 You're welcome back. I stayed at breakfast on Plus TV Africa and we left off before we went to the weather report there on the story that one in Nigerian, a young Nigerian has invented a way in which cars or vehicles can run on electricity rather than on fuel. And we're hoping that he's going to get a patent for that so that he will beat his chest and say, I was the one who did this. Okay. But we also have a very gladdening story. I don't know if that's gladdening a story from Kuala state which says that the government has graciously said the workers should go to work only three days in a week. So because of the fuel subsidy removal that has brought untold hardship to Nigerians. So workers are supposed to go three days to work instead of the normal five days. I'm just wondering, will this also be something that the private sector will do? Because if the private sector is looking for profit, they're looking for how they can make money, they wouldn't want to make their people come only three days in a week. Are there grants that will be given to the private sector so that they can employ more people? Are there tax rebates or something that will be given to the private sector so that they can free up some money to employ more people so that the work that one person should do for five days, maybe they will have two people or more doing that work so that they can take turns in coming to work. Because if that is not done, this is like in times of hardship, we select those who belong to us and give them some kind of rest, some kind of palliatives and all that. So who doesn't belong to the government in this case? That's the question we'll be asking ourselves. So if the people who are employed by the government will go three days to work, what about the people who are employed by the private sector? So are they not belonging to the government as well? Are they not Nigerians as well? So what will be done? Whatever should be done to make sure that the people find some kind of solace, some kind of palliative, it should be done in such a way that everybody will enjoy it. If you're giving scholarship to people because their parents cannot go to work, still pay school fee, it should be for everybody, not for just the people who are working under the government's employer. So that we will stop this thinking that if you're not employed by the government then you don't have a job, even though your own job is paying you more than what a civil servant might be earning. Well, we'll take, we'll go back now to where we should be at this moment, that is of the press. We'll go to the looking at the dailies this morning and what are the headlines on the dailies. We'll begin with the punch newspaper to find out what the punch is saying. Punch newspaper this morning leads with the headline, Subsidy. NLC kicks as caught stop-strike police-wounds hoodlums. The writers there are labor falls into an order. Bank, aviation wonders, workers rather. Bank, aviation workers, joint plant strike, IG orders police commissioners to prevent breakdown of law and order. Still on Subsidy, one billionaire patrol order smuggled goods seized in May, still on petrol rather, not Subsidy. And we have smaller headlines there. Tinibu will turn the economy around according to Jimo Ibrahim, that is on page seven. Unilack undergraduate shot dead, over stolen phone. You find that on page four. Federal government records 930 billion-dollar two-month fiscal deficits, as according to the CBN. Other headlines are above the major headlines there. Presidential election. Atticu witnesses. Alleged poll fraud. You will find that story on page 20. Foreign trade declines by 2.6 trillion error over FX shortage, as according to the National Bureau of Statistics. And Nigeria air reps group federal government officials today. Okay. We'll find out what is really happening in that sector. We move from punch to the Guardian. The Guardian newspaper is next. This one leads with the headline, labor undeterred by court order. TUC demands 200,000-dollar minimum wage. You'll find that story on page six. Then how proposed NLC strike may affect presidential election petition? That's the news on page six of the Guardian. Juhesu suspends strike for 21 days after Pali with Tinibu. That means it's not a total suspension. It's just, you know, let's watch and see. 21 days after Pali with Tinibu. That is the president. Universities and fledgling e-libraries. Okay. We move now to the next headlines. Not the next newspaper now. Next headline. Smaller one. Nigeria's imports squeezed by cash scarcity fall by 25.8% year on year. Empty streets, shop businesses, great embers sit at home banned in Enugu. Great embers sit at home banned in Enugu. So Enugu has banned sit at home, yet they're empty streets and shop businesses. One year after, our Catholic Church remembers victims. Is it a year already? Wow, hard time flies. IMF tax Nigeria on revenue generation debt management. That is business page 15 if you are reading the Guardian. Okay. We move from the Guardian to the next newspaper. The next newspaper will be Daily Trust. Daily Trust newspaper. This leads with labor suspend strike. Riders are TUC demands 200,000 Naira minimum wage. Federal government unions open room for more negotiations. Industrial action, threat to peace, IGP and Quarra reduces work days to three. Trade has count losses. Looting spreads as kind of government continues demolition. As a smaller headline there. Amid subsidy removal, jet fuel, cooking gas prices crash. Court shops or stops