 On the breakfast this morning, a federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sought Governor David Umahi of Eboni State and his deputy, Dr. Eric Iguay, following the defection from the People's Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress. What is the implication of the Court's judgment as we inch closer towards the 2023 general elections? Also on the breakfast, House of Representatives has reversed itself on the three gender-related bills that failed to pass in the ongoing amendment to the 1999 constitution. Will the lawmakers this time vote for the gender bill? And we'll be reviewing the big stories on the front pages of our national dailies. Very good morning to you. It's a thrill to be back on your screens this morning with the breakfast on Plus TV Africa. I'm Kofi Bartels. And I am Messi Bofors. It's good to be back on your screen today. Yes, indeed. Merci. Very good morning to you and a fantastic looking splendid as always. Thank you. The shine is rubbing off on me gradually. Gradually. A lot to talk about today. It promises to be a very interesting episode of Breakfast Waging Closer to 2023. Yeah. Yes, indeed. I mean just yesterday I was just remembering that we have, it's no longer one year because we're already counting down. I mean how many more days just to go and a lot's actually happening but we would definitely be looking at some of the issues. I mean the issue of defection and the fact that what does that even mean? Because you also have states where some political or politicians or governors have defected. What does this mean? Would this also encourage some persons to actually challenge this defection process? Is this going to change the issue of the political ideology of politicians? You know one thing we can be sure of is that the courts are going to be pretty busy in this period. Yeah, but you know, I don't know how that's going to happen because you also have the fact that the judicial workers, I mean the courts, they're saying that they're going to be back on strike following the judicial autonomy that has not been granted to some states out of 36, we're looking at eight states. And so they might necessarily not be busy if that strike actually happens. Interesting times, interesting times. So let's quickly introduce some stories to you. A trending segment right here on the Breakfast and Plus TV Africa where we place our hands, our fingers on the pulse of the nation. And also of course look at what people are saying. The stories that have attracted attention of Nigerians and indeed people around the world as well. First one is sort of a shocker to many, but one of the complaints some people have had in the country is that there are so many cars at the nation's police stations, you know, and of course Nigerians reacted with a pleasant surprise or with happiness to the order by Inspector General Police Usman Baba that the impounded vehicles at police stations, you know, must be evacuated. So he ordered the immediate evacuation of impounded vehicles at the nation's police station all across the country. The acting first public relations officer, if Ullumi Ullumi you are at Denjami Middlestone in a statement yesterday, it was trending online. He said the order followed the unprofessional manner of vehicles were stacked within police facilities, causing nuisance and disgusting sight. You know, some people were saying they didn't know that the police are aware that the environment is disgusting. You know, people were saying they didn't know that. He said the IGP wasn't happy with the practice of stockpiling vehicles recovered from crime scenes or those whose ownership was being contested. If we go into this matter, we'll finish today. You know we'll finish. We will finish today. No, he's better said in peace. Not a few Nigerians, you know, on social media, were happy. They expressed happiness, you know, regarding this particular development. Well, that's a very dicey. Just like you have mentioned, it's a very dicey issue if we actually start, we can't finish. But first of all, it's been commended that the IGP has actually noticed that these vehicles are constituting nuisance to the police environment and it's not allowing, you know, functionality. Because I mean, there's a way you just wake up and everywhere is very ramdy and then you begin to wonder what's going on really. So, but you know, some of the issues that some of these vehicles belong to, I mean, vehicles that were seized from crime scenes and what have you, but mostly not necessarily. We haven't even also looked at the fact that some vehicles are just impounded for several reasons and we understand the dynamics surrounding all of this. But I think that we need to come to a place of honesty. We have to come to a place where we have to be very honest. We need a total reform for the police sector, a total reform. What we have to shut it down, I don't know. But if we shut it down, the question will now be how do we even go about policing the society and running our affairs. But the point is, apart from this, we need an overhaul. That's what we need really. It's a good one. But does it also stop the fact that you would have? I remember one time so many years ago, I was in a vehicle. I really don't know. It was actually, you know, a private public vehicle. So, you know what that means. And you have a police officer stopping for whatever reason. And they were like, we're taking you to the station. Yaddi, yaddi, yaddi. And of course, when we got there, they found out that, you know, peasants in the vehicle were really public figure. And so they