 Welcome back. It's still the breakfast on plus TV Africa. I hope you've got your cup of coffee tea or juice ready Because it's getting steamier. It's getting hotter. We're going to the of the press where we look at some hot, you know headlines and we have analysts joining us right now and we know how How exciting it can get when our analysts join us to take a look at these headlines Jida Johnson chief lecturer and you're an institute of journalism Lagos did is here with me. Good morning to you chief Jida Johnson Good morning. I'll read your highness. It's a pleasure to have you back and Good morning to have you as a lover for the world. Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to have you here always So let's start with the punch newspaper. The punch is leading with labor falls 180 billion Naira palliatives says governors will frustrate program. Well, the riders there states get 180 trucks of rice NLC TUC worry politicians will hoard materials Neck committee to meet labor after subsidy relief TNU will appeals to Nigerians. Let's begin with that Nigerians have been calling for these palliatives. Well here they are Or are they not? It's just the level of inconsistency and government not clean with us If you are removing subsidy on one hand and then you are spending money on palliative, how do you reconcile that? As far as I'm concerned if government is spending 180 billion for a just short-term intervention, why don't you spend 180 billion on Interaction So the problem probably so finalist to work city of our production capacity and also increasing the capacity for us to export to other countries other than exporting the crude in a screwed form and then importing The refined products so as far as I'm concerned is just a drop in the ocean Who is going to hold it this one are 80 billion a 55 billion to each of the states Regardless of the population it was based on base of equality. How do you compare ligos with Bayez are or? Reversed with cannot state for example. So as far as I'm concerned With respect to the removal of subsidy, I didn't think that this administration Actually knew what they wanted to do. It was it was an impulsive decision and when you take decision on impulse There is tendency for you to have this type of flip flop Policy flip flop that this administration is having now you could see that initially They have always been caused by various interest groups now. It's labeled that is Saying that they are not in support of the polity because the governor's would turn this to a political political political political game just to Satisfy their own political supporters in whereas the money belongs to every Nigerian regardless of whether you put or Never voted regardless of whether you voted for the party at the center or the state left Oh, you never voted for that party. You are Nigerian get taxpayer You're entitled to every privilege that every citizen read surely enjoy. So I Don't know. I just I just think that them The best way moving forward My sometimes be going backward I think it's not too late for the administration to restrain a step and go back to the subsidy regime and They work out the plan. Let's see a three-year plan or a three-year plan in which we make a refinery to be functional And they gradually remove the subsidy and you allow the local production to To meet up with the demands. You mean like it's we saw playing out then probably the man You mean like we saw playing out in Kenya Yeah Yeah, just just like it will add it you just you can't you can't just come You did people effect of that pronouncement by the president during this inaugural bridge inaugural speech Yes, we have not only covered from it the entire economy has not Cover from it. I think in the course of this week It was revealed that the inflation rings about 24 points 24.9 percent That's close to about 25 percent We are looking at inflation because Nigeria is a product economy and if you have a product economy The entire economy takes its course from the prices of oil Good oil petroleum product and it affects every business is so For me if I'm to advise the president is not too late for him to go back and then they work out a Where to take plan not an impossible plan This one right to be aware is it coming from is he appropriated? Is he an easy supplementary project the question we want where is this 180 billion coming from well The government has made it clear that there's no going back on subsidy And you know as I alluded to what happened in Kenya They removed subsidy the people cried out against it seriously and they brought it back. I'll be it temporarily So that they can fashion out the best way to go around it And that's what you're suggesting that the Nigerian government should do however We had them say this week clearly because there were speculations There were speculations as to whether the government is going back to subsidy, but it came out to say no They are not going back. There's there's no going back on that And so they borrowed You know the money they've borrowed now the NNPC has borrowed with regards to To solving this problem, you know Well, you recall that two days ago the special advisor to the president of media and publicity came and said I use the word Determine to ensure that the prices does not does not go up fluctuate that in itself is what That's there is government intervention We have government intervention because how are they going to do it if you say that okay You ensure that at the price of petroleum PMS does not go beyond 560 does not go beyond 600 Naira what are you going to do when you have left everything to market forces as far as I'm concerned I think that the economic blueprint for for the administration has not been well thought out It's not the well