 Very good morning to you and thanks for joining us on the breakfast on PLOS TV Africa. My name is Nyam Gul Agadji We do hope that yesterday was awesome for you. You had boxes to Unbox and open your or reveal your presents for Christmas. That's the essence of Boxing Day. I saw so many Pictures on the internet where people were inviting orders for a boxing bout and all that well Actually Boxing Day is not for fighting Boxing Day is to reveal what is in the box You know so to speak that was given to you that is a Christmas presents that were put under your Christmas tree As the case may be. We do hope you had a wonderful time anyway Even if you have not achieved anything your life today is an achievement to be grateful for and we're looking up For 2024 to be a better year than 2023 There are a lot of things that went crazy in 2023 But we're hoping that if the things won't get better at least we will be so used to it that we would see them Something that is so biting anymore because sometimes what you really suffer is what is on your mind Okay, so today we'll be discussing the fact that finance ministry gets a 5.6 million dollars World Bank loan for stationery and Others once again welcome to the program Well, the traffic may return to return today because so many so many offices are opening again today 27th of December 2023 and that will close again Maybe for the New Year celebration on Friday after the after work on Friday And then Monday will be a public holiday But Tuesday is not a public holiday at least according to what the federal government said It was 25th and 26th and then the 1st of January, which is Monday The 1st of January 2024, but whatever be the case We do hope that you will be well rested to start the new year in a very or the very good footing To the 2024 promises to be very very wonderful Well, we're going to go to our top trending issues This morning right away The first top trending issue is that to the book condemns heinous attacks in plateau orders arrest of culprits Now the president Bola Tinnabu on Tuesday condemned the attack in flatou state describing it as heinous Gunmen had stormed over 15 communities in the Bocos and Birkin Ladi local government areas of the state on Christmas Eve killing over 250 people and this is very the conservative number because reports reaching or say over 160 people were killed, but this is the official figure Several houses were set ablaze by the attack as on Sunday night the gun-wielding and blood curling men also looted farm produce and Destroyed properties as they butchered the residents. No group has claimed responsibility for the tragic attack Reacting to the incident president Tinnabu ordered security agencies to arrest the perpetrators of the attack According to the president spokesman a during gilali the president also directed the immediate mobilization of relief resources for survival Surviving victims of the primitive and cruel attacks as well as medical treatment for the wounded the attacks Which started in the Bocos areas peeled into neighboring Birkin Ladi where 30 people were found dead according to local chairman Danjuma that kill on Sunday plateau state governor Caleb muthwang Condemned the violence calling it but barric brutal and unjustified and promised proactive measures to be taken by the government to curb ongoing attacks against innocent civilians according to governor spokesman of folks persons gian beret Amnesty International criticized the government in the wake of the attack saying the Nigerian authorities have been failing to end Frequent deadly attacks on rural communities of plateau state in a post-on-ex formula tutor Not west and central Nigeria have been long terrorized by bandits militias operating from bases deep in forest and raiding villages to loot and kidnap residents for ransom Competition for natural resources between nomadic headers and farmers intensified by rapid population growth and climate Prejudice has also exacerbated social tensions and sparked violence The jihadist conflict has raged in northeastern Nigeria since 2009 killing tens of thousands of people and Displacing around two million as Boko Haram battles for supremacy with rivals linked to the Islamic State group President Bohari or President Tino Borada a former Lagos governor elected in February in a highly contested ballot has Promised to attract more investment in Nigeria's largest economy and most populous country in a bid to tackle its persistent security challenges and we asked the question when will a state of emergency Be declared in Nigeria especially in the north of Nigeria What are the parameters for declaring a state of emergency in a particular? section or a particular situation Be it education security or anything, especially security We're trying to move investments and a lot of people will not come to Nigeria when they see that the security situation is so bad Let's look at the things that are causing this security situation Farmer headers clash can't there be a solution to this do we leave things to nature or let let nature take its course Let things play out the way they should play out when can we declare a state of emergency? in Nigeria on security Sometime ago when 70 people or so were killed or about 70 people were killed in Ben Weston We thought that was the highest number of people being killed in one day where there is no war at all now We're looking at if not only a hundred but over a hundred and sixty people according to reports of eyewitnesses in Plattus states according to the calls that we have made from when the incident happened to a date 100 over a hundred and sixty people even if it's the number given officially as 115 people that's quite a number when I still ask the question Will the federal government declare a state of emergency on security and get this people flushed out? Bandits as we know are people who? Who read the community? They are thieves. That's another name for thieves and all that but for people to come and Massacre up to a hundred and sixty people. These are not people who were fighting them and saying that they are not going to give their grains Or whatever else they were asking them. They were moving from village to village and Killing these people. These are not ordinary bandits. So President for Latino group, please help us declare a state of emergency if you need to and