 Ahead of the 2023 General Elections Nation's Electoral Empire, the Independent National Electoral Commission says it will not release the election timetable until the Electoral Act Amendment Bill is signed into law. What is the implication of this decision? The pyramids are back, this time not granite pyramids but rice pyramids. President Mohammed Buhari yesterday unveiled what is said to be the world's largest rice pyramids. Better days ahead for the agricultural sector. We take an in-depth look at these on the programme. And as usual, we dive into the headlines for the nation's national dailies on the breakfast. Welcome to the breakfast in Plos TV Africa, it's a great day and we're going to be having a great time on the show. I am Messi Bopu. And I'm Kofi Battels, we start off with our top trending stories. It's interesting news coming as fast qualifications for the leading positions in Nigeria quality is concerned. Of course, and that's because you have the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femig Bajabiamila, raising the concerns that the National Assembly should pay attention into reviewing the constitution to amend it to ensure that we have an upward review for qualification. It might also interest you to know that the qualification currently, I think it's at the SSC. School certificate is being called. But this is one concern. And I remember the time in 2019, where the 2019 election where the part of the constitution was amended to allow young people to actually contest for that election. But there are a lot of reactions that have generated or that have been generated following this school of thought. The question is, will that enhance performance? Will that bring about good governance? Will that solve the security concerns? Whether or not a person has a higher educational qualification, does that translate into having good policies and what have you? But I think it's a two-way thing. So it's not a criteria to become a good president or to become a better governor. But it's also necessary to have all of that education and information, especially for a client like Nigeria with diverse consent, and trying also to imbibe, you know... So what are you saying? Because it sounds like you're giving this... So you're making a case for this change, is that what you're saying to me? So I'm making a case, and I'm also not making a case for it. I'm for it. I'm also saying that as much as that's a good one, but it's not necessary... I mean, it's not a criteria. Like we talked about yesterday, we have seen professors who are governors, you know, we have seen academics, and nothing to show for at the end of the eight years and counting. And so what is the... Does that really mean that if someone have a particular qualification, would that really make them a good governor or a good president? Would that translate into standard of living of the people? So this question, quite daisy. That's a very important question to ask, you know, lots of Nigerians looking at the pros and cons. No educational qualifications for political leaders, especially those who are occupying the number one position in the country. Usually a subject of debate, I mean, it's not just with Nigeria. You go back all the way to the United States of America, it's been an issue. And I'm sure the other countries we can point out that have had issues like this. But in Nigeria, the academic qualifications for the current president have been caught into question before. And therefore you have, you know, supporters of the different political parties taking sides on this, and it's evident in the discourse online. Like you've said, there are pros and cons of such a move. Of course, you look at the fact that the concession is concession, it has to be amended. The electoral act also needs to be looked at before such a move is implemented. But maybe those who are going for this don't want anyone to be excluded from the process and to give the chance of opportunity to contest. No, so I don't think that that might be the case, you know. So I'm going to make reference to that 2019 where the not too young to run bill was actually introduced. I mean, so just a few times before the election and then you had that bill. So how many young persons did we have? Because you're looking at the time. The time is very slim. You have to talk about preparations. Elections are not just that you don't wake up in the morning and say you want to become a governor or president. You must have been working before now. So you probably would have had all of your strategies. So if you don't have these laws already in place, if you don't have the backings of the law very early, existing enough time, so the people can actually prepare. So because you are meant a particular, you know, section now. So let's even assume that we now say, OK, if you have the BSE and then just how many more days somebody wakes up and say, OK, now that we have the qualification is up, so I can actually vie for it, PhD holders and masters. And so what is the time frame now? So I'm thinking that we shouldn't always wait for it. It's very brilliant, but we don't have to wait for almost an election year. More like the eve of elections. Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, you know, for instance, yesterday, you know, we had that I like will not be be releasing the electric, which I said to the electoral time till until the show of the electoral act. I remember being passed. These are things that they need to be planned. Well, the logistics and the the planning that goes into an election is quite huge. It's quite large. You know, I was listening to Celine Dion. Sorry. So we're asking what's a different relationship between Celine Dion and election. But she canceled her tour. You know, she has meant to perform in some parts of the world. She canceled the tour. Why? She said because of health reasons and she apologized to her fans. Why does Celine Dion apologize to her fans? Because she says that they had they had bought tickets and all that. And she says the planning it takes into that goes into the work that goes into planning a concert, you know, is a lot. So I said to myself, if if a musician, if a musician does a lot of detail planning for just one concert, you know, how much more an election, a lot of planning goes into the election. So it's going to be tough to see how this plays out. You know, like you said, it's going to be tough. But then again, you know, some of them have also asked I've looked at some of the comments online. Some of asked them, what's the value of a university degree in the country today? What do people need to go to to get the degree? Do you meet