual friendships become very sensitive. They are the ones that easily suffer from cyberbullying because maybe one or two of their friends online who used to like them and click like and all of that suddenly says, oh you're getting too fat or you're doing that and they get depressed. The person that liked me, that clicked my abundant, is now telling me I'm this and then they get depressed and you know it's not a way to live. It's not a way to live and as you've said also, people are becoming too much into myself. Yes, yes. And so we are in a world where people are becoming too sensitive. Too sensitive. Women are becoming too sensitive. Men are becoming too sensitive. Whilst I have nothing against feminists and those who are into women liberation, I think sometimes women now whine too much. Every little thing you say is sexist, I'm a feminist. And then you find men feeling easily irritated. They feel their masculinity is being challenged. People, everything is now being tagged one thing or the other. And that's why sometimes I wonder if we're not over-emphasizing on this mental health thing where everything is a problem. Everything is a cause of problem. Everything shouldn't be a cause of problem. I give you an instance, you see there was a time someone was trying to insult me and he called me village man. And I laughed and said thank you. And he was infuriated like you don't even know when someone is insulting you. And I was like okay, how is that an insult that you reminded me that I have roots because that's how I interpreted it. But that showed me that if I had told him that, he would have fled up and like say that I'm insulting him. How is that even an insult? We shouldn't take everything like you know because someone else is saying this is supposed to be an insult, you let that define you. I'm a village man, I like it. And it reminded me that there are things I'm missing from the village because I used to, I grew up in the village, I know what I enjoyed and I compare that to the town, it's just that I have to be in town. So it's not an insult. It's not everything that should be interpreted like someone is trying to insult you. If you tell me now that I'm black, I wouldn't first of all think it is racist. Even if you're white, you're pink, you're whatever color. I wouldn't think of it as racist. You're just stating the truth. I am black. You tell me I'm a man. I wouldn't say because people are non-binary, people are disdainful, so many things are coming up, things that a few years ago would lead you to a psychiatric ward. Now there are rights. Everybody is just talking about it. You got your accuser of being a narcissist, your accuser of being racist, your accuser of being proud and friendship. Very important. That friendship, that human connectivity, that communality, that communal life that we used to have where people sit down and laugh and crack jokes and just make fun of one another. I think we're taking ourselves rather too seriously these days. Yeah, I think so too. I think that's just it. We're taking ourselves too seriously these days and it's a cause for worry. It's a cause for worry, my sister. Well, technology also, because of technology, yesterday pronouncements was made, today we're feeling the impact already and I hope something will be done very, very fast. Yesterday was the swearing-in of Asiwajubola Ahmed Tinobu. He has become our president, the 16th president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria right now and he made a pronouncement or he made a revelation rather that the... Subsidy? Yes. He started by saying the budget that I was given, I am told, that there was no provision for subsidy. So, as of now, subsidy is removed. It's gone. Yeah. So today you go to the roads, vehicles that were carrying you for 500 Naira, or they are carrying for 800, some are carrying for 1000 Naira, because they do not even know whether there's a direction. If subsidy has been removed, will there be palliatives? Will there be some other measures that will make sure that people don't suffer for it? Feeling stations are shutting down right now. They have not shutting down. They have shut down in Yangon. You need to see the queues, the fuel stations are horrifying, I must say. So, people are receiving this news about subsidy with mixed feelings. While some are excited that, yes, finally, let's get to know what it is. Because today you hear that we are subsidizing, tomorrow here we're not subsidizing. And then those who said there was never a thing like subsidy would come to power and then they are subsidizing. And so it became a whole lot of mess. We weren't sure exactly what it was. Were people making a kill out of it, and stealing Nigerians blind in the name of subsidy. So that pronouncement was something that a lot of people welcome because, yes, maybe it will bring some level of transparency in that sector. But then some are saying that perhaps the new president should have at least made sure that one or two refineries were put in place before embracing it the way he has done. Because, you know, right now as you have said, people are confused as to which direction things are going. There was not much education on what subsidy really is and what effects it will have. And now that subsidy is removed, you know, what are they, what next as the question is, some people right now who are selling fuel are selling it at 500 Naira. From 180 to 500 Naira. It's crazy. It's typical of Nigerians because they're filling their stations right now. They bought before yesterday. Matter of fact, I heard that before yesterday, some fuel stations had shut down in anticipation of what may come from the newly sworn in president's speech regarding that, because definitely everyone knew he was going to say something that voted on subsidy. And so there you have it. Nigerians are beginning to feel it. But let's be patient. He just came in. Let's lead. They had their inaugural dinner last night. Today work begins. So I imagine that before Friday, we're going to hear some pronouncements for the clarifications on which way this is going to lead us. Yeah. If Nigeria is 200 million or 210 million, we don't even know what the figure is. And we may not know for the next 10 years because census may not hold because of a lot of things and understandably so. If we are, let's say, 200 million, I guarantee that 150 are not experts in the economy. I am not. And I'm a media