get these people flushed out of Nigeria. Nigeria used to be the giant of Africa and everybody wanted to come to Nigeria now It's not happening anymore because it's not safe. We hear that Part of the village is ravaged by these bandits and where people were killed In the Plattus state is one of the coldest if not the coldest village or area in Nigeria and that means it is a place that can attract a lot of tourists that want to come and still have that Kind of climate that kind of weather that they experience where they come from and it would have been a place of Attraction to a lot of people now people are being killed left right and center in places like that Plattus state is a very strategic place if it comes to tourism And I don't know what the government is doing. So please President Timu President Vice President Shatima and all the relevant people who are listening to us right now Please do something about it. Nigerians should not be killed and then when things like this happen We expect that the president will maybe pay a visit to that state and Condole with the people and make very very strong statements But instead of that we saw our president celebrating Christmas in Lagos not even a Buddha that is closer to Plattus state Celebrating Christmas in Lagos and then having a long key of people that went to celebrate Christmas with him who? Eventually, I'm sure will get some handouts from the president now if everything is working out Well, some of these people will be in their villages with their loved ones because they have the money to spend at Christmas If things were working well, some of them will be at work if they were working They had essential duties like broadcasters and journalists have like policemen the security people and The health workers and so many other people a lot of people will be content and they will stay at home They will be thanking God to get as a family But instead old men and women mature men and women who should be doing something else and being somewhere else We're cleaning at the house of the president for some largesse for some handouts And this is not a thing that we should be very proud of when things like this happen in maybe a place like America or The UK or Canada or any other place where our people are running to the president will go to that place At least even if you're not going to be in the bush to show That you are very hurt by what is happening the people will see you as a father and you have come to console Them and you've come to make pronouncements. They will have some confidence that you are concerned about what is happening to them It takes more than just talking from the comforts of a so villa or from Lagos that these people should be arrested It's not a see that people that they can say, okay, we know them. This is what we are going to do What are you doing to comb this forest and get these people out unless something very proactive is done Then we'll keep seeing this killings and killings from three people being killed to five people to ten people to seventy people Now we're looking at hundreds It's it's really not it's made the souls of those who Died in this conflict. I don't even know if I'll call it conflict in this unfortunate event Find peace in God's bosom. The second trending issue is tinnable Lord's fubara for resolving face-off with wiki President Bola Ahmed tinnable on Tuesday commanded the River State governor similar similar lie fubara What he described as the governor's statemanship in resolving the political Ampass between him and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT yes of wiki President said the federal and subnational governments of Nigeria have the mutual responsibility of ensuring the country's peace and stability Speaking during a meeting with the Niger governor's forum NGF at his residence in Lagos the president reiterated his condemnation of the latest killings in plateau state Addressing the governor's the president issued a stand directive to security agencies to halt the carnage in Plato state and intensified a pursuit of those responsible for the recent tragic events in Boko's and Burkina Ladi local government areas Condoling with the victims the president tinnable emphasized the sanctity of human life and court for a paradigm shift among those with Contrary beliefs cautioning them about the inevitable consequences of their actions A statement by the presidential spokesman quoted tinnable are saying and I quote Nigeria needs peace and stability to move forward Nigeria belongs to all of us and we have to take care of it and of court President tinnable acknowledged the presence of our governor similar lie fubara of river state at the meeting commanding him for his efforts in peacefully resolving the political challenges in the state on the 20 On the 20 24 budget proposal before the National Assembly the president informed the governor's and That he had a review meeting earlier in the data certain elements On certain elements in the appropriation bill with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the economy Mr. Wally a dune and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Center at Tiku Bagulu emphasize the need for joint Responsibility and close our collaboration between the federal and sub-national governments to foster rapid infrastructural development in every part of the nation the chairman of the Niger governor's forum and choir state governor Abdul Rahman Abdul Razak expressed solidarity with the government and the people of plant estate Governor Abdul Razak reaffirmed the state government support for the bold decisions and reforms initiated by president tinnable's administration Okay, the governor's had a meeting with the president when they should be in their states and also Celebrating with their people, but they had a meeting. It's very important. Have this meeting is good But I still call on the government to do something more drastic than just pronouncements and saying I have ordered the arrest of these People what else will the police or the army do differently? That's what we're looking at because if you order the arrest. Yes They're going to arrest them and all that but for Fubara and the political impasse in river state I do not know what we cannot take sides whatever it is. Let it be for the good of rivers people But we must hasten to warn that there are