 Thank you for staying with us. It's time for after-price. We'll be looking at what the national dailies are singing at this morning And joining us to review the papers is Dr. Ambrose Ibuke, Chairman Guild of Public Affairs Analyst of Nigeria in Augustine chapter. Good morning, sir. Thank you for joining us Good morning. I think so happy to be on the show this morning. Yes, compliment of the season to you Ah, sit here. Sit here. Thank you. Okay, so we're going to start with nature news today And the major headline here says how 6000 farmers lost seedlings Produced to Lagos flooding stays in Emma. So we're here in first. We have this shortage and food supply People are not able to move their produce to The market and right now we're looking at the nature news because we're trying to Decide for what's going on basically so people are not able to move the produce to the market And now we're hearing that even the seedlings are being lost. What is your thought on this one? Well, the impact of this is is going to be felt by next year as we all know In agriculture simply means that the seeds that you used to plant for the next season So we harvest what this year has been concluded We might not feel it but in the next by this time next day will feel the bite of what has just happened Because seedlings is the thing that you used to plant for the next Farming season. So having lost that means that there will be negative impact on the output of farmers next year However, Nigeria has been grappling with adequate storage facilities. So adequate people seedlings You know the agricultural ministries from the federal level even to us on what back as said produce have been trying to see how They could improve and enhance Capabilities of farmers and capacity to store You know produce and seedlings and knowing this I I don't know if Neema did not I mean Yeah, you know disaster management or other agencies that are responsible whether they need to want the farmers about the impending flooding And then also what the Laker state government did with them because these things could be avoided I don't know why there's a lot of farmers studying where a lot of flood is coming So some of those things that could be avoided should try to be avoided so that they don't plunge the country Into an agricultural or food crisis situation These things are avoided. And so I would be more proactive rather than reactive in the things we do in this country Hmm. So what does that mean for us now because first we're talking about fuel subsidy being removed We're talking about shortage in food supply as of right now And then next year that means there might be no food. So does this mean there's a possible famine? lurking Well, there are ways you can stop the gap Seedlings that were lost the federal government could Can ensure that the farmers get back their seedlings through A process where the farmers can be given back three seedlings or even provided for them on the main even credit You know on deficit basis so that where they'll plant their farmer You know give her back the seedlings so that we lost seedling doesn't mean that we can just leave the farmers like that without materials to plant so farmers can Government can encourage them But even if you can give it to food your food you have lost and then you get the necessary things like the plizas The tractors and some other things to help them so that our worst of all It is only when we don't act that we can suffer But when we act accordingly, especially proactively, then we don't want to do that So now that you know that it is disaster in that area, especially in that southwest houses through Lagos We can In conjunction the federal government could do quickly rally around the farmers and No supply the seedlings in the new by coming year So this is also what can be replicated across the country So that the only shortage of food we can plan this year to avoid shortage of food next year But if you do nothing as will usually do then there will be shortage of food There were the shortage of food you start central doing press conferences and bringing food from you great Bringing you food from China and bringing food from everywhere That is always the checkout approach that we're going this country So it is now time to plan disaster has happened And you know that the disaster will affect food output next year start now and try to remediate whatever that has happened So that it won't push what they don't happen next day That is how serious countries run and I think we can do that. It's not a rocket science How what strategy are we going to use because When the president former president Jonathan was here He had a minister acu me That is now the african development bank chairman And he had a strategy where everything that was given from the federal got to the farmers I can say that because I know in my remote village where we have farmers They could have that farm imputes fertilizers Heavy sites and everything that they needed when the next government came the government of president Muhammad Buhari they jettisoned that system and also this president has come there's nothing Regarding that how things should move from the federal to the local farmers Which means it might still be like the palliatives that we are finding palliatives that are already made food that People should get and feed themselves are being hoarded by