person. I'm not. I know some figures. I know some things that I could explain away. But I do not know how the economy really, really works. Now, you tell me, for instance, that Lagos generates an IGR of 50 billion. The only question I will ask you is, how does that affect the average Lagosian? If you tell me now that subsidy has been removed, for instance, okay, everybody's applauding. But how will that translate to me having a better life? For instance, I'm supposed to take a bus to come to work and I'll pay double of what I was paying now that subsidy has been removed. Yet people are clapping. I will not understand. So they should make sense out of it, why this is an advantage, what it will do to us, whether after removing subsidy, salaries will go up or other things will come down, food prices will come down and everything, subsidy will be geared towards something else that will be beneficial to us. We don't know these things. Yeah, those are joining concerns. We need to be given a direction. Is it going to translate to a better life than insurance? You know, when Zaka Bala was raising his concerns against the removal of fuel subsidy, he said people who are calling for the removal of fuel subsidy do not understand the import of it, what it will do to the life of an average Nigerian because that is like the support that the government is giving through that sector just as the government subsidizes health, education and every other thing that when subsidy is removed, then the support that the citizenry is supposed to get in that sector is totally gone. And so, as I said, we're waiting to see, he's an economist incoming, the new president, Bala Ahmed is an economist. I imagine he would have sat down with his team, although we're yet to now know three of them, to crucially take a look at this and break it down and find out what are we going to use to cushion the effects of this subsidy removal. And even though we now have dengote refinery on board, what does that translate to the cost of, how does that impact on how much you're going to be buying fuel? Because it's more or less a monopoly right now. So market forces cannot make the price come down. Exactly, that's why some people were saying he should have waited, made two or out of three refineries work optimally before taking this bold step. So we'll just have to wait and see. Well, but I can guarantee you that before, by the time that this round table will be hard and the discussions made to proffer solutions because they will set committees upon committees and mobilize them and all that, people will lose jobs in this legacy. He could have had that discussion. He could have had that meeting. I mean, you don't vie to become the president of a country and not have done some homework. I said I was told that the budget did not have any provisions for that. You were told. And what did you say when you were told? So these are the things. Employers of labor do not care how you make it to work. Nigerian employers of labor, the average Nigerian employer of labor does not care how you make it to work. His own is if you have to be there at six o'clock, be there at six o'clock, even if you have to trek. And you complain and complain. You were sick. You didn't have a car. You didn't, it doesn't concern them. So what will be the solution should be, should be found as soon as possible, within the week if possible. And I've been told that we do have a report to support what we're talking about. We'll take that report at the moment. A first subsidy. Unportunate. The budget that I've glimpsed if both are as simple as I would have had. No provision of subsidy. The first subsidy is gone. Subsidies can no longer justify the increase in costs and the weight of dry resources. We shall instead channel the government to fund the better investment in public infrastructure, education, and that way entirely proved by the completion of the second the following budgetary reform simulating the economy without inflation. Industrial policy to utilize domestic manufacturing and lessen import dependence. The electricity will become more accessible and affordable to businesses and hope to align. Financial, security, transmission, and distribution network most improve significantly. Our government will continue to take pro-active steps to champion a credit culture to discourage corruption while strengthening the effect of efficient corruption agency. Security shall be the top party of our administration because neither prosperity nor justice are prepared and made in the security of this architecture. We shall invest more in security personnel and it means more in number we shall provide. A president there, he heard that the budget did not have failed subsidy but the things will be channeled into other things that will raise the economy. The GDP will now be 6% as he has said but it's not something that will be done in one day and that tells us that he has told us that he has no hand more or less in the phase of how the budget is for this year and these are his plans for next year if I understood him the way I chose to understand. My plans for Nigeria are XYZ but for this one according to the budget that has been prepared by the other people which I have no hand in have been told but subsidy has been removed. Like we were saying these things should have been discussed a long time ago as soon as he knew that he had been declared the president-elect and while he was trying to pick his ministers he should have been discussing these things. The finance minister if you remember correctly when that announcement was made regarding the suspension of the removal of your subsidy may declare that this year budgeted subsidy for up to May, did not include June and he has said that he has suspended it and they were going to work in synergy with the incumbent administration to prepare for this he is sounding political there trying to establish the faggot adjust the status but he cannot be exonerated true because we had that information given to us by the outgoing administration that were going to work with them to plan for the continuation of this discussion over subsidy and as I said you cannot be vying for such an exalted office without having thought things through and done some of your homework and so we are going to wait this week and see exactly what clarifications this new government is going to give us regarding this because a Nigerian is ready for