 Hello, hope you enjoyed the news. Please do subscribe to our YouTube channel and don't forget to hit the notification button so you get notified about fresh news updates. University students in Nigeria will stay at home for further two months as their lecturers have voted to extend their warning strike. What hope is there of salvaging Nigeria's tertiary education sector? Also on the breakfast, Nigeria has been plunged into darkness for the second time in 2022 following the total collapse of the national grid, what is happening to the nation's past sector. And we have incisive analysis of the headlines in today's national dailies. It's the breakfast welcome right here. It's another beautiful Tuesday and it feels really great as always to be back on your screen. We're just going to be having a great time, having amazing conversations as we proceed in the course of the show. I am Merci Boko. Now I'm Kofi Bachelos, it's another day, another time to discuss very important issues of national concern. Merci, hope you had yourself a great birthday yesterday. Yes, of course I did. Thank you to everyone that reached out. The office has been filled with so much cake and figure food that we can afford to have. All right, it's a great day of course. Issues to talk about. We're looking at the past sector, education sector ahead. We have the Asu Chairman in the University of Lagos, Mr. Ashiro. He'll be here on the programme. Very interesting conversation ahead so you should not change the channel. But let's start and look at the stories that have been trending. Merci, of course, the first one. Yesterday we heard about certain abacari who were said to have had some money, good amount of money as a public servant, about 1.4 billion naira, passing through his account. And if you check that 1.4 billion naira, that is quite a huge amount of money. We also heard that his second in command, his deputy at the IRT, intelligence response team, had about 2.0 billion naira, also passing through his account. So what an amount of over 4 billion naira for both of them. And one began to wonder why, of course, you had a serving, then serving public servant, police officer, controlling such amounts of money. But the drama was not just about the amount of money that the NDLEA said the abacari had gone through his hands or through his account. His wife, the wife of the embattled police officer, as well, super cop, Rama II abacari, slumped and collapsed at the lobby of the Federal High Court in Apuja yesterday. It's sad because we don't want to hear anyone going through a dangerous situation, a life-threatening situation at all. Kiarra and the school defendants were in court yesterday for the hearing of their bail application before the trial judge, Milo, the Honourable Justice, Emeka and Witte. However, the incident of Mrs. Kiarra's wife collapsed. It occurred after the judge had adjourned the suit to March 28. Immediately the judge adjourned the suit to March 28 and he hid that gavel. Of course, the woman collapsed and the videos and pictures of her, you can see on your screen, being rushed out of the Federal High Court chambers. I hope she's safe and I hope she's well. Well, as much as it's important to pay attention to this concern, because if you look at the thoughts that have been put out right there, the reaction is that this is also another gimmick. People feel like we have a pattern where people have to always, it's usually at the courts where the collapse, you have a smile on your face. You love it, you love it. No, I mean, it's a serious issue. So it's possible that she fainted, and that's because with all of that that you could hear, I mean, listening to, you know, it's a hearing. That's number one. It could be so much for her, you know, to handle at a time, and of course it can happen. But we can't actually categorically tell, first of all, we're not even there. Secondly, we're not medical practice. You can't even tell what it is. Two more weeks in detention, of course. Yes, two more weeks in detention. Now, the reason why, if you look at the conversation in different spaces, if you look at the conversation the Nigerians are having, it's because it seemed that we always have a pattern where, there seem to be a pattern where you have those who have been, or those who are suspect or probably they're facing trial or what have you, would always want to faint. And so everyone is not asking, I'm sure that's not the original script. You know how Nigerians can be. I'm telling you, they'll say this is another Hollywood. Yeah, that's what they're saying. So you could see that no one is empathizing. No one's saying, oh my God, it could have been so much for her to handle. It could have been a lot of emotions going there. I mean, you're husband and some people are saying, oh, you were not thinking about it when the monies were flowing. You know how we already put the judgment already across, not necessarily. So it's a lot to deal with right now. But you have raised, we're hoping that it's okay, whatever the case is. And we're also hoping that it's not also another drama. We're talking