 Many thanks for staying with us this morning on the breakfast and plus TV Africa. This is usually the time where we go through the pages of a National Daily so we call it Off the Press and this morning we have fine two gentlemen who will be joining us to make sense of the papers this morning. I mean the big stories on the headlines. Gide Johnson joins us this morning on Off the Press and Nika Gule as well. Gide, it's good to have you join us. Good morning. Good morning to you. Merci and good morning to Nick and also all our viewers all over the world. It's a pleasure to be with you. Thank God it's Friday. Yes please and Nika Gule, good morning and thank you for joining us. Good morning from Abuja, further capital of Nigeria and good morning to Gide, my co-panelist and good morning our viewers. That's all right then. Let's start off with a nation newspaper looking at the front page of the nation. More banks close branches for lack of cash to pay customers. You want to ask if this is the, it's a very rational action or decision to take. I mean when the banks are all shut down. Cash crunch bites harder. NSA scarcity affected military operations. You also find another SA and CBN must obey Supreme Court's ruling. Varsity is to close from February the 22nd. EFCC appeals contempt ruling on power. Standing up for what's right, the North have spoken. These are the writers or the big stories and the headlines you find this morning on the nation but we turn our attention to the Daily Sun newspaper. The Daily Sun says, polls. Federal government directs closure of universities, orders. We're 90% ready for elections, I know it's good to say. 90% sounds like a pass mark. Take their money, give us your vote, Obitel's Nigerians. APC urges Buhari to respect Supreme Court order and directs a Mayfee Lee to comply. North will vote credible candidates are our elders, the court has to say and Council of State meets today on Niro exchange. Federal government orders all marketers to accept POS, mobile transfers or phase sanction. I mean are we just not being very sensitive to the situation and in most cases I think that those who have rejected the transfer and what have you all or other means of transaction is usually because of the fraudulent activity and fraudulent behavior of some Nigerians. So some people have gotten to a point where they're fake you know an alert so you do a transfer and then you find a way to just send if I don't know how that works but that's the case and that's why some persons have not but in order times if you look at order times the network has not been favorable because I mean you have to carry out a transaction and that doesn't happen just in space you need a very favorable internet connection to carry out all of that. APC planning to hack INEX server, Tumblewell alleges and all of these allegations should be taken seriously, ruling party fighting for old notes to buy votes that's what the PDP saying. Three G5 governors absent, three of the G5 governors absent at the second meeting I think there seem to be some sort of movements now. Well we have another one saying government handover you have the SGF heads transition council as Buhari signs executive order 14. Soldiers feared killed, monarch beheaded as violence erupts in delta community. We move away from the daily so on the punch is here. The punch says new Naira, confusion deepens as CBN deadline ends today. I remember putting other question yesterday to my guests on the show what becomes of Nigeria because I mean people are wondering what do we now do? Spend the old note, don't spend the old note when you don't have the new note. Presidents, CBN silent on Supreme Court ruling, banks, customers await a method is directive. Buhari's seven day promise expires, Nigerians queue in vain at ATMs and banking halls. Federal government will comply with Supreme Court's ruling, that's what the attorney general of the federation is quoted to say, and TUC threatens to sue government over scarcity. One dies in Lagos Ibadan road crash, that unfortunate accident that happened. It was a hawker that died, very saddening. Buhari orders setting up transition panel on Valentine's Day for 10th of February. Federal government sanctions 302 broadcast stations issue 67 new license and government's vows penalty for field marketers rejecting POS transfers. Would you really blame them? Not necessarily POS but you know the USSD transfers and I think we have to move away. VCs ask to disagree as federal government shorts varsity. Oh that's that's interesting. Council reviews training as 14,000 nurses or nurses join the jackpot train, that's what you find. You have this day newspaper now Malami federal government will obey Supreme Court ruling against banning old Naira node and moves to vacate order. Still on the D-Stay newspaper Basaki to airify, not all 36 states are against cash exchange deadline. Buhari creates presidential transition council and signs executive order 14 and I have to leave it at that so we have I guess this morning share your thoughts on the issue. Let me set off with GD Johnson. GD thank you once again for joining us but what are your thoughts? The president decided executive order 14 to ensure a smooth transition from his you know administration to the next. Well um it is a norm, it's a constitutional requirement. There is no need for any executive order or executive order but in any case he's just sending the sending the right single at that and this government it tends to to leave by May 29 and that this government is committed to a transition program because you know in the last few weeks we have had different types of use and cries with respect to tenor elongation inter-national government and I think with this decision the president has been able to nip that in the boat so for me it's a welcome development and then it's it's it's it's the step in the right direction but I think if you are talking in terms of things of urgent national importance I think this is of least concern to Nigerians now with respect to what is going on within the country the major concern for Nigeria are how do you have how to assess their their their funds their deposit in the bank which they can which they can have access to but that decision is a welcome decision. All right then and Nick what