 Nigeria's two leading political parties have been engaged in a war of words over a change in the location of pulling units. It's alleged, as by one of those political parties who have analysis of this move, alleged move by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Also on the breakfast, yesterday's rainfall has seen parts of Lagos heavily flooded, putting individuals and families at risk. This is the solution to the perennial flooding in Nigeria's mega city. Plus, we're all having depth analysis of some of today's newspaper headlines. We call it out the press, right here on the breakfast. We're back with the Breakfast and Plus TV Advocates. A beautiful Tuesday morning for you and life in the studios in the Turtle Island Lagos. It's a beautiful Tuesday. Like we said, we have a range of discussions lined up for you on the breakfast. My name is Kofi Bartels. And I am Messi Boko. Good morning and thanks for joining us. All right, I'm actually looking quite sparkly as always. A lot going on. Before we get to an issue of review, of course, we have a look at what's happening today in history. We usually will start with a look at what's been trending in the conversations online. We take those conversations from the social space, the online space, and we bring them on. What is a very startling story, but it maybe seems it ended well. Imagine this and picture this. A graduate who's been out of school, graduated from the university for years, taking his certificate, going back to his school and saying, take my certificate. I don't want it again. Give me back my fees, school fees I paid whilst I was in the school. Give it back to me. This is bizarre. I have never seen anything. People say these things when they joke. Well, this is what happened when a social media skit maker. That's what we know. And a graduate of agricultural extension and rural development at Lado Kea Kintola University of Technology, or your state, his name is Oshunleke Alaba. He has been presented with a cheque of 500,000, but it's called Alumni Association. After he trained it a few days ago, over what he approached, after he approached the university in tears for not being able to do anything with the certificate he got from the school years after graduating. Now what he said was his parents took loans to fund his schooling and he could not continue to sustain him with such funding adding that his action was not a social media stunt. Some people felt his action was a social media stunt. He said, no, it's not a social media stunt. Now this skit maker said, quote, I returned the certificate because it had no impact on my existence. It was for a refund of the fees and paid in the school so I could use it to build my talent and live a meaningful life. So, well, fast forward. I mean, maybe it's one of the most happily ever after stories where the school's alumni says, oh, my friend, come. We'll support you. Take 500,000 Naira and make your life better. Bizarre! Have you seen anything like this message? I haven't seen anything like this. I mean, when I actually saw the story or reports, I kept thinking to myself, has this ever happened? And, you know, will this ever actually happen? And it's, like you have mentioned, is bizarre. But for me, it feels like we probably might just have a trend, right? It might just be a revolution or movement where a lot of persons would actually go to their universities because we know some persons who have graduated, you know, over the years and they're not working. So it's possible that people will just go back to their universities and be asking for their, you know, certificates. But the story is quite pathetic. And I think that that's not just, it's not peculiar to him. It cuts across board. It might not necessarily be the same, but it's almost one and the same thing, you know, with a lot of persons who have graduated over the years. And I think about the time you go, okay, let me not even say that, over the years and then, you know, they are without a job. I mean, I mean, looking, I listen to it, I watch him, you know, talk about why his acts that his certificates should be returned. He said that his parents are actually borrowed to fund his education. And at this point in time, he's still collecting from his father. And that's really, really saddening. I mean, at some point you want to wish that you're able to take care of your parents. You know, so it goes along with coffee to be realistic. I think that we're in a system, unfortunately. You see, you need to go to school about, hey, education is just to have you be, have your mind being open. I mean, understanding and what have you, that's basically what it does for you. But I think that over time, the educational system that we have and the way of practice has not been able to equip the people with the relevant skills and, you know, abilities that they need to solve the current day problems. I mean, every day problem that people face. So we're evolving. It's beyond all of the theories that people need to have the skills. So do we have an educational system that's equipped people, persons or individuals with this required skills? Even though that's actually not even an excuse because we see a lot of persons who have graduated from the university. And if you look at what they practically came out with from the university, it's not what they're doing right now. So it might not be an excuse, but it doesn't cut across everyone. I'm not sure everyone has a tenacity and, you know, whatever it is to push forward and push through with it. But it brings me back to