 You're welcome back. It's time now to visit the press and see what the headlines are this morning. We're going to be looking at headlines that are on punch, the Guardian, the Vanguard, and the Sun newspaper this morning. Almost all the newspapers carry the major headlines, and they are all almost the same because it was a very eventful Monday morning, Monday, generally, yesterday. We had the P and ID story breaking. We had the Supreme Court proceedings also being carried and all that. So let's begin with what we can find on the punch newspaper this morning, and I have to wear my glasses for that. Now, on the punch, the leading headline is, Prove All Alleged Forgery Beyond Reasonable Doubt. Supreme Court tells Atiku. Court reserves judgment on a BLP's appeal, dismiss APM's case. Atiku insists on CSU evidence, ex-VP's disposition in ballot, says Tinobu. Those are the riders on that topic, Tinobu certificates. Now we also have UK Court dismisses $11 billion P and ID suit. Nigeria demands damages. World government plans $10 billion to stabilize the NIRA, ISN and PCL for forex. And FEC okays $3.54 billion NIRA, poverty, what am I even saying, FEC okays $3.5 billion NIRA World Bank loan for power, others. Here we have below Israel Arrests 120 Militants, EU, BAX, Gaza, aid. Slain Nigerian student, need come, probes murder, NANDS demands justice, and we also have federal government IHS plan, $1 billion NIRA tech talent communities. Or Yandam, Flood Saks Ogun communities, governor declares emergency. So those were the headlines on the punch. We'll be looking at them one after the other when our guests for that join us. On the Guardian newspaper, we have host communities kick as proposed PIA review shrinks 3% allocation. The Guardian, that's the leading headline there. And the riders are host communities must fund new portal introduced by NUPRC, hire pay lawyers and chartered accountants with at least 10 years experience. We also have other smaller headlines there as injunction collapses, elapses rather on the assembly reopens IEDT was impeachment process. Tinibu targets $1 trillion economy, hopeful of $10 billion in flow to ease FX crisis. PNID, $11 billion award against Nigeria obtained by fraud, Tinibu hails victory. And APC kicks a Supreme Court reserve's judgment in a tickle, obese appeal. Adeyemi loses again as Supreme Court affirms Osman Odudu, APC candidate in Kogi state. Oshoom suspends foreign trips for officials. That's news on page four in the Guardian newspaper. From the Guardian, we'll go to the punch newspaper to see what the punch has as the headlines on the front page. The Vanguard newspaper leads with the story presidential tussle, a tickle CSU evidence not admissible, that's according to Tinibu, APC and INEG. Then Nigeria wins $11 billion PNID case in UK court. And then FEC approves 5 billion Naira annual humanitarian poverty alleviation trust fund. We have attack on Tinibu, UK, Northern Elders disown Gumi. Subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, we've achieved desired objectives as according to the president, Bola Tinibu. There are other smaller headlines there, but let's go to the Daily Sun newspaper to wrap that up and then the Daily Sun newspaper is next. Supreme Court prepares for poll judgment day that is reserves ruling in a tickle obese petition against Tinibu. President insists ex-presidents or ex-vice presidents fresh evidence alien to law. APM drops charges after bashing for filing frivolous appeal. Federal government will achieve $1 trillion economy target in 2026, $4 trillion in 2035. That is according to president Tinibu, who vows to clear Forex backlog. And president uploads as Nigeria wins $11 billion PNID case. There are so many other smaller headlines in the Daily Sun there. We're being joined by our guest for this segment of the program, Mr. Chris Kinde Wando. He has just joined us this morning. Good morning and welcome to the program, Mr. Wando. Good morning. Thanks for having me. Yeah. Okay. Let's begin with what we have on the punch newspaper. Most of the newspapers carried almost the same major headlines here. So we are going to begin from prove Tinibu's certificate, prove a light surgery beyond reasonable doubt. Supreme Court tells Attiku and we have writers there that also say what happened. And that is court reserve judgment on a BLP's appeal dismisses APM's case and then Attiku insists on CSU evidence ex-VP's disposition invalid says Tinibu. Please let's get your comments on that. Yes, the Supreme Court just started hearing and the petition by P2B of LP, as well as the candidate of the APM against the election of president, Vladimir Tinibu, that issue was initially resolved by the tribunal, presidential petition tribunal before he moved to the Supreme Court. So this hearing started yesterday and the lawyers of all the parties made their submission. And the most violent aspect of it is that to determine whether the Supreme Court can now take on new evidence, you know, the evidence being presented by Attiku Abuaka has to do with the certificate of the president at Chicago University, where most people have said that since that was not presented at the tribunal initially that we cannot bring in the vice president, the former vice president is trying to bring that into play. And so the Supreme Court will not determine whether that evidence can be accepted as it were. So the fireworks started yesterday and after some time the Supreme Court have now joined to rule on some of those issues, the data we face and that is what it was. And the APM withdrew his own case. It wasn't like it was struck by the APM withdrew. And really once the party in the streets have withdrawn its own case, there's not in the court candidate to strike it out. So that is where it is. And so let us wait for