about, talking about dramas and talking about it not being another case. So let's just take a trip down memory lane. On July 20, 2020, if you remember, Prof. Se came in, Bradley Kumar Ponday, they then acting managing director of the NEDC demonstrated. I was watching. We're all watching. Someone just came and tapped me. Go, go, go TV, go TV. No, me, I was watching. I had to go and check. He demonstrated with marginal success that the art of fainting, you know, in degrees during a legislative probe into the management of funds of the NEDC. Now, also, if you remember, when the former PDP chairman, Bello Aliro was accused of pocketing a 2 billion Nair from the Dasuki largest, you know, Dasuki Kate or Dasuki Monia, as they say, he turned up in court in a wheelchair, you know, and so did former spokesman of the PDP, the great chief, Olisa Mehtu. When he was accused of cornering 400 million Naira from the same Dasuki largest, he also turned up in the wheelchair. He would later upgrade to turning up in court or to court in a stretcher. You know, how to stretch him to court. Of course, we can't forget Senator Dino Melae. You know, he's everywhere, you know, his voice choice and, you know, he's singing, and all that. But if you remember, Dino Melae also turned up to court in a stretcher. If I'm not mistaken, either it was a stretcher or it was crutches. I need to check. Also, former presidential adviser, Kingsley Cuckoo, pulled a similar stunt. Then we also remember former Damawa State governor, Bala Ngilaari, who turned up to court in a wheelchair. Former aviation minister as well, Femi Fanikari, you know, people forgot him. Fanikari had his own stunt as well that he pulled in court. If I remember, he turned up to court in a wheelchair and a neck brace. Do you remember that next brace that he... I think it was a protest or something. And we'll be asked, what's the neck brace for? I mean, if your neck is broken, you should not be able to walk. You know, but Femi Fanikari was able to do a protest with that neck brace and then turned up to court the next time in a wheelchair and the neck brace. But some of the... The list goes on and on. No, so he brings us back to the fact that I looked at the comments. I looked at how Nigerians have reacted to it and the comment that people are saying, no one is even empathic about it. And everyone seems to be like, oh, this is not the actual script. There's supposed to be another script. But aside that conversation is actually going on, don't we think that it's important that we... Maybe we begin to have the medical team and stand by in our courts right now to ensure that we... Are we sure we don't even have them? Are we sure we don't have them? No, because in cases like that to revive resuscitates and whatever you... Dispersons, maybe chest freezers, just bring them back to us. Yeah, if it doesn't exist, there should be. There should be, because it feels like it's becoming a pattern. But I really do not... That did not disrupt the hearing. However, that was not the report. I'm not sure that disrupted the hearing. I'm sure the hearing would have been... Oh, yes, definitely. It didn't disrupt the hearing. Yes, it was just as the trial judge announced the adjournment for further two weeks and hit the gavel. So it's possible that that could be so much for her to grapple with? Absolutely. That's what it's about to come to that. Whilst the drama of the whole thing and people not believing that it's real, even with Professor Ponday's situation, you never can tell. There's someone that happened in the United States of America where the sentenced lady, I think, found her guilty and she had a... she slumped right there. She had to resuscitate her. So we never can tell. All we can hope is for the safety of these people. Yes. All right. Another one making the rounds. You know, this one is an exclusive, so-called social report that I saw first yesterday. It was first announced, I think, by the Daily Trust newspaper. And they said that Vice President Yemi Oshiba Joe has informed President Mohamed Buhari about his presidential ambition. The man hasn't said anything to me, neither has he said to you or to the public, but this paper was a first to report yesterday. Exclusively, they said that their sources tell them that the Vice President has informed President Buhari about his presidential ambition. And this continues the new culture in Nigeria's political space of informing the president if he wants to be president. I don't know if it happens in other climes where, you know, if you want to be president, you have to go see Joe Biden. They say, Joe Biden, I want to be president. I don't know. But with this 2023 election, we've seen members of the All Progressives Congress flock to Asarokvila to tell Mr. President, I want to succeed you. So that's an exclusive one then from the Daily Trust. They said they have credible sources that said this. Of course, you look at the administration of President Mohamed Buhari, Vice President Oshiba Joe has been a part of that, he's Vice President. And the question that some people have been asking is, with the