 Good morning, you're welcome to the breakfast on Plus TV Africa. It's Tuesday the 26th of December 2023, the last Tuesday in fact in this year. Are you excited? And it's Boxing Day as well, but not the type that I have to box you. Okay, my name is Ruben Paulsen. Hold on. That will make me box you. Okay, my name is Ruben Paulsen. And I am Nyamgul Agaydi. Just to remind you, Boxing Day is not the day to fight. Maybe you had a hangover yesterday, you had too much to drink, or you still have so much beer to drink this morning and you drink and begin to box. Boxing Day is a day to box open the presents that were given to you on Christmas Day. That's the essence of Boxing Day. This year there may not be a lot of presents in it, a lot of households, but Boxing Day is still Boxing Day. So take this time to review how the Christmas was and then maybe plan for next year. You unbox your plan for next year. Oh, that makes sense too. It doesn't have to be physical presents. It could also be mental. So you're thinking of what your plans are for next year. How do I start? In fact, not just having a vision, but the action plan to it. You're trying to put those plans in place and say, this is what I want my 2024 to be like. So I'm starting right now, unboxing my new self. Oh, I should write a book. Unboxing my new self. That's amazing. Yeah, it is really amazing. But today is Boxing Day. And I don't know how Christmas was where you are, but where I stay, Christmas was the thing. There was a lot of dancing on the streets and all that. The streets were blocked, roads were blocked. Where these people are complaining that there was no money in the country. Everywhere was noisy, but that's the thing. The noisier, they marry in Nigeria. In other places you could get arrested anyway, but everywhere there was music, there was joy, there was dancing. I got to a place where there is a small market and in that market, almost every street of the market had a DJ. I was so happy that people were happy in spite of everything. We made it this far. Yeah, I think for me it was the same. So immediately I left here because I was planning a party for my neighbors and I. So we organized the Christmas party, invited all of our friends. So immediately I left here. I had to go organize as a party planner that I am. I had to go organize everything, make sure the DJ was ready, the food, we had barbecue. It was really nice just having fun, spending time with your friends and meeting new people. So there was just that merry man, there was just that chair, that thing that was just in the air. And then we had fireworks later at night. We partied for a while. I can't say how long so that my boss doesn't say what. But yeah, so we had good music, we had good vibes, good fun and I think we're all just ready for 2024. Even though my friends were asking me like, oh are you guys going to do a New Year Eve's party? I'm like, go to church. Go to church. So the funny thing is, it doesn't really take so much spending to be happy. Some of the greatest parties you go to are not the parties that have everything. They are parties that have the people who are ready to mingle. Yes, it's a vibe. Yes, that's it. A friend of mine was telling me how they organized the party in the hospital. I'm sorry, my face gives me a little time. The department that she was, she now said, what do you do as a bonding thing? And they said, no, we don't do anything because it's a government establishment, most of this government establishment. They just go to work, come back home and that's the end. And she said, oh no, I've never worked in a place like this. Let's do something. And everybody was like, eh, it has not been done before. And they contributed a very small amount of money and it took them so far. I saw the videos and I was really impressed. And I was asking myself, what do people really fear when they think about parties? Oh, so the fear is, I know one fear is the fact that you would have guests that would come and they are not taken care of in terms of maybe having enough food for them, having enough drink. You never want to go to a party and run out of food and drinks. That's like, who's the party is a party of friends. You don't even have to ever think about that. No, you have to think about that. You have to serve this. Let me tell you, you are of life minds, first of all. They know and understand when there is a lack. There are some guests that come to your party. And they bring something. Yes, they bring something. That's etiquette, I think that should be enough. Some of them come to the party, you don't know them. You just want to impress them and all that. But if there are people that you are used to, you don't really feel it that, okay, there is no food. If there is no food, it's our own responsibility, collective responsibility. Well, how many times do you have a party that is just you, like your guys? It's not all the time. Most times, somebody will invite another plus one. At Plus TV, we want to organize a party. Will we invite the commission? Oh, yes, I'm inviting the whole street to come party with us. Well, your car, you have to dress your car. Some of them will sit inside. Why not? They are not coming into the place where we are having a party. Why? Because we don't have enough food. Okay, anyways, we hope that you had a wonderful Christmas day celebration. We hope that you felt all the love, all the cheer, all the merriment. And you had a