rather. EFCC, ICPC, DSS from detaining ex-governor Yari. Okay. That will be all we can take from Daily Trust. We move now to the nation. The nation will be our final newspaper for today. And the story there on top of the front page is Fraka as Ogum Tribunal begins seating. Fraka as Ogum Tribunal begins seating. Proceedings not affected as the rider. Don't board intelligence, the whole intelligence Tinibu directs security agencies. Jimu Ibrahim rates president's development plan high. Health workers call off strike conditionally. We also have a story about Igbo State. Uzo Dima, APC governor's supporting Abbas Kalu. And we have from the Tribunal, Obi Bin Win in Nassarawa, Atticus witness tells court. LP tenders results from eight more states. Okay. And then labor suspense strike action. We've taken that separately. Talks between government to see NLC on palliatives implementation for June 19. Okay. Those are the headlines we could take from all the newspapers that we have today. The Punch, The Guardian, The Daily Trust and The Nation newspaper. So to help us look into these headlines, we're glad to announce that we have Mr. Kreese, Karen Day 1, a member of the Chattat Institute of arbitrators in the UK joining us live this morning. Good morning and welcome to the show, Kreese. Good morning. Thanks for having me this morning. Okay. Before we started behind the scene, I was just teasing you that it's good that you are talking from home with us. You didn't have to enter the room this morning. But how has the fuel subsidy removal affected you as an individual before you go into the newspaper? What the headlines are saying? Well, it affected me. It affected me better than anything. So I'm not in isolation in Nigeria and here in Lagos. And I know that in the past one week, it has been very difficult for me to be able to get the PMS as it were under the different circumstances. Prices have shot up to about 300%. Then that is where we are. My labor and government are dying and trying to see how to find a way out of it. But that is where we are. And so we're all going through this. Whether you're an APC, PDB, labor party, or whatever it is for yourself or any party, we are all in this together. So whatever policies that government is in place, it is going to affect each and every one of us, irrespective of our party, leaning, and even those of us that are affected. It's the same thing, but it has not been a very, very good experience in the past one week. And I hope that labor and government will compromise so that we can compromise on issues we raised by this week. Okay. We've started off by talking about this subsidy. So we're continuing with it. From all the newspapers, we find this story on subsidy. The court has ordered that NLC should not go on strike for whatever reason that they gave. In some newspapers, they are saying that the NLC is not deterred by that order. And in others, they're saying NLC is kicking against that order. We do not know tomorrow is the day that it's supposed to be the day for the strike, and we don't know how that will pan out. But this strike that the NLC is thinking about, whether it happens or not, what does it say about our Nigerian situation, because it seems as if it's only strikes that we use to draft home our points. Are there alternative measures you think that can be used instead of going on strike and crippling the similar economy that we have now? In a proper perspective, yes, the court, the national industrial court, the NIC, directly yesterday that NLC should be in back on strike. And that is the termination of the suit for the federal government at the industrial courts. But that has been overtaken by Brent because the federal government, well, let's say the federal government that was in peace, broke up by the the man that was the president, the chief of staff to the president and who is also the Supreme Court of the House of Representatives, as of now, Mr. Nifemi Iqajabi and Mila, met with Labor yesterday and they agreed on suspending its strike. Labor said, this demands to the federal government, what federal government are they to look into. This strike has been shaped for now. And the meeting has been fixed for the 19th of June. There's about two weeks time when Labor and Government meet again to look at some of the demands that have been made and that put forth the federal government and how they will be able to compromise. So, probably after the 19th that the Labor will not come on to the position whether to go on a strike or not. So that is where we are presently. But let me also say this, most of you are not. I think we have seen this coming and even the Labor itself is part of the problem. Because let us put it in proper perspective. The Labor did candidates of the three major political parties. The presidential candidates of the three major political parties really are not playing. They really said that they are going to remove first of the one-state vote. That of the APC who was elected, Ashwini Bola met with that of the PDB at Iqam Baka and Labor Party when that candidate Peter would be. In fact, people would say that first of the is a fraud and that was going to be removed. It is if it is elected. So the Labor Party and the presidential candidates have said that and the Labor for once in this period also proved that statement on them in the statement of this because the presidential candidate of this in the Labor you don't see. So they indirectly voted for the removal of subsidy indirectly now that it was removed. But