do you make of this uh you know executive order by president Muhammad Buhari? President Buhari passed at every point here in Nigeria at the UN and other interactions he has had elsewhere has been very firm in terms of his commitment to a transition program in handing over to a new government that we Nigerians we elect in precisely two weeks from now and this executive order is giving effect to what he has been saying and so it's a positive move and I commend the president for standing reasonably reasonably with democracy I don't agree with him on most things but with this one I'll commend him because he is taking the right steps to ensure that there is an orderly and smooth transition come 29th of May 2023 that's this year. Well and another on you know the punch newspaper let's turn attention to that is that the new Nirenode there seemed to be confusion and it has deepened as the CBN deadline ends uh today that's what the punch is quoted to say today is actually the 10th of February so I remember yesterday someone who started me I was asking I mean are we still going to use the old Niren what's going to happen so but but the federal government is also quoted to say that they will comply with the Supreme Court ruling that's according to the AG of the attorney general of the federation when you juxtapose that with your previous position of saying the Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction for that particular ruling share your thoughts quickly before we have GD join us as well so it's a bunch of confusion you know we keep talking about leadership in Nigeria there is a deficit in leadership in Nigeria and that is because not everyone is a leader there are born leaders and there are people who can also through training and indoctrination over time become leaders and Nigeria unfortunately is saddled with those who should be followers those who should have nothing to do with leadership they find themselves into leadership positions and that is the situation that we find ourselves with these currencies swap or changing in color in naira you can see that there was lack of preparedness on the side of the cbn there was lack of planning there were no adequate arrangements in place they just rushed these currencies swap it looked to me like something that somebody slept probably dreamt about it or has some sort of brainwave and say oh wow it's a good idea let's go and do it and then without any adequate planning and preparation they just hoisted this pain on Nigerians and Nigerians have had to sleep at 18 a.m. to try and change their money Nigerians are not having to pay up to 40 percent premium in terms of getting money as in like you want ten thousand you are being forced to pay four thousand and this is all coming from leadership failure at the highest levels the central bank governor is carrying on like a demigod the president who is his boss is there watching him doing nothing the other half of the economy which is the fiscal policy led by the finance minister and she came out to say that she was even aware of what the other long which is monetary policy being run by the cbn works doing so as we start now the the cbn state in currency is going to currency swap we end today a central bank ruling says if we have to continue we don't know what's going to happen but i believe that let's ask jidya johnson i mean let's let's go to g i beg your pardon yes of course let's go to jidya johnson and find out what he thinks jidya what what do you think would happen of course the federal government is in support of the compliance with the supreme court ruling according to the attorney general of the federation but the cbn is yet to be uh i mean is yet to say is yet to say anything about this ruling from the supreme court what exactly should nigerians do at this point this is open for debate the supreme court has moved by extending it by seven days so as for the deadline given by the central bank by the ester laws of nigeria does not subside it's what the supreme court has moved as that's um um on the 17th until the year the the case so as far as i'm concerned every nigerian should go about their normal business they should still assert the old the old the old currency in actual sense we can even get the new currency and you are much you see on team we humanize this story that's when we drive home the point and you how much i paid in the cost of this week to collect old nigerian goods when i couldn't assess the banks because the banks doors were shut there were no money on the atm i have exclusive footage recordings myself that i did that i asked my staff to do with respect and i can share with your station with what happened at the regional branch of of of a bank on monday money i was in witness to the chaos created by this by this policy you can have good intention you can have good policy but if the execution is poor you have these challenges we have it and the closing question i asked is this in that footage who is receiving who central bank or the commercial banks because you see you hear something from central bank and then you go to the bank you see something contrary so there seems to be a missing link and we don't know what the missing and the missing link can only be solved by the president however in coming up with policy of this nature what the federal government should have done what the executive will have done is to have called for a council of state now they are not calling the council of state they are getting the council of state today today when the the the the supposed deadline will have expired i don't know i don't know who is advising who are the counsellors to the president when it comes to his policy direction i don't know and it boils down to leadership that nick pointed out there seems to be no leadership at cbn there seems not to be leadership at at at the executive council level because this is usually have been drawn to their attention i knew how much i have paid everyone has lost his value on his currency if we are not buying our own currency we are buying it with your own premium value only to get ten thousand you pay two thousand in some places is three thousand so you have ten thousand the value of ten thousand actually in your bank is eight thousand even if you get it and i don't understand and