politicians and used for their bed day Souvenirs and so many other things that are really annoying How do you think the federal government? What kind of strategy do you think they can use to make sure that these things That need to get to the farmers so that they can start to produce What we need for next year can get to them. What is the best way to go? What we have said it's uh, you know, uh, this it's not the I have said earlier It's not something that have not been done. We are not even you just cited an example The example is cited. It's not what happened in India or what's happened is Rwanda or what happened in the united states of america the example is cited is actually what happened Here in ijira. So we have done is something we do 10 years ago. We cannot even replicate it sometimes we did 40 years ago We cannot even continue with this this we do 50 years deep 50 years ago We cannot even do it now. So that means there is a kind of we are progressing towards the regression That's what is happening in this country because if you cannot even run an efficient system, we run What then almost half a decade ago and half a century ago? And then we come to this 23 we are we are told that means we are operating as if by the 1920s or 1930s Because if you can not even replicate the things we did in 1960s and 70s. So we have said it all Additional steve is still very active. Jonathan is still very active. So, um, whatever it is worth, uh, the secretaries the directors the Staff of the federal minister of agri Some of them that were part of this process are still there. So what is what why can't we talk what additional did was to buy? uh, these Chip phones these very cheap phones for them for farmers distributed across the country And then you get text message directly from the from the minister of agri tell you that I see this and that and then by the time you go to tell you where to pick it up You pick it up and you acknowledge it and that is it it went directly and use those reports We have you know, where the feedbacks and everything for control in a central Uh system where everybody to see that even that your village that somebody got it and he had responded that he got it And so those kind of things cut off the middleman Uh, and then we were able to go straight to the farmers and you could see the the impact There was to see those economic boom that period farming was very uh, very You know sweet to the farmers and they were able to bring out a lot of output about you know, who are the middlemen the middlemen mostly at the public office holders the Uh politicians even the civil servants are part of the part of it And so this is we know them and then it is about the wheel It's about the body language So it's about it's about the wheel of whoever is in charge It's about the wheel of the president. It's about whoever in charge. So It works if the president is not ready to Put his feet on ground to ensure that this has happened. Well, then it won't happen Okay, um, I want to look at something else here in nature news And this says Nigeria will achieve pot automation integration by 2025 says npa, which is the Not the ports authorities So I know they're saying they want to do the ports Automation, but how achievable is this? They're claiming that two weeks of work would be done in a couple of hours But is this achievable for us? Do we have the technology right now? I know 2025 seems like a long time Which is in two years, but well almost in 2024. Are you sure that we can get there before 2025? The Nigerian ports and then this authority that is running it Um at this I at this graceful. I mean, it's a shame of tertiary Um, the for even the Nigerian port to come to us that is trying to talk to me and announcing it I'm calling the price conference that I reported into you. It's shameful. I mean We have no sense of shame in this country the NPA but Actually in 2023 I'm talking about what automation what automation Was supposed to happen for many years ago They who are there are the ones frustrating it I mean small countries like Ghana To go to a to go a binary public and some of these countries, but let's be real about him Let's test it out of it. We are talking about our african countries there. They are pretty efficient people systems Now it takes you somebody was in analysis the other time a mathematics sport of yam to us to you In Nigeria to take you 75 days To move your toe to from the time you bring your yams to us of yam to the post to move it 75 days because of Manoa because of multiple agencies inspecting it because all kinds of bureaucracy because of corruption and all kinds of things Meanwhile, even a public it takes five days to do the same thing So So we are using even Nigeria's I use at the part of a semi I'm using the The border ports to bring in goods some of them are going to show So something is fundamentally wrong and we know it So there won't be any automation because the corrupt system will not allow it to be automated So it is natural. I keep on saying that to this federal A critical federal infrastructure and agencies that with the president is to put his feet on ground We cannot allow civil service and people who are running this system Who are getting from the corrupt system and from the manual system to rubbish us If we are about, you know, look at what you did in the banking sector But we just went almost fully