the challenge is not just removal but the way the money was removed. After that we learned that subsidy has been maximally it was like it has been removed. That's your question. What happened to the money that was paid for subsidy to June? Because see if it has been paid for how long it was removed immediately then I mean it is very shady and that is the way we wanted to come out clear on this. But 22 different prices the gas that so far is not the energy that's invested transportation has moved over 300 200% and that is where we find ourselves and I hope that it's because whatever affects the children affects every aspect of our economic aspect that is not even much a little. The problem is that nobody is talking about the solution. All of the formal ban that we have in Nigeria that over 11 trillion we find a simulator of fuel nobody is talking about that the government have not had because in respect of whatever it is if we continue depending 100% of the pollution of fuel then we want to have these challenges because it's because of fuel we may be based on market forces across the group we look at that to me is the that if everyone of us will cash code and I think that they will be able to find a solution the solution to me is if these ones are more about we try to revive them and make sure that if the government doesn't want to be part of it then we can privatize it to certain individuals who can be able to take it up but we can't be able to sustain it with the kind of economic present they have some people say even that Dangote's refinery may start operation in 2024 and whatever was done there to commission it and all that does not give us the confidence that it's going to start really in July I wonder what will happen if that really is going to be the case that it will start production and distribution in 2024 by January Well we have also we have that it's going to be July some say that it's August some say that it's about 70 percent 75 percent already whatever it is the fact is that it has to hit the ground running and now we're running into a serious problem and just it's to be to the country where you say crude oil and then buy refined petroleum aside your show and that is having this current problem the landing costs and all the rest are going to make this petroleum crude oil very very expensive now let us not also believe that we've dangled the refinery of petroleum that petroleum is going to be cheaper no it will not be fine it may be a bit cheaper than what we have presented but it's still expensive because the market forces is going to also determine how much what is happening in cement cement what is happening with sugar and all the rest where was the monopoly but good news coming in is also that ORA PUA another multi billion era company is looking at establishing another 2200 per day or 200,000 per litre day in somewhere in a part of the state looking at with dangled I think dangled is about 650,000 or so per day we're looking at if we're able to meet up with that I know that you to take some time it's going to take some years that we're going to get ORA establishing its own refinery in acquire bond and we have that but if we had about two or three other refineries other individuals but the government then we're able to have some level of stability but some have said don't forget that licensee were given to some companies yet back to be able to establish a refineries a modular refineries as it's called most of them they don't because they said that there's no proper pricing and it was going to be profitable for them probably with the removal of subsidy now most other investors want to come to the set and then but it would take some time for it to start pricing at least on the bright side I mean subsidy removal have crashed that's according to a story that we find in daily trust so will that help Nigerians what are your comments well it actually is true I would like to somebody was telling me yesterday that a 12.5 KG which is the normal cylinder for gas has dropped as much as to about 7000 or there about what's used to be I think 9000 8000 or so that have not verified and somebody said that yes so my wife have not with no with no referral so maybe until I get to the free station and see but if that is the case then as you said where is that coming from if a version fuel price have dropped as well that have not I just do it from few days ago about two days ago the the flights ticket is still as high as anything you can get so if this the last 24 hours has been speculated then just wait and see whether it's going to be a one or it's going to be a continuous thing I don't know where the job is coming from whether it's by the fiscal policies or economic policies this government is just barely one week in office so I would have seen an effect on that but if if that is what it is then we see how it pans out for me the basic thing is that the government why the movie subsidy have not told and the palliative that I've written just talking about transport this and that TUC came back yesterday to tell the government to increase the minimum wage to 200,000 Naira every month my brother 30,000 Naira was agreed some years back till now most of these cannot pay 30,000 Naira so where are they going to get 200,000 Naira minimum wage with Nigerians well that's how it goes and whether government has seen to that okay but the question we've also been asking is if minimum wage sorry the subsidy is removed that means that money is going to be put in something else so that