what the pronouncement of the Supreme Court, which is the final court in the land on issues like that, unlike the lack of legislative arm. The legislative arm ends at the court of appeal. So the member of the National Assembly or State House of Assembly, your case will end at the court of appeal, the data of the president and the governor's end of the Supreme Court and that is what it is. So that we know what to expect without necessarily pre-empting what is going to be discussed in the courts, we just want to understand. They defendants, as it were, are saying that presenting new evidence is alien to the legal system. Is that true? It is, no, it is not totally true. That is on election petition, yes. That is a bit, you know, as we say in law, there's always an exception to the court. In other cases, criminal or civil cases, yes. New evidence can have this effect. It is like when it comes to the election, that's practically you cannot, but as I said, you cannot say that never when it comes to issues like the law, the Supreme Court having no several times to make certain judgments, they've also been able to affirm some. So it is now for the Supreme Court to be able to update that. Once the Supreme Court makes a pronouncement on that, that is what is going to be from now forever, as it were. And so it is for the Supreme Court, it's not for everybody, everybody can equate what they feel as lawyers or it is, it is not that it is for the Supreme Court. Let us wait and see what the Supreme Court rules on that. Once the Supreme Court rules on that, it becomes what it is, it becomes law. But is it possible really to separate a case like this from a criminal case? Because it is an election case, we agree. But if whatever is being discussed is anything to go by, can you honestly just say, because it's an election case, you cannot call it a criminal case? That is what I'm sitting in the same team. They are just pushing me. I am not a member of the Supreme Court. I am not a judge in the Supreme Court. No, no, no, it may not even be on this issue, but you know, generally, is it possible to separate these things if... Let me tell you one thing. In law, we are taught that it's different between law and morality. We are talking on the ground of morality. Morality is not law. So there are two different things. Well, maybe you are using the term... Using the legal terminology that I mean I understand. No, no, let me just say what I'm saying. In law, one of the definitions of law, as I was talking about, the law is what it is. Do you understand what I mean? That is one of the definitions of law. They are the definition of law. One of the definitions is the law is what it is. And if you understand that, then that is it. So what I'm saying in essence is that let us wait. Morality. I can say, yes, when I come, if I have new evidence, we bring it forward. But if the law says that is not what should be, then... And I'm talking of elation petition. I'm not talking of all cases. I've been specifying. Well, what I was talking about here is elation petition. I've told you that in other cases, criminal or civil, you can always bring new evidence. But the elation, the law guided the elation to a larger extent, according to some... Not me, according to some lawyers, I've said that you cannot and let us wait for the Supreme Court to be able to educate on that. Whatever the rule becomes what it is. After all, it's the same. We had law in the past and somebody was told that they didn't have a certificate in 2015 or so. Former president didn't have a certificate. And he brought about 14 cents and then went to the Supreme Court and the judgment was given on his behalf. We have seen a situation where somebody that you know in elation, governor of the state, that came forward and the Supreme Court left the person that won the elation, second, and made the person that came forward, the governor of the state. So you cannot just predict what is in the Supreme Court. And so let us just wait and see what they're going to say. Well, thank you for clearing that because from the layman's point of view, I was just looking at the fact that the law calls these two things something that is not supposed to be. Let's say you shall not kill according to law. And that is law, when you kill, this is what happens to you. And then something else is being covered by the law that if you do this, you cannot get this. And I was just thinking, what if these things come together, they are intertwined, will it affect the judgment or they will just separate the oil from the vegetables and say, because it is not related, we cannot take it. But you have, you have, you have a... Just quickly, let me say this. You know, we also talk about elation. Yes. I'm sure you heard of pre-elation matters and post-elation matters. It's the same elation. When a judge will say, this matter was pre-elation. It's not the same elation we're talking about. That's post-elation. So any matter that's supposed to be pre-elation, when it brings you to God, and it's supposed to be pre-elation matter, and you've got to say, oh, this was a pre-elation matter. You're not supposed to bring it here. Inasmuch as it's still part of the, you know that pre-elation issues are also part of the elation process. Yes. So it's the same law, there is a part of the word. You have to add the same matter when they say the laws are asked. And that is what it is. Let's leave that before we get ourselves, myself confused because you probably know, know what you're saying. Now, we also have other headlines on the point. Sorry? P.I.D. P.I.D. Okay, that's what every newspaper is carrying this morning. P.I.D. has ruled in our favor. A lot of people were praying that it should go in Nigeria's favor, and it went in Nigeria's favor. Let's get your