planned and the president just assigned portfolio to his ministers I think there's a need for him to have a serious meeting with his economic team and for them to review this issue before Before implementing whatever policies they want to implement Is it this issue of this polity may not be like that of the kovit polity Could be probably if they were thought that is one of the major fears Nigerians are having the governors have not shown themselves to be trustworthy at all Even the local government chairman Yeah, the politics that were stored in in private warehouses by a team that are used by members of state as an assembly And as of rep as their own empowerment Program but it is that we're used by as of rep members and as of assembly members to celebrate their bed days so as far as Nigerians are concerned the The credibility Nigerians don't have trust in the political class and the people who have elected into public office Because they've trusted them and over time and over and over again be disappointed. They mean they've disappointed by by quote unquote The insensitivity of people are given the responsibility of managing state affairs So when when you look at this polity, it's just like a drop in the ocean if you are spending 180 billion Why can't you invest that 180 billion in the oil and gas sector invest the money in the oil and gas sector How much will it cost to build the modular refineries? Let's produce local And let's do the Johnson. Yeah, do the Johnson Shouldn't we first of all Be asking questions about does before investing any further funds in that sector and build it any refinery What happened to all the billions that have been put in there in the last eight years with regards to The refineries turn around in us. Apart from turn around maintenance the service. They were told that By december the refineries some of them should be working Where are all the monies? Who are those who were paid? Yeah, that's that's with the argument of some which I hear The sentiment with them with respect to the the challenge you have in the oil and gas sector Is not the problem of monogamy right here Is a problem of some select few that are making this nation dry that are making money That are making fortunes out of the pains of millions of Nigeria. Who are these people? They are not faceless. These non-state actors can be identified and if these non-state actors can be identified Why can't the government go after them and inflict pain on them and not on average on average Nigeria? But what do what do we know? You have a situation We are taught that the way the president did decisively with the issue of central bank even though the approach of arresting the Suspending the process of suspending and arranging the central bank governor I do not I do not I do not approve of that in a democratic Dispensation if you have an allegation against someone you bring it before the court let the court Decide and you allow the normal police to deal with matter the way that the FCC matter was also dealt with removal of the chairman that do not approve the approach that has also been taken because it's not been arranged We are taught that that will also be the approach that will be used for NNPC That would be the approach that will be used for NNPC But the same if you can't change the system you can't you can't clean the table without bringing out all All the horses in the stable now you can have the same management that run the subsidy regime that run NNPC Under the sub and the same regime in In place so we are taught that where the president will have removed the chairman of CEO of NNPC and the management board and the management board will have been replaced by new team so that the new team can come in and Come clean with nitrile. We don't even know you recall the privatization Nobody knows anything with respect to the privatization of NNPC as publicized and celebrated by the last regime and the present management team so The more you look Let's you see. Well, let's go further. It's still on the front page of the punch newspaper You have Amir Filet since you've already mentioned him Amir Filet dss drops firearms charges 6.9 billion error fraud case adjourned See you've already said you don't like the way it's been handled Yeah, well, um If you if you look at them The way they went about the gun gun charges the drama that surrounded it and then Defied between agencies of government over who takes custody of of himmifili in leagals You you you you you you be retweeted with the outcome at the end of the government is dropping its charges However, the the charges that were leveled against him has to do with procurement And I think that if it has to do with procurement, I think procurement of I think land cruisers and the rest of it. It's ridiculous It's ridiculous if you are prosecuting the central bank governor for procurement of what what about others There is a management team. There are others that are involved get one of them in the present acting Uh central bank governor was part of the management team How the management team to to face the music because it must have been discussed at the management meeting Whatever policy he may feel he embarked upon If you don't forget the fact that He may feel he did not act in isolation. He was reporting to the president and he also has a management team What we've done is to remove him if you leave from central bank What about all other actors and players in the central bank that acted with him? Are you getting my point? This is a classic case in my local toilet Which that you leave you you leave the wound. You are dealing with you are dealing with a small So that's that's that's that's just my take on sanita. I think that Uh, a mefili issue is a test case for a democratic Experience