were, oh, you can actually go at the end of the day. So you want to, but that's what happens. That's what really happens. So I'm thinking that beyond this, we need an overhaul. We need to be very sincere. We need to come to a point where we say, hey, we can't tolerate all of this. And I can imagine how the IGP feels. It's like that you get to a police station and you find vehicles everywhere. It's all chalked up. You know, some people were expressing the sentiment, looking at some comments, that they're hoping that it's not a public relations move by the IGP. Say again? You were very fast. Yeah, some people were expressing the view or, you know, sentiment. They were saying they hope it's not a public relations move gesture by the IGP. Because imagine how many people have their vehicles impounded. You know. And they said, well, of course, police have had some issues. Public haven't been too friendly in terms of the response, the reaction, you know, to the news. For instance, you have one with the whole hijab thing. You have another one, you know. But of course, people will be rushing to the police stations too. But I can guarantee to get their vehicles, but I can guarantee you, I can guarantee you that there are some, yeah, a number of people who vehicles are there. Who will not get those vehicles for free? No, but there are some persons who have actually died. I mean, let's even put it. Now, from, you know, this particular report, the consensus about vehicles that were retrieved from crime scenes. Not necessarily because, I mean, all of this, no one actually took into cognizance the issue. I mean, the fact that some vehicles were apprehended. I mean, those who you would say had defaulted. The word sounds like, you know, you arrested a car. My God. Because you have to bail. This is the apprehend your car. You have to bail yourself and bail your car. So these persons, you know, because if you're talking about the vehicles there, I think that most of it, not necessarily, I'm not trying to say that you don't have vehicles that are packed at these police stations across the country from crime scenes. But we're talking about the fact that most of it would be the fact that some persons probably would have defaulted. I really don't know, would have had an encounter with these police officers on the road and then impound your vehicle and take it down there. So that category was not really included. That's it. Okay. I need to get it right. You're saying the ones that were impounded maybe. So you have different reasons. The ones that's been highlighted that I'm saying is the issue of vehicles that have been recovered from crime scene. Okay. So what he's saying is that the all impounded vehicles and all unregistered exhibits at police stations must be evacuated. How? Because sometimes, Kofi, if you have a vehicle at the police station, a particular state, let's say for a legal state now, it depends on, you know, the issue. I mean, for instance, crime scene. So I'm sure that there will be a tag. I don't know how it works at the police station. I've never worked there, but I don't know how to do it. But I would expect that there will be probably a tag that this vehicle is from a crime scene or it's just there, you know? But there are vehicles that have been taken from persons who you can't actually explain, but you have police officers on the road and then they say, hey, Oga, will they take you to, that's what they say. That's not the sound. They take you to the station. Of course, the police will not take you if there's no crime committed. So that was not highlighted. So what I think this is saying is that number one, you have impounded vehicles. That's the first thing. Number two, you have unregistered exhibits. So unregistered exhibits would be those vehicles that are taken to the police station on account of a crime being committed. Maybe you broke a traffic offense or something, traffic rule, or you committed a traffic offense or something. And then it wasn't registered as an exhibit because the case is not in court or the case is in court. That vehicle is not part of them. So it's illegal. It's something that is just there. It's not in court. It's not being taken to court, say, exhibit 1A, in the case between the federal, the state vessels, the state vessels, they didn't register it. So what is it doing there? Ask me now. Or it was just impounded, maybe not because of a crime. It was just impounded. What is it doing there? I think that's what he's referring to. Talking about the practice of stockpiling vehicles recorded from crime scene, I think we wouldn't take that to, we'll put too much money into that as well. We will do the words impounded and exhibit on registration. So I think that vehicles that have been, because over time, following this scene, I'm not saying because if you begin to put out all of this explanation, some person will ask you, you have an idea how this works? You're part of the cartel, robbing and all of that. But if you have vehicles that are used to commit crimes, most of the time, these vehicles are recovered in speed. So you don't have them being sent back. So for instance, someone takes your vehicle and then they use it to commit a crime. They usually dump it somewhere. And then the police will say, okay, fine. People recover it. So the speed of recovery of this category of vehicles is always very fast. That's number one. So I think that the holistically, he probably would have just come out to say, these vehicles that are not registered, because you have this police, so why haven't they been registered? Someone