 Serap is opposing live pensions for former governors, Nisam, Mike, Ge, Imang and others. Serap is joining us this morning to give us details of this matter that they are taking to court to stop the ex-governors from the continued collection of pensions. That will be our first hot topic on the breakfast this morning. As the world goes digital, today on the program we'll be looking at the development in technology, especially in Africa, and the availability of funding for startups. We'll also be taking a look at some national dailies and the headlines that made it to their front pages of the press, but joined by our analysts to do that on the program. Good morning and welcome to the Breakfast in Plus TV Africa. I am Maureen Minnauizigwe. And I am Nyamgul Agadje. It's the tech Tuesday and we hope that you're going digital for the right reasons. And like they say, anytime that you want extra income, you just might find it on Google or any other place that technology has given us the opportunity to be able to connect with. And I do hope that you will have a wonderful time watching us this morning. And we do have a very, very robust appetite for technology in this part of the world. Although, unfortunately, most of what we consume here are packaged and imported. And we want to see that change. We want to see a situation where we can also package and export technology to the rest of the world. So these are part of the things to be taking a look at this morning. And I'm also very particularly happy. There's news making the rounds that girls of federal government, girls' college, I think, have also produced their own robot that does the things that they command it to do. And when you look at it, it's so beautiful and you just love the fact that they're able to do this. And I commend the principle of that school because when the girls were being interviewed, they said before that principle came, they didn't know anything about technology, at least to the extent that the principal made them know. Now she enrolled them in competitions. She made sure that they had a dedicated lab and all the things that were needed to do this. So probably they have done a lot of coding and all that. So now they have produced their own robot in that school. And that just tells us that with a little bit of pushing, with a little bit of opportunity, a lot can be achieved in Nigeria as well. And it also tells us that it all begins and ends with leadership. If you have the right leadership, things will definitely change. If the head is screwed on well, the body will follow suit. So if, for instance, in Nigeria, we want to see an end to corruption, then the president himself must be seen not to be corrupt, must be seen to be against corruption and must be seen to be fighting corruptions with the right words, the right actions, the right body languages. Otherwise, nothing is going to change. This is not saying that you have to be a saint, to be a leader. At least show us that even if you were corrupt before, you have repented enough. Yes, because everybody will have one kind of skeleton or the other in their cupboard. We are all humans. But for people to see that, okay, even if you've done that journey, you are now ready to change. Or at least you've seen that it's not taking you or the country to anywhere. Or even when you were doing it, you were doing it as a person. But now, as a leader, you want a different approach to all of these things. Then we'll follow suit. And it depends on, like you said, how the leader is. It trickles down to the people because body language is enough to put everybody on their toes. Body language, actions, you know, these things go along, going saying that a new sheriff is in town. And what it would need to see and feel and experience that a new sheriff is in town. Not many Nigerians, if at all, have forgotten how things were with the last administration and how the level of impunity that we saw play out in the poverty. And if there is a new sheriff in town, even though it's the same party, we would want to see a change in some of the things, if not all of the things that we cried against. I mean, why then did we have an election? Yeah. Why is there a change of God? It should not just be that there's a new sheriff in town, like you said. And it shouldn't be that we had impunity in the last government, but now we're having a different kind of impunity, or the same impunity with a different name. It shouldn't be that way. We should feel the impact of a new sheriff coming in town and feel the relief that comes with good governance. Because, hey, democracy is about the people, no matter the nomenclature that you're giving to eat, so long as the people are carried along and they enjoy, it doesn't matter whether it's for me anyway. It doesn't matter whether it's a monarchy, whether it's an autocracy, whatever name you're calling it. So long as I have what to eat, I'm secure in health, I do whatever I want to do, I have some level of freedom that I need because I don't need 100% freedom anyway. I have the level of freedom that I need to function as a human being and not feel that someone is trampling on me and pressing my neck and not letting me to breathe, you know, those kind of things. So leaders should not get comfortable that they are in a democracy and so democracy is untouchable. They shouldn't get comfortable. They should get comfortable with the fact that they are so good to the people that they don't need bullet-proof cars, for instance. Exactly, they just need Nigerians, African leaders, if they never knew or they forgot, now they know that democracy can be touched. It's no longer