and I've said it if you are finally public office today And you have seen the way mefili is being treated by a new administration The rest are sure that if there's a new sheriff in town, you might likely be your turn That's what every one of us must condemn any autocratic tendency By those who have elected into public office There are processes and procedure through which issues of this manner can be dealt with not Trying to to to to use this institution to stifle Passive perceived code on code perceived political opponent or perceived people that do not work in the interest Of of of that do not work in the in your interest during a lectionary campaign I don't know a mefili from anywhere, but the truth must the truth must be told The approach the government has adopted a mefili did not act in isolation. It was the central bank governor Definitely was the central bank governor responsible to the president Responsible you had is in charge of the Of the monetary policy. What about those that are in charge of the fiscal policy? You had the ministers you had Attorney generals are not all of those that were involved in the kitchen cabinet just like the present cbn Governor is the kitchen cabinet of the president president. So if you are holding a mefili liable, you should hold everybody liable That's that's my take and then you allow the you allow the judicial process to be transparent to be open Exactly the judicial process And I think it also brings to mind the fact that anyone who is given public office Should respect the rule of law a mefili himself is guilty of that You know during his time under the last administration. He also Not about that Not about that, but we can we can perpetuate that lack of respect for the rule of law Not that about that. There's not that that people that have been elected in public office in the past Outer lack of respect for for for the rule of law for even Institutions that have oversight functionary call when the national assembly Invited him that he ignored he ignored he ignored their invitation. And are you so The almost cost the minister of a vision designate and What's his name face to Skiyama because we don't have been screened by the national assembly national assembly as well Is I don't think first of Skiyama will have will have been screened as a minister not to talk of being desigrated as the minister of a vision As far as those that are occupying office today should be a test case for them for them to understand that for us to build This democracy we must respect the institution the various institution of democracy That's how you strengthen democracy democracy is not the personalization of governors Now what we have seen is that we have seen the personalization of the institution of government of government whereby people occupying some agencies of government critical agents of government their loyalty Is to is to is to the chief executive Of with that the administrative department or agency or the chief executive Of of the of the of the presidency and he shouldn't be so he shouldn't he shouldn't Okay, let's let's move on to the next newspaper daily independent Well daily independence was still leads with the fg states You know fg gives states five billion error each as palliative over subsidy removal But let's drop that since we've already looked at it from the punch newspaper and go to above the masthead where you have three officers 22 soldiers killed in niger ambush says defense headquarters Well, I Yes, there was Yes, I was following the news and I listened to the spokesperson of defense headquarter Providing information and then asking nigeria not to join in the bit of a propaganda Now imagine the territorial integrity of nigeria within not outside nigeria and within the state in nigeria We lost that amount of military personnel look at the amount of money we have used to train them look at The families of this disease and we have not been able to come out with a clear court Reason behind behind this nefarious attack as far as I'm concerned. That's my opinion. I'm entitled I think this is a terrorist attack. I don't think There's no way There is no way This could have been caused by bandit. Even if it's caused by banditry or what I've been the Best way to describe this set of people that have committed this Crime against the state crime against humanity. So it's to attack them as terrorists It's to attack them. There's there's there's no excuse for bad or bad behavior There's no excuse for criminality as far as I'm concerned If nigerian soldiers could be killed in that manner with the level of sophistication of the equipment they have How many citizens? Or residents of the area where that attack happened have been killed silently that we didn't even get to know about it That we didn't get to know about it It's it's it's that's it's enough for a country to declare war if these are up Let's put it in perspective Let's say this had happened to nigerian soldiers in toku. What do you think will have happened? God Do you think we'll be the sentiment of the public? I'm just saying hypothetically that Nigerian soldiers were attacked in toku on the public opinion or in ej And then we lost that amount of soldiers. And what do you think will be 22 soldiers and then when When such strategy when such tragedy happens, we just take it as business as usual as if something is something There was no the flag was not flown aft mast The flag was not flown aft mast. We just went about it as okay Is the business as As has become too used as a people have we begun? Have we become too used to losing our people? Losing lives in this country where you Here in platter state hundreds have been killed mass burial you here in benewa state that have that bernos state Have it become