picks your vehicle and then says, oh, you broke the law, you did XYZ. As an exhibit, because the case may not actually be caught. Coffee, we need to move. Yeah, but I think you said something really nice, which is reform is what we need, reform the Niger police. If you have these itinerant orders or itinerant statements by IGPs, just like we had no roadblock, or just like we had no stop search, or don't ask for tinted permit, or you don't ask for some papers and all that. And then when IGP goes, the next one comes, and then it's back to square one. Or after a while, the IGP forgets and then the police go back to square one. So all these things are the cis orders and these decisions, these directives are made in a vacuum. It's just you wake up and say, we need to have these things being institutionalized, being part of the police lifestyle, being part of the police culture. And then it's all down to reform, the motive, the intent of these police officers. What is it? These guys are criminals in uniform. I've been a victim, so I know what I'm talking about. Some of them are criminals in uniform. You sometimes think that if this thing called car is taken away from this world, that some technology comes and you don't have to use car again, you do, and then you just appear where you're going to. That some policemen will not survive. The obsession of the average Nigerian policeman with this thing called car, it's terrible. They're more interested in cars than they are in criminals. They're more interested in cars than they are in crime fighting. Average policemen in Nigeria steps onto the street, onto the road, and he's just looking for car. I don't get it. We need to have a technology that will just take away car so that we can rest. So whether we need to have horses. Well, another thing is this. The story of how these police officers take over these cars and convert them to private use. The police officers in this country are not meant to go on the operation without the operational vehicles. The officers, especially the special units, take these cars that they retrieve, or they impound, or they arrest, because they arrest cars. Because you're not registered. That's why they ask you to bail your car. As I said, they arrest your car. They take these cars and embark on movements that are not assigned or permitted by the station. So they go to an area, ready area, and pick up people, or just pick a few people and throw them in, or throw them into the boot. That's what SARS was doing. That's what SARS did to some people, including myself. And including you. Yes, yes, yes. So you see them moving around. I mean, I was I stayed in Port Harcourt for years, you know, in River State, Nigeria. And you see them moving around with Sienna, in particular. Then VW Jeter, and some of these vehicles, or they would impound these private buses in Lagos Edutas as well. Lock around the corner, look for which private cardigan arrest. So you think it's a commercial bus behind you. Are they allowed to do these things? So I think what the IGP is doing is good, but it's a waste of time because we'll go back to square one, ultimately. But let's move on, Mercy. Let's move on. Definitely. Let's move on. There's more to talk about. Another trending one. Bouchie. Bouchie to marry off 100 repentant commercial sex workers. Wonderful. Let's put our hands together. That's Bouchie stayed in Northern Nigeria to marry off 1,000 repentant commercial sex workers. So many reactions to this one. But Bouchie's state government reports have it, reports have it. Reports have it. Has pledged to marry off at least 100 repentant commercial sex workers who indicated interest and presented themselves to the state's HESPA department. HESPA, of course, is the Islamic law enforcement. The permanent secretary in charge of the department, Al-Haji Aminu Balarbe Isa made this known yesterday at the formal inauguration of vocational training for 575 repentant commercial sex workers. It said the government would rather sponsor the weddings of both Muslim and Christian women among them and provide them with dependable and reliable sources of livelihood. And the reactions kept pouring in. At least 100 commercial sex workers, mercy. Some people laughed at it. Some says who, some boys said who want to marry them, you know. Some were calling this commercial sex workers repentant Boko Haram and all that, you know. But I think majority of those who were responding, you know, we're painting the picture that the government of Bouchie said doesn't know what to do with their time and with their money. So I think that we've actually had this issue of prostitution. If this is what you want to call it, sex worker, we're trying to be very moderate with it. But it has been a practice that's been ongoing for a very long time. And if you want to look at the date, it backs date to 2000 and 400 if I'm okay BCE. So I'm saying that this is an ancient practice. Just like you have sherpats, you have famas. It's a practice that's been ongoing to be very honest without any religious bias and any cultural affiliation to be very truthful. If you have had prostitution, this has been a practice for a very long time. It's not going to go now. So we totally understand the dynamics and the cultural and religious concerns, especially in the northern part of Nigeria. But let's be realistic. It's this practice has been ongoing. But coming to the fact, you ask yourself what would people want to indulge? And so I think that we constantly, we haven't prioritized. And some people will say we don't have a lot of persons who are very smart and