comments on how you feel. Did you say a lot of people are all Nigerians? All of us now, including you. Because if that had gone against Nigeria, that would have serious problems, very, very serious problems. It's a severe situation. It would just thank God and those behind it. We dropped the ball when that case came up initially. The federal government dropped the ball. Probably they thought it was not a serious matter. And we had a judgment against Nigeria but what was it about six billion? Yes, it was six billion. Yes, initially it was six billion dollars against Nigeria. And it now rose to five, 11 billion because of the charges and our interests as it were. And but yesterday, good enough, Nigeria was able to put in very spirited efforts. And contrary to what most people think, it wasn't this government that this judgment, since about five months ago, it has been concluded just for the judges to pick up. So who does to be given to the administration of President Mohammad Buwari, who stood in and sent all the necessary legal representatives and presentation at the court in the United Kingdom to make a regulation that's judgment at last. And it has cost Nigeria trillions and trillions of Nair. And the way it goes, if a subject matter is given to you, then it is given and you are not able to then your access, your access, sorry, your access across the group can be seized and sold off. So they could just continue to send Nigeria access and anywhere they found them and then to be able to recover them. I'm a chartered British, I know how they stay in place. So that's good and not out of their conclusions. Because if you look at that in judgment and case, it was brought down to a lot of struts and problems on the part of those involved. And so many Nigerian officials were also involved. Not that the judgment has given, I still believe that there's need for us to put in what the government should be able to put out. All those involved are not personally prosecuted in Nigeria. Yeah, that was my concern. When I said most Nigerians, I was thinking about that group of people, the people who were directly involved, they wouldn't be praying because if the judgment is that it was fraudulent, then these people should be brought to book. So I don't know the prayer that they were having yesterday when the judgment was about to be made. But we were prosecuted. That's another thing. They also be praying that the judge should be like this, because it was to add to their own problem, of course. So whether the judgment was fraudulent or not, the fraud remains that if there are some people that were find culpable in that, there are some people that were find culpable. There are some people that were fraudulent in signing this agreement. There are some people that took millions and billions of people on that particular project. So it is now for the government to not bring the full weight of the law on them. As a deterrent, because the problem we've only had in the 90s is that we don't try to prosecute people for actions they gain. And that involves other people to do that. We see what's happening in security, in security. We have so many people that were involved in the killings of Nigeria and Boko Haraman named them and their sponsors and rest of them. See, today, nobody has been prosecuted. And you're talking of bandit. There are so many people that have been arrested for banditry in the North. Nothing has been done to them. Those have been arrested for kidnapping in some part of the country. Nothing has been done to them. So it encourages others. And that is why you see this increment in misbehavior by certain individuals, because at the end of it all, they just think that they have the money to be able to prosecute the kids, all that they've left of the group. So I should think that this should be a step forward. Government to be able to identify all those involved and prosecute them in Nigeria as a deterrent. So as to show the world our transparency when it comes to the issue of corruption. But I am happy that what happened yesterday and the president has placed his opinion, made a comment on it, and got the judgment. I think that is what it is. We break it. If you look at it, there are so many other judgments that have been given against Nigeria, but running to about the last time I checked about close to about 586 billion judgment against Nigeria on issues like this. And that was this one that the judgment had already been given. Often Nigeria had no issues but to pay. So we should be able to look at those involved in some of these things and just bring them to shame them so that it will be a form of deterrence. You come to realize that some of them we also end up going into politics. Some of them became government, we become government. Some of them will become senators. Some of them will become, most of the people that will elect have corruption tendencies. But we just look the other way and just elect them and the consumer where they stopped. How many of the governors are left in large dispensations and have been persecuted for the atrocities they committed? What of those are left in 2050 and the rest of them? That is how we ruin Nigeria. Well, God will help us. Now federal government plans 10 billion dollars to stabilize Naira, ICE, NNPCL for forex. Let me just tie that to FAKE OK's 3.45 billion world bank loan for power and orders. So let's hear your comment. To stabilize the same Naira that has been given a free market and all that and now they want 10 billion. Where the 10 billion is going to come from? We do not know, probably a loan as well. That is what we call policies for muscles. And that is what we've been at this company since the Zoom on the 29th of May, 2023. You said that there's supposed to be a free fall for the Naira. Say