some things that if they are done according to the proposal for the for the settlement of the dispute in River state if they are done that will be the death of democracy in Nigeria For instance, if these people who should be prosecuted are Accepted back and then given all the responsibilities they should have then we'll be asking ourselves What is the rule of law playing? What is what part is the rule of law playing if they they the budget is Represented to a people that had left and they were absent when this budget was passed and rightly so it is Represented to them. We will be asking the question. How is that democracy? How what role is a rule of law playing if they? 27 members who are in in majority now come back and Dictate to the house what should be and maybe on seat they They they lawfully pronounced the speaker of the house Like it was proposed then we'll be asking what the rule of law is playing what what part it is It is playing in our democracy and what democracy is today this eight-point agenda Does not speak well of a democracy that should thrive on the rule of law But let's see how it goes the governor of river state has said that it is not a death sentence It can implement all those things let us see how he's going to implement a thing without Jettisoning the rule of law and everything that democracy holds as the tenets of democracy Let's see how it goes, but for the people of river state We can only wish you luck and let's also listen to what the PDP and the APC will be saying about this The drama that is unfolding is very interesting 2024 is going to be really exciting now PDP releases timetable for by elections Peck Senate form at 3.5 million narrow also understand that APC has released theirs as well But ahead of the February 3 2024 by elections of people's Democratic Party that is PDP has released a timetable and scheduled a shadow of activities for the contestants into senatorial House of Representatives and state assembly seats the PDP timetable released on Tuesday Was signed by the party's national organizing secretary umar baturi the sale of nomination forms expression of interest and delegates forms will begin on December 28th That's tomorrow 2023 and end on January 3 2024 a month to the election while primary elections are scheduled to be held on January 9 2024 the PDP picked the price for the expression of interest and nomination forms for the Senate House of Representatives and House of Assembly at 3.5 million 2.5 million and 600,000 narrow respectively the party said female aspirants and persons living with disabilities are to pay for nomination forms only while youth below 40 years are to purchase expression of interest forms with a 50% discount on nomination forms the independent national electoral commission INEC had fixed February 3 2024 for the conduct of by elections resulting from the resignation or demise of members of the national and state House of Assembly It stated that the vacancies occurred across two senatorial districts for federal constituencies and three state constituencies spanning nine states of the federation Well, it's a lofty thing that the the party has done to give 50 discount to youth under 40 years and also to Give some kind of rebates to the people living with disabilities and women but my fear and my hope also is that when these people get these forms for the for a lower price and all that When they do enter office, there shouldn't be Poppets to the people who let them take this let it not be a case of We give you This forms next to nothing so you have to the to dance to the music and you have to Do according to the bidding of those of us who made it possible if you're giving someone 50 discount it shouldn't be that that person is less important than the person who bought it for the full Amount that they should buy it what is happening in river state? for instance, we heard the minister of the federal capital territory saying that When it but when it was time to choose someone to go we just asked you to go It was a safe. He was handpicked That was the only only qualification. He was handpicked. It wasn't a safe. Everybody else was private to that Information that brought out the governor who is sitting now It was a safe. He was sent like a boy to go and represent the people and so he has no say he has to abide by the rules of Politics that's what has been happening. So you you want to play politics. You have to abide by the rules What are the rules do politics have that are not covered by the constitution? Because a lot of things that are happening don't seem to be covered by the constitution, but they are just Understandings that we have in politics. We should get to a point where we'll be very very Clear very transparent on the things that we do until we get to that point Our democracy will still be a dictatorship by proxies And that is not very good for the giant of Africa that all other african countries should be looking up to Okay, so politics should be such a clean game that some of us will also be Comfortable going into it and not saying I cannot I cannot Fight the fight that they are fighting in politics and then people will keep calling politics a dirty game Well politics is not a dirty game on its own There's a people that are involved that sometimes make it look like it's dirty politics is everywhere, but the the kind of politics that is played on the global scene on the national scene on the That we call politics nowadays is what people fear But if a lot of good men go go into politics, maybe it'll have a better name than it has now But we want nigeria to grow whatever will make nigeria grow We should support it and one of the things is the rule of law and abiding by the constitution of the federal republic of nigeria We have no problem with laws That's the way I see it We have a lot of laws is to abide by these laws and having the political will to prosecute those who Contravene the laws That is what we're lacking. We hope that one day we'll get that leader whose utterances and actions will make people sit Tight and do what they're supposed to do and be afraid of the consequences of bad behavior Well, that's much talking that we've been talking. Let's just take the weather report and when we return We'll enter The papers and see what the papers are saying what the headlines are this morning. Stay with us Thank you