graduates who make you go? Is this one to graduate? What is the quality of education we have in the country today? You know, that that makes you meet someone who is a university graduate or master's degree holder. And then you say, yes, this person is is teaching me something. This is what people online will say. And I was I was interested in some of the comments that having a degree in the country today doesn't necessarily mean that you put in the work, you know, with all the strikes that have been going on and all that. We need to look at the quality of education and and and learning we have. And then we also need to pay attention to the fact that the world is evolving. I mean, things are changing. There are a lot of dynamics. And so we need to catch up with all of this. So 20 years ago, things were quite different. I mean, the analysis and, you know, the way we look at things. So it is important that we evolve as much as it sounds very brilliant. I'm also thinking that we should also encourage, you know, vocational training and what have you because we were actually paid attention to, you know, the conventional institution. And so we constantly pay attention to it. The world is moving away these days. People are looking for who can solve problems, problem solvers and not necessarily because we go to school and will be taught theories. And at the end of the day, you come at your face with real life challenge. How do you handle all of this? And this is the reason why you see a lot of people sometimes, you know, commit suicide because we haven't we haven't been taught that failure is part of life. So it's something maybe we need to include. So there are a lot of things. It goes beyond just having, you know, academic qualification. Yes, indeed. Yes, indeed. Well, moving on the federal government on Monday filed a fresh terrorism charges against the embattled leader of the indigenous prescribed indigenous people of Biafra group, Namdi Kano, in the amended processes filed before the federal High Court sitting in a buja. The government increased the counts in the initial charge. They preferred against him, a Kano who has been in detention since alleged abduction from Kenya. So say repatriation and return to Nigeria faced as seven reasonable felony charges, mercy. But now he's been he was expected to enter a fresh plea to or respond to the charges of 15 amendment charges against him. The charges were amended, like we said yesterday, discussed yesterday in the news headlines, barely 24 hours to the shadow commencement of the hearing by trial justice Bintanyaku. And of course, we also got to learn yesterday that a new member of Kano's team legal team at a marriage in the present of Michael Zekome. He is now the lead counsel to Kano in this case, of course. Ajiofo is still there. Ajiofo is still there. But Zekome now takes the lead and Michael Zekome complained after during the trial that his client was still being subjected to poor treatment in DSS custody. He said that Kano was still being kept in solitary confinement and that any other detainee who greeted him was also kept in solitary confinement. And this is the first time we're hearing this, you know. And shortly before adjourning the matter, of course, it's going to be really impossible for Kano to enter a plea to something charges that just came up barely 24 hours to his appearance in court. And before adjoining the matter, the trial just just is just has been reminded the defendants that a different detention facility was not a five-star hotel. She had to say to Kano, a detention facility is a five-star hotel. I mean, that was really dramatic. But she have reiterated a previous order to the DSS, in whose detention he is that the IPOB leaders should be allowed the maximum comfort possible. I mean, how does that sound? The maximum kind of comfort possible. If you check out what he wore yesterday, it's still the same outfit that he was captured in or he was arrested and brought back to Nigeria as far back as June 2021. And the trial judge was livid. She was upset and not happy that he was wearing the same fendi outfit. So she said, you know, that she says in a coat, I don't want to see him in these clothes again. This is this one is almost off-white is what the judge said. Also, make sure that you allow him exercise. So it's been quite a very, very touchy show online in an on air with love, Nigerians reacting to this. So for me, my concern is why would the office of the attorney general? I mean, after two years or they're about just all of a sudden increase the charges. As much as I would agree that, you know, it's a yes, that they do have a right to increase or reduce charges, that is it. But it is sticking. I mean, that's a lot of time. So what happens to the proof of evidence before you get a case to court? So you probably, I mean, the fact that the case in court is that you have established all of the evidence and so therefore you can continue. So all of a sudden you wake up and then there are new charges where this charges coming from because we cannot talk about the merit of the case. That's, you know, totally on, you know, the law, you know, of the books. But look at some of this issue. So it's a consent. Now, if you remember vividly in November, I remember the time when the president said he was going to have meeting with the Orhanese and Digbos and some of the elders and said there was a possibility of him granting amnesty or a political solution. Yes. And he said there was a but yes, because I think that if the president had said he was going to grant in Cano, you know, or was it called amnesty? Nigerians wouldn't be surprised. It wouldn't be surprising. But this is very shocking that so in November, this happened in November and what are we again? We're in January, he granted just a few. Yes, sorry to interrupt you. Well, he granted an interview a couple of weeks ago. That famous interview at the TV station and where he said with a media house, sorry, where he said, you know what, he can and should defend himself in court. His government will not release him, you know. And so people like you said, asking, you know, you've been given sort of a feeling, even your words, that there could be a possibility, especially with the, like you said, Attorney General and Minister of Justice saying that they're going to explore the possibilities. But but some some pundits said that maybe Nigerians are rushing to conclusion regarding that statement. No, it's not that it's not that the president categorically said he was going to grant him amnesty. But I mean, the fact that he said it was a possibility. Yeah, there's a possibility. And of course, he