intelligent and leadership that's very visionary, you know, putting us in the right path. At the end of the day, if you want to look at it, even though the government of Bouchie State has not come out to say, this is the reason why we're trying to do all of this. But however you can deduce that it is from the premise that, hey, we want to cut out all of this. We don't want sex workers. We want to cut down this line of practice. And so you ask yourself, what would these persons engage? They will probably engage. Number one, you look at Nigeria. I mean, you talk about job and employment. How does that? Yes, I understand that according to the reports and the statement that it was a process where they're having vocational training and what have you. And so, but if you look at the Marriage Act at the end of the day, you find that the Marriage Act would say that if you want to, if you have a desire to get married, I don't understand in all of this, is there a desire or 100 of these persons? Are they being forced is what you mean? Yes. However, it feels like they've been forced to get married. So the marriage acts of our country would talk about desire. Now, if you have a desire, if anyone desires. So within this premise, do they have a desire to get married? There was the government just trying to get rude of this practice. So what I'm saying is this practice has been ongoing for a very long time. I don't think anyone can stop it. Prostitution will be, has always been, and will continue to be. But if you look at why some of these persons have engaged, you will want to agree with me that they are no jobs. Rather than ask them, yes, it sounds like we're going to provide reliable jobs. It's going to be very sustainable. But how sustainable will it be? Let's also look at the issue of population. Our population is growing in a degree that we cannot even, that would say exponentially, according to economics. Because we're growing and you're looking at the productivity level, the productive group and peasants. Because that's what it means. So if we're growing at that level, and then we're not being very productive, then you want to say you have a population that's growing. You want to talk about out of school children. You'll refer that the statistics would be in the north. How do we come about? Or how do we get to the point of having their margarities on the street? So it's detrimental for us. Government, I don't really understand. How do you even intend to fund them? The fact that you use state resources, you're collecting a location from the federal account, and you want to use that to sponsor weddings. Did they tell you they don't want to get married? Is that the problem? Well, you have 575 so-called repentant commercial sex workers. So out of those 575, at least 100 are being married, or they're sponsoring the marriage of 100 of them. And it would therefore mean that it's not all of them who are getting married. So if it's 100 who are getting married- Did they say they want to get married? Is that what they said? Then 475 who will not get married. So if it was first, it would therefore mean that all of them would get married. But we don't know. We don't know. And is this a favor being done by the government to these women? How do you say a favor? I'm asking. So you have commercial sex workers who would tell you they don't have anything better to do. And may not even have a hope of settling down to family life. And now, maybe the word has been put out, if anybody wants to marry them, can you come? I don't know. I don't know. We need to get more information. But this is just where there's painting scenarios. No, we're not painting scenarios. I'm coming. I'm coming. That's fine. And if maybe they say, okay, anybody wants to marry them, can you come? Are you interested? Like you happen in one church in Delta in Worry, where the pastor called all the single men to come out. Or single men to come out. And then two women to come in, line up behind them. And it asks the men to pick one. It can happen. That may not be termed forced. Do you like him? Do you like him? What does that mean? He's a business man. He likes you. Will you go under him? Will you go under her? Are you both together? Okay, marry now. Who will pay? Who will pay? So you don't go back to do what you were doing. And then you get sketchy right now. But this is what he says. This is what the head of the HESBA department in Bouchie State says. We will facilitate the entire process after obtaining their consent. After obtaining their consent and that of their parents and guardians before the marriages take place. So it's obviously not a forced marriage situation. No, I'm saying that, you know, I understand the dynamics. I mean, I understand the elements. They might be actually happy and celebrating that they are settling down. So let's put this out. We understand the practice. We understand what the HESBA police stands for. And so if you actually have the fact that it's coming through the HESBA police and we understand, you know, the cultural and the practices and all of that, you don't need to be told. I mean, you don't have to be told. We don't have to assume. No, it's not an assumption. It's the fact that- Are you trying to say that- For instance, I mean, coffee, we understand that bottles have been broken a couple of times. There are things that are not. We, you know, if you come to a certain part of the country, it's okay to do some certain things. And though you go to a certain part of the country, especially the northern part of the country, it's not okay to do some certain things. So