money that was supposed to be voted for the fuel subsidy that was not voted anymore where did it go to does it not worry you it does and that is what we talk about corruption with the system don't forget three years ago when the great government made initial increase in one price we are told the money made from the increase is going to be challenged in education it's going to be challenged in two roads it's going to be passed through did you see any did you see that did that happen they didn't have to go on slide for one year do we have our load are they better is the education system better they also just went on strike and they just called on that is the that is the that is the medical sector is there an improvement so all these are the issues that we talk about so governments there is a trust deficit between the government and the people and the following means is that the people who trust government and that is what we are having all this kind of this it may promises to your people and then the people in their own part fulfill their own part of the burden and you are not fulfilling your own part that becomes an issue so that trust deficit has always been the challenge there have been the problem with and that is why in Nigeria there must be tasks because if you look at the advanced countries or whatever it was the second world or whatever we call it you see that is where you find electricity 24 hours that is by good roads that is by medical that is how you find insurance policies that can take care of you that is why in the education sector you can see that in some cases like in the United Kingdom primary school students don't pay school fees from primary to whatever six or there are so so they are willing to pay taxes they are here they need to pay nothing government to show for it because of that the trust deficit people are very skeptical in believing whatever God wants to let us see whether the government or what I mean to you is going to be something different to the mix that is that trust deficit between the government and the people who always have the serious challenges okay let's move to the national assemblies where there is this trouble for the leadership of assembly one of the contestants for the seat of the senate president is the ex-governor Yari right now we just have a story on daily trust that the court has stopped EFCC ICPC and DSS from detaining ex-governor Yari so what does it say about the court according to from your own perspective well first and foremost we have to establish that every major has the right to aspire for the highest any office in Nigeria the most possible religion or tribe will have the rights if I am from the states if I decide to be the president of Nigeria then I have the fundamental right as we strike the 1999 constitution as amended to aspire to any office and once I have the criteria so everybody aspire to do the office the president of the senate has the right to do that just once you meet the criteria if you have problems that with the EFCC for instance you have cases and in some cases one of the persons also contesting for the senate presidency actually went to jail came out not because the charges were dropped but because of technicalities and he's roaming free he's in the senate he's trying to be the president now another person with a huge court case has been told by the court to say to stop has been told or EFCC has been told or the prosecuting agencies have been told to hands off and not detain him what if he's supposed to be detain why will he is that not just cuddling the progress of our nation just going to get court orders all the time because it happens you stole these proceedings until the time goes except you are talking between modernity and law I mean law graduates and law says that except you are convicted except you are convicted if you are not convicted all is just within the realms of allegations you are as free as did you except you are convicted until they are convicted they are talking of the former governor of the state that was convicted and was kept in court but in the same court that released him so as well as he consigned he has since supposed to start the case all over again and did not do anything so is this the court of payment it is the system so as I was saying all these are within the realms of allegations if anybody have anything I guess they take it to the court on that court to announce a conviction on anybody near investigation does not stop from aspiring in your visit like my constitution made it clear made it clear on the criteria to buy for office of the president the vice president governor deputy governor member of national assembly and status of ascent that is very very clear so if you are able to meet that requirement but what I am adding to is that morality is between morality and law because what people are saying because the APC government was able to get away with a Muslim ticket that is why there is this push for a sadhana of Christian background to become the senate president and I think that is what the APC which is a tent with the former governor of a white bomb state and then other senators also have the right to that is the APC for you but it does not preclude any other person from contestant and if possible enough votes you will be surprised that it might just be someone else that you saw what happened in 2015 with the president of the senate then and before they knew it the opposition gathered enough votes with some members of the ruling party and the president