 You're welcome back to the Breakfast on Plus TV Africa. It's now time for Off the Press. And we'll be taking a look at newspapers and the headlines in Nigeria today, beginning with the Daily Independent. Southern governors are senators, back-regioners, governors on open-grazing ban. Southern senators, back-regions governors on open-grazing ban. Say agreed strategies will check kidnapping and killings. Secure region, return it's a path of peace and development. And under May 4, Southern governors on open-grazing ban. Above the headline on the Daily Independent, Idil Fitri, let's not fall prey to forces of division, Buhari advices. Without a warning, children risk physical mental disabilities, that's according to experts. And we see here, Neti, EFCC, ICPC, NFRU, to enforce transparency in extractive industry. Government attack to Aqaibom police stations and kill officer. Infants to others die in Ugun gas explosion. National greed, CCN investigates total system collapse. And why Obasaki, once current Adobe PDP Ex-Escu dissolved below the headline on the Daily Independent, Lagos government vows to enforce COVID-19 pandemic rules. NDLA nabs Lagos politician with cocaine, worth millions of Naira. Those are the stories on the Daily Independent. All right, now for the Nigerian Tribune this morning. Southern senators reps, back Southern governors. We will work with National Assembly to achieve our goals. And that is from Akiri Dulu. Don't be afraid of consequence of your decision, says Afeni Faray. Governors resolution informed by fragile state of the country, Pandef is saying. Also Nigeria's diaspora remittance dropped by 28% in 2020. That is from the World Bank. A gas explosion kills three in Abelkota. Greed collapse plunges Nigerians into darkness. And also sea pirates killed two in raid of Akwaibam waterways. We can also see in the Nigerian Tribune, famine may threaten 12.8 million Nigerians between June and August, says the FAO. In security, police stop personnel from escorting political office orders in VIPs in Southeast and South-South. Still on the Nigerian Tribune this morning, just wanted two other stories. Ibaron chief Imam Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi marked ideal future ahead orders. As Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid today. Those are the big stories on the Nigerian Tribune. On the punch newspaper, the same headline we've been seeing throughout the newspapers this morning, Southern Governors resolutions. ACF backs open grays and ban, says restructuring to divide Nigeria. And the forum says some restructuring advocates want Nigeria disintegrated. Houses to get bill sued. Lawmakers seek legal backing for resolutions. With 2014 Confab report, no need for fresh dialogue, says middle belt. Above the headline, Nigeria diaspora remittances declined by 27.7% to 16.8 billion dollars, that's according to the World Bank. The TCN here says total system collapse under probe, repairs progressing. Wuhari Lawan, governors, others, preach unity and love at Idelfitri. Below the headline on the punch newspaper, we see here, it says, Lagos threatens to prosecute Hajj returnes over seven day compulsory isolation. Three burns to death as refrigerator gas explodes in Ogrum. We'll keep Babaijesha onto Jusson resumes, police tells protesters, also on the punch newspaper, can declares three day mourning, prayers against terrorists, bandits and kidnappers. Ex-Lagos LG boss arrested with cocaine at MMIA, 145 million Naira seized. Terrorists in Southwest planning attacks on redemption camp, winners and musts, and that's according to Akintoi. And now on the daily sun. Terrorists have encircled Southwest, Europe group alleges. Again, Catholic bishops, one of Lumin danger, task Buhari and new approach to security challenges, and AS cautions against extra judicial killings in Southeast and South-South. Also reps, back Southern governors on open grazing ban and others. Why we took the decision, Akiridulu, SNGF chair. Also, Uzo Dima sacks 20 commissioners and others in one fell swoop. Once again, blackout looms as national grid collapses. Gunmen kill police man in Akwaibom, Baron station. Idelfitri, Buhari, governors, Kaluwada, security against criminals. And security forces arrest IPOB commander. NDLEA, NAB's Lagos drug baron, seizes cocaine, millions of Naira. And EFCC recovers 153 million dollars from the Ziani, secures for future, of over 80 houses. These are the big ones on the daily sun. On the nation newspaper, row over South governor's call for restructuring and dialogue. In their variants, Lagos puts US Ghana on others on the watch. Police withdraw escorts from ministers, VIPs, South-South Southeast affected. Can declare three day prayer against insecurity. APC to screen 1385 Lagos council poll aspirants on Saturday. CCN confirms total power collapse. Three dead in Ogun gas explosion. NMA says, Aikiti onto others or in doctors. Policemen killed in attacks on stations. And the nation here, wishing Id Mubarak to its readers. Ms. Naira, good morning. Thanks for joining us on the breakfast. Have you? Good morning. Thanks for being here. Yes, we can. All right, so there's... Yes, good morning. My fine network. All right, we'll apologize for the difficulty in connecting with us, but good to know that we have you now. And we see that across the newspapers, this morning, one factor repeating itself is the resolution that the