good time and you are ready for the next year. So now we're just going to take some top trending stories and we'll get right into it. So our first top trending, first top trending story today is the Ministry of Housing, Private Developers, plan 100,000 homes nationwide. The federal government has entered into partnership with a consortium of private developers for the delivery of 100,000 housing units in 36 states and the federal capital territory. The agreement between the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Continental Civil Construction and CISALI Limited would be delivered under a strategic public-private partnership as part of the Renewed Hope Seats and Estates in Estates program. Under the terms of the partnership, the consortium would provide construction finance and build the houses to completion based on the agreed housing designs and prices. While the Ministry will facilitate provision of affordable mortgage loans to off-takers through the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FNBN. The Ministry will also facilitate the approval and grant of legal titles of selected lands for the projects across the country as part of its effort to create an enabling environment to massively upscale private sector investment in the housing sector. The Minister of Housing and Urban Development Ahmed Dangewal, who revealed this at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in Abuja, acknowledged the severe housing crisis in Nigeria and inadequacy of budgetary allocations to address the deficits. Dangewal emphasized the need to increase access to decent and affordable housing as a collective endeavour, requiring the active participation of all stakeholders across the entire housing value chain. The Minister hinted that target beneficiaries are both public and private sectors adding that a project will be implemented in phases. Phase 1 will consist of 20,000 units in the Federal Capital Territory, while the second phase will be 80,000 houses in select locations in the six geopolitical zones. The Minister estimated that the PPP arrangement will create 2.5 million direct and indirect jobs as well as help achieve President Bola Mertinibu's target to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty. Dangewal also urged the Constitution to continue to engage the technical staff of the Ministry in the siting, design, monitoring and cost evaluation of the project while urging them to ensure the delivery of the project within the agreed timelines. So, well, maybe 2024 is looking up. That's if they can deliver them. I'm just happy that, I'm just hopeful that the confidence that one of our guests, architect Nyai Tokatapon, the Minister for Housing, is going to play out and then we will find out that something good will happen. As they're talking about having these 100,000 units, they should be talking about the criteria, how to get the housing so that people can start planning. When you find out at the end of the day that these houses will be so difficult to get, just like the student loans. But it will be so difficult that the same people who have houses will be the ones to buy. Let's say a unit will cost 25 million. How many civil servants can get that? How many civil servants will really need this so that when they retire, they have what they can go to? Because sometimes you find that you cannot even save any money until you retire. And when you retire, where are you going to? People who are home farming have houses you don't have because you were working for Nigeria. It's really a sad thing. So let's say you're earning 100,000 every year. And then the housing... 100,000 Naira? 100,000 Naira. Every year? Every month. Not the 30,000 that is million. Yes. But you're earning up to 100,000, which a lot of them in very high levels are not earning at this time. So you're earning 100,000. That's just 1.2 million. So it means that, it means that if a housing unit is 25 million, which I'm sure at least there will be. I'm already doing the math in my head. A lot of years ago, I saw housing units that were 15 million Naira and nobody in the civil service would afford it. To afford it. It's the politicians that bought these houses. So it is 25 million, which is being modest to name that. It means that you are going to, if you multiply that or you divide that 25 million by 100,000, you'll have like 250, 250 months of that person's salary that can get that. So if you divide that by 12 months, that is 20 years that you're looking at. Wow. So in 20 years is what you will need. To now get once more units. To not eat anything out of your 100,000. All of your money. Yeah, 20 years. And how many years are the retirement years again? Okay, so you're having 30 or 35 years, as the case may be. And then out of the 35, you're using 20 years without touching the money at all to get a house. The mortgage doesn't work in Nigeria. I've not seen so much of this mortgage working. I mean, I've heard of off-plan. I think some developers that call it off-plan whereby you come and you buy the property even before it's built. So that way it's cheaper. The moment they've already started. Yes, so it's almost like they're using your money to build. So when they've started the building, it's more expensive. When they are done, trust me, it's the most expensive. So how much will you be giving per month if you're earning 100,000? So the funny thing about the mortgage I've seen here, they expect you