looking at it, they don't have to categorically. The government doesn't have to categorically. But my point is, have these persons, 100 persons, come out to tell you that they want to get married? Because the marriage acts that you have to desire marriage. And so did that come out to say- I mean, it is really the church that came out to tell people, come, you want to get married? You want to get married to your brother, this and all of that. Bouchie government to marry off. The headline is Bouchie government to sponsor. So why do you sponsor? Why do you sponsor? Do you just say they want to get married? Why do we have to sponsor people? Why did they get into prostitution? They're saying they want to sponsor. That's what- And the head of the Hezbo- Permanent Secretary in charge of the Hezboi Department, Alhaji Aminu Balarabisa says that 575, okay? Out of the 575 so-called repented sex workers, 100, the government will sponsor their marriages. Some of them are Christians. They will sponsor Christian marriages for them. That totally defeats- So what happens when they have these children? Excuse me, excuse me. No, no, I'm asking, let's be very rational. So that defeats your conjecture that it's Hezboi, so it'll be first married. No, some are Christians. They have said that they'll be married in the Christian, they'll sponsor Christian weddings for them, okay? And then they say that they will facilitate the entire process, maybe introduce them to single men in Balchi who also want to be married. Why? I'm coming, I'm coming. After the consent, their own consent. So it's not forced. Yes or no, are you interested? If you're obtaining their consent, you can't force it to be a force on them. It's not forced. And also their parents and guardians will also say yes, we want our children to be married. Of course, out of the 575, it's only 100 about, so it means that the others who did not admit or accept or who want to just be ok with the vocational training. So we can't force it to be a force. It's not a force. So, accept, I mean to Balabi, Isai's line. But we can't see TSA's line. Coffee. When lastly goes from Kanu State, Mercy. No, coffee. Let's be very realistic. I mean I like not to be politically correct here. let's be very realistic this person no that's what it is if the government has a concern first of all you need to ask yourself why are these persons engaging in prostitution like we have mentioned it has been a practice over time and so if you have a group of persons who are prostituting and have become sex workers they have not necessarily so why do you have to seek the consent of their parents they haven't told you that they want to get married the marriage act would say that if you have anyone desires to get married and that's the question so it's okay government wants to sponsor marriage and because at the end of the day this is me conjuncting and trying to put up stuff together but it feels like you're trying to get them out of this kind of practice however we need to move away from it we'll get more information we'll get more information so there's more that we can do as a government but I understand where you're coming from you don't want there to be any anything forced on because if they get married eventually and if they're into prostitution they would go back to it to wait even when they're married they wouldn't stop seeking their consent and that of their parents and guardians is is the end of that that debate you know but anyway let's go over to ocean state where it's been a another yet again another show of the state of politics in this country we've talked about akiti state recently with the party primaries there the issues of the apc primaries the issues of governorship primaries with the pdp governorship primaries and uh in ocean state um senator demola a delegate a demola dedicate david ozanko the dancing senator yes indeed and prince dottuba by me emerged as the uh candidates of the people's democratic party for the ocean 2022 governorship poll uh mr dancing senator i don't know about you um a faction of the party however led by sunday bc held their own governorship primary at oshobo city stadium while one of john led faction held another primary at the walk def sent out showbo um announcing the result of the primary held at oshobo city stadium the deputy governor of myosha state um and the chief returning officer i i assume uh senator lorenz iru jack who was the chairman of governorship primaries said a delicate garnered 1887 uh votes to emerge victorious while fatai akim bade uh in aki ogumi as well as babaemi recorded no vote um so this is it but another primary held at the walk def sent out showbo at that primary returning officer delaney ajanaku said accredited voters were 1907 while valid uh while 22 votes were voided um so so we have these two factions disagreeing but if you have the deputy governor of myosha state acting as a turning officer for one it then shows you which of the uh the primaries the party will recognize at the end of the day so um we'll wait for the PDP to say uh no we don't recognize a delicate but as it seems the dancing senator uh ademola delica aka divido's uncle is back well a lot of persons have actually commended that and feel like you know PDP has actually made a choice but of course we understand that crisis has never departed from political parties let's see how all of this pans out well that's how much we can take at this point in time we will definitely return a way to top trending conversations tomorrow in the meantime we will return with the newspaper review please stay with us