 Welcome to the Advocate. Yosande reminded that important conversations are among the necessary tools for his Sena society. I will be talking about independence or still independence. Babasola Kuti will be talking about 2023 war or peace. Oluwasegu Elegede will be talking about 2023 general elections. Do not die in their war. Oluwasegu Elegede will be talking about police and other security brutality must stop. We will be right back after this break. Independence or still independence. October 1 marked the Nigerian independence from Great Britain in 1960. A new constitution was established with the federal system and the unelected prime minister and a ceremonial head of state. You know the story. Fast forward to this present day we still ask ourselves what have we done with our freedom. The country is increasingly mad with high level insecurity and not too progressive policies. Recently the lapses in the educational system have pointed out this type of leaders we currently have on seats. Culture intelligence with red in partnership with the University of success has released the 2022 Nigerian market sentiment on study motivations reports saying it's a 9.87% of young Nigerians express preferences for overseas university education. This cannot be further from our feed system. Notwithstanding this setback, there is hope that we can rise like the finish above the ashes. Our youth's innovative mindsets will to strive and the determination to get it right come 2023 elections are evidences of light beyond the dark tunnel. If we could look beyond tribal and religious sentiment and vote in competence, then we would be a curve ahead of our current plight. Talking about the thoughts coming into in three general elections, let me ask my fellow advocate here on this programme. What's your thoughts on the ongoing strike? The response from the government and our educational system? For me, I think the education system needs a complete overall of the system and we also need the government willingness to ensure that happens. Government must lead the trade. However, we also have issues around the so-called lecturers because when you look at the system that is currently in this position, just like we said, Nigerians seek overseas. Why? Because the system we have today is more predominantly creating more teachers, more cram and poor teaching the basis is not solving any peculiar problem. Just like you asked me, what have you done with the ideas that you've been doing? What have you done with the first law of motion? But it will amaze you to know that it is applicable to what we do in day-to-day activities. But because we lack the education system that enables us to solve problems. Just like let me give you an example. First law of motion says a system or a body will continue to be at rest unless it's enacted upon by an external force. What it means is the status quo will remain the same unless there is a force. It's just a direct interpretation of the science. But right now, we have an education system that practically does not solve problems. It's just cram and poor. Why do you blame the system? Who do you think is there? Asu has been threatened to be the registered. Do you think that's a better way of the government responding? There is this issue that has to go back to the classroom because the industrial court said they should. And they said no until they've appealed and until the conditions are met and raised. What's your thought on this? I think that the government's position is totally untellable. I think it's the height of rascality. I do agree that the strike has created some challenges especially for students. I think about seven months now. I also went to university in Nigeria. I remember how painful it was for some of us school. I asked where I had been at home for a few months. We said we were on holiday. When it was looking like there was nothing happening. There was an holiday after two weeks. They said school is with you and you have to come back home. You came back home and then maybe a week or two later we went back on strike. It's so frustrating. I didn't get a degree from Nigeria because after six years I was studying in the university. I was still not done. For me I was just like this doesn't make any sense. I'm going to be 100 years old and I'll still be in this university. I think that we need to look again at the university system. I believe that many of us do not take the university system seriously. I mean I have two children in the university at the moment in the UK. And I know how serious. In fact I went to drop some of them in school, in the universities. And I saw the facilities. And I just started laughing. When we go to our own university, it's like a shanty town. It's disgraceful. So I think it's time for the universities to cut ties with government. And run a proper institution the way that is being done everywhere else in the world. University education should not be free. It should be subsidized. It should be essential that people that cannot afford it should have some sort of loans or grants. But I think that ASU is right. ASU does require more money to get the university system working. And if the government doesn't have the money, then ASU has to find a way to get the money. And I think the best way is for government to set ASU free. To set the universities free. I beg your pardon. And let ASU, let the lecturers and the university find a way to get funds for themselves. That's a very... You just shook the table. It means a lot. Thank you a little bit. You know, the issue of some government officials are posting their children online. They've graduated and see what is happening. The irony of sitting at home. Students sitting at home and they are graduating from... So you know what I'm talking about. Of course. I think at this point the government and everybody in power should be able to assess the situation and say, okay, we are at this junction and we need to move ahead. I mean, sitting at home for seven months and still counting its embarrassing for Indonesia and Nigeria and we call ourselves the giant of Africa. I mean, and the efforts of the government to cut the powers of ASU by setting up other smaller associations and seeing it as a short court for them to run away from the cross of the matter. The demands of ASU is very genuine and then we need to only look at how this can be resolved so that the children that are sitting at home for this several months and still counting and they can get something to do with their life. The situation in this society is hard enough for everyone and for someone to just be sitting at home idly away and then this election period where, I mean, idle hands can just be employed to format troubles and then it is not good for the society, not good for the economy, not good for the development of our nation. All right, I get your point there. So let's move on to the next point there. Just before you... Sorry. How can we be perceived as a great nation considering our style of politics in this period of 2023 elections? How do we focus on an issue-based campaign? You know, you see a lot of banter from both sides, PDP, PC, Labour and what have you. So let me start with Kuti. Kuti, what's your idea? You know what happened in Britain, the newly elected prime minister and the process. So can you enlighten us? What can Andrea learn from the process? Well, for me, I think that, you know, unlike Britain, the judges didn't practice it, practised the parliamentary system, so it's not any different. But I think that there are lessons to be learnt. For instance, the heavy discipline in the PDP today and even in the APC, but I mean PDP most especially, where people are not respecting the wishes of the party and want to be above the party. In the UK, you don't have to be... to use an election to be removed as leader of your party or prime minister. You essentially can be removed by members of your own party. And I think this gives room for a high level of checks and balances. I think that the political parties in Nigeria are very disciplined and the members