to have a down payment of like 20, 25 million, especially here on the island where we are. They're telling you to make a down payment of about 20, 25 million. And you have to spread the balance in maybe like 24 months. And I'm like, if I have all of that money, why would I come to you? Do you understand? It's ridiculous. And I don't even think they try to make housing affordable. While we are in this conversation, I know we're dwelling on it a little bit. The houses in Lagos are quite expensive. Very expensive. Super ridiculously expensive. Is there even anybody that actually mandates them that you cannot charge more than this? You see landlords, my former house, my landlord increased my rent by one million. One. It's a two bedroom apartment. The rent was, I'm not saying that's the rent I was paying. I cannot call the rent I was paying. But the increase on my rent was one millionaire. My service charge was increased with over 200%. I was paying over 1.6 on service charge. So now, guess what? And I only moved into the apartment two years and you already put in all of these changes. Is there anybody that actually monitors them and tells them you cannot charge more than this? There is renovation done on the house. Not in whatsoever. Not in whatsoever. In fact, I took care of the house for you. So my own landlord just increased the rent, woke up one morning and said, okay, all of you are going to pay rent, 300% increment. It's ridiculous. And nothing could be said to change this line. Exactly. So what did you do differently? What improvements came to the house? Nothing. Everything in the house, you will be the one to repair the materials, repair the pumping machines, to repair the generators, everything that is in that house. This doesn't happen like this elsewhere. I think for them, they look at FX and they look at the cost of building in your house. I'm like, bro, you built your house like 15 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago. It is not the same as buying FX right now. So while you're charging as of right now, but something I've heard on the streets as well is that the agents don't help matters. So the agents can come and tell you, don't worry. Yes, don't worry. At this house, don't worry. I'll get somebody that will pay 5 million for it. And maybe you're charging 3 million. And truly, because there will be someone because everyone is looking for a place to live. It's the same thing that happens in transportation. You have these agrarus that we call them, that's the name that everybody knows. Every driver knows that when you load your bus, you're going to pay, you're going to give them the cost of one person's transportation at least. So if you're paying 100 Naira, everybody's paying 100 Naira, at least 100 Naira will be paid to the people who are just standing there to shout and say, oh, I see. So if it is a 1000 Naira, you're paying. So they make more. Yes, so they make more if the transportation is cut. So how will you think that those people are going to... I think we need to have an expert and we talked to the producer. I think we need to have an expert to come and talk about housing and how we can even access housing here. Are there affordable housing that maybe I haven't seen yet that I can easily afford and how I can even save? I think we're talking to a government functionary now that will tell us plans that the government has because the plans that they have to moderate what they're doing and then also provide accommodation for other people. Yeah, because I think this would be a burden on everyone at the moment. I'm sure everyone wants that house. Everyone wants a place to live, a place to call home. And so we're going to be asking this question so that everyone, including myself, can benefit from it. Especially in Lagos. Yes. A lot of people, maybe at least 70% live on the outskirts of Lagos, Ogun state. You see people coming into Lagos to work here. And the pay tax to Lagos state government. The state shouldn't be that comfortable that people are suffering just to come and work in Lagos. And you're getting their monies. Yeah, so it's not a problem. Anyways, we hope that this 100,000 houses will do some good. And they will come to my state too so I can buy one. Yes. This is the Arrested Humanitarian Ministry's contractor. Probes for Buhari ministers. That's the next top trending story that we are taking right now. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested the contractor James Okwete in connection with the ongoing probe into the 37 billion era allegedly laundered by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development under former minister Saria Umar Farooq. The development coincides with the probe of three other ministers who served under former president Muhammad Buhari for graft, estimated at 150 billion naira. Investigations revealed that the 37.1 billion naira was transferred from the federal government's coffers and sent to 38 different bank accounts, domiciled in five legacy commercial banks belonging to or connected to Okwete. Okwete, who is being held at the EFCC headquarters, Jaby Abuja is reportedly cooperating with investigators. Umar Farooq was the pioneer minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development. She was appointed by former president Muhammad Buhari in July 2019 as the youngest cabinet member. In 2020 the independent corrupt practices of France's commission said it uncovered 2.67 billion