 On the breakfast ahead of the 2023 elections, Niger's inspector General Police says no state governor will be allowed to prevent opposition political parties from holding rallies in the states. This comes as the River State has passed a new bill stopping prohibiting political parties from engaging in certain activities. We look at what the situation is in River State as it relates to the order of the Inspector General of the Niger Police Force. Also on the breakfast we'll be talking sports with Monday Thumbnaz, the sports journalist, this morning. And of course we have a look at what the news whippers have for us today, looking at the front pages and the big stories with analysis coming up next. We're back with a breakfast and plus TV Africa, very good morning to you my name is Kofi Bartels. And I am messy in Boko, it's good to be back in your squander this morning. Yes indeed a beautiful Friday morning and we have a lot to talk about. We'll be getting into the heat of things especially. I'm looking forward to the topic, topic number one. I'm looking forward to it you know and let's see what I guess we'll say. But before we get into that, as usual we'll tell you to sit back, relax and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee. Even if it's wartime you can afford and just you know enjoy the show. Merci. I was coming to work this morning the the cab that dropped me in work. Okay the taxi that dropped me off at work this morning. He was complaining you know about when he was in Lagos traffic you know at around 6 a.m. he was complaining and he said how would he spend the night in a queue at a petrol station only to come and burn the fuel on the traffic in the morning and he didn't find it funny at all. So simply shows people are still sleeping in the queues and people are still. So how many hours did you spend on the queue? Said he worked all night and went there at about 4 a.m. and he was able to get fuel at about 6 a.m. you know that's when he got the fuel. What time did he hit the road? He hit at 6. So it shows that people are still queuing and they're still having a lot of difficulties. I also saw a very long queue on my way and I thought that we had you know overcome all of that especially when the DSS had mentioned that they had given an ultimatum and the National Assembly also had said hey and the PC should reduce you know the prize or has also given an ultimatum that there should be petrol being sold out but I don't think that that's addressing the issue it's quite unfortunate because the cost of transportation has gone you know it's on the high as we speak right now and like we would always say I remember once upon a time we had the Vox Pop which will always you know leave and be relevant you know the cost of leaving is on the high people are pretty upset and you know salaries have actually not gone up so but it's well let's get a top a first up training segment story rather this is somebody who you know how my friend Al-Hajimu and Bidahirah Saradokubu you know how he normally would them you know would talk you say you think say day-wise he had an interview he said you think say day-wise? Seventy-year-old man, you know this guy who can say the situation is you think say day-wise situation. Mercy and imagine we have a uniformed public seven, a public, yeah, public seven, making $40,000 every day. You know, I was calculating this thing while going through the story. If you make $40,000 every day, and in a week, let's say it works Monday to Friday, you make $200,000, and in a month, you make $800,000. I said, oh my God, look at him. He thinks he's a day wife. This is an official of the Legal State Traffic Management Authority who has been arrested. He's a fake traffic officer, so he wears a uniform and goes to stand there. He's not appointed by the agency. He's not, you know, nothing. And he confirms that he makes an average of $40,000 naira daily. Just like that. Just like that. $40,000 naira daily. The Legal State Traffic Management Agency would have a statement through its public affairs department. And the director of that department confirmed that this young man, you know, was not by the agency's patrol team while on duty monitoring and controlling traffic around the leaky axis. You know, in the commence investigations and the investigations revealed that he belonged to a criminal gang that has been extorting huge sums of money from innocent motorists who they apprehend for various traffic offenses. Ranging from seat belts, offends, obstruction, illegal overtaking, and one-way driving at different locations in Legal State. I think we'll leave it at that. But he was fully kitted. Fully kitted with last-minute uniform. But he was wearing a black jean. That's it. That's how he was spotted. That's how he thinks he's a day wife. He was wearing black jean. But I mean, Kofi, for how long did he continue with this, you know, scheme until he was caught? You can only imagine, right? You can only imagine that that had happened for a very long time before he was apprehended. Now, one of the comments I got to me was one that I read, you know, when this news broke out, was the fact that look at how he looks. It's almost saying, ah, this young man is ending 40K in a day, and he's looking like this. Why is he looking like this? But that's, you know, that's on the one hand. But to be very honest, it brings us to the issue of impersonation. Impersonation is one thing that's been going on, you know, in the system, especially the security or uniform system, if you like to say. Now, it won't