so insensitive now to the value That a human life should have Well, if you travel through the land i'm bread of night. Yeah, I've had cost to travel through the land I'm bread. I was in I was in kanu. I was in kanu I was in nicotine just last week. I was in enigo three four weeks ago And I had cost to go through the roads in most of these places Where my flight was cancelled and I had the question you asked It was the value of Of of of of of of in Nigeria. What's the value of my life? What value does government place in my life? I just came back from the airport to print to pick a friend who returned from england And then he's been in england the last time he was in Nigeria. He was in 2016 and he said He seems as if things have gotten worse. I just dropped him in his hotel in Ikea For doing this program. So the question you asked what value do we place? on the Nigerian life it's Our leaders are so insensitive to the plight of man I told you like when if that should happen United the flag will be flown off mast That you lose that amount of and every single person involved in that killing would be caught Exactly Did you see you can't just kill a Nigerian soldier and whatever whatever affects a Nigerian soldier because the mandate of be Of the Nigerian of the Nigerian military is to protect and defend territorial integrity and if we did the territorial integrity of your nation That's a what type of signal are we seeing? That our defense Formations are incapable of defending us That could be the interpretation that some Who subject it to Okay, let's move from that to What's unfolding regarding Niger? We're ready for Niger with our standby force. That's a cause Page seven is where the details of that is on the daily independent Echo was is just playing to the gallery As far as I'm concerned with respect to dealing with the Nigerian The Nigerians you have come what we should try to do is to prevent such from happening in other african Countries particularly West african countries and for those issues to be to seriously address the internal issue before this internal before this Internet issues turn to crisis. That's where a quash will intervene so as to forestall future Cool tita across africa Well, are you are you supposing the the echo was a you on daily trust? It says a you opposes military action as echo was ready's forces So there's a conflict here between a you and It's an internet. It's an internal problem of it's an internal problem of nature I think what echo should do is to engage is to engage with with the cool the cool The cool has lasted more than more than two weeks. What they should do is to engage with the with with with the with the present military It's of nijie and look at the time table for return to to civilian administration return to democratic process What's the time table? I think that's the approach that Echo should be looking at because echo hours will be playing to your streets Who are those that are in echo hours? You are talking about Alas in what are we changing the constitution We change the constitution in coup d'etat to ensure that the god He thought and when the conscience made the provisions for dust to turn that's a queen itself Or you had to use it the the leaders of Kingdom first where you are where he's been led by a military person or in chat or in mali or in guine So Even miracle as today be able to so who is going to who is going to fund this the wall My question is going to fund it. Even idea is complained that we don't have money We don't have money To subsidize Nigerians, but what resources to go and fight war? Well different countries have indicated interest every coast said they'll be bringing out between eight thousand five eight hundred to one thousand People to join the force Okay, well I wish Alas in what are our good luck let him come with one thousand one thousand the body will be on an Recall what happened in Liberia when uh under a vanguard administration when we intervene in Liberian crisis We knew how many people lost their loved ones from We need some that have not even gotten the benefits that are entitled to their to their loved ones of fighting in the In the echo has been part and parcel of their come up a come up forces and we knew The history of some people that they became billionaires by virtue of By virtue of the supplies of what we're doing during a come up No, you won't be a weapon supplies of uniform supplies of food and the rest of it So when you see war code on code when you see war when you are seeing the drum bit of war You see when that drum Is becoming a don't forget that there are people that make money that the military industrial complex They make money from selling arms if there are no ones how they sell their arms. So whoever is encouraging Echo has to go to war They are looking for an opportunity to to sell their arms and they are looking for an opportunity Either to turn Africa to another Syria or to turn the west african coast to another Syria Or to turn the west african coast to what happened in libya libya has not recovered from what the west did in libya Or what they turn iraq to iraq has not recovered from from the invasion Based on pure lies of weapons of mass destruction, you know, I saw a special report on cnn last night on dafore It was horrible the pictures the garret pictures Human you could just see dead bodies on the streets of dafore. Yeah They've not looked they've not looked at the sudanese Even the sudanese has not been looked at you did not talk about it and the echo has did not talk about it And then you are now much more concerned. What's the interest of echoers in nijih And who are those they didn't show that interest when there was a coup in guine They showed that interest when there was a queen kina