the convention of, I mean to the conversation of where we need to pay attention to vocational, you know, education. I'm not just talking about vocational education being introduced to the curriculum, but I'm saying that let's have, yes, we know that a lot of people say we have vocational institutions across the country. I'm saying let's pay attention to it. There's so much hype and emphasis on having a certificate, a degree. And that's why people just want to go to school. These days, a lot of persons will court corners and just try to get the certificate because of the emphasis we've placed on it. It's important that we place premium. And that's because everyone wants to get a white collar job. Let's place premium as well. You know, the regular, I mean, not the conventional. Conventional would be just the regular universities you go, you get a degree and what have you. But let's pay attention to educational, vocational, training, social and what have you. Skills where people can actually learn cap and treat for real. I don't think that it would be great for us to add it into the curriculum. This is me just thinking because it might just be another thing. I mean, in the course of going through school, we had all of those skills, courses where you would have to acquire entrepreneurship courses and all of that. But really, does it even, you know, sustain after the examination and all of that? I think that it's important that rather than have more universities where we've been taught theories and all of that, it's important to have, you know, school of cap and treat. Someone could learn and become seriously. We need to actually pay attention to this. And that's it because over time, there's been, you know, those who have actually gone before us and these economists and countries that are practicing this and they say that vocational, training and education is actually very important to the development of every economy. And so let's begin to be skillful. How do we solve daily problems? The problems every day, problem of food, clothing, what have you, transportation, you know, different kind of skills, things that we need. I think that that's where we should be moving towards rather than always having because that's it. We have 1,001 persons before me. It might just be, you know, a pathetic thing to do. But, you know, will the system, can the educational system sustain this particular practice or this, you know, gesture that has actually been met out to Alaba, right? Can it be sustained? What if I decide that I want to go back to my institution and get a refund of all of the school fees I have paid and what have you? I mean, that's on a lighter note. But I know that Kofi, you probably have something. You seem very shocked and shocked. No, no, I think we have, we saw all that needs to be said, you know, about this. And that's it. But let's move on to the second. So the second one is that those who are questioning Turnible Certificate should go into the bush. That's what Kayamo. I mean, Kayamo's been on the news just recently. He's been topping the chart. If you look at the trending, there's been a lot that he's said from granting interviews in different sphere and all of that. And, you know, the issue of, you know, certificate for those who are vying for the position. Not necessarily. But, I mean, from the president, the current president that we have, Mohammed Buhari, there's been a lot about whether or not he has a certificate, whether or not he graduated, what does he have, a first school living certificate, or what not, or a senior school certificate and all of that. And you know that the Nigerians have been big on whether or not those who want to become president should have a certificate. But his response in the course of responding to different questions and issues, addressing party issues and interests, he said that for those who were asking that he would not answer his detractors, but rather they should go to the bush and, you know, look for it. Sounds like, you know, one of those things we see as children. I mean, it's like you're playing with your little cousin or playing with the children in the neighborhood and you tell them, you know, just go to the bush or just go somewhere and get asleep. But that has also not really sat well with a lot of peasants because if you look at the issue of certificate and what the constitution, you know, talks about, you know, the criteria, of course, it's important that we understand those who are vying for political office. Is it a necessary criteria? Because a lot of peasants have said that the situations where you have professors, it's not a yardstick to actually have, you know, good governance and have, you know, a viable president or governor, what have you. But should it really matter? Does it really matter? These are some of the questions that's been raised. Indeed. I mean, for me, it's never here nor there. You know, I haven't seen Kayamo's statement. I haven't watched him say this. I think there's been a back and forth between Daniel Buala and Fesos Kayamo over President Buala Betilbo's certificate issues and Buala had brought out some information that Kayamo had sued Tinibu some time ago. You know, so there is a report saying that Kayamo said, quote, anybody looking for Buala Tinibu certificate until now, the person should enter the bush and look for it. It's just like they did to Buala since 2015. This is what he's quoted as saying. He's also quoted as saying, you know, that they've been shouting Buhari's certificate, the man is finishing his eight years tenor. His