 Thanks for staying with us now. Sacrificing and not having something valuable in order to get something more important is a virtue that not a lot of people are willing to commit to unless they are certain of the results. Unfortunately Nigerians have been used to failed promises by their leaders and with the removal of fuel subsidy and recent announcement by the president, a lot of people are skeptical of the feasibility of the plans of the government and if this sacrifice will in fact be worth it. So tonight we're asking what will sacrifice for country look and mean to you as a Nigerian? Now please let's hear what you have to say. Remember you can join the conversation, send us an SMS or what type to 08034663. You can also see that as a ratio after one. Well the hashtag will show. Alright so this conversation actually started off yesterday so let me just quickly run through a background. I discussed the presidential speech, the signing of the student loan and also the signing of the electricity bill as well. For us, I mean they rightly put it around normal hap on exemplary leadership. It is important that if you say Mary I want to I want to sacrifice, you understand? It means that I lashed some things. Some things have to do. You understand? Not that I am seeing you eating lasagna, going on yachts, holidays and all of that and you're telling me to sacrifice and I'm not seeing that happening. And of course Jola said it that I mean the new senator has just come into power. We would see things like okay, what's he called now? New cars coming and all of those things which are like the norm that we see all the time. That's so when you're asking us to suffer, right? When you're asking us to sacrifice, when you're asking us to hold on to that, the Nigerians are already used to sacrificing, already used to suppressing what it is that we truly want just because okay for the greater good. Like so what would be different this time around and what exactly would be what to look out for and that's what really brought about this conversation. It's more to speak to our leaders, right? If you say I should sacrifice, this is what I want to see. Do you understand? This is what my own definition of sacrifice is. So to that note, that's why we're having this conversation and let me come to you easy, right? As a Nigerian, what will sacrifice mean to you? When you say that okay, this thing we should sacrifice, this is my own definition of sacrifice. What would it mean to you then? I'll come back to the studio. Sacrifice to me from what we have encountered in Nigeria from time past to what we have gone through as the nation and as individuals in Nigeria. It means I don't want to use the word suffering but I have to say it again because it's like a cliche but that's the that's the actual truth. It is more it is more suffering and smiling for Nigerians basically and that's what it will mean for me. I actually hit an all-time high when we actually had the financial crunch last year and I I don't want to have to go through that process ever again but with this we have had to go through too many challenges time and time again. Let's look at it from when we had the SAP, our parents had to go through the structural adjustment program. They wanted to sacrifice, they wanted to make that change, they wanted to look forward to having a difference in the future for their generation, for their children's children like the quote we have today says but have they been able to, were they able to achieve this? I don't think so. So again sacrifice for me needs to be defined. We need a situation whereby the government will come to us and tell us this is what we need to sacrifice for us to achieve a certain goal or a certain thing. So vision is paramount for me. If I have a placard definition of where we are going to, what we are sacrificing for and how long we are supposed to sacrifice this, make the sacrifice basically for, I would be able to say okay yes I would be able, I would be willing to go through that process but where I do not have a vision of where we are going to as a nation and there is an extent lack of transparency, I still have that problem of trusting the vision of the government and accepting the fact that I have to sacrifice or make the sacrifice for the country. I'll put together, let me come back to you Mary. The presidents have said that for us to move on as a country, everybody, I mean we're all on this same page on the subsidy issue and all that. So it's not like we are attacking but if you say that you want to sacrifice you're willing to do a lot of things cut down on you know and stuff like that you know. So if you have done certain things on your part what would you expect to see from the part of a government like a definition of sacrifice? To be honest I don't think, I don't know if it's a good thing or not but I don't really have that much expectations from the government. What I can see this bringing out is as opposed to sacrifice is, I feel like it's going to push, I don't want to say Nigerians that we have a way of thriving, coping in that suffering. I mean we always say suffering I smile. So I think what this would bring about is because I mean the rise in price of things is going to bring about people now being deliberate about entrepreneurship, being deliberate about