 On the breakfast this morning Nigerians to assemble at Lecky Toll Gate in Lagos State today as the second anniversary of the NSR's protests and the Lecky massacre holds. Also on the breakfast, has the police art of 2020 and the Police Trust Fund Act of 2019 guarantee protection of human rights? We'll talk about police brutality and freedom of speech. And we have a usual analysis of today's Nisrpa headlines in the press. We're back with the Breakfast and Plasticity of Africa. It's a beautiful Thursday morning. Today happens to be the 20th of October 2022. But I mean the 20th of October has come to have a significance in Nigeria since the year 2020 who would have thought well of course today happens to be the second anniversary of what transpired at Lecky Lagos Nigeria. Lecky Toll Gate Plaza where it was now as it's come to be described by the judicial panel of enquiry, Lecky Massacre. We'll be having extensive discussions around it today. It will be a special as we're focusing on that. You're welcome to the breakfast. My name is Kofi Bartels. And I am Messi Boko. Thanks for joining us. And as usual we start with a look at the training stories around the country. Indeed discussions on the social space and what people are talking about. Let's have an analysis. And of course one of those stories generating chat online and attention happens to be the announcement by Nigeria's I should say he's a former governor of Lagos State who said that the longer waited second Niger bridge. I mean we've had about the second Niger bridge for some years. And previous administrations of successive administrations have touted that as a signature project something to show their love for the southeast part of Nigeria. When they go to campaign in the southeastern states in the country five of them. So we will complete the second Niger bridge. Well the incoming administration, whoever that will be next year may not have to give that promise anymore. As Babatuni Fajji Fashola said that the second Niger bridge will be completed by December 2022 and open to motorists to apply is what he is saying. Now he stated this at a press briefing of course details which were shared online to unveil the end of term series. In terms of PMB and administration's call card 2015 to 2023. This is call card of the president's performance as far as infrastructure is concerned. So this call card is designed to showcase the achievements of president Mohammed Buhari and his administration from 2015 like it said to 2023 now. What the minister of works and housing Babatuni Fashola was also former governor of Liga state said is that the only factor delaying the opening of the second Niger bridge and inauguration of the construction of the bridge rather is the construction of a link road which the recent surge of flooding had impeded. So you know lots of reactions coming as far as this is concerned. So let's even start off from the fact that usually when we have government embarking on projects and you have roads being constructed you have certain projects being embarked on. These are basic things. Once they have basic issues or basic infrastructure that should be provided. It comes with a democratic dispensation. This attacks payers money. It's not like you're doing the people a favor. But over time we seem to be you know jubilating overly excessively. I would say over some of this project is like it's normal is expected. Do we need to talk about what is expected or what should have been done. And when we begin to so at this point in time I'm sure that we're expected to say hey that's and that's commendable. Of course it should be commendable because you would say that you have different governments that has come in and out and have not been able. You know to put their foot down to ensure that the project is completed. This administration has done that right. But you also would agree with me that government is a continuum and should we begin to you know be open about it and mean overbought about the particular issue. I don't think that's the case. It's just basic is necessary. It's naturally comes to the people. It's not that you know you have the president or you have someone who's actually doing this out of their pockets. And then you begin to say well this is actually good. But like you mentioned you know in in the course of the conversation you talked about the link bridge which is very critical. So how do you even say that as much as we're saying we're loading the project which is laudable. I mean no one is saying we're not commending it. We're also saying that these are basic necessities or infrastructure that should come to the people as it is. But they are concerned about the second Niger bridge being completed with no access road or link to the people. So what then exactly is going on. So you're talking about from Asaba and from Onitsha and no links. Really should we be celebrating? Is that what we need to do? We need to move away from that for the want of time quickly. There's a sad incident that happened yesterday in Lagos and I think that this is actually not the first time. It's an occurrence that's been going on and so traders and the Agboros Plashed in at the popular Lagos Alaba international market. The egos are saying that you know they've had enough of the Agboros extorting them all of the taxation. And it feels like it's a tribal issue you know from all of the comments and reactions that Nigerians are. I mean if you get on Twitter at the Twitter space it was even really the pictures that we saw very scary pictures. But we'll just quickly take this track and when we return we'll talk some more. Please say what else. Interesting scenes. For those who do not know what we mean by Agboros. Agboros could be called Tars. These are people who originally initially from them. It's a Yoruba word for someone who helps. And I hope I'm getting the Yoruba right. Somebody