picture is hung on the villa wall as a past president. Meanwhile, some people are still looking for his certificate. So these are quotes from an online medium. So I mean, for me, it's part of the political talk. I don't think I want to get drawn on this because I'm putting issues to look at. It's just part of the normal political scene. No, no, but whether or not it's actually part of the normal political season or not, I mean, because right now... Because the reason why I said this is that if we scamper for everything, there will be a lot of these antics. There will be a lot of these... Sorry, there will be a lot of these antics. Politicians will normally say, you know, so he says, ah, you guys should go to the bush and look for it. People run and say, ah, why do you say you should go to the bush? These are the things they say. I think the bottom line is as long as, you know, the lines of reason, you know, of course have not been crossed. I think election is just how many days away, people will vote and then choose who they want to vote for. No, no, well, as much as, you know, it might just be statements that you have politicians making over time, but I also think that it's important that we pay attention to this thing because every other time you have people who say, ah, we don't have to be your role model. I mean, this is not role model. It's what it is, the concept. But these are statements that are coming from very prominent person, whether or not we have been able to, I mean, to say, OK, did he really say it or he did not say it. But you have the statement already, you know, in space and we're hoping that there's some clarification on his part. He should comment and say, I didn't say this because if you look at that issue... I haven't seen a video where he said it. So I'm saying that if it's something to go by... I'm not defending him. I understand you totally, Kofi, but I'm saying that if it's something to go by, you want to ask yourself that once upon a time, you remember that the APC notion state had gone to court over the issue of certificates and so it would really, really not even add up or sit well, you know, with the APC to say, hey, or APC stakeholder or anyone from the party to say you can go to the bush. That being said, I mean, if it's anything to go by, that's a statement because we're still here grappling with education, people refunding their certificates and trying to get money from all of it. So it's a lot. So what are we saying? Are we in an area where we're saying that it's not important? There's so much to unravel and unpack as far as these elections are concerned. And instead of, I mean, for people who have an issue with bulletin credentials, I mean, time is running out. Why are they not in court? You know, because talking and then, you know, reacting gets nobody anywhere. I mean, like I said, the political rhetoric is going to get, you know, to increase. And we'll be seeing more. This is not the worst we've seen. This is not the worst we've seen. That's why I don't want to get, you know, I don't think people should get drawn. This is my view. Or personally, I won't get drawn on because I must say we should go to the bush. This is not what we want these guys to see. But Bessie, have you had what we said lately? He said, he said, if he tells that he reveals information he has on Amici, Amici's wife will believe him. In other words, he said, you know, he's trying to break someone's mind. These are things that these guys say. He's talking about Amici's wife. No, no, no. You know, when he comes to reason and what do they call it? Good conscience. These guys have, you know, when he used to draw this line on the sword, back in the day, we played this game. You played it now. What was it called again? I'm not sure I played it. You can't be sure. Oh, you jump on inboxes. When you clear the line from the sound with your feet, you can't see the line. These guys have cleared the line when it comes to reason and, you know, at least reasonable talk in the political season and good rhetoric, you know. So if you follow them, we'll be reacting to everything. No, no, no. What I'm saying, I think they are the best thing for people who feel that Tilibu's has certificate issues is to actually do Nigeria a service, help Nigeria go to court and prove it so that we don't have him on the ballot and time is running out. So what are they waiting for? Very valid. You keep talking nothing will change. Why are you talking? No, no, no. Very valid. But we're also saying that as much as we understand that this might just be the gimmicks, you know, it's part of politics and the shenanigans that we're going to be seeing as we proceed, you know, it's usually part of the practice for politicians. But we're saying that these issues that have been raised are very critical. And so because it feels like this is important. Yeah, yeah, critical. Critical for what now? No coffee now. No coffee now. Like for instance. If you're going to go to court and say, excuse me now. No, excuse me now. Justice, give me one. Yeah, yeah, go. Please, remove me. I don't know. No, no, no. Coffee, coffee. Coffee, coffee. We'll see what I'm coming for. We'll just talk about things to talk. What I'm saying that is critical. It seems like we'll have a problem. So what should happen next? This morning, we have on top training that someone has returned his certificate. That was publicity stunt, please. Oh, wait. Of where? Can you come and tell me that you left school and you could not find a job? Well, that's on the one hand. Are you out of