i have asked this question whose money is in my money or can i go to the bank to make a withdrawal if i don't have the deposit government does not have a right over the control of my money as you are is a fundamental human right what they are doing is an impeachable offense if you have a strong institution a strong institution like the legislature because you are denying people access to their fund to their means of livelihood it's a criminal offense and we just leave with it as if it's normal it's my money that is at the bank i can't go to the bank to ask for a withdrawal if i don't have a deposit so why don't i have right to my money it's a question we should be asking well we will continue to ask that until we get answers i mean it so far it doesn't look like we have answers to you know some of the questions that we have raised however i like us to turn our attention again to another headline on the punch newspaper the academic staff union of universities have condemned the directive of the national university commission to condemn i mean to the committee of vice chancellor of nigerian universities that university should be shot to enable student to participate in the forthcoming general elections yes they're reading through the headlines i mean looking at the comments nigerians were very excited i mean you could hardly see any comment that was ill thought that they were directed from the federal government to short versities or universities for the time being for the elections but it feels like the academic staff union of universities feel differently and and and are not very comfortable with this arrangement i'd like you to respond to that what do you think well basically it's it's sometimes some people still think that we are the military regime at least that is what should have been left for each council of meetings to come up with a decision with respect to that not a sweeping directive by the ministry of education and then was there a wider consultation that's all you are saying that and you are even actually the student that you kept at home for more than a year last year to stop academic activities in order to to participate in the electoral process participate in the electoral process is voluntary it's not something you can enforce it's the right to vote and the right to be voted for it's it's something i can participate if i want to and i might not participate if i don't want to so closing this closing the schools does not guarantee the full participation of of of these students you are sending home in the first instance because what what's the level of voters education that you have done what's the level of mobilization that you have done to that effect and how even interested in voting where are the these schools you are closing where are the students going to get money to go back home as far as i'm concerned some some people still think that we are in a military regime where somebody can sit down somewhere and give a sweeping directive and we must comply well um nick agule you're here with us yes i'm with you so what are your thoughts i mean it felt like Nigerians were clamoring for it feels like the government had responded to the cry of Nigerians and the call that uh school should be short because a lot of people started saying if us who had to go on strike for that time you know put the school on short i mean how many days do we have for for the students to just take a break because a lot of them had registered at home and how long would he take what does he mean for one week two weeks out of the academic calendar to be part of the electoral process but jida has raised a very valid question the elections i mean voting is not compulsory it's it's your choice i mean it's within your it's a civic responsibility is your right to vote but it's not that you're it's under any sort of obligation not obligated like as there has to be a law is composing that you have to vote so uh based on you know this uh proposition what are your thoughts i agree with my co-panelist on the one hand i also disagree with him on another hand on the side that i agree with him is that yes uh they are needed to have been wide ranging consultations and adequate notice given by the government so that universities shape their programs taking into consideration the fact that the elections are going to hold so this last minute order that has been made by the government smacks up a military regime so i agree with my co-panelist on that part on the part that i disagree with him is the fact that the problems we're talking about even the eight months that students stayed at home and in fact in the last eight years students have stayed at home for longer than they have been in the classroom the solution to that problem is the ballot it's at the ballot that we're going to elect leaders that are going to give due attention to education and so if we're talking about two weeks of staying at home is it two weeks of staying at home so that we get leadership rights solve the problem permanently that is an issue of staying at home for eight months because if we're going to bring into office those who don't understand the value of education there will be another eight months of staying in the office so political participation especially by the youth should be encouraged we want the youth to come to the ballot Nigeria is for them it they are the future of Nigeria they are the ones who will be at the brunt of getting it wrong at the leadership recruitment so whatever it is that we encourage those who need to step forward to vote must be done we cannot leave it as in fact we should get to a point where we should have legislation to make voting compulsory in Nigeria because all of us are complaining we're here on tv complaining but when the time comes for us to solve that problem which is leadership recruitment we now have a party to the process so for me the students should stay at home for two weeks so that they can participate in getting leaders who will give you attention to education but i'd like to find out from you do you think that the response of the government to this is uh you know because they listen to the cry of Nigerians or it's just the draconian attitude of the government that way the way the government has done it is in a very draconian way