successes, with the failures, rather, of the administration, they have recorded successes and failures according to the comments out there. But with the failures of the administration, can he detach himself from the performance of this administration? Don't forget, yesterday we also had one trending story where the Redeemed Christian Church of God released a memo informing that it had created the Department of Politics and Governments. And that memo was leaked to the public and it sent tongues around the nation wagging. Oh, this is a meant to campaign for Oshiba Joe. The church now had to release a press statement saying they wanted to go back on voter education. You know, can you take that to the bank? Well, your guess is as good as mine, but this is a situation as we speak. And also, another angle to this trending story is the fact that the political, so-called political benefactor or leader or ally of Professor Yemi Oshiba Joe, who is credited for Professor Yemi Oshiba Joe's rise to become Nigeria's Vice President, he's credited for that, is also going to be Nigeria's next president. I'm talking about BAT, Bola Akpentinobu. So is this turning, will this turn the political allies into political adversaries? Will this turn the political allies into political adversaries? Well, time will tell. But it will be a very, very interesting one for the APC ahead of the 2023 general elections. Very interesting, like you have mentioned. But first of all, we also have issues, situations. I mean, if you also talk about the Lagos, former Lagos State Governor Bola Akpentinobu, he's not declared to Nigerians. He's not told Nigerians that he intends to run. He says he has not told Nigerians. That's what he said. He said that. But he's told Mr. President. Well, he's told Mr. President. But he's meeting with people all over the place. I didn't know Nigerians. We can actually see that very clearly. I didn't know Nigerians. And you know how it is that people will constantly say, oh, Nigerians are asking me. The people are asking that I run. So it's like you're being coerced. You're being forced. It's not like you want to do that. But looking at it, everyone has a right to express, you know, to vie for any office as long as you're not a criminal and you meet, you know, the constitutional requirement. So it's within his poor view, his acting within his right. But like you have mentioned, it will be... Asia criminals or former criminals have... Oh, so that's another thing entirely because we live in a climate where, you know, it's almost difficult to have the law implemented to the latter. And so it's another conversation. But however, within the ambience of the law, and if you follow the constitution, he has a right to, even though usually there's always this... I don't know if the quality of pretence or the guise. People come under the guise that, oh, Nigerians are saying, come run. People are asking you to run. And so he feels like, okay, finally, I'm being pressured. Why don't I run for president? And why don't I become the governor? But you have raised some valid question. It's going to be a serious tosser. Now, if he's made his declaration, let's not also forget that words on the streets would also say that the president has his candidates, one of them they had mentioned is the vice president. And then you want to look at it logically. You begin to say what's really going on. He's of the APC. And of course, if you were talking about the issue of zoning, you look at the Southwest and what have you, and one would say, okay, there might just be continuity, same political party, but that's within the party. So I think that the APC has a lot to grapple with. You also have some other persons in the same party where you're hearing that they have intention of becoming president, even though they haven't categorically mentioned. One of them is root to me, Meche. You also have. Has he informed you? He hasn't. I'm just telling you that he's on the streets. Yes, yes, yes. I'm not saying he's said that. No one has actually said that. I mean, his family is qualified to be president of Nigeria. He's from the South. You have people. He's also from the South East or, you know, South-South. So my point is you have a lot of persons, you know, in the APC, or those who might be aligning with President Muhammad Bawari, Godwin Imefini, you have the likes, even though he's saying, oh, some people are saying he's not really categorically come out to say that. So there's a lot of confusion going on. But if that's going to be the case, then if that's what it says, it has to be that the party would have to give him the permit. Yeah. But, you know, we cannot divorce this, of course. Also, we must mention the whole, it's the turn of the Southeast crowd. You know, it's the turn of the Southeast crowd. Look at all these names who have been mentioned. Some of them are not from the Southeast. So this is a very important, you know, point to erase. It remains to be seen how this will go in terms of the geopolitics of Nigeria. Next one, Alan Oyema is the chairman of Airpeace. And of course, he's been in the news