digital digital that sector a lot of settlers have one digital Even the my sensing of your of your card documents and the plate numbers and some of this is our one digital You do this total re-sense you message and it is big and big because we're coming to traffic offense Many things are going digital. This is that this is that I do more complicated But it's not complicated. It's an international experience Other countries have the integration has happened in other cities country. It's all for us to just plug in And then make sure our whole system is integrated But they won't make it integrated. They won't make it digital because they are they are they are going from the corruption from the manual process Which is rise to a correction. So the LPA should spell this as rhetorics and just ensure that our funds are Integrated why 2025 this this can take place under one month The the technology is there All you need is integration call a consultant I just pass to do this. It's not through a sign. We can start a post in February. You can start running it by March So this 2025 this works for you to steal more money or what? So, please, uh, this kind of news want to you want to be We want to hear that natural cause have been fully digitized Not that we digitize the port in 2025. Oh, I tell you this kind of stories No problem. There is Nigerians don't react to this kind of things. They know We we we are we are you know seems to be at home with the inefficient busy So the Whoever is saying that should just dispel those traumas Okay, let's move to the nation newspaper. Um, the leading headline is la long resigns from fec that is the former or the minister of labor and uh employment As decided to go and take the position of senator for the plateau south Central district. I don't know what you think about that I do not know the smart move The minister appointment is a the minister is an appointment And tomorrow the president can suck you and then you you go back, you know to wherever you are So for the senator senator city is an elective position Which we want, which you know is a political People have voted for voted for you. So it is It is safer of job security And the senate is safer Being a senator is safer than being a minister because as a minister You can be asked to leave anytime And so this I when I read that news I like oh at last And so we are waiting for the ministers to do the same People are voting to positions. Uh, and they are waiting for the highest cost to declare So, um, we are waiting for someone like umana. He gave umana to also do the same thing It's a minister and he's a senator So, um, we are not running a parliamentary system of government where you can be where the ministers are from the Park damage. This is a presidential system of government where the ministers are different for the parliamentarians But my concern my concern, sir, doctor is uh the fact that um This ministers as you have mentioned some of them It seems as if they were not appointed because of what is happening They were not appointed based on merit based on their capabilities They were appointed as a consolation that they lost in the senatorial district So come and just hold the fort until you are declared winner in your senatorial district and you can go Because if nigeria needs them in the capacity the president Chose them. I should have thought that maybe patriotism and confidence in themselves that they will deliver and not be sacked at any moment Will make them stay for instance, you have the chief of staff He won he was a former speaker of the house of representatives and he left it and came to take up the responsibility Of chief of staff of the president. So ministerial position being used as top gap for people to uh, just stand there As to continue earning money until they are declared by the courts that they won in the senatorial districts It disturbs me somehow Well, he had once said that the ministerial position was a place kind of a placeholder for them to see if they will win at the uh courts in their senatorial bid You had once said that is the placeholder. Well, I don't think the president think thought that it was a placeholder Uh, there are Nigerians and there are politicians and they qualify for the position. So um, uh, so I don't share your view as they there but they the President appointed them as ministers and they had won their case at the courts But it had been appointed minister. Remember that someone like la long was not it was not a senator Because he was not declared winner So why you were why he was there doing that? He was not a senator So it was something like they might who can be talking about saying that he was a he was a senator The case is still in court and they rise. So if somebody like that is what you want somebody like that is what we'll talk about you have to choose Which one do you want to do? Uh, you all of them are serving the nation So if you are a minister you're serving the country senator you're serving the country as of as you are serving the country So whatever capacity you have is that it's a personal decision and Where you know you want to be the other one as I have explained earlier It's your people that gave you the mandate in terms of Through the election route, but the other one is not your people that give you the mandate It is a pleasure of mr. President So For people who want to