you have collabed with two windows and we've seen what has happened. As to how much was a dollar when this government took about the 29th of May, 2023. Today the dollar is going to 1,300 Naira, never in the history of Nigeria. And there was a time they said that they are going to pay some kind of a short measure that NNPC is having some kind of agreement, a certain country, I can't remember now. We are going to do produce fraud and they are getting about 6 million or so, or 6 billion dollars. Nothing has been heard about that. This is coming and the rest of them. And the same government also said that it will not go on the trajectory of burying like the former government. The president said that Nigeria cannot continue to pull. That was one of his statements. Now you are going for this. But the fact is that we are just, that's what you're about to call that. We just leave Laka Laka and churches in my local palaces, in my local language. You leave a rat, you run after a rat when your house is on fire. How do you do that? The issue we know what the problem is. The problem is that we are not making, we are not exporting enough. We are not exporting enough to be able to end foreign exchange. We are able to do that. Then we are going to have, we are only depending on crude oil as our major revenue income. That in itself will not help. We are not looking at other sectors, agriculture, mineral resources, mineral arts, technology, and so many others that we can be able to show off this. And we are just so dependent on our crude oil as our foreign exchange. And even our own water we are not able to make. Last time I heard, we are losing about 450,000 barrels of crude oil every day. Our product from OPEC is about 1.6 or 1.6.5. We are just holding between 1.1, 1.2 or there about. So then we are also not talking the issue of importation of petroleum products. We seem to be the only country in the world that produces crude, but if you know how much we are spending on importation of petroleum products, if we can be able to keep that, and manage our refineries work, then that's so much foreign exchange where we are spending on the importation of petroleum but we add up to what we end. So we don't need to, so those are the issues. So those are the fundamentals. Borrowing from whatever just to show off, we not work. Those are fundamental, I'm not an economist, but I know that these are the fundamentals until you're able to generate enough to export and end that you're going to have issues. And that is why we are having this slide. Okay, there's this statement on the Vanguard newspaper that I'm interested in that the president said. Subsidy removal, exchange rate unification. We've achieved desired objectives. I don't know if you know the desired objectives that came from that. You should tell us the desired objectives, I don't know. And if anybody knows, they should explain to us which objectives have they achieved. If the Naira has moved from about 650 or there about when they came and it's hovering about 1,200 to 300, which is almost about 80% within how many bureau this came in in May, we are in October, barely five months or there about. What are we talking about? So I don't know what objective has met. The same thing with the subsidy regime and you saw where he has put us, the cost of petroleum, what was it when they came and what is it now? Even at that, we've come to be realized. Reset reports said that no serious impact has been made by the removal of subsidy in terms of earnings by the government. So what are we talking about? Then you also look at the issues that, okay, you say you are removing the subsidy of petroleum. Now, the same amount, if you look at the amount being planned for palliatives, it's actually the same thing compared to the cost of those so-called subsidies you have removed. And this one will not even make an impact. We're talking about 50 million people out of over 220 million Nigerians at the rest of them. But petroleum product is something that costs across everybody within the economy, every Nigerian fits the impact. But you remove that, you say, it will not give palliatives to certain people. So this is to me, it's like a government that doesn't have a road map. What we're just doing is more of a try and error. And the government gets its ass properly back itself. And then we continue to go on this agenda of knowing what we're doing. And that is where everything is drifting. You can look at the cost of, first off, Nigerians are starving to death. Nigerians are starving. We are talking, people are talking about the war in Israel and Hamas and Gaza. The war that Nigerians are facing is even more than that, that of hunger. So many Nigerians go to bed every day now without eating, it's one single square meal a day. That should be a source of what's going on out there. And then there is this headline on the daily son newspaper. First of all, fake approved setting up of poverty alleviation trust fund. That is the headline there. In some other newspapers, we have a particular amount of money that is to be voted for that in the cost of 365 days. Every year they will be budgeting this money for poverty alleviation and all that. So that's glaring there. Maybe it will start by 2024. All the one that they've projected in the past, what effect was it? All the money, the empower money and the rest of them that got me shared, the last got me shared. What was the impact? All the money that were distributed to so-called vulnerable Nigerians. What was the impact? How many people have few seen come out to say that yesterday we see that? And that we move on, we're going on that again. Sharing free money. Such money should be put into proper use. They are talking of money, to bring money to you for the power sector. If we can be