this time, not lifting Nigerians from South Africa or Ukraine, I mean, or waving Nigerian flag. A man seems to have a soft spot for Nigeria. And I think everyone should be like him, you know. And he has said that yesterday said that if Kerry is not taken in the next three days, today now making two days, Nigerian allies will have to pack up. Why? Because of the scarcity of this thing called Jet A-1 or aviation fuel. And the high price of Jet A-1 called aviation fuel. In fact, the high price is not the main issue because they just buy it and then deflect the price to the customers. But they can't even find it. Now he's asking the federal government, they said it's so desperate, it's a desperate situation. And he's asking the federal government to give licenses, issue fuel importation licenses to the airline so that they can import fuel into the country to save themselves, to help themselves. So if Kerry is taking lights of Airpeace, Max Air, Dana Air, Arik Air, Ibul Air, and all the airs you have in this country will be grounded. Now think about that for a second and the implications for the Nigerian economy. You know how many Nigerians rely on some of these airlines to travel within Africa and outside Africa. And no, we rely on them to travel within the country. So this is a vast situation for the nation. Of course the president isn't on ground. We have the nation in darkness, literally and figuratively, the president isn't on ground. The airlines are shutting down, the president isn't on ground. We have the university lecturers striking, the president isn't on ground. We have complaints of insecurity, you know, 18 soldiers and six policemen killed in KB State, the president isn't on ground. So with all these people asking where is Mr. President, why is he here? For a nation as big as Nigeria, Africa's largest economy, the most populous black nation on Earth to have its aviation sector grind to a halt. They're asking will this current administration leave Nigeria like this? You know, this is a big question. So we're hoping, we're watching, to see if we can't fly again in the next two days. Well, it's really sad. Let's see how all of this goes. But looking at it on this other angle, let's not forget that we live in a capitalist system. Usually, profit is of importance. Nobody looks the other way and some people have never supported the idea of capitalism because capitalism does not have a human face as in human and it thinks about itself. And so not to say that yes, the cost of jet A1 is not high. It's on the high. We constantly understand. I mean, the fact that, you know, the Nigerian government has said what is actually happening, because the world is a global village, you can't take that out. So the current crisis or conflict you want to call it between Russia and Ukraine is affecting the entire globe somehow. However, we want to look at it. Even though we are saying, how did we get ourselves to this point? Let's even imagine that we had the capacity to refine our product. We won't probably be speaking all of this, you know, grammar and being this situation. Not necessarily saying that this product would be so, would be very free or would be free. Like they say, even in a free town, nothing is free. Nothing is free. But I mean, the availability of the product, because you remember this period where Lagos, Lagos is always the epicenter of almost everything. I mean, the heat of the fuel scarcity. People have money to buy the petrol. But they can buy. That's the worst thing that can happen. The fact that you have money you can buy, you have the power to purchase, because that's what the demand is about. And then you can't even buy it. It's really sad. So, but we know that nothing is really scarce in its real sense. I mean, there's nothing that's scarce. Scarcity is man-made. And that's what happens. And this happens. So it's just the politics that happen. And I'm thinking that, you know, being a capitalist and being humans and being who we are, we would always want to take advantage of the situation. Just maybe the airlines are thinking, this is also another opportunity for us to press down our demands, have this happen. But who's detriment would that really be? And I'm just saying, it's also another opportunity. That's a big maybe, you know, but... Not necessarily. It might not be a big maybe. I'm just saying that, you know, that's the possibility. Yes, that's okay. But it's also a window for you to press on your demand. What are we talking about? This is a business that needs to make profit. But it's such a difficult time to be a Nigerian and own a business. It's such a difficult time. Yeah, it's not easy. With the cost of diesel going up and, you know, companies not having electricity, so they have to give their gents running all through. These are not the best of times. Maybe, Mr. President, we'll be back soon to run the country. That's the much we can take right here. The trading segment on the Breakfast Plus TV Africa will return with more. Of course, we look at the stories of the front page of National Delays in after-press when we return. Stay with us.