of the party are very disciplined. Because every time people say, PDP and APC are not good and all of that, I always laugh. I say, if you remove these people and put them in another party, they still will not be good. You have to look at the individual and also the institution. It's almost like people say that Nigerians are lawless because people are driving on lonely streets. Some people are driving on lonely streets. But the truth is that we're not lawless. It's because the laws are not being properly kept. If there was consequences for actions, I think more people will think carefully before they break down. I think that's the same with political parties. People need to be firm in those political parties and just make rules and make sure that everybody who doesn't apply by those rules is punished. Thank you very much. You want to include something, our style of politics. For me, I think what we have in Nigeria today is the policies of individuals, not of a party. When you look at the United States of America, you have the republic, they have an ideology, they have a mission, they have a thought. You have democracy, they have an ideology. You have to header your own thinking and the governors have to go in line with their ideology or not. Then you look at the one that best fits into you. But right here, we have people in the video that are all about just them. So anything that doesn't work for them and that is why you see the cross-captain. It doesn't work for me. I move. So we don't have any political system. In the days, I take us a little bit for independence or early independence. We have the action group, we have the NCNC, we have the NPC, right? They have an ideology. What is the action group, AG is to protect the interest of people of the West. NCNC is to protect the interest and the growth of people of the East. And the Cameroons. And the Cameroons. And we have the NPC to protect the interest and growth. That is an ideology, right? But today we have PDP. We have APC. We have all those names party. What is the ideology if I may ask you? It's just an individual thing. So I think for us, we should first of all be looking at building an ideology based institution, political party. Then build a structure, it's a process. And if we don't begin the process to have a common goal, not an individual goal. Okay. We are saying we should build institutions. Exactly. Your thoughts on this are our style of political. Yeah, I will be joining my contribution from various thought and then in this line of thought. I think also what we have is we have politicians. We only groups after each electronic cycle to see which party suits their vision to hold power. Not because they have anything to offer. And that is why the focus is on individuals. You know, that's why because you look at all of these parties you don't know what they stand for. You cannot say, okay, if you go for this party this is what they have as offerings for the populist. What we have is that, okay, this individual will come with his own manifesto and there's nobody that will hold them responsible. Even the party structure is so weak. So we need to do more in building these political parties to ensure that we are able to pick from the lot that we have and see the one that will make us better as a country. Oh, I love that. Okay, so what is the profile of a Nigerianized Nigerianized national equation? The profile of a deep tribalized Nigerianized what I see this is I heard from a friend said the Nigerianization ideology is an ideology. We are talking about political ideology now. So how can we be Nigerianized if you understand me I want to start with you. When you go on the streets people say you are Ibu you are Yoruba your house those things does not matter to the economy. When you go to the UN they don't talk about Ibu outside Yoruba they talk about Nigeria as a nation and as a country. Exactly, exactly. What the politicians have done so far is to ensure that they make it look as if it is an ethnic issue, it is a religious issue because in this present administration that we have in the country we have a Muslim president we have a Christian vice president and we still complain we have a burden of issues that everyone is not happy about. So what has a Muslim president done for us the issues that we have is it about being a Christian or being a Muslim being a Yoruba or being an ethnic we need to look at issues issue based campaign and ensure that what the individual is bringing on the table is what matters it is not about the age it is not about religion it is not definitely about the tribe. Thank you Thank you Thank you I want to say value just like it's line of thought if we actually want to say we want to be a Nigerian I want to drop the tribal sentiment I will look into technology for example it's happening already today when you bought an Uber you call for Uber or taxify do you ask if it's a thief or if it's a Yoruba or Yoruba you want value you want him to take it from point A to point B and at that point in time you have gotten results you have gotten value for your money so if we can use technology and have that same idea as an individual to say we want results irrespective of who or how it's been done right you don't know if it's a thief or other religion but if we focus on results this we have an issue here who is not good who is best that can deliver this job at a considerable rate at a time frame that will be useful to us let us give that person it's all about value Thank you what does it mean for me to be Nigerian that is the question that the other Nigerian will be asking themselves and I think it is important that we should realize that countries that are largely patriotic it's because those countries have something to offer their citizens like when you are your own and you are your own and you are your own and you are your own when you are young you are able to get a free education when you are old you are able to get excellent health care even at no cost like we have in the UK and then when you went to university you couldn't afford it but the system was able to provide it means for you to attend a university maybe on a grant or a loan and you pay back when you start working when you graduated because you are able to find your way to get into a job now you will be proud to be associated with that country because that country has actually given you something so you know if the reason why people hold on to all the tribal sentiments is because that is the first that is the easiest thing to do because there is a bit of a clannish kind of like sense in Nigeria people believe that I will hang with my younger people I will hang with my people and then I will be protected and if you look at what the system throws up sometimes it makes us look at the government to be if house are full and it then automatically it is likely you will be in a a palm set or a digi of a ministry or a minister or something important in Nigeria because a house are full and it is in government those are the things that we have to I like when people say things like that anybody the son of nobody can become the son of nobody can become anybody in Nigeria and that is the Nigeria we should look for I think if we do that and then remove all the issues of even in our forms they ask me where are you from I was born and brought up in the UK I lived in Lagos all my young life and where am I from it is a big question you want me to tell you where my great grandfather is what local government or what use is that if we remove all those things people will tend to forget where they are from and focus on what they can do together I think that would be my approach thank you very much Kuti thank you very much my fellow advocates for your imputes let's conclude by pondering on these words by Mehmet Muraidon a Turkish writer and member of the Turkish pen in Turkey show me a clever nation then I will show you a clever government this could be interpreted as our leaders reflect who we are so vote wisely come to me in three thank you Baba Shola Kuti is next after the break