TRIBUNE NEWSPAPER REVIEW | THIS PAIN IS TOO MUCH: NIGERIANS AT PETROL STATIONS CRY OUT

[Music] you're welcome back to the show you're welcome back to the am weekend show and of course today is specifically spectacular because the co City Half Marathon 2024 is ongoing and AIA TV is of course live at the venue and bringing you everything happening with the co City Marathon we'll be bringing you more information on that as the show progresses we'll be crossing over you know during the show just to show you what is going on currently and how the marathon is going so stay tuned stay tuned to AIA TV in the meantime I'm going to be introducing my amazing co-host who is right here with me none other himself one of emuel is on the show with me good morning good morning Divine it's good to be here again it's good to see your beautiful face missed you for a week how are you I'm all right I was I was waiting for you to say when you were introducing yourself I was waiting for um en I didn't hear that to what's up is ongoing so it's good that you told them may every single time May in the Southeast you know and today is particularly unique I heard that um our governor might be running might be joining the marathon this morning I it exciting to see a governor running a marathon running something that is not the state that is not the state oh oh he runs the state he runs the state but the marathon is part of the state as a matter of fact with affers involvement the marathon is showing the state AIA is showing the state you know to the world through the marathon you know I mean thank God for AIA I mean what can I say what can I say that's what we do that's why we're asking people to come on board bring imagine that the world is watching this marathon and AIA is is bringing you all the updates and you're seeing your brand that's huge that's huge and so we keep talking about this all the time so and one very exciting thing about what AIA is doing is that it goes beyond enugu goes beyond the southeast goes beyond Nigeria I mean on YouTube now if you go through our YouTube videos you see people commenting from outside Nigeria they tell you I'm watching from here I'm watching from there is so fulfilling outside Nigeria and even nonos too A lot of people I really keep saying this this is what we do telling showcasing and telling the authentic EO story to the rest of the world showing our Landscapes our beautiful breathtaking Landscapes you it's amazing when you look at milin Hill an aerial view of milikin Hill you could liken that to somewhere in real beautiful sight and we can only be the one telling this story and that's what gives me the boms when I see these things mindblowing mindblowing very very mindblowing I must say so we're just going to keep watching um of course we'll be bringing you updates we'll be crossing over so just stay tuned to AIA TV we have a lot in store for you but in the meantime we are going to be taking a look at everything going on in Nigeria everything happening on the front pages of our national dailies we will be reviewing our newspaper and we'll be starting with this day newspaper so the borders headline here says salako Works Ministry issued preliminary esia approval on Lagos calaba Highway also on this paper F revises Nigeria's Outlook to positive affirms affirms B rating and me market friendly reforms and also on this paper we have a headline that says for investments in mobile Shell arrip equinor Oil blocks nprc gives two we ultimatum offers 10.9 10.9 million barrels of oil 90.7 B of gas for sale that's what we have on this paper okay let's go to Saturday Tribune and here is screaming this pain is too much Nigerians at petrol stations cry out this pain is too much we've been out here since early afternoon and we are yet to get Fu it is night already probably we will spend the night here that's the Bold headline a loud cry right there I love watching my husband Dan says TI Lio aun's first lady that's exciting um honorable Nigerian should expect Ure Rhymes after today's pains that's a b right there and um I'll take this one it says appeal court says police can't punish unmarried female cops for getting pregnant and um some other lower third informations right there but that's that on Saturday Tribune all right moving on to Saturday Telegraph the cover story says X GMD nnpc Asel others how to c periodic fuel scarcity the writers say blame me smuggling no longer tenable with price hike leaders act in emergencies so AG grieved marketers took advantage of it last one year has been excruciating for Nigerians says Tu boss oo also on this paper it says um Anglican Bishop to tinubu end suffering now make people friendly policies says hike in electricity tariff is insensitive still on this paper American Veterans of EO descent demands Caro's immediate release and on World Press day will always defend press Freedom says the federal government CBN credit to economy credit to economy dropped to 90.8 trillion naira in March and that's the much that we can take on this paper quickly we go to daily trust and the board headline says um reject beats to site us French bases in Nigeria says eminent Northerners to tinubu zulum and teachers welfare in berau um 8,000 can't even pay our transport says Lea teachers we urged government not to suck a single teacher says NLC be a little more patient nut appeals to agreed teachers on the lower third you have no journalist incarcerated on government says Minister also issues as parties brace up for Edo governorship elections further to um the paper we have inside the unending rivalry between whiskid and Davido lastly M mles kills 42 in adamawa that's the much we can take on The Daily Tres Saturday all right moving on to Saturday punch the cover story says nnpc marketers marketers trade blame as fuel crisis deepens the writers say marketers exploiting situation to make money says nnpc we can't Supply what we don't have if man fires back how I was begged