the removal of subsidy yes there are calls in some quarters for the removal of subsidy because of all that is going on in that sector but are Nigerians ready for the removal of subsidy that is a major question because it is going to shoot a lot of things up prices will go up and all of that thank God for the Angotir refinery but how much can that mitigate that is a question it is not a Nigerian refinery it belongs to Angotir and you mentioned the monopoly that is involved in it right now even though we hear there are pockets of other refineries maybe one or two others in the south-south but then we do not think the impact on Angotir refinery came on board and we are hearing it should start in June there are different varying reports that we are going to get the first from June of July or August so whatever that may be the case I am expecting that this new government will give us more clarifications this week he is going to fill the polls the field stations have shut down Nigerians Australian to buy fuel cost of transportation has gone high so there is no way he would not come out to give clarifications as to how Nigerians are going to be helped through the process unless he will also be a president that will be talking to us from diaspora because the last administration everything sensitive we had the information when he traveled he refused to talk to Nigerians when he was in Nigeria he would go to London and talk he would go to any other country and talk but he would not talk to Nigerians in Nigeria I do hope this president will not be like that he will see like you said the problems Nigerians are facing I hope he will see anyway because sometimes they may not see and then address us talk to us about the things that are happening and what he intends to do immediately we can't wait for a hundred days in office for him to give us his call card as has become the tradition with Nigerian leaders now a hundred days in office well let's go to our top trending one of our first our first top trending is Buhari renamed airports after Avalowo, Dampodio, Idiabo, others yes, 15 airports have been renamed after prominent Nigerians one of them is the Bony Airport International Airport now Chuba Akadibo Airport the Ilari International Airport now Tundi Idiabo Airport the Pothakot International Airport now Obafemi Avalowo Airport there are 15 of them who have been so renamed by the outgoing president Mohamed Ibohari while I rejoice that these people have been recognized because they really contributed to Nigeria's development Idiabo, Okadibo and the rest of them that he has mentioned I also take it with a pinch of salt I don't think if you have to honor somebody you will take an old monument and then name it after the person for instance nobody even remembers if you are going to Begaf let me just use this practical example you are calling for a bus stop you will call Tolgate because they have always known that place you call it Tolgate or you call it Sevenup they have always known it that is called because he shared it or something I can't even remember what the name is but there is a different name on the bus stop that was named appropriately but the people knew it otherwise so you call a stadium that has always been known by another name and you say it is going to be called this way because it is to honor a great man I don't think that is trying to make posterity remember the good deeds of that kind of a person I think they should have built new things they should have chosen new things to make sure the name if you name a street right now after someone that is prominent enough nobody calls the street that name it is always the name that have always known it so why not create a new street for a bunny we can understand it is a relatively new airport maybe it didn't have a name it was done by this outgoing administration so it is possible that they will remember it call it Okadibo airport but for every other one that has existed for up to 10 years there is a possibility they will never call it like that except on official documents so well it has been done but for the future if you want to name something after someone who did well name a new thing after them for me that is my opinion yeah your opinion is valid second trend is to remember makes first set of appointments he is made three I do hope it will not be interpreted as being nepotistic well because Dela Leke has been named he is a presidential spokesman they have come a long way and then a former legal state commissioner of information Ambassador Kunli Adela Leke has been named as the state chief of protocol president and then Olyusha Goodada has been named special advisor digital media and I can understand the sense which you are saying I hope you know because all your bad names so but there you have it this is what we have so far so that is not secretary to this federal government that is not minister that is not anything so let's just take it that ok these people he needs them before he can make the critical appointments and all that and this he has worked with we should understand with him so let us not judge but like I said I hope Nigerians will understand like we understand right now exactly because he is spokesperson must be someone who we talk about kitchen cabinet there must be people that you can trust every government any big governor head of state president would make his kitchen cabinet people he can trust with his head with eyes closed we were saying the same thing about Buhari because he was making critical appointments people that he should ordinarily trust and Nigerians were not comfortable they were saying that is that is that the only zone that you could find people you trusted because you worked as an army person and you worked with a lot of people couldn't you find XYZ from any other geopolitical zone so what is good for the goose is good for the ganda if they will criticize Buhari for doing what he did because he had trust issues that's what I thought about his administration he had trust issues so if also has trust issues and has to appoint people from his geopolitical zone from his kitchen cabinet from the governorship days and all that fast enough to give confidence to Nigerians that is not another nepotistic president coming up alright so we take a break now to come back and take a critical look at the headlines we have Chris Cain de Wando joining us on half the press in a moment stay with us