able to put that in the power sector and effectively monitor the implementation of that and making sure that it's was properly used, to me to benefit more Nigerians. If we're going to put that money in establishing companies and power SMEs to be able to do that. If we're going to use that to properly look at our partners to work, I to impact on Nigerians. But all this charitable testing that we are turning ourselves into, we are not dishing out money and the rest of them. This is a more common that you don't even have because we are even borrowing to be able to to be able to implement the budget. So I don't really, I always say that all this issue of palliatives given out of money, it's a total scam. Anybody can challenge me on that. To me, it is total scam. It's an opportunity for government officials to do money. You have heard several that the large regime should be proved. Nobody's going to do that if at all for any reason. The fact is that the government know what to do. But what we have heard in this part of the world that unlike other part of the world is that we have some set of leaders that have so many kids to their cities is that we get them elected, give them the opportunity to lead us. But what do they do? They turn around not to be around it. And most of these people who are brought, they go there, they enjoy the benefit, they enjoy the amenities. How they cannot come back and replicates that is what is troublesome to me. So if you say that is not an out of business, then tell me what it is. Okay, and the other one that for me is scary is what has been said about the fuel. The headlines reads, fuel scarcity may worsen as 86 firms dump petrol import permit over Forex crisis. 86 oil prices. It is what it is. I've said this before, and that is what it is. They know that they say we pay subsidies. If you pay subsidies, let me just give you a last question. I've said it that I'm not an economist. So economists can pardon and make certain expression that it's not right. But look at it. We say that you will subsidy of petroleum and the prices of product. Yes, we also look at it that, so if it's not profitable to the important, definitely they will not be able to import because you say that you remove the cap, you remove the subsidy. So the market force is supposed to determine the price of petroleum. That is what is removal of subsidy. But you've kept it that when the prices of the international market is going up, the prices of petroleum in Nigeria is not there. Then there's something around that means somebody spends subsidy somewhere and that's the part. Not only in that sector, if you go to the aviation sector, go and see what is happening. An average one hour flight in Nigeria is more than 100,000 and I'm sure you are aware of that. See, except the aviation sector is also short. The manufacturing sector is even the worst. The companies, so many manufacturing companies are closing down. Some have moved away from Nigeria. Our man on the daily basis have been crying that we cannot go to life. So if the forest continue to have this serious heat, then those manufacturing companies are having issues. Do you know? Are you aware of that? I don't know when last you bought the malaria drug, which is very prevalent. Do you know how much drugs is costing Nigeria now? Both those imported and also the ones manufactured in Nigeria. Most Nigerians cannot afford drugs, buying drugs now. And that is also part of the problem because they also import some of these drugs and once they don't like going up, then the Naira against the dollar is going to affect the cost. So even healthcare is nothing to write home about. I know so many pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria that are folding up currently because some of them cannot even import. Some of these, those that are manufacturing cannot even get the materials, what the materials to be able to. So it is according to, that is why I said this government need to sit down, have a holistic approach to the issue rather than does this run up the mill? Cannot. What we are on is a marathon, not a sprint. So this short term, yes, I know that there's a short-term, medium-term and long-term projection. Yes, I totally agree. But we didn't even the short term, what are we doing to be able to, because there are so many leakages here and there. And we have to just part it before we cover. Look at also even in basic infrastructure, most Nigerians through our possible now. If you are going from this, from here, from Lagos to the South or the South East, at the Bini bypass is a no-go area, that leak route. Most Nigerians spend days now there. If you are going from Lagos to Abuja, when you get to the Ekihti end of the road, that's a serious problem. If you go to, if you are going to Ekihti from Bini, it's the same problem moving to the North. So a lot of infrastructure is so decaying and the president totally agree that yes, he have accepted this job we've given him before we are the one that employed him. He's our, he has accepted this job. I think it's high time he realized this and just get the job done. Okay, thank you so much, Chris, for your time this morning on Off the Press. As usual, it's a pleasure having had you on set. Thank you very much for having me. Have a wonderful day. You too. Okay, that was Chris Ken, the one who is a member of the Charter Institute of Abitrators in the UK. He was talking to us from Lagos to here. We'll take a very short break and when we return, we'll be talking with the president of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria. Remember, Chris just mentioned him or the association now how they are suffering. So let's get to hear from him and also find out why it's so difficult for people to patronize made in Nigeria goods. Stay with us.