be the first time we're hearing that some persons have been apprehended. You have fake police officers, fake military officers. How did they, how were they able to man over the system? How were they able to, you know, go ahead and look very authentic without identification? It just shows that there's a lot that needs to be done to close the gap, right? We need to find a means of identification. We need to be able to get to that point where we ensure that the original can be spotted. I mean, you have the original with some authenticity, you know? That's it. So that when you, apparently, I mean, at what point did we discover that he was wearing black on the upper parts? Because usually the other color would be like a maroon color, because that's what they wear. So it's like a maroon over a lighter shade of yellow or cream color if you want to say that's the uniform. So I think we need to do a lot and that's why we constantly say that as a country we can continue to be reactive. We have to be proactive because people are thinking ahead. We haven't think ahead of this, you know, element to take advantage of the system. So I mean, just imagine how many persons are out there defrauding innocent citizens or people of their hard-earned money. It's unfortunate, but let this be. I hope that we can learn something from this and we can put our arcs together as a country and every security aspect. There's another story perhaps to this one where, you know, a militia officer was apprehended, fake one of that. He was about to, you know, fly an aircraft. It's an aircraft or maybe, you know, a jet or they're about just imagine how were they able to replicate, you know, this outfit and look original. So there's something that someone actually said that if you're constantly exposed, how do you have the FBI or, you know, the people identifying a fake note, like a fake currency. That's because you have to expose them over time to do a regional. But maybe we'll have to have something very distinct because for Nigerians I think that, you know, we're extra. We're just very talented, smart and what have you. People are thinking 100, you know, yards ahead of you. So we have to double up as a people, as a government. Kofi? Yes. Well, there's nothing much to add except to say that the last few officials who arrested him, you know, they have also themselves a question to answer. Is it that, you know, this criminal sort of opportunity? How did he know that it could make that amount of money every day? How is it that the drivers, the vehicle owners who were apprehended for these crimes paid directly to him? There's something in this. It means, I mean, if there is no demand, there will be no supply, okay? Or if there is no supply, you know, you can't do a demand. So this to me is a pure demand and supply situation. And it's an indictment. It's almost like the last few officials reporting themselves. It's an indictment on last month to say, well, it says motorists out there. I used to pay in money directly to the last official. When we know if you have a fine paying to the government account, you know, it's supposed to give any public official money directly. It's against the code of conduct. And it is against the modus operandi or the workflow of last month. Legal State Traffic Management Agency. So how is it that motor, you know, road users, you know, drivers are comfortable to pay this money to an official? All right, that's number one. Why is it they're comfortable to pay this money to the official? Number two, how come an official or, sorry, this fake official, remember the public is so comfortable and confident that he can make money off the public? You know, that he say, oh, there's an opportunity to make money. Let me go and stand there. It shows that these officials, it actually proves what people have been complaining about all along. All these weeks, months and years. Right. The last one officials have turned their job into a money-making venture where they enrich themselves. You know, they enrich themselves. And for me, that is the bigger the bigger, because it doesn't make any meaning. It doesn't mean anything if the agency arrests this fake officer and puts him behind and prosecutes him or hands him over to the police. If their own officials continue to do the things that we know they're doing, okay, if they continue to do the things you know they're doing, then what's the use? There's no difference now. For me and the public, it means that we are still paying, you know, money to last-minute officials when we shouldn't be paying those monies, okay. They are stipulated fines for stipulated crimes. So if your officials last-minute keep collecting money from negotiations, Nigerians, road users into their pockets, then what difference does it make when you catch a hoodlum? It means your officials are also equally hoodlums, you're also criminals, because it's against the law for you as a public officer to collect money from any member of the public in the cause of discharging your duties. It is wrong. So what I would like to say is LASMA needs to do some soul searching, okay. Then there's some soul searching to find out what's going on and to talk to themselves and to go after officers, you know. Abroad, even in Nigeria, but we know the police doesn't do it well. Abroad you have what we call internal affairs in the US police, you know. You see the movies now, right? We have internal affairs where they investigate their own officers, all right. In the Nigerian police force we call it, we have what we call the Department