faso. They didn't show that interest when there was a queen mali Why guine All right, let's move forward from there and see how Let's talk about something that concerns your colleague in one of the universities unical Unical suspense dean accused of sexually harassing students We keep hearing these cases over and over and over. Why wouldn't lecturers learn and leave girls alone? I Think that the internal mechanism of the school she'll have dealt with this matter before it gets out of hand And i'm sure there must have been series of petition that must have been written And they must have turned a blind eye to to to to this to this issue before it gets it gets it gets out of Out of out of hand as far as i'm concerned The university system must put the system in place that gives students the opportunity to express themselves And what are these opportunities you have a student union? You have the departmental association and the rest of it But you know what what we have succeeded in doing across campus is all over nigeria is to stifle some form of representation for the student I'd rather to impose our purpose to be in leadership of this um these Uh associations and union across across board. I jokingly told my student. I said I can never imagine That why we were in school and um First of city would just be removed like that and then there will be no protest from students. I recall How we sent the bank iti away from because in 1990 1991 through removal of first removal of first of city or non-rival of swiss I I recalled how many vehicles we seized on third mainland bridge Um federal government very good. I was that that that were taken to in lag in like campuses and then over time university vice-chance tellers Readers and the heads of institution have destroyed critical component of student leadership By not aligned by proscribing student unionism because if this union are in place In the school some of these issues have been addressed before It became a public it's it's one for example It's not just that lecturer that's affected the bc The institution overall any time you see somebody from that even the entire faculty and probably when those allegations were leveled against against this prof and they used their Their cult of friends to cover up for it and it has gotten there's gotten out of there's gotten out of and I don't think there is a Coming back for this particular for this particular professor For oh, he has been barred from entering that school until he summons What is invited by the panel and the rest and the rest and the rest of you to address to address those issues There's no smoke without fire once that issue came up. I think that issue will have been addressed internally before it degenerated to this to this public Major crisis for the institution Yeah, well, I saw something here, which I wonder if you would want to talk about That's on the daily independent Lai Muhammad Our first services of his PR firm to Tunubu's government Have you seen that? Well, um, why is he offering the services? He's looking for a consultancy job These people have no cap They have no cap in the sense that why is he offering the services for free Is the Trojan us don't accept you know these you know the You know the story behind the Trojan house Well, when you offer it for free Invariably they start paying for it later. Why is that services that why didn't you offer it for free? When it was serving as minister of information and culture for 80 years under various administration Either to navigate the the poor image of that particular administration. Why is he offering it for free for now? We don't need anything from lie. He's done his bit. He should just go and rest He's done he's been a minister for eight years That's that's more than enough for him to go to go and rest and not offer the services of his PR agency When did he establish the PR agency was he established while he was in government? Did he use his own office while he was in government to enrich himself privately by giving Jobs consultancy job to this is peer peer peer agency And then when did he qualify to practice public relations in Nigeria? Is he certified? Well, in any case all of these Professional bodies you may be a point minister as they make them fellows So you can be might be shopped on honor fellow It might be the fellow of nipr and the fellow of akon In any case, we never knew him having an agency Having a PR agency We all what we knew him to be was the a cn spokesperson from a cn spokesperson to a pc spokesperson From a pc spokesperson to minister of information and culture for eight years So I think president you know, we should not accept Should not accept this offer. He's just looking for a way to get himself involved to part take of the cookie jar That's what he's trying to do. Oh, well from line Muhammad. We now Let's go to what jaga is up to Jaga to lead Carter Center election observation mission to Zimbabwe Zimbabwe wonderful Where you have the crocodile? The nickname of the president Is a crocodile Jaga to lead Well Do they have elections in Zimbabwe? But are they going to have a coronation in Zimbabwe with respect to after I want to recall the name of the president man work I can't recall his name now after I took over from Mugabe himself as for that entrenched himself as as as the dictator In in in Zimbabwe. So what are they going to observe the election that was observed in Nigeria By the EU and by the EU when they proved the report What did we do if a government came out to condemn the report and said that Is an internal affair did it the body that conducted the election Did very well and There as far as there is because that election is transparent What have you when you see all of these observation at rest of it I just see it