to be obas Deputy says Shibu overreacting cost my excess weight still on this paper have a headline that says Don't trade in crypto op pmay others want customers and um that's the much we can take on this paper Okay Saturday Independence the board headline says independent honors eight cows eight sorry I'll take that again independent honors eight Governors Senators captains of industry and um they call that the biggest media award uh of the year and then also we have Nigerian Nigerians grown as F scarcity price hike economic activities and um we also have on this paper contempt a peal Court grants efcc's motion for stay of proceedings a frea hosting rights African Union invites Nigeria South Africa to beid lastly I enjoy watching new films but I don't find them challenging says pit Adia all right moving on we'll be looking at the headlines on the nation paper today the boldest headline here says petrol scarcity how seven trapped vessels are prolonging crisis and the riter say Supply situation to improve NE next week marketers mot is pay 800 Nair and above for liter of PMS nerk on bundles TCN set up independent system operator table to unveil three critical gu infrastructure projects and still on this paper mobile shall others get conditions for divesting 26 oil blocks tension as Monarch miners spoil from war spoil for war in ooun anxiety over plots to violate Court restraining a delicate from from iy King coronation no compromise on press Freedom FG assured media that's what we have on the nation newspaper contining on the continuing on the LG on the uh press Freedom the guardian says federal government pledges to provide unfiltered access to journalists this was said on the World Press Freedom Day uh contempt appeal court grants efcc's motion to stay of proceedings efcc insists on Pro executing matw over alleged 70 billion nirra fraud aan hosting rights African union rights Nigeria South Africa wage increase uh your government is deceitful workers tell tinubu uh building professional relationships help women navigate challenging career this is on Guardian woman page 13 lastly gas on gas explosion monster resisting To Be Tamed monster resisting To Be Tamed that's on the special page of the Guardian 24 and 25 all right moving on to Saturday times the cover story says efcc investigating defense minister over 7 billion naira fraud allegation and another headline here says why we decided to remake isakaba says landlot in MA still on this paper CBN blames high cost of food on pallative bought by the government and also on this paper sto salary payments through Consultants labor union tells boui Governor C remands man for playing 40,000 na loto on credit ex lover threatens to expose F finina over over divido and on this paper misles outbreak claims 42 life in Adam ma that is the much that we can take on this paper and on all our papers today and of course to further analyze and review everything that we have seen on the front pages of our national dieses we have been joined by our one and only bar Chia go wuku a legal practitioner and a chattered mediator and conciliator welcome to the show sir good morning wish welcome good to see you to see you too so you're not in the marathon this morning uh well the governor is uh prepping to join the the updates from the marathon I'm asking personally he not after he's following but you person we were supposed to be on the marathon but because because we had to give the people what happened that why we build from the marathon we planned to go yeah even the GM wanted to join us wanted good morning welcome to the show okay I think we should start with this very one on the last paper that I read it says CBN blames high cost of food on ptiv bought by the government I'd like to know your reaction to that well we know the high cost of food is very clear it dates back to May 29th last year when our president came and told us that subsidy has been removed automatically without any plan without thinking it through without consulting anybody without discussing stakeholders from May 29th the price of food and services has K Nigerian are still Gro so so the cban governor should not try to distract us you know and they should be held responsible they should not try to blame it on the governors because what the CBN Governor is trying to do is to shift the blame game down to the governors it has nothing to do with the governors it has everything to do with the Office of the President it was because of the withdrawal or removal of subsidy unchecked and um and that was what led to the skyrocketing prce of food and services in Nigeria that's the reason okay so you don't agree with the statement oh that statement is very false now it's very clar it's very false it has nothing to do with Governors buying subsid whatever that means buying um ptiv no isn't there a chance that somehow the ptiv money that was spent on it because I remember it was it was a lot of millions you know couldn't there be a chance that it has somehow affected affected it there's no possible way we can just justify the statement you see the issue is this those things are there the the the food stuff are in the market but the pricing is what is the issue where we are not facing scarcity what we are facing is astronomical pric pricing of of those Services it's not that there SC not if you go to w you not see people selling rice and beans but then can you afford it we don't have SC the problem we are facing is that it's difficult cost of consumer goods consumer goods is very very high so it has to it's directly related to the removal of subsidy because once you remove subsidy from PMS then we are paying more for transport and it's going to affect Services consumer goods whatever you produce for you to move it from one location to another location you are paying higher for it so the the effect the ripple effect is all over everywhere because they will transfer it to the goods and then directly to the customers