but what i mean is that they are trying to achieve something good using the wrong tactics so for me i would rather not look at the fact that was this not an outcry because if you follow the conversation including in various i mean different media spaces whether the social media you know every other media space and the people everywhere it felt like that was exactly what the people wanted let the schools be short so that the children or the students can come home and be part of the elections so what exactly are we saying is it that you know the government just decided to be because it's their natural they just decided to say hey or they were heeding to the cry of the people well i i i don't understand i will not say what is actually the main factor that the government considered but it will look as if they were acting under pressure since this notice has come late this notice is coming just two weeks with the election if the government on its own volition was planning this it's something they should have been talking about but like a year ago from some months ago to say during the election universities will close and that would have given universities the opportunity to plan their program to take those two weeks into consideration but mostly what i'm saying here is that regardless whether government is acting under pressure uh from the outcry or government is acting on its own volition i am happy that students will be able to participate in this electoral process this is the only thing that nigeria needs but what's the but what's the guarantee i mean just like gdia had raised what what exactly is the guarantee because it's not compulsory i mean it's it's possible that this student can still go home and see you not be part of their elections but uh let's you know quickly so if i want to say if i want to say something about that it is a reason why universities are worth first class for 70 percent uh mark you know you cannot get it all so if we have maybe two million students and only about a million participate in the electoral process because they now have that time it is better than if they were at school and they did not participate all right gd this election this election would not do that i know that you're each thing to say something go ahead as we close this conversation this election will not solve Nigerian problem that's the reality western democracy has not solved the problem of poverty it has not solved the problem of inequality it has not even solved the problem of education globally you can look at the global index in actual sense society where they don't even have elections are more developed than society we have a election we have seen from evidences that the theocratic monarchy of middle east has even brought more development than western democracy we are talking about so the them coming down to booty this election will not stop us from going on strike in 1999 as you went on strike 2000 2001 1990 we had a lecture as we went to strike 2003 we had a lecture as we went on strike 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 all of them made promises to hold that election that they will solve educational problem which problem i guess of as far as i am concerned it is just being a plane plane to the gallery when we take that election will solve problem because the same issue you spoke about in 99 and the same issue we are talking about now if you look at the comprehensive of developed democracy western democracy it is the same issue the homelessness problem in california particularly in san francisco they have it in dollars in in in texas so that's why some of us have even argued that is there any need for us to are to practice this expensive western democracy and you look at the amount of money we vote for the election and we look at the kind of disruption and division that western democracy bestow on our society on our people is is a photo for everyone of us but to think that this the student going to vote for this election with some of the education problem i don't believe so because we have not we have not seen them all right could you tell what would be their programs for education let anybody tell me the leading candidates what's their plan for us what are what's their what's their major plan for education and first except that will be schools will be schools we do this we do that that's not education education is about looking at the needs of your society and developing your curriculum to meet those needs and creating an environment that will ensure that once these students leave school they will be deeply employed or create employment it is not about certification education is not about certification of society schools and building infrastructure it's beyond that okay gd we probably have to talk about i mean you and i would have to talk about this whether on air of you have mentioned western democracy is it that we should be able to come up with our kind of democracy i mean all of this is very doable i think i would have this conversation some other time but thank you so much for making our time out of your busy schedule to be with us this morning we appreciate you it's a pleasure to be with you and nick thank you nick from abuja this is let's see i think i would like to be part of that conversation well whenever we're going to have that conversation whatever it is i would like to be because the western democracies is talking about is where our youth are jackpot into so yes they have their issues but then they are better than what we are they're not dealing with power failure they're not dealing with bad roads they're not dealing with uh rundown healthcare you know there's something that they are getting which is making our youth to jackpot there so we too we need the basics we will have that conversation in no time uh nick agole thank you as well for being part of the show and we wish you the very best thank you very much it's two weeks to time two weeks let's take off we won't do it 25th or five well that's the size of it on off the press we take a break when we return we'll be looking at our first conversation right here well the cbn seemed to be a threat to the elections that's according to the national assembly we'll be having that conversation with ambrose ipoki right here stay with us good morning