of the Office of the Provost Marshall, who is meant to also investigate police officers because they don't do it except we take cases to them. So LASMA needs to have, if they don't have it already, a mechanism internally to catch the officers who collect money. You know, when they do that, when they do that, I'll be interested. This one is okay, but it doesn't make any difference to me if your officials still collect money. I know that we need to move on to the next conversation because we're out of time, but just quickly to add to that, you also cannot take out the fact that if you look at some of the security officers who are expected to implement the law, let's begin to look at the salary structure. Now, this is not to make an excuse, right? I'm not trying to hold brief for them. You have raised a very valid and resilient point, especially the fact that they're not supposed to collect, but I've witnessed a scenario. Now, this is what usually takes place. If you're supposed to pay like 200, you actually commit a rude offence. And the people or the Nigerian, you know, the person who is a corporate knows that you're expected to pay a certain amount. Let's say the law that you broke is expected that you pay fine of 200,000. There's always, you know, more like a negotiation. There's a bid. Someone tells you, okay, if I take you to the office now, you're going to pay 200,000. But there's also another. So it gives you an office. But when the officer tells you that if I take you to the office, you're going to pay 200,000. It's already suggestive that there's an option. And so you as a person, you as a Nigerian that you are as a legation, begin to consider the other option, which means that that's possible that you can negotiate. And the negotiation would mean that, okay, what can you offer? You get into the talk of, why don't I give you 50,000? And you're like, no, I have to take you. I have to take you. Then they begin to pull off that stunt. Eventually they enter about saying, because you don't want to go to the station, they would let you know what it would take. You know, your car will be impounded. We're taking you to the office. It's not going to be easy. And all of that, whatever you. And so the person in question is in a hurry. They don't want to be apprehended. They don't want to be caught up in all of that space because of the stress it would cause. And so then they're up for the easy way. And so they say, okay, I have 50,000. Can we just do this with 50,000? And so it goes on. Now, we'll have moved beyond the fact where people begin to collect money. No one wants to collect money directly because they know that the media is there when there are social media that would be recording and what have you. And so say, hey, you do a transfer. What have you? They're probably not sending it to their direct account. There's an account that I can send to. But these are all of the gimmicks. But as much as we say we want to fight corruption and corrupt practices amongst ourselves, institution of government, I think that the government also needs to do her bid. We need to be in a situation where these persons are probably taking care of now. As a disclaimer, I'm not trying to endorse corruption and corrupt practices. But we're saying that poverty and corruption is like a twin. It's a cousin that work hand in hand. And there's no way you're going to talk about that without the other. So let's also do better. As much as we want to see better in the systems as government, then we also need to do better with these offices. But quickly let's move on to the next one. It's quite saddening, but it's a phenomenon that must happen to everyone that leaves. We all will die. And someday I would also die. But the question that a lot of people ask and people constantly say, what will you be remembered for? We talk about legacy. We talk about how you live your life. What will you be remembered for? These are some of the issues. However, fortunately, Nigeria has lost her ambassador to Spain. Demola Seriki died in Spain after a brief illness. And this is according to an announcement that has been put out by his son via social media platform. Very unfortunate. And we pray that he's all rest in peace. All right. Demola Seriki is, of course, Nigeria's ambassador to Spain. He died at the age of 63 in the Spanish capital Madrid. And of course, he was set up, died in the early hours of the day. It's really saddening. This is what the family said, quote, it is with heavy hearts and profound gratitude to Almighty Allah that we announce the loss of our much loved and admired patriarch, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend, his ex-sister, Demola Seriki on December 15, 2022. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family in Madrid, Spain. So some facts about him. He was born on November 13, 1959. He was a politician, teacher, businessman, and public administrator. He served until his death as a Nigerian ambassador to Spain. A position he assumed in January 2021 with concurrent accreditation as a permanent representative to the United Nations World Tourism Organization. He previously served as Nigeria's minister of state for defense. So he's had a distinguished career in politics and national service. He was, I think he was part, he tried to get into the Senate, you know, you know, in his part on APC's platform. You know, he had some issues with Amcon and all that, but we won't go into that now. Let's allow the family more on him, you know, before we had all those things. So, but seven things, you