your mind? So let's see what we're doing, really, now. Please, please. One person. This is what I'm saying. I'm saying this. I can guarantee you that $500,000 may not yield anything for that. No, no, but that's not even the issue. So, you are talking about what ought to be. I'm talking about what is, what is is that it has happened, and if it has happened and if it is what it is, what is going on? Are we now saying that it's not important? There's nothing wrong with having a certificate? No, campers are spokesmen of the All Progressive's Congress presidential campaign. These are the things they say. If we get drawn, if we allow it get to us, we will not move on. We, we, it's part of the game that the season, you know, it's part of it. So what do we do now? We know, okay, I'm assessed, we should go into the bush. Per second they are saying these things. It's important, I think, to focus on the big picture, which is changing the way apolitics is run. And that happens at about. And then for those who feel that there's something there, hey, the courts are open. You're actually going to end up being the problem. You have this evidence and all you're doing is just talk court to the court quickly. There's no time. You know, that's what I mean. Anyway, let's move on. Let's move on. That's on you now. Oh my, oh my, oh my. Okay, all right. Asu segment, this should be Asu segment for this week. I think we should have an Asu segment every week. Everybody's in Canada right with the Queen, you know, she's been Queen Lisbon of blessed memory, of blessed memory. But we should not forget that our university lecturers, Aslan Strike and the students, Aslan are home. Mercy yesterday, a parent called me and said, can I look for a school in neighboring Ghana for the children? So what did you do? And I said, I'll get back to them. You know, parents are sending, I was at a function on Saturday. It was one of these study abroad functions, held a very big hotel not far from us, you know, a very big hotel not far from us. I won't mention where, but if you know what I mean. And mercy, I counted thousands of students, the young Nigerian's parents, guardians, and students, youngsters, who were, it was a trade fair of sorts for foreign universities. Many of them, they came from Australia, believe it or not, they came from Australia, to Lagos, to do education trade fair. But Kofi, why are you saying this? They came from Canada. They came from the United States of America. They came from UK. Oh, initially UK universities. Mercy, if you know that big hotel, where Shetima, you know, the whole issue, you know, when the NB had her, I don't know. I haven't heard it. Big hall, big hall, no space. You know, you have people who have to queue. Parents are looking for how to take their children out of the country. I saw a youngster sitting down because I went to look at and make inquiries for someone. And one youngster who was sitting down, he was tapping his feet like this. Jaqba, Jaqba, Jaqba. How do you know that's what he was doing? I heard him singing this song. I said, I heard that song. He said, yes, now. I own Jaqba. In fact, Jaqba is now a word that one of the online streaming platforms, where you watch movies, the new one that is trying to upstage or take off on the one that you've been watching, when you stream your phone, you stream movies. They are saying you should Jaqba to their platform. They are using that word to market and sell themselves. So the government has to do something quick. The National Industrial Court, this is one that got people talking yesterday, has agent to September 16, 2022. They sued, filed by the federal government. And this is the whole comedy that we're seeing. This is Night of a Thousand Laughs. Night, well, it is morning. It is a 723, Day of a Thousand Laughs. They took ASU to the National Industrial Court over the strike. And they approached the court sitting in Abuja, requesting an order for ASU to resume while he continues to engage the union to address the dispute. Okay? And this is what we have. The court has adjourned this case. I think we don't need to go into all the details, the case file, and all that. But as stated by the head, press, and public relations to the Minister of Labor and Employment indicated the matter was referred to the registrar of the National Industrial Court by the minister. Kennedy had been saying this according to the labor laws, you know, no work, no pay, you know, and all that. And then he's trying to get them back to school to teach and all that. So only God knows if this will make ASU more resolute, you know, in its determination to stay out of classroom until they get everything they're asking for, you know, or if they should soften their stance and force them back to the classroom. And so picture this mercy. If the court says go back to the classroom, the striking lecturers go back. I don't know, it will be dependent, you know, on the union to actually obey that or not. I mean, if you look at the culture of obeying the rule of law, it hasn't been very pleasant. You will also find out that the executive arm of government has also fallen short of it. So these days when I hear that syrup is suing the government and students are dragging and are saying, hey, there should be a certain injunction, let the court give an order, the next question would be, will this order be obeyed? Is there anything that would persuade people to obey it? So it feels like, you know, we're just in a system where anyone wakes up, including the judiciary, which we think that, you know, it's a hope for