naira meant for the ministry's second feeding program in private bank accounts. The former ICPC chairman, Professor Bolaji Owaso-Noe, disclosed that the commission unraveled 2.67 billion naira in personal accounts being payment made to some federal colleges for school feeding during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Other discoveries by the ICPC include 18 buildings, 12 business premises, and 25 plots of land. Despite requests by the social economic rights and accountability project, to Umar Farooq to publish details and names of the suspects the former minister failed to reveal their names till date. One, she was the youngest in the talk about youth empowerment and should be in politics, youth should be in politics and then we talk about women. So this one was both a woman and a young one at that and this happened. I'm being careful because when I talk about a woman sometimes it becomes like you know a lot of people become defensive. So I think for me I like to go to the thought process of people why would you why would you want to do that? Was your thought process like when you were still in all of that money and is it even the life or meal fabricating the fact that you fed school children while they were at home during lockdown? Like is it blatant lie and the confidence in the lie and then now we're seeing you with these properties they're probing you and discovering all of this then. The funny thing is that for all the money spent there will be receipts. Of course there will be and I wonder how they actually this long bio or this long pen or pencil or whatever they use like how you're a lady and you know one thing we've always said is we want more women to go into politics we want more women to go into governance because women will naturally have empathy and they say a woman who who loves to nurture when something is you know entrusted into your hands you would want to nurture it so for instance if I'm giving a house I turn it into a home even giving a seed or one food I make it into a meal and so you'd expect that for a woman who are going to politics you're going there to change the narrative you're going there to make it better a better system than what it is now so how do you go there and because I know people say oh you go you might say you want to be this way and when you get there you're finding yourself in the midst of people who are corrupt and soon you start to become corrupt as well but why can't you go there and say I want to be the change I want to change the narrative if everyone is corrupt I'm not going to be corrupt but now you're not going there to be corrupt you're going there to be overly corrupt well maybe they just take the other thing that you didn't say about women too is that whether by man can do it women can do better they now do the negative better I'm not saying the general thing is that if you're a criminal you're a criminal whether you're a man or a woman have a gender Dora Queenilly was a woman and she did fantastically well even now that she still remember her good works that she did talking about the other women who died of one of the there was something there was a pandemic but there was something in the air and she had she had to save lives yes adaptable what was the thing that happened that was when was it a Senegalese or something there was something that happened to people's skin it was not public thank you that's what I was trying to get this woman is still celebrated till today because she sacrificed her life we were grateful for that for the people that came so you see women do all of these things there are conferences there you see women championing and they're trying to get younger women to move along that stride how do you go there and you do all of that we're talking about Desyani now she went into politics was the minister of petroleum resources and we see a lot of houses in Asokoro that still belongs to I've been there like you see it marks she's somewhere in another country now claiming citizenship so this is my problem they probe you and it's easy for you to move away and nothing is being done Desyani is still working freely this woman that we're talking about right now there's every possible chance that she was to walk freely forget all this probing forget it every government just finds a scapegoat yes it could just be a smoke screen now it's a method that they scapegoat because how can you tell me an investigator has investigated and found out that the president did not give approval for something as critical as the redesign of the Naira it's not possible and so many other things that they've said the president didn't know are they trying to exonerate the former president because it will be the first time that they will probe a president so they're trying to be careful and cover up a lot of things there's nothing that happens under someone's watch and you exonerate him he's the guilty of it or guilty of incompetence so why did he stay 8 years if he couldn't even know that this Naira redesign for instance that he also was talking about and you are the president of a federal republic of Nigeria we shouldn't be taking this thing you're celebrating mediocrity Nigeria is bigger than that the giant of Africa so humanitarian affairs minister right now we have maybe one of the youngest ministers also in that humanitarian ministry and we've known her for being a very hard working lady I hope the bug doesn't bite her