untouchable if at all it ever was. What is happening in the Sahel region, the coups and all of that, and as you have said, why do they need bullet-proof vehicles? If they are comfortable and confident that they were voted in by the people to represent them, then what are they afraid of? Of course we know that politics is dirty, but then if you are a good leader, your people will protect you. They wouldn't see you get hurt and allow anything to come to you that will not be of good to you. Also, if they need this bullet-proof, as someone has widely stated, they should use their own money to get it and not use Nigeria's money, taxpayer's money to get unnecessary vehicles, very expensive vehicles. I understand that some of them in one state in the east rejected innocent motos. The vehicles given to them are assembled by innocent motos. I thought that was very insensitive of them. How do you encourage people for it? It's just like, okay, Dango Tears Refinery will come on stream and then you never buy fuel from him. You go out and buy from another country. That's exactly what is playing out. How do you encourage people in that sector to continue to do things like that? You want a big name, a big brand, and you don't want a brand from your own country to be something outside. And then there are other countries that are coming here to buy those same vehicles for their government functionaries. Why are you giving them the space where you are? As a senator or a member of House of Maps in your state, why are you there if you do not have that mentality to promote local content? If you do not have that mentality to see growth you do not want to see the local manufacturers growing. You do not want to see how you are improved in your state. Why are you there? You are not qualified to be there. And I think it's time that Nigerians begin to recall their senators, so-called representatives. We have to begin to sing a song. You must begin to know and begin to get actively involved in the process of recalling these people when they begin to miss yarn. Because that's what it is. When they begin to forget that they are there and that they can be removed. And they are so good in the divide and rule strategy now. One group will come and say, hey, this thing you're doing is wrong. And it really is wrong. Another group will just rise up in the evening just opposing what you're saying. Whether they're making sense or not, it's just that, okay, we oppose this thing that you're saying. How can you say our leader is not doing good? So they come to the street, they protest. Even sometimes they are violent and all that. And then they are also very strategic in placing themselves. A lot of them now own some kind of media houses, whether it's a print media, whether it is even online, V-logs, whatever kind of media. Because media is what will push the propaganda. Media is powerful. Yes, it's very powerful. So a lot of them have done this. And they saw it from M.K. O.A. Biola, maybe, because he ran... Concord. And it did a very wonderful job. But even if you're pushing an agenda, it should be a positive agenda. We should think Nigeria. And until our leaders begin to think Nigeria, it cannot resonate with the ordinary man. Because you want to fly from here to go to America to eat pizza. You want to fly from here to just go for a weekend or a spa that you think is better in America. And you're using our money. Because no matter how you see it, it's our money. They have just given them billions for accommodation. A senator should have a house, right? But now you're giving billions for accommodation to these people who a lot of them do not even sleep in their houses. In Abuja, when you go, there are stories of some of them having permanent houses or rooms or shallies or whatever it is in hotels where they pay through the nose for just one night throughout their tenure. And then you're still giving them this money for accommodation and it doesn't make sense to anybody. We talk about social economy, which is lacking in our society. Social economy is lacking. Most offices come with perks. You can deny that. But then how reasonable are the sizes of the perks that come to some of our public offices? That's what people are complaining about. The sizes are just so humongous when you compare it with the existing economic reality on the ground. So many people are suffering. The economy is at its standstill. There's this new report on our reserve. You can't be broke and be living on borrowed money. It's opulence. Using borrowed money to live in opulence. It just tells whoever is watching you that something is wrong with you upstairs. There was this time that there is a revenue mobilization and the people responsible for allocating salaries to public office holders and they were trying to raise the money and people complained. What their response was was that people of that standing need XYZ. What standing? The UK Prime Minister was riding a bicycle. That's why they want to enjoy themselves and show that opulence, that we have a radio, big boys and big girls. They should use their money to justify their big boys and all that. Do you believe the taxpayers' money is for things that would affect the economy and benefit the generality of the Nigerian populace? That's just what it boils onto. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why one of our top trending this morning is that over 500 directors have reportedly defied federal government's order to retire. Because the directors in ministries, organizations and agencies that are MDAs of the federal civil service have reportedly defied the federal government's directive which mandates them to go on compulsory retirement. The directors who were to proceed on compulsory retirement since July 27 have spent eight years at their positions or they have stayed put in contravention to a new rule. The new rule stipulates that such affected directors should give way following the revised public service rule and the secular issued by the head of the civil service of the federation. So if you have stayed up to 80 years and above, you should leave for others to come on. So Dr. Foulashaday Yameer Son last month gave that to the heads of MDAs directing them to ensure compliance with the new rule and the revised PSR. So the revised PSR was unveiled last month at a public service lecture held at the Presidential Villa Abuja. According to the head of the service, its implementation kicked off immediately with the launch. The secular noted that the new rule which seeks to give room for deputy directors within the federal civil service some of whom have been stagnated on level 16 for about a decade to rise to the cutter of the director and it will see over 500 directors across the civil service on level 17 who have spent more than eight years in their positions proceed on compulsory retirement. So now the secular has been given everybody has been instructed if you have stayed up to 80 years and above leave so that others can feel the vacancy. Some people have been in a particular position for so long but the others do not want to leave. Much as I disagree with their defiance of the rule I also ask myself why are they afraid of retiring? Is it because of what they see in the office or because of what they fear when they retire they will meet because some of these people will retire and they will not get their benefits for years. Meanwhile the politicians will get severance package which comes with a lot of money and then they will be having some pension for something you did for four years like now today we will be talking about anyway about one of those things you get a pension from governor you get a pension or you get a salary from minister or a senator or something it doesn't really make sense. Yeah and then of course the 10th assembly has become like a retirement heaven for ex-politicians, ex-governance especially we have not less than 13 of them in there receiving pensions just one of them has announced that he doesn't want to continue to collect that monthly pension talking about former governor of Ocean state he said he doesn't want to continue collecting at least for as long as he is there so far. The others obviously have no interest in following suit which is what Serap is saying it should be a law all of you should stop collecting as a senator and be collecting as former governor you know enough of the long throat by the way don't you just love the half way of that woman so cute So moving forward to our second top trending police bans, protests, ascension mounds in Karno, every election tribunal. The Karno state police command on Monday banned all forms of street protests across all parts of the state with immediate effect following an intelligence report and possible outrage from the judgment of the tribunal on the state election. Addressing journalists in an emergency press conference at the state's police command the commissioner of police Mohammed Usaini informed members of the police to take note that in New Nigeria people's party and the all progressive congress have assembled a crowd to embark on a protest without the endorsement of the Nigeria Labour Congress and pair approval from the security agencies in the state. He warned both organizers as well as the umbrella body that any attempt to disrespect the NLC and the security agencies in the state by playing around the fragile security situation which the combined security agencies have been managing is not only uncivil criminal but also a threat against national security. So there you have it. I'm not sure how many people will agree with the police on this you know civilians should have a right to protest in a democracy. That's what some would argue. Yeah well it is also it's also right to give out that warning because they need to take the appropriate steps if it is to inform the police and all that but over the years the unfortunate thing is that over the years when you have this protest whether you tell the police or not they are the same in fact sometimes when you're just planning to have a protest or a demonstration or whatever name you want to call it like now it is the police that will first of all come and warn you you must never hold this protest so that you know firsthand already that when you go to meet them you might not have the approval that you want. So over the years I think some people have just grown thick skinned maybe rightly so that the police may not even cooperate and this is something that needs to be done so if they want to do a thing like this they know the chief tins of the APC and the NNPC invite them talk to them and all that let them talk to their people but now what we see the police saying is we have credible intelligence that people want to disrupt this election no names and nothing and whether the election is disrupted or not whether the society is disrupted or not we don't see the critical people being picked we see only the people that were used that are being picked nobody else is picked so what are we talking about oh wow it is a breakfast on plus TV Africa have you got a cup of coffee a cup of tea or a glass of juice whichever you fancy do get it because it's getting hotter now we're going to off the press we'll be back in a moment to do that stay with us