the common man, but is it really a hope for a common man? A quick one here is we begin to course this conversation down. So I had a quick conversation because I saw a meme, you know, that talked about resolving conflicts between the lecturers and the university. And then I remember the lecturer of mine who was, who taught peace and conflict resolution. So I sent the meme to her and of course we had a conversation now. Noily to me, she was already in Saudi Arabia because, you know, her husband had moved who was a medical doctor and she's also there making time, you know, to become a professor and then moving eventually. And so she talked about the fact that if you look at some of the issues that Asu had talked, are talking about now, these are very fundamental issues. This is not, you know, another which hunting the federal government or trying to be very critical of the government, but let's even, you know, just look around the universities around you. Take a travel if you can or just visit one of them. These federal universities or public institutions or schools, let's move it away from the institution. Let's go to public schools around and look at the state of, you know, infrastructures in the schools. Are there really something to write them about? What do you make of this learning environment? I came out of one and sometimes it's quite worrisome. Five years before that time, 10 years before that time, I mean, what's the way it is? It's still the way it is. You go to the lecture rooms. I mean, you still find, you know, broken decks and sometimes you find students sitting on the floor. This, I mean, as we're talking about revitalization from 2009, now imagine what the institutions are. Universities would be like in five years or 10 years from now if the government, if it's still the same way and as we're still grappling with it, you still go to the institution. You can't find power supply. Meanwhile, in neighboring countries like Ghana, I would hear some of my colleague way back would say, I'm still in, I'm like, why are you still in school at this time? I'm like, everywhere's lit. And, you know, that's different. Then you go to the lecturers, you know, offices or you go to where these lecturers are. We've seen a picture of where a lecturer somewhere in the South is. It looks like an uncompleted building and it's quite shameful and very, you know, it's unimaginable that you have lecturers, you know, sitting in this kind of space. And what do you expect? Not making an excuse for their behavior. They become very aggressive towards students. No power. They're, you know, sitting very on conducive environment. Are these issues that are so raising very valid? And let's even begin to talk about the issue of whether or not they will embezzle the form. Does this forms really get to the account of ASU? Let's be realistic. Now, my colleague here, Kofi, had talked about people, you know, countries that have come into Nigeria right here in Lagos, conversing for students to leave the country, trying to get parents to get their children. We also even, I mean, in different mediums, people come around to publicize. They're trying to scout for parents and look for opportunity, not even for the university. We're talking about colleges now. Is it not saddening enough? Is it not time that we put away all of this shenanigans and peer attention, you know, to the crux of the matter that we're losing it gradually? And it's quite unfortunate. So for how long will we continue like this? I have over time covered the rural areas and reports, you know, things happening in these communities. I see the state of primary schools, secondary schools, on by government. It is unfortunate. At this point, we're talking about state government now. Very, very unfortunate. We can continue like this and expect a different result. We cannot continue like this and expect, you know, Nigerians and students from Nigeria to be able to compete with your counterparts outside of this country. It is unacceptable. I mean, for how long will we continue to play all of these games? It's time we sit back. Let's see what happens with the federal government in court with ASU and how that would, you know, what it would turn out for us. You know, at some point, I got into an argument with some people who say, professors in this country, you can imagine for how long they have been in the system. They do not end up to 500,000 now. Can you imagine that? And juxtaposing that with the current reality. I mean, really, it doesn't even make the educational system. It doesn't even make it very lucrative and attractive for people to want to venture into. Why would you want to become a lecturer? You become a professor. That's the peak of the career. But they're earning a 400 and what again? 12,000 or 30,000? Not even up to 500,000 because I would say approximately that's 500,000. But it's not 500,000. I think we need to, you know, just take a break at this point in time because let's know where our money's going. Is it that we really don't have money or we have decided not to, you know, invest money where our heart should really be? All right, all right. Interesting, very prominent questions you've asked them. Where I say we have to move on. Let's see what happens if the court can indeed force the hand of ASU back to the classrooms. My name is Kofi Bartels. My name is Mirzebo. We'll be back. We have a break when we return. We will be flipping through the pages of the National Daily. So actually looking at the front page and some of the headlines contain their own. Stay with us.