think the other one like la long the fact that the one that maybe the people gave you He has small, you know Rapids to eat than the one that is given as somebody's pleasure. And so that is how That is my introspective to say oh, maybe it just feels that you know, you can of course the minister can be fired at the time So let's not be comfortable about it if If the president feels that the minister is not doing well, can we find a minister to play rampos like what? Oh, I did in his time. It's not a political position. It's not ten yards It's some people like that's why the economy was in time for the moharis time Because major position was taken as if it was tenured and if it was an electoral Elected position. It is not It is a pleasure of the mr. President He gave views on mandates and he didn't deliver that you get sacked and get recruited out All right, let's just look at Daily trust There's a small headline at the bottom Corner there which says nma gives fg federal government 45 day Automatum to review doctor's salary. So we know that a lot of doctors have been moving out of the country The healthcare system is actually deteriorating at the moment because you're even seeing wards being closed There are no personnel on sites And now They say they want their salary reviewed What does this mean for us if the salary doesn't get reviewed are we going to lose more doctor Or is the federal government going to even budge at any given point? Nigeria is in a medical crisis situation But unfortunately see the federal government is not able to save the crisis and your emergency in the health center You your own assessment talk to the young girls and boys who are studying for nursing in nursing schools around Interacted a lot of them The person is just waiting to get licensed by the Nigeria main referee council by the nursing and main referee council of Nigeria I want the person is licensed. The next thing the person wants to do is to leave this country Anywhere can do a lot of them go to canada Some of them go to the uk some of them. So other people are using Nigeria medical personnel To fill your own gap Like in the uk that they have a lot of health gap. So they were taking a lot of Nigerian nurses When it was not the last time they're taking caregivers and other health workers A lot of Nigerians have come there as caregivers. A lot of people are who in the last three years I can count up to like 10 nurses. I know personnel that have moved caregivers more than 30 Personally, these are people I know Then, you know, multiply that across the country and see the kind of crisis we are in As you rightly said, there's somebody I know who was trying to recruit a nurse for the office in Abuja And they were not able to do that for six months Anybody who is anybody they wanted to employ with they would say I'm already processing And you know, I may not last up to three months. I may not last up to six months. I may not last up to Eight months. These are the things you are hearing And the person wanted stability. So it took them a month of time Even those who are already in the system working for the person the private company some of them already even two So it's a huge crisis that we are not even we are not imagine The you know, the impact of what is going to happen. Our doctors and the consultants are leaving I know somebody with the consultant obsession and the gynaecologist who said that he's believe in this country You know, it's it's gone. I was one of the people who used to want to have Chastising his colleagues who are leaving and he wants to leave because the colleagues who have left Some of them go to the Saudi Arabia some other country at any huge money We're converted to the Nigerian currency. Some of them as much as seven million Eight million ten million six million depending on where they're working and the kind of qualification Who have will convert to the Nigerian currency in a month And there's somebody say only like 500,000 And then overworked because we don't have enough medical personnel So people will be little more the ones that are the many have been overworked There are many cases of doctors falling dead. One in last week What we had was still dead. We had had other cases we had other places People doctors are falling off and dying because of overwork And you know, it's it's becoming a it's it's it's becoming medical emergency So There was there was news the other day that the president went out and he was begging Doctors and health workers to return To do their duty for Nigeria. He was begging them Who is saying that he was on the news Who said it The president went out. I think it was uh, uh, was it in At the sidelines of the corp 28 or so and he was begging doctors of Nigerian descent It is psycho fancy the president doesn't need to beg doctors All the president needs to do is stick down with the health ministry Save that with the budget office to budget applying office See how much you can allocate to the health center to the salary of it Give them jumbo pay and say from now on we are going to treat all of this thing. America is paying you One thousand We're going to pay the seven thousand dollars per month come back We are going to pay consultant seven thousand. We're going to pay this you see that with the ajama American association you work it out increase their salaries You don't need to tell anybody to come