know, about the man, of course, until his death. Like we said, he was Nigeria's ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain with concurrent accreditation as permanent representative to the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Demula Sirke was born on Lagos Island on November 13, 1959. He had his early education in Nigeria and later proceeded for undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the United States of America as BSE and MSC in accounting from the City University of New York in the United States of America. He was a grassroots politician. He was a grassroots politician. He began his career as a clerical officer at Lagos City Council, Lagos Island in 1978. Quite a long and distinguished career in politics. At a national level Sirke was a former minister of agriculture and water resources. He was also former minister of state for defense, minister of mines and steel development, and also interior. So he held those portfolios. Quite distinguished. In May 2009, the oba of Lagos, his Royal Highness Oba Rewana Keolu confirmed on Demula Sirke the chieftainty title of the Otua Are of Lagos. And of course he is survived by wives and children, a really sad one, a very handsome man. You know, and he said, the go-sion through and through. So we say May his soul rest in peace. I think that's so much. I will say about that. He died too early, but May's soul rest in peace. He's achieved what he can and he's achieved a lot. And he's written his name on the sons of time. His achievements in the annals of the of legal state, government, public service and politics are well documented. I mean, I hope that at 63 I'll be able to say I also achieved something equal to him. He's done his bit. And I know his family will miss him. I know members of his community will miss him. His constituents will miss him. I would have loved to have seen him in the Senate. You know, it would have been a nice addition from the looks of it, from his experience to robust conversations on the floor of the red chamber. But May's soul rest in peace. All right. We'll leave it at that. Before I go, mercy, are you aware that Nigeria voted, because Demula was a permanent representative to the World Trade Tourism Organization. That's the United Nations body, you know. And it is one of the organs under one of the, it's one of the, what do you call it again, the subsidiary organizations, the WTO, under the one of the six arms, main arms of the UN. We have six main arms of the UN, like the UN General Assembly, UN Security Council, you know, and all that. One of them is the Economic, United Nations Economic and Social Council, OK, ECOSOC, Economic and Social Council. They had a vote yesterday to remove Iran, the Islamic Republic of Iran, from the UN's commission on the status of women. That is also another commission under ECOSOC, which is the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Why were they having this vote? The United Nations made a proposal, OK, a resolution or a proposal saying that Iran, because of the current protests against the killing of Misa Hamini, the Iranian woman who was, who died in police custody after being arrested by the Morality Police for not wearing her hijab well, when he loosely in her hair was showing. You know, that led to protests across Iran, with women cutting their hair, you know, wearing hijab and burning it and all that. And several, you know, people being arrested. It's the version of answers. The United States, you know, after lobbying by various, you know, international activists, brought that resolution to say, let's vote, either to keep Iran in this UN commission on the status of women, which is a commission that looks into the, promotes the rights of women, OK, and gender equality. So these activists lobbied the US to say, you know, we can't have Iran in the commission that promotes gender equality and then women's rights when, you know, look at what's happening in that country. So they voted to remove Iran. But the interesting thing is that Nigeria voted to keep Iran, against removing Iran from that commission. The UN commission on the status of women, Nigeria voted to keep Iran there. And it makes, it's a statement to show that this is a country saying, instead of even abstaining, like a lot of other African countries who bury their heads in the sand like Austria, because we don't know our left or our right, you know, or maybe we are not aligned, instead of abstaining or voting no. They voted yes. So it's the policy of the country, the federal government right now, they are showing we support, you know, regime in a country that does not protect or defend or recognize the rights of women, you know, and that is huge for me. Because, you know, in Iran, as a wife, you can't travel out of the country without your husband's permission, you know. And so Nigerians need to know that the federal government voted no, don't remove Iran. In other words, Nigeria has in principle supported the Iranian regime or administration or government states stands on the rights of women, which is against women's rights. And you know, that's actually a big irony for us, I mean, it's the biggest irony for 2022 as a country, especially when we're big on the fact that we say we're advocating inclusion of women, women right, I mean, for a country that is a democratic country, how do you begin to explain all of this? Now in Iran and her government has been big on killing people who have been demanding for their freedom and their rights. And to think that Nigeria gave a knot to