will be meeting with opposition party members of the national senate on Monday I don't know whether to arrive at a compromise or not but for now it is a strong fight between Yari as well as goes with the senate where the main problem is not even the senate is in the house of representatives where the people of the national center are that they believe that they have the right of the house of representatives and I totally agree with them too so but you also as you said as the government made a stroke a huge stroke with the appointment of former senator Akume senator Akume as the secretary to the government of the federation he is from North Central a lot of people have been said problem that was not to on Tuesday next week a new speaker and for the house of representatives and also the senate present okay let me let me take this final one emu emu state governor emba said that he has banned the seat at home in his state but right now we have this story on the guardian saying empty streets shop businesses greet embas seat at home in emugu which means people are still not confident that that man is good enough what is really happening to the governors in the southeast have they lost power or what is the reason why the people fear the breakaway factions are more than the constituted authority which is the government well when the government made us which I just know that it was we don't have the capacity to do what we do which is the protection of the lives and properties of people when you say they should move out what have you put in place in terms of security to secure the lives and property of your citizens if you have not done that then what they are just making is just a mere statement and the fact that it's not that the people are not ready to go out the fact remain is that if they do what will happen to their lives and properties some of them in the past have ventured out and there were kids in their tents and the government have not been able to do anything about it so it is just the clear of the unknown that is what is happening in the south want to have the political will and the ability to be able to provide this with a more security to be able to take care of some of these challenges that they are facing then the issue of sit at home will continue it has the south is as a region have lost billions and billions of money that it should be caused of and something should be done about it yes the people are helpless they don't have the means to be able to defend themselves they say that they should resort to carry arms the carry arms is the same police that will arrest them I thought that by now the south is going to find a solution so the government of the south is going to find a solution to the south south west and that is why we have enjoyed in the south west the government was supposed to be their own passion of that the governments of the south is have decided to move in that direction the one that established the one in the state by the government decided to use it as a solution so that is what it is for now all the governments of the south come together put together and say that enough is enough and they will challenge their resources and energy to provide an alternative like security police army the security agencies as in for this boy called sitar 2 but the fact is that why is it that secretaries have not been to penetrate the camp of this individuals that decided to take the laws into their hands by killing their fellow citizens I know that the DSS the army and the police have the capacity to be able to penetrate and doing those that are perpetrating this act of killing in the south is why they why the south eastern governors or south is governors are seem not to be united I wonder what the challenge is because that's a group that everybody expects that should be even more united than any other group in Nigeria having you know maybe suffered the way they have from the civil war to this point it should have been divided as brothers why all this fight all the time do you have an insight to why they always seem to be so far apart from each other instead of uniting I'm from south east and this affects me I think is what is selfishness on the part of governors and leaders of the south east they are able to do the right thing then this is what happens there must be some kind of synergy between these governors as it were and on to the group to come together as a perspective of their political leadership then they will come to find themselves where they are and that is the issue as it were whether your IPCA Abda or as you see governments of various different political parties coming together as you see when there is a south west meeting you see there is PDP you see those of APC everybody coming together for the common good of all but selfishness on the part of the governments of the south they are able to come together and I think they are able to as working for the good of their people the better for it if there is no unity when the head when the house is divided upon itself then the centre can know who should not say this since fall apart alright thank you so much Chris for your time this morning for helping us understand some of these headlines it's always a pleasure to have you thank you so much thank you very much and have a wonderful day okay we were talking with Chris Keinde Wando who is a member of the charter in the UK he was talking to us from here in Nigeria we'll take a break when we return we will be looking at our first hot topics stay with us