so that's a problem so it has nothing to do with ptiv whatever it is okay now moving on now there's this particular headline I read and it says um Anglican Bishop to tinubu President says end suffering now make people friendly policies and it says hike in electricity tar is insensitive now I'd like to know your your take on this I think it's very insensitive we are still really under the pressure of the hike in P PR of PMS in fact as it we now you know as last when there was this hi it was PMS was selling around 600 650 620 now is 800 because of the scarcity of the product so we are still battling to see how we will survive the removal of subsid PMs and then you are slamming us with another hike in electricity tar I think they should take it easy with Nigerians let them allow Nigerians to breathe let us finish with the issue of PMS first and then catch our breath first before they was slam us with these hikes so I think it's it's not sensitive theer should look for native we need policies that are sensitive to people not anti- government policies what we are facing now is purely anti people policies and Nigerians are suffering a lot of Nigerians are suffering we can't afford to live like this we can't afford to continue like this so they should do something fast and weak to make sure that Nigerians are preserved speaking speaking of U the you just mentioned while bessing this about the increase in P price of Fu and all of that and now we are having scarcity of same products and one of the headlines in um the nation says petrol scity how seven trapped vessels are prolonging crisis this is nmpc saying there are seven trapped vehicles that is why the crisis is prolonged what's your reaction you know this a very good way of telling us a and boo story we are not Ed in all those stories initially say they had logistic problems now they now coming out to say seven how is that our business nmpc is inep they don't know what they're doing I I've always been on The View that you cannot have one organization importing PMS for the whole country is not workable I've always said that they should unbundle all the things they should unbundle liberalize the market you can't tell me that nmcl is the sole company that will Port PMS for the whole country that's the beginning of the problem so if there's any hiup in the process the entire country will suffer it so tell seven trap Vehicles who wants to hear that what we need to do to hear is that all the marketers who are dispensing PMS have enough Supply the marketers are available if money is on ground Supply to them so we don't all those stories Supply to them but doesn't this speak to the whole question of the regulation remember when we had D regulation there was no deregulation what was deregulated there was no thought that if there was deregulation then you're actually deregulating the you see sector you cannot have a deregulation and you have a price control mechanism they don't they don't work together the regulation means that you are not regulating the system that market CES me the price of of of goods and services but that mean that there is still a pricing template that means there's no deregulation in all those things huge gramar that used to confuse Nigerians there is no deregulation that's why they still they still have a pricing template that's still monitoring the the pricing of PMS in Nigeria there is no deregulation they will now for the M they will now confuse us further by you know giving us them that we don't understand Upstream Downstream Midstream so at the end of everything we are confused but for me personally with the information I have there is no deregulation because they are see maintain in fact they pay something are you saying that right now Market forces are not determining the price see if Market forces determining the price we not have the same price template for State meaning that marketers can now Source PMS they find it cheaper some can buy from Venezuela some can buy from us some so the pricing templ be different nmpc is selling the same price to all marketers the same price but then the variation trickles down to what the marketers themselves are selling because of maybe the the duties they pay the stuff that's why you have a little B of undulating pricing but then nmpc is selling the same price to what the market so there there a price template for PMS in Nigeria so there's no deregulation that's a fact all right still talking about Fu um this particular headline is saying how to c periodic Fel scarcity and one of the writers says blaming smuggling no longer tenable with price hike so uh I'd like you to shed more lights first on why exactly fuel is scar why what exactly causes this fuel scarcity and of course how to c fuel scarcity at least from your own point of view from my own point of view nmpc alone cannot be importing PMS for the whole Nigeria it is not stainable it's not workable it's not feasible we will continue to have these issues because npcl is a be for me the marketer should be allowed to Source PMS on their own now we have nmcl that claims to be a limited liability company because we don't even understand the components of NM but that is the story for another day but then you don't have one organization one limited liability company importing diesel importing PMS for the whole country is not workable so let them liberalize the system and allow marketers all these major marketers they can go out and source so that if you go to Venezuela and source and then the the the the pric in this is higher we we patronize a marketer that buys from a cheaper source so that's when these things will will comption in the system and it will is off a bit but when you have n npcl alone important for the whole Nigeria is not going to work so if they have a h c just like they said they have logistic issues so once they logistic issues it will affect the whole country that's what is happening now nmcl said that they have