that, gave a plus to that, as against women's rights, against all that's going on, it's, you know, it costs a lot of questioning. Now, this is a conversation that has not, you know, I don't think it has been highlighted a lot has been talked about in different media spaces, but it is what it is and this is what's going on. But eventually we begin to have all of the conspiracy theories as regards this particular action where you just oppose that, you know, with ordered theories or speculations that are going on. And I hope that, you know, we don't begin to say that it's fake news or, you know, it's just another speculation because, you know, action already it's speaking a different how, how, how do you even explain that particular fact? We're very we're democratic government and in a democracy, one of the things is very sure, one of the things that the government and system, you know, preaches about or strong on is the rights of the people. Human rights, you know, fundamental. You know, you know, the thing and then I was listening to some conversations yesterday night, you know, yesterday afternoon, evening, I was seeing some things online. Some people are saying, yeah, maybe the government is actually sharing with the Trulia that, oh, the lady Misha, or Misha was killed or died in police custody in Iran for breaking, of course in Iran, there's no separation of common and state for she wearing a hijab loose and the hell was showing. You know, if you, the Morales Police, if you walk like this in Iran, they will arrest you. You know, and but they're saying our own case here, Deborah, who was lynched on really for the religious reasons and killed alive or burnt alive or lynched, you know, and it was captured on video. And that this even worse than what happened in Iran that led to all these protests, that maybe we need to tell ourselves the truth that we live in such an environment. You know, where the lady, because of what she said and government has not shown the body language, you know, not tweeting now. They've not shown the body language to show that they, this is an unacceptable practice in Nigeria, you know, to go all out, all out to take this personally and we're moving on as if, so maybe we need to have some reflection, reflecting to see how the government is voting. This is really in a UNO and I think the person who was there was Niger's permanent representative because this is a major organ, you know. So this shows the federal government's position on things like this. So maybe we need to begin to tell ourselves the truth that we live in a country that thinks and believes and sees things like this, that, you know, religion, religion is an issue that will supersede the constitution that protects the rights of people. Even when, you know, when we live in, it's actually what you're saying. This is actually who we are. No, no, but it's actually the government. Because yesterday, coffee, coffee yesterday. The government films national life. This is what the government values. But it doesn't, it's very out of, this is in contradiction. A presidential candidate even deleted a tweet and said he deleted it because he didn't approve it. Okay, now, have you approved it? Do you support, okay, now tweet down. Coffee, you know, these are the issues. For instance, I'm sure that yesterday you're also aware of the news of an Islamic cleric that has been sentenced or will be sentenced for blasphemy, right? And so we live in a society where the constitution, yes, so we have the secular law and what of you in the constitution. And for how long will we continue? Because what is going on in most of the country is not obtainable, you know. We have the penal code and criminal code. Yes. You know, in Iraq, in Iraq, in Iran, they have a penal law. No, but so I think it's time that we begin to question ourselves and ask what kind of government that we practice. Are we a democratic government? What system, what governs, you know, our activities as a people? And I think Nigerians should also make this a very important aspect of questioning and deciding and determining who to vote for in 2023. Yeah, you know, people come to talk about the economy, right? People come to talk about, you know, you know, insecurity as well, too. But I think a very good way of deciding who to vote for is to look at their credentials on human rights. Human rights. Human rights, very important. Not what they put in the manifesto. Not what they come out to say. And look at the rights. And also look at that. Don't even look at that. It's a waste of time. If you're doing that, then you don't know what you are lost. Look at what they've been doing, okay? In the past years, even during the campaign, have they tried to trample on the rights of people? Have they tried to trample on the rights of Nigerians, of media, of civil society? Okay, if they were governed at some point or center, did they actually? Then number two, look at how many of them, which of them has condemned sorry, my dear, has condemned the abuse of human rights. Okay? Which of them has condemned, who among the presidential candidates has condemned human rights abuses? I've come openly to wholeheartedly say I stand against this. Let it be on record and then look for those people to vote for. We need to go now and that's because we have to come back with the papers. Because they're going to oppress you. If they've been doing this for now, they will oppress you when you elected them. You can't do anything for eight years. That's very important, human rights. We'll take that break.