back. You don't need to beg anybody When they see the package is sweet They come back the truth is that many people that have left this country don't actually want to leave Nigeria's love Nigeria. They want to stay But it's economic hardship that's making them leave. So the president should not uh, uh, just Be saying this thing for the sake of savings I know you're talking about you're talking about health is a critical health is a critical sector Yeah, health is a critical sector just like education So what's money and increase their salaries increase that pay the losses the doctors the medical uh other medical You know staff and let us have a good health center that I want to turn naturally What point is to that don't beg anybody give them huge package every time Well, we hope that um, I believe that if the offer is juicy enough People would at least the ones here will not. Yes. I'm not sure we can maybe match up with the With the u.s. And kind of dancing want to because we have that revenue We can we can We have what it takes We saw we filter our money We we move our one most of our money at private hands. We can We have the capacity So let's not be deceived people to say that we don't have it. We have it I mean it will bind SUVs for 160 million. Yeah, then we are not able to I'm not prioritizing our we're not prioritizing our our critical sectors Money is being filtered away in useless things renovation of uh This person's house renovation of this kind of renovation of Is that what you're supposed to do here? Move all those things you have freighter in the way and use it to pay to pay her to work out You're saying there's no money. We can't match anybody to work with money Okay, we have to we have to wrap up but I want to take this one from the guardian quickly before we go and he says Federal government firms trade jobs is illegal expatriates take over the economy So there are lots of expatriates. Well, there are some numbers here that says About 13,000 expatriate quota 1600 watt permits issued in three years So we're seeing a lot of expatriates coming into Nigeria taking over the economy But even some of them are illegal. What are your thoughts on that? Look, it's unfortunate that we are giving jobs expatriates where our own people are living You can see the paradox in that situation What kind of country is this? You know, you just see this notice that I'm not supposed to happen in civilized clients Happening here. I'm still wondering Are we really part of the world global village? You know So these are the things we're talking about your own your own staff When expatriate quota when expatriate workers come we pay them in uh, you negotiate in foreign currency I don't decide the people and say some some people have some people end their money in foreign currency That is why I was countering when you said there's no money. We have money So you're bringing expatriates in to pay them a huge amount of money in dollars or in pounds or whatever And all people are living you said there's no money even the job that is let our people We we are we are sabotaging it and giving it to uh, to forever And many many other countries when it goes there with your apart from the country they give to you They will insist that you know, you know that the only will do it But here in Nigeria we send contracts with other countries They're bringing their expatriates. They're bringing their staff to execute that project. A lot of some of these uh, Don't know agencies. That's what they do. A serious country will not do that If you want to do a partnership with us after bringing your phone our people will run it We have all the competencies in Nigeria Everything we think of under the earth. We have the competencies in Nigeria Nigeria people are resourceful So you cannot allow people to be bringing in to sign agreement. You are paying for it Look at Chinese people everywhere as a Chinese project. You can try that in China You can try that in any serious country So this this must stop even when you're setting up your own industry with your own one in other countries They will give you quota. They will tell you that 40 percent or 50 percent or s y z number of management must be uh, They are all people Yeah, some of them give you the condition that the managing director must be from from their country And some give you that 80 percent of the general workforce must be from their country That's how senior countries were creating jobs for their people But here we allow people to just run whatever they want and we want job that will let follow We give contrast to foreigners and Allow them to bring in their finalist purchase. No country moves forward this way Nigeria should wake up and do the right things so that we can move forward right now We are running around in circles and we take us nowhere Well, I hope we start to prioritize our own citizens and make sure that we're giving them jobs We're creating jobs for um the the citizens of Nigeria instead of bringing other people in but yes We want to thank you. Dr. Ambrice Iwakwe for joining us today and reviewing the papers. Thank you so much Thank you for having me on the show. Thank you All right, we've been talking to dr. Ambrice Iwakwe He's the chairman guild of public affairs analysts of Nigeria in the good states chapter We'll go on a quick break and when we return we'll look at our hot topics stay with us