because that is the thing I've seen a lot of good men and women go bad when they enter politics but I've also seen men who are good stay good even in politics for instance right now in this government people keep talking about what the Borno state governor is doing in a ravaged state like that where Boko Haram had the seat and all that and he's still doing well so thriving so how does he do it so if one person can do well it means if we can have 30 of them doing well we'll have an idea so I think if you are light anywhere you go you shine the light you don't go into politics though you may seem dark you don't go there and say oh I'm going to turn off my lights and become dark you go there and you shine your light and you stay true to yourself as long as you stay true to yourself you never know someone might be watching you and they start to pick up these little things like oh I want to do mine better this way oh okay I noticed that I don't really need this money that I'm stealing like that they start to reduce it so even in politics I think when you get there don't just don't follow the bandwagon go there do what you are supposed to do serve your people diligently that's all we ask for all of you do that and I mean let your conscience be free to some people's light are like candles the others are like matchstick so the candle will burn for a long time matchstick right another person anyways let's dig the final top training story so the federal government launches grants for poor vulnerable groups in cross river today it's not a scam hopefully it's not a scam the minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty elevation doctor beta edu has declared the federal government's intention to launch grants for the very poor vulnerable groups in cross river states beta edu said this on saturday the 23rd of december at the 15th coronation anniversary of the obong of kalaba edidem epo okon abasi o2 the 5th which also coincided with the yearly utomo obong festival in a statement by her special advisor on media and publicity Rashid Olarewaju Zuber the minister reiterated president Bola Ahmed to nuba's determination to stamp out poverty in the country ushering in a refreshing dawn for poor and vulnerable Nigerians according to her cross river is dear to the president's heart hence the federal government through her ministry will on christmas day which was yesterday flag of grants for the very poor vulnerable groups in the state in partnership with the cross river state government the minister noted that her ministry has a checklist of would-be beneficiaries of the scheme having reached out through the traditional relays to all communities wards villages and people to select those who met the criteria with tinubu's renewal agenda edu described the utomo obong festival as a classy celebration of the rich epic cultural heritage she congratulated the obong on his 15th coronation anniversary as well as the success of the festival it might not be a scam calm down i'm so calm so so calm i'm just thinking about my village the poor in my village you're from cross river so i think maybe it's your duty go and tell us, you know what's sending you come back and you tell us who are putting these grants let me tell you what will happen the government doesn't have the phone numbers of the traditional rulers except maybe the one or two clan heads or the paramount ruler of every local government area the people they send they chairman and then the councilors the councilors will go and tell the chiefs but they will at the end of the day choose the loyalists to the party and then give these grants to them that poor woman who sits there and maybe cracks canal to sell before she can feed will not be captured and if she is captured how will she get the money will it come through the bank or someone will bring a ganna must go they have no data so what are they using they said christmas which was yesterday at this moment i'm not sure there is any data that tells who is poor and who is not poor cross river state at least i don't know about other states we even know that the data which is which we don't believe in of the previous administration was jettisoned by this administration where discrepancies here and there so what data are they using so they will just dole out that money and give to the politicians so maybe it's not a scam from the federal government but if they are going to give it to these traditional rulers most of them might just keep it for themselves they will not give to the traditional rulers that's what i'm saying it will go to the councilors maybe they will go to my village which is an agrarian village and then give one carton of heavy sides to the entire community it has happened before i know and i know you are just trying to milk it no it has happened before i've seen these things happen you also know that there were palliatives that were given even though it was not something that i applauded but there were palliatives that were given that some politicians kept to distribute for themselves they kept these until some of these things went bad so if you see these kind of things and they tell you we are going to give palliatives it's a scam 50% of all transportation this 50% said that we are going to have it in of the press that they have extended it to non-luxurious bosses and all that the ones that they gave in the first instance are not working so which one are they giving now who are the