logistic issues that means they can't Supply and if they can't Supply what other do we have none so if we have S other sources let marketers go let Market go and sour their P instead of buying from nmpc it doesn't make any sense allow independent marketers to go out there Source it but then they will be somewhat regulated they not be allowed to do whatever they like the government will do the regulation not the importation that is my take but government is importing and regulating it's not working so if they allow marketers to import then the federal government through nmcl can regulate the dispensing then it will be it will work all right moving on I think this is like the final question I'd like you to you know make your contributions to is this headline that says no compromise on press Freedom FG assures media what be your reaction to that statement well press freedom is the is the base of every democracy press freedom is the is the full of every democracy because democracy is all about allowing people to express their views so I think it's a good one if they'll be honest about it and implement it because all all over the for since our return to Independence even our return to democracy even before the return to democracy Democratic experiment the Press has always been gagged there are things that a journalist will say journalist will disappear but so far so good for the past one year close to one year I think that ad has actually done well we've not seen them kidnapping arresting and detaining journalist so far so far under this Administration I think theyve actually so say there's been press Freedom yes to an extent Improvement there's an improvement on like what we had under the bhar administration yes even under the Jan Administration we've heard of um journalists being arrested harassed but so far so far so good at least they we've not heard of a major a major news about a journalist being arrested by this ad I think they doing wor in that respect so they should they should do more and allow press to speak their mind so that Nigerians should be better informed about the happenings in the country okay do you believe that social media should be regulated social media should be reg but not gaged a lot of people are posting comments contents that are not true are posting defamatory contents so we should have we should not be gagged but then regulation taken too far becomes a gag of the freedom where do you draw the line exactly where do you draw the line between regulation and gagging where I draw the line is that the the Judiciary you know in consonance with with the security agencies should bring to book who is posting false content allot people to post but then when you post a Content that you know is not through and then give the impression that it's through such a person should be arrested and prosecuted that Al laone will regulate what people po but there is even an existing law to that right now implenting the laws that's what I mean because implementing nobody's implementing it is you you go I've witnessed a situation where people went to the police station to complain about such and the arrests were made that's what I'm I'm talking about you don't wait for people to bring complaints you understand because if it's a matter most of the times it appears to be implemented when somebody's agreed maybe that's a defat matter that is against a particular person person incident report to the police and then if the police is interested they can how it works I mean the police will not have internet Watchers people watching the internet it doesn't work crime is reported arrest you cannot wait for a crime you must wait for a crime to be reported before you you can conduct arrest you don't wa for a crime to be reported a lot of people may not have the facility to report a crime so if somebody if it's not reported now let's assume you're dealing with a powerful person let's say whoever is posting is you know has something not so nice to say about someone who is more powerful and there's no report done that might because let's say let's let's assume it's something defamatory but it is true but of course that person feels you're defaming my character and the person goes ahead to post it and reports you're saying that we shouldn't wait until report is the security agency should not wait reports are made understand so if a police officer is aware that a crime is committed in a local and is's waiting for a complainant you're talking about now yeah yeah some of those um contents are criminal in nature you have criminal defamation some of them are criminal in nature so if certain things are done you must not wait for somebody to make a report yes it's good to make a report but people may not have the facility to make a report so what happens with their right going to believe because nobody has incident a report what I'm saying is that regulation doesn't actually mean you have to gag social media but then every Security Agency should have a department that monitors what goes on even in the media space so let me give an instance now that there certain things that you do here NBC will find you who made the report that mean NBC is actually watching watching us right now know whether we make Sous comments there are comments that you make here in TV you'll be fine 5 million that's that's the fine for media organization so who is making the report so what I'm saying is that what the SEC should to do is more or less of investigative not reactive in the sense that you are waiting for somebody to come to your police station and say this person posted this I know it's a whole lot of work but then if you use one 2 three four persons as an example the rest of us will learn our lessons that's why I see it all right I have I have questions I'm sure you but we don't have enough time thank you so much Barista CH go thank you very much for of course your time for joining us on the show my pleasure my pleasure [Music]