met, you know, with his leaders. And then he had agreed to the fact that he was going to meet with them just for, you know, peace and what have you. So shortly after, three months after they're about, then we have new charges. I mean, it calls for a lot of concern as much as we will continue. I agree. It's OK to say that, yes, they do have a right to increase the charges or reduce the charges, however. But we're saying that after how many time he was first to rain in 2021? Two thousand and twenty one. Yes, yes, he was captured in July two thousand and twenty one and taking the very first time he was a rain. Yes. But I mean, his lawyer, Michael Zekome, still echoed some of the things we said here yesterday. And so I guess that, you know, though I guess on the of the press was saying, you know what, it's still part of the practice in law. I think they call it the administration of criminal justice. No, but you can you can do that. No, you can do that. But you're also asking that if you I mean, for the fact that you're in court, you means you have proof of evidence. I mean, that's why you're in court already. So at what point do you now have new charges? I mean, if we have we've won the system with the legal, the judicial system of the legal system is very functional. You know that this case would have been done. We would have been done with this case by this time. So it's like in the words of Michael Zekome, his leak has the very, very also instructive and even support what you're saying because he said that the last agenda it was was in December, which is November, I think, which is barely one month. Away from they had about one and a half months, basically, to to amend the charges against him and increased accounts from seven to 15. But they did that barely 24 hours to the trial, like you said. And he was asking when or what time are we going to have to meet a client for him to go through these new charges to to decide whether what kind of plea to enter in some what kind of plea to enter, you know, guilty, you know, guilty. And is it that we're going to come to court and may we see a client to say hi, I'm speaking for the first time and we're going to show him. OK, this is what I got yesterday night. Look at the new charges. Are you guilty or not? We have to prepare the fence. And so it's he said he used to work delayed tactics that these are delayed tactics being employed by the federal government. Yeah, so apart from that also, I would just probably just, you know, brush on that particular one. The issue of security presence is a public trial and the fact that people are not even allowed to go in. It's not a secret tire. It calls for another consent. And the fact that it just shows you when the judge said of the correction also is a correctional centre, by the way, and if that's a correctional centre, it just shows you the state of our present and how people are being treated, whether or not you are, you know, you're a special. I don't know if there's any VIP, you know, in the present. But I'm just saying that it goes to show you the state of our. Is it a bit better if you look at because he's a DSS right now. But of course, you never can tell, you know, so little confinement, but we'll move on. We asked us an issue with 5G and aviation. Of course, the global aviation industry is said to be facing a catastrophic disruption from the rollout of the 5G network service this week. According to the leaders of major airlines in the world, they had to write a letter to the United States transport and economic officials saying that the launch of this long-awaited, long-expected and anticipated 5G technology could ground flights and leave tens of thousands of people and even possibly millions around the world stranded. You know, so this is quite surprising because, you know, we've been looking forward to this 5G technology and how it's going to make life easier. Some people have said it's the best thing since sliced bread and now the airlines are coming out to say that if the technology goes ahead, we may not be able to fly. Well, so for me, you know that with the third generation mobile network and what have you, the fourth generation, there's been a lot of conspiracy theories regards that at the time, the 3G network, we had some people saying, oh, it was the reason why we had the, is it the flu at the time or SARS, you know, the virus at that time. No, also, so please, are we here? Yes, you know, you also had the fourth generation network. There was also another one associated with the swine flu. And so if you begin to look at the times, even, you know, with the fifth generation network, people say, okay, so they have decided to associate this with all of the viruses and diseases and they say, okay, this is the reason why we're having all of this outbreak, including the 5G network, we've had that. Almighty 5G, we couldn't sleep about. Exactly, so I just want to believe that, you know, this has been scientifically proven because all of those, all those, you know, thoughts and what have you, postulations have not been, you know, science have come out to say that this is not actually it. So I just also want to believe that this is not another conspiracy theory, has that been proven by science? Because that's what you want to say. As far as we know that, you know, the aviation sector has raised a concern, but we should be able to find out if, you know, that's really the case. Yeah, fantastic. I think that that's very important for us to find out, you know, but I think, you know, the difference between what we're seeing now and what we saw with 5G, 4G and 3G will be that this is coming from the scientists, you know, not from the people who are seeing the cables being rolled in their background in the mass and saying, why are they doing this even though there's a lockdown? You know, it's not coming from the preachers, you know, because there's a lot of messages where preachers are saying that, you know, some conspiracy and all that. But we have those cables being laid in Legos as well, I've seen some of them being laid around. And we told that the 5G will bring very fast, ultra fast is the word they use, internet speeds, extra bandwidth and increased connectivity. So, you know, we're looking forward to it. But, but, well, science is a science. Let's see what happens at the end of the day, because we don't want to be flying in hearing that because of 5G is an air crash and all that. We don't want to have that. Interesting times we live in, interesting times in days. Well, we'll step on the brakes right now and when we return, we will be looking at the papers. We're calling it off the press, we'll be right back.