non-luxurious will i go down the streets to a bus drive and tell you the federal government has said i can only pay 50% right now it would just look at me like the money is leaving the federal coffers but if it leaves the federal coffers where does it go to i think it's floating up here it's never downstream it comes like this and it stays like this so it's probably coming from the federal government maybe they give it to the government or the council whatever it is and then these people would now say oh let's keep a chunk which is here what can you do when they send a truck load of rice for instance to a whole state or even a whole local government and then a state is boasting and clapping for themselves that they have done these palliatives to 2500 households for instance or 3000 households in a state that has at least 5 million people 2500 250,000 you're talking about 2500 so how do you select them how do you select them is they ashamed that they don't have that really... i feel like we're past this you know when they say we're bigger than something i feel like we're bigger than this because how can you say you're sending money or you're sending food or you're sending any form of resources to someone and you don't monitor people you're sending it to actually get it how can i send something to maybe my younger brother right through my immediate brother and then i'm like oh send this to the youngest one i have to be sure that the person i'm sending to gets it so how can it federal government be giving this little maybe the poor people some form of palliative to cushion the effect of the economy right now and then they don't get it you're not even sure if they get it so that means you're not bothered by the people side found the money even for you maybe you're cutting your own you're cutting your own yes to be honest from the federal government some people will tell you oh before i send this money i'm moving 20% or 20% that's a percent in the local government governors will tell chairman of council chairman that are supposed to be the closest to the people this month i'm sending 5 million to your local government at the end of the day and guess maybe 1.5 million or 2 million the other money stays with the state government or the state governor so that was like photo op you just make believe so that's why in was it in the local state one of the chairman complained that the money they have been talking about has never reached them and guess what he's no longer chairman today can we even talk about his other fellow chairman gang up against him you should never say because now you're cutting our own but and then he was removed it also happens in the civil service as well so maybe yeah even for a start house if you're trying to do a contract for them the people who are awarding the contract to you will tell you oh write this amount but this is what's why giving you so when you put your invoice in and trust me i'm not talking out of it has happened to me and you send in a quote and then you send your invoice and trust me the amount they're paying you about 30% is out what about when you go for a workshop that is sponsored by maybe a foreign body and maybe what you're supposed to be paid for being a participant is 100,000 and then you're signing and you're collecting 10,000 and then the people that organized it are going to take the remaining money it has happened a lot of times it changed so deep and i think well i was about to say that it starts with you yeah it starts with you if you think you cannot make the difference stay in one room with a mosquito which means you can make the difference when the last president everybody adjusted because of just the body language we found out that he was not aware of a lot of things and the skyrocketed they doubled their scale in corruption but you know that if you are upright enough and you are aware of your surroundings there's a lot you can do by not doing what everybody else is doing so you can be that difference if you're in the place of authority yeah this is not election has gone but during campaigns a lot of people that thought that Peter Obi will not win for instance that because of the kind of man that he is they will not allow him to go there because imagine Peter Obi spending for instance like the cop 28 taking 800 people to cop 28 you go and stay in the back some people will feel like i might not be able to make as much as i would if i have someone who's as corrupt as i am so if imagine him finding out that you his minister is taking this kind of money so that people like that in Nigeria Nigeria can still work if one day we will make that choice if you wouldn't know that that is the choice until he gets into office and shows off that it is possible at least when Obasanjo was going into becoming a president a lot of people thought he was a stooge he will be doing the beating of the northerners or the people who put him there because he came straight from jail to the presidency but when he got there the mountain tiger did what he could do and let the rest to God so i think at the end of the day is just making a decision even wherever you are in your own little corner make that decision say i'm not going to be corrupt say it with me i am not going to be corrupt and don't be corrupt anyways we'll go on a quick break and when we return we'll look at what the national dailies are saying this morning but let's check the weather first see you soon