who helps to load a bus to carry a load or carry people help passengers to get into a bus for a fee. It's not kayae or kaya or kaya. It's not kaya. It's kaya. Other people will help carry a load. But those who help you get your goods and get the people into the bus for a fee. Who help to load the bus so they can get going. It's a loose translation for the Yoruba. And it's a long history. But these are people who are victims of poor economic policies. That's how it started. And from poor economic policies, particularly the structural adjustment program of the Ibrahim Babangirah administration in the 80s. Which brought the Nigerian economy to its knees and really devalued the Naira. These people who were in the communities who are known as Lagos boys and who are popular in the neighborhoods had to go to the motor parks to see how they could fend for themselves. Now, after being victims of creation of poor economic policies or failed economic policies, they also now victims of the politicians. Let's call it the political situation in the country because the politicians see them as a very useful tool for the prosecution of the political aims. Particularly ballot box snatching, voter intimidation, which is now the new norm and all that. And just basically being their representative of political thoughts. They are also seen by politicians in different parts of the country as a tool for political or for rent taking. They are part of the infrastructure, the internal generated revenue structure in several states where they get money from motor park vehicles, commercial transport vehicles, you have tricycle, taxis, the buses called down for the small ones now, the mini buses, the taxis. Even motorcycles pay them money. They get money from people who sell on the road, people who sell in the marketplaces, people who are hawking, people who have permanent stores, all sorts. So these are taps. These are a combination of touting, street urchins, a combination of a lot of things. That's how Akbaris can be described. Now, I think it's... The Alaba International Market is a big market in Lagos. It's an Ojo local government of Lagos. But quickly, I think it's... We should try to de-emphasize the tribal aspect of this. I was very impressed to see people who come from the South Eastern part of Nigeria, some of them saying, oh, no, no, no. Yes, we know that you have a majority of the traders in the Alaba market who went on that protest procession to say, we are tired of being extorted illegally by these touts, probably called Akbaru. Because we pay taxes to Ojo local government area. We pay our dues as members of these markets. And these guys are taking an undue advantage of us because of their intimidating stunts and the kind of authority well-willed in Lagos state to take money from us that is not statutory, it's not recognized, it's not recommended, it's not legal. Now, I've always said that there are forties of government in Lagos state. You have the federal government, state government, local government, and Akbaru. Because they've constituted themselves into a government if they can't walk into a shop, you know, in a market, in a state that is governed by laws, in a country that is governed by laws, and then collect rent, collect money, say, pay me money. Then they are a tier of governments and the government has to do something about it. But we should de-emphasize it being a clash of tribes, Igbo's versus Yoruba's. I don't think it's Igbo's who are protesting and Yoruba's being the touts. I mean, if you look at, you know, Akbaru's are touts in different parts of the country. Yes, indeed, majority of them will come from the whole state. But it's not about that, it's just that they are there. So you have traders who are angry at the illegality of touts, collecting money and rent from them, and they are simply protesting. Just the majority of them are from the southeast. So let's paint it in the right picture. So we did not escalate tribal tension, which, unfortunately, certain persons are knowingly doing because it suits the political aims. No, so Kofi, I don't think as much as, you know, you have raised a point and the point is it's okay not to make it about a certain tribe. But you also, like I rightly mentioned, I actually want to go back in history and you begin to look at all of this. Whether or not it is what it is, it's not that this is happening because it's ahead of the elections. If you look at the conflict that has been going on, it's been on for a very long time. And most times to address the current issues, you need to know where this is coming from. So you're talking about addressing the root causes of the situation. So now, it's unfortunate that perception is, you know, really greater. It has a lot of, you know, hold than facts. And so how people perceive or what people think about you over time may not be what it is. I don't know if you... So you have an issue of perception and it's a perception. And that's how the people feel. So this is not even me coming to say that, oh, it's a tribal issue. It's how the people have reacted over time. Look at the tweets and all of the comments and see the reaction and how people feel because these people are, I mean, human beings over time. We talk about people who have emotions and what have you. So it's a perception. It's because of their encounter and experience over time. And that's why this perception is held. It probably might be wrong. It might not be the case, but it feels like that's actually on the majority. And something needs to be done about it, especially for a city as, you know, Lagos State, which is, you know... The perception that, you know, this is about a certain tribe. Look at Yoruba's... No, no, not necessarily the Yoruba. They're saying that the Igbo's have had a... I usually talk about, you know, those who are in business. We're not just saying that in