Southern governors reached at their meeting in Delta State. And several factions supporting the decisions they reached on banning open grazing. On the Daily Independent, it said the Southern senators backs it. We see that that's the same story on the Daily Times. North kicks, as I find it very odd, there's back Southern governors and cattle grazing ban on the Guardian newspaper. It's the same on the nation and on the Ponson newspaper this morning. Ms. Naira Tok, are you still there? Very much, I'm hearing you. I hope you are hearing me as well. Yes, I can hear you. I'm saying that this story is repetitive today. The resolution of the Southern governors and how different factions are supporting this or kicking against it. Or do you think about the resolution to ban open grazing in the Southern states of Nigeria? You know, I think that the time has come when we must no longer leave under any illusions of the fact that if we want to be a country, let's be a country, want to be a nation, let's be a nation. And they are setting fundamentals that have run through the threat of a sustainable nation. And one of those fundamental threat is equality of all citizens. And what's been going on has not been too fair because if you look at it logically, it makes more sense for people to have ranches for their animals, for their cattle in particular. It's just common sensical because in terms of the economics, the cattle are restricted, so they get fattened, so their productivity is higher. In terms of risk factor, our children or sons don't have to trek from Sokoto to Kalapa. It just doesn't make sense. In terms of the dynamics, all the fights that we have, the so-called header farmers clash. I don't know what clash is. I have a farm and people intrude on my farm and you call it a clash, it doesn't make sense. So all these things can be stopped with just one action, just a single action. And what is that action, ranching? So we've sat down and we've looked at this country, the way things are going. There are several conspiracy theories that are bound. I was doing a write-up yesterday and I did a lot of research and did a lot of talking to people and I was so, somewhere along the line, I just couldn't continue because the conspiracy theories are just, I'm putting it down and probably I'll publish it soon. We really need to come down and sit down and think. Now, I believe that there are two hulanis and the moment we realize this, everything will be settled. There's the Nigerian hulanis. We are all for them. They are nice, they are kind, they are, you know, we've always known them to be a mega because they are trustworthy, they are gentle. They don't take, they don't look for anybody's problem. They are the Nigerian hulanis. There are these people who feel that Nigeria should be their next home. These are fighters, these are militants, these people take no prisoners, these people don't care, they are consciousnessless. These are people that are just, they are looking for the best word to use because it's difficult for me to find something that really describes their horrifying nature. Now, these people are even marginalizing the Nigerian hulanis because Nigerian hulanis acquire their docile, their nice, and people are these other people who take no prisoners. So, I have not seen my president draw that line and he's the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Whoever takes that title takes a second responsibility of neutrality and being for all and yet for none. So, I think that the southern governors have sat down, they've realized what's going on and they are taking far-reaching decisions. And you know what came to me as of yesterday in my research? The middle bells go, the governors are starting to make calls. First it was certain regions, you know, South-South was there, South-South was there, then there was a bridge between the South-South and the South-East and now the Southwest are coming. As of today, I can tell you qualitatively that North Central is starting to have dialogue with the southern region. But this does not have to continue. I look for somebody to tell me any of the points that the southern governors put forward that is un-nationalistic. Let me use that term. All right, let's also bring in, still on the same topic, the comments by Professor Uspan Yusuf, he on another television station complained that the southern governors didn't seek advice from the Consent, from Fulani leaders and Fulani elders and also said that southern governors must provide land for headers in their states if they want to go through with this ban on open grazing. Now what's your reaction to that? I listened to that interview and coming from a professor, I was between you and I, how can I say between you and I in public anyway, I was taken aback, not just a little substantially for two reasons. Number one is that, Mr. Professor should have realized that this was a meeting of the southwest, the south is the south-south, okay? And that one of the principal players which is the southwest had held a meeting with the Meteala or the Fulani stock. So one would expect that when they were having this meeting, they would have reported back the meeting that they had with others. So for you to say that in this larger meeting, they should have been brought back exclusively to talk with them. Is he telling me, Mr. Professor, that the southwest governors who had the meeting with