as one way or the other of giving credibility to the to the Electra Electra body Electra body in in Zimbabwe and there seems to be a new Type of relationship among acts of electoral bodies across the length and breadth of Africa Just like you have the committee of federal states. You have the committee of vice-cancelors Because you have the committees of them electoral umpires Across across africans and once they are true with their tenor the Graduating to into an observer. So you can imagine somebody like can the president and next chairman Once is through with his tenor my mood you two become an observer if the election he conducted in Nigeria I couldn't even comply With the leader procedure guidelines and what have you and then he will go to another country to supervise him that They are on an election It's just we are just playing your street. That's what I just now Okay, what's to with the daily trust you have bribery allegation heat subcane election petitions tribunal What's going on in that? I I I saw that the chairperson is a lady that said that um There are attempts for how to be bribed and then nobody should come to her to be bribed Um, you see justice delay is justice denied And some of us have advocated that for us to really put in place a proper democratic structure the Dispensification of justice with respect to electoral matters should have been completed and concluded before swearing in I don't see why electoral matters should take more than time Judy Johnson Go ahead we're having problems with your audio so But it's good that it's clear enough. Let's go ahead If you do accelerated hearing to divide election petition matters should be dealt with in under 30 days You do accelerated hearing you see everything. That's why you constitute the panel. That's the issue You would dispense with within 30 days you dispense and you come up with your judgment before the swearing Whoever is declared the winner is declared the winner election that you want them to learn So for example, we did the sharing in this wisdom Notifies, let me see you have 36 state government election and 18 were nullified quote-unquote due to non-compliance What what does that say about the electoral body? Whoever is taken over from the head of the electoral body After that we want to ensure that during my tenure Elections are not after the council draw the letter But there's no consequence for bad behavior if you delay Justice delay Is justice denied when you wait too long to adjudicate on the matter You are making rooms for people to maneuver the system to manipulate the system. It's look I give you this classic example when Jesus was arrested There were attempts By people to bribe poncho's pilot who happens to be the judge. There were attempts. They offered him a bribe That's even in the bible So not to talk of what we are witnessing to do. They offered him a bribe So not to talk of not to talk of not to talk of today if We really want to put this democracy in its proper shape We should dispense electoral matters So it's good to see It's good to see a judicial officer, you know standing tall and saying no to corruption, isn't it especially Today where we have So much a lack of trust You know Nigerians seem to have trust in the judiciary You do the credibility index you do the credibility index of the Nigerian judiciary public perception of it if you do it among Among Nigerians, I'm not sure that the judiciary will get up to 35 percent Approval rating do we know when the pet? That's the presidential election tribunal judgment is going to come out I heard it's august, but I'm not sure of the date. Do you know? Well, that's that's the transparency which we talk about look Whether you like it or not, there's no way whoever is elected As president or governor that is in court Will have the full concentration to concentrate on on admin because it will still be at the back of your mind No matter how sure you think or no matter how clean you think your victory is It will still be at the back of your mind that you have a court case. You have a pending court case You have a pen and that itself affect governance That's why we argue that this matter should have been dispensed with before swearing Nobody knows even the court is not even coming out with the dates with respect to when they are going to make Announcement and you see that Nigerians But in diaspora and at too There's a there's there's an hashtag all eyes on the judiciary. So he bought spring cannot left right and center And the judiciary is exerting too much pressure on itself Whereas the judiciary should deter itself from politics and thus dispense Come up with your argument declare the winner the winner If is the president In your opinion that won the election and the election should continue with his admittance You make your pronouncement and if you have a contract you make your pronouncement and then we can move on a lot of Nigerians are Anxiously with him And he's polarizing And and he's polarizing this country All you need to do is just to go to go online use all the social media and use and you see how people are fighting one another Insulting one another trolling one another bringing ethnic Religious and whatever identity you can think of we have created different types of pillars Of identification in the society and it's not good for it's not good for it's not good for our country Well jidda johnson, thank you so much for your time always the delight to hear you analyze issues on of the press Is a pleasure to be with you have a wonderful friday You too enjoy the rest of your day jidda johnson chief lecturer and and during institute of journalism legal state Has been my guest on out the press. We'll take a break and come back with our first hot topic. Stay with us