the Alaba market or every other market, you just have a certain tribe. Okay? So I get where you're coming from. I'm saying that just like you would have in every, you know, situation or in every establishment or organization, how people from different tribes. But you'll also find out that a lot of persons, they are tribes that are dominant. There's a lot of oppression. Let's begin to look at it. What do you begin to think? You begin to think that this is actually, you know, the fact that okay, because you're not from here. I mean... So all the time... We have to now analyze to see if it's a fallacy or not. And it doesn't hold water because... No, no, no. But it cannot be... It's just to learn. I held the torch first. So I'm not saying that, you know, it cannot be dismissed. But it would be very critical, especially at this point in time. I think it's responsible, it would be responsible of the government of this state, which, I mean, you know, everyone has a right to movement. Everyone has a right to be, you know, in any parts of the country, as long as you're not a threat to national security or the state at itself. So I would actually say that if this perception has been going on, like you say it's a fallacy, it's not okay for us to just sit up here and say it's just a fallacy. I think that it's important that, you know, there be a thorough investigation. You should be looked at if this is something that has been going on for a very long time, right? And this is the perception of the people because of how they have been treated, because of the experiences that they get. We're talking about extortion, we're talking about a lot that's going on. And to talk about who, when you look at the tribe, which tribe is dominant in terms of business in this particular region? You find out that that's the tribe. And so you probably just feel like, hey, it's just an attack on us, which might not be true. So that's why I say you usually just general the perception. Perception is what it is. What people think about you and what you are is a different thing. So it's a lot of work to begin. What are you saying? Because I'm not, I think what I'm saying is, I'm not about perception. I'm saying that the situation calls for first of all the escalation of de-emphasizing the tribal aspect of it. Number one, number two, that if you look at it holistically, these thoughts are managed to society everywhere. They are not out to target a particular tribe. They are out to enrich themselves and they don't care who is at the receiving end as far as it's wanted to be made. So the Ia who is in Obalinde or the Mama who is in K2 who is from Ijebu who came to Lagos to sell. Or who is from maybe Alimo Shoe and just is an indigent. He's a victim as well. And they are all victims. In Pothakot, you have agrarians who are victimizing even. It's not about indigeneity. It just happens to be that the people who are receiving end this time are from the southeast. But if we do not enlighten the people and we do not educate them to realize that we need to look at this from the point of the issue at hand which affects everybody. Because you have people who are from south-south in the market. If we go to Pothakot, for instance, Iqo Kuspepa's market, they start shouting. And they say, okay, river supply gates but the same river agrarians or river stouts, Pothakot stouts are also attacking people who are from river states as well. So then we need to now enlighten people and people need to be aware. I'm not saying we don't have factors historically especially during election periods that will mean that some people from outside Lagos are being targeted. That is there. But for the touts, they affect everyone. And then we need to let people understand that and the emphasis. But we move on. This is a quick one. We'll make it quick on this. A court nullifying two APC assembly primaries in your base state which is in the north-eastern part of the country. This is during a delivery of a delivery of a judgment by Justice Fadima Amino. She directed the APC to conduct fresh primary elections for the affected positions within 14 days. So that's that. I think it's clear what the judge has ordered. It's clear what the court has said. And the electoral act is also clear as well. The affected constituencies are Fika and Galfa and Jaskusko constituencies. I would let you know how it goes. And just quickly as we move on on this particular issue as much as it's been said because if you look at the engagement and what people are saying it feels like when the obvious has been stated there's no need to further engage and that's why that hasn't really had a lot of engagement from Nigerians. The court has actually stated and it should be. But I think that it's time that we put our acts together as a country and that would mean that you have different political parties putting your acts together because it doesn't necessarily make it's not even it doesn't make sense. So I'm trying to be very polite with the choice of my words this morning where you would have a political party now having two primaries so it therefore means you have different factions and that's what's going on including the contending parties. It goes to shows that an element is lacking and the element of internal democracy. Until we get to that point where internal democracy is strengthened we would always have a situation where you have factions so you always have two congresses two elections and where does that come from? People are dissatisfied. Why are they dissatisfied? Because they feel that they have been cheated and so they always go for it. I hope that as we progress as a country we would get our acts right. And that's the much we can take this morning on Top Trending. We take a break and when we return it will be time for us to go through the papers. We call it after-press. Is it going to join us or will it join us?