these our brothers did not have the capacity to comprehend the meeting and to recap in their meeting, that was absolutely unnecessary as on the first take. Then in terms of land, you know, I always say this, I believe that we should learn to draw certain lines. The federal government is there to give a protective cover to all the weak and vulnerable segments of the society. So to that extent, if the Fulani's in the new dispensation need a certain cover, I will be one of those that will support that motion, not just physically or intellectually, but even financially if the need comes. But that will happen when I know that my brothers and within this context, I'm talking of the Nigeria Fulani's at disenfranchised. I will speak for them the way I spoke to our brothers in the United Delta when they could no longer fish because all the waterways and everything had become polluted. So to that extent, Mr. President still holds the ace and that ace is for him to draw that line. If I say this time and time again, if I was the governor of a Kwaipu state, you have the Bibius in Cross River, you have the Bibius in Abia, you have the Bibius in Rivers, you have the Bibius all around probably the southern part of Nigeria. I am not going to carry the budget of a Kwaipu state and empower people from Abia or people from Rivers because they are Bibius. No. Brother, brother, nice to see you. Nice to have you, but you see, this is for a Kwaipu state. This is a Kwaipu budget and I was elected by a Kwaipu people and given a mandate and I swore to an oath for me to defend and protect and empower them. To that extent, the Fulani's are there in Mali, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, they are there all over, but the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was not elected as the Ibarba Diobam of Fulani's worldwide. No, because in a Kwaipu, you have Naki's worldwide, they are the Kwaipu students, national section of the Kwaipu students worldwide. So once you are an Kwaipu person, in any way you are in the world, you are covered by them. The same way, you are not the president of Fulani's worldwide. You are the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and you've got to draw that line and until that line is drawn up, we will end up saying things derogatory against our people because we are doing a blanket cover. I am for the Fulani's of Nigeria extraction. All right, let's quickly also speak about the power grid, the national grid collapse yesterday. There's been efforts to revive it and bring it back into full operations. But I was saying earlier, it's a little disappointing that we're still experiencing things like this here in Nigeria. They're seeing that we're struggling to meet up with 5,000 megawatts of electricity for our population. And at the same time, there's people who suggest that this is a time that we should go back into discussing decentralizing power and letting states be able to generate their own power and regions also generate their own power. But quickly share your thoughts on the collapse. There will continue to be collapse when you think that an area that has so much sun and has no water should enjoy light from water. Israel from the south, it's just doesn't make sense. It is the day we start to run government based on fundamentals of good governance. That day, we will have a nation that thrives. But when you want to pipe oil from the south to the north, you want to bring power from the north to the south when the south has water, the north has wind, the north has sun. And Israel allowing each region to have best what is their greatest potentials. And together we bring in the mix and we are stronger together so that our individual potentials and advantages are harnessed and like team, together everyone achieves more. Once we bring that concept into our governance structure, Nigeria will just rise overnight as the giant, not just of Africa, because we are endowed with all we have. Go to the north, the minerals are there, but they are closing their eyes to the minerals because we want to look at oil. One of my prayers, and I hope the SSS does not come to me for this, is that the oil in Nigeria should dry up and from United Delta. And I say with every sense of responsibility so that we can wake up and start to think minus oil we have everything. Look at agriculture, just take mango in the south, after eating, throw it on the road. The next time you come is like, what is this nonsense? You have to come and cut the mango because it has grown. That's how beautiful, whereas some other places they need to do prayer meeting for the soil, for it to grow. We have everything that it takes. If I was, I've always said, I wish I was the governor of Ben West state. One of the states, I would like to be the governor of Ben West state, because all I need is a strategic partnership with Israel on agriculture, and I will seize the role of the West African sub-region. That land is a major resource that many countries cannot afford to dream of. And you have so much land and the complain is, oh, forest tree, all the bandits are taking over all the forest. Why won't they take over the forest when nothing is happening to the forest? Look at some desert forest. Why can't we take some desert forest as a special project in Nigeria? Go into the sort of agriculture, let the federal government project so much money just to turn some desert forest into the hope that fits Africa. It's possible. But we are here toying under chickening and behaving like headless chicken. I see we don't have. How can we be complaining in the midst of plenty because people get into government without understanding why they are there. They go there for their personal interests instead of for them to consider the larger good of the largest society. All right, Mr. Ayedhok, in those states, there seems to be like a political crisis brewing there between Obasiki, Godun Obasiki, the governor of Ado-State as well as PDP members, how he wants the escorts to be dissolved, how he wants his own man. It's just a lot in Ado-State. What do you think about the issues going on there? I think it's your problem and they will solve it. Nigeria has bigger problems. I'm sure you have another topic for all the escorts. There's also, and maybe just a follow-up on what you mentioned with regards farming and agriculture. There's a story on the Nigerian Tribune saying 12.8 million Nigerians may, well, farming rather threatens 12.8 million Nigerians between June and August. And that's from the FAO. Quickly react to that. Like I will say again, when there are people and there is no food, the inevitable commitment is farming. How do you have food when farmers go to farm? When farmers do not go to farm and every day we are sitting down and running commentaries on farmer, header clash, farmer, header clash, did we not have the capacity like the sons of Isaka to discern the signs of the times and know the prognosis, what will come out of it? If we don't see it coming, is it an accident? Is it a coincidence? Is it such a breaking news? This is something that we're waiting for us. And if we have leadership that thinks of the people, if we have leadership that is proactive, if we have leadership that sees the future, then this leadership will know that the next best time for us to stop all this nonsense is today. If not so, food crisis is going to be worse in security than anything you can imagine. Farming is one of the greatest national insecurity indices in any country. And I hope our national security advisor understands the place of insecurity, understands the place of unemployment, understands the place of food security or the lack of it in the national security network strategy or architecture. And I wish that he would really tell Mr. President to sit, let me use that word, advisedly, to sit up and talk to us. That's one of the demands of the governors. And before governors will say, Mr. President, please address us. There is something critically wrong. And let us not get diverted by PDPs having problems with PDP, APC, with the ADC in understate or in a white boom or in a, those are not the issue. They have currents. They say how's they born? They push, you run for push. We have major national issues that we must tackle. We must be able to talk to our youth and say, please, there are consequences of burning police stations and burning iconic offices. Who is engaging? Where are the leaders? Where are the elders coming up to engage our youth to bring in their wisdom to tell the young people that there's more in the future than what you can see in the now. Who is starting to tell the national assembly and say, please give us electoral arts like yesterday so that we can start to prepare ourselves? Mr. President, I don't believe that a man who said that they could not sign a bill because it was too close to election time two years after has not felt unnecessary. For him to put his foot down and know that his biggest legacy is going to be that he gave us free fair critical election. That's his only legacy, in my opinion, I may be wrong, but I believe that, and that is possible, I wish I had access to Mr. President for just five minutes because I want him to exit in a blaze of glory and if he gives us free fair critical elections, Nigerians are most forgiving people in the world. Look at our brother Jonathan. Nobody talks about him, just that he made a world call. He is now a hero and Mr. President can be a bigger hero by doing just one thing, give us free fair critical, forget about the elections right now, or rather forget about all these economies, blah, blah, blah. And let the elders step in, like the governors have, let every well-meaning citizen come in with respect to this issue of insecurity. Let them not do a not-south issue because by so doing you are disenfranchising are a full and a brethren. And when you disenfranchise people, you push them to people that will impress them. Let us be their friends, let us be their brothers at this time. Let us look at their concerns and address Nigerian Fulanese. Let us not alienate them, castigate them, pass a blanket cover, pay use a brush and paint all of them. They are terrorists. They are not truth, they are not. Nigerian Fulanese are amazing guys. Let Mr. President draw that line and become the president of Nigeria, not the oboe of Fulanese worldwide. Okay. Isaac Heling, I talk. Thank you so much for your time. This very interesting Thursday morning. Thanks for starting up our show for us. We wish you a great day ahead. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Absolutely. Stay with us. We have a whole lot more coming your way this morning. Up next we have today in history what happened on this day, the 13th of May, many years ago. We'll get to share with you after the short break.