different sources of income which has already existed but I believe that as a people we will double up the hustle. And as for the government I feel like it's definitely unfair that it doesn't feel like they feel the pinch and we the masses have to suffer for their so-called sacrifice but I think everybody would feel it and I think even them to an extent will cut down a little bit. I'm hoping maybe they would expect okay I expect that they would cut down it might not be as significant as we would want it to be but I think that we will thrive regardless even better in this situation. I don't know I'm just being optimistic about it. So you are still in tune with Nigeria's spirit. You know what let's take a break right? We'll come back from the break. I'll hear Uti's thoughts then I'll also open our phone and stay with us. Alright thanks for staying with us. If you're just tuned in it's our ladies night out and we're discussing the topic what will sacrifice for Nigeria mean to you as a Nigerian. And let's hear what you have to say remember you can join the conversation send us an SMS or a WhatsApp to the ring 1-803-4663 you can also tweet at us at we show up for one of the hashtag we show now our phone line is now open remember the rules turn off the volume whatever devices that you're watching us from turn it off so we can hear ourselves and the number to call is 070-25007749. Alright so let me come to you right? I think you kind of like understand the summary of a lot of things that is going on and I think you know background we have we've had conversations where you say that you see where the direction of the new leadership is going and you see that it's going to truly change a lot of things right from what we used to know. So exactly what I mean when the president talked about sacrificing and all of that and we must all you know just bear the pain for now right? Yes it's a good thing we are all ready to do that but to you what would what would it look like right? If you say you were in front of Bola Metin, the president of Bola Metin going wanted to talk to him telling him this is exactly what I think that it should reflect right? I mean put in a bit of your communication stance point right what would that language look like in terms of body language everything all the languages you know communicating to us that they understand sacrifice and we also understand that they understand that well what we are going to? We are waiting till it was my turn to ask the question around the VP of the VP of Bushcraft of Uganda. But okay if we're gonna go that way um the truth is we talk about Nigerians being resilient but Nigerians are synonymous with sacrifice the average Nigerian make sacrifices every day we've we've lived our lives sacrificing one thing for the other so I've sacrificed my money to ensure that my child has a good education when everywhere else or in most places education is free at least up to the primary or secondary level I've sacrificed my money to power my home to power my business I've sacrificed my time in traffic due to bad roads due to I mean Nigerians our lives are synonymous with sacrifice right this situation that we find ourselves in at one point the dollar and the Naira were trading at almost one to one at some point from what we remember in recent times the dollar started from about 170 150 170 and now we're circa 700 and something so our lives are synonymous with sacrifice these sacrifices that we make technically are due to the decisions of a few is he mentioned structural adjustment program that particular program changed the trajectory of my family's life right so our we are synonymous with sacrifice now we have come to what I like to think is a crossroads and in that crossroads tough decisions are being made and most Nigerians understand that these decisions have to be made something that began somewhat temporarily has lasted over the years has left us impoverished has left us with pretty much a singular economy focused on one product so if I come to today and I'm being asked to sacrifice it must touch everybody now right it must touch everybody now so the fact is I hear the president when he says we must sacrifice where I want to see something different and I want to see change is I want to see sacrifice from the leaders this is how you show your leadership this is how you show this is in fact how you get loyal followers because you are leading by example so if we are going to sacrifice then let us see the sacrifice across boards now it may be easy to actually say cut salaries but I think that cutting salaries is PR it's not it's not a drop in the ocean there are severe leakages right across our systems but let's not even talk about leakages because leakages are things that maybe you cannot see you know I can imply that you are inefficient but I really have no proof so let me not even talk about the ones we can't see but let's talk about the duplicity and duplicated efforts that we have in the government I'll just take one example we have EFCC we have ICPC we have NFIU there's there's one more all around financial crime meanwhile financial crime is thriving today if I transfer money to you as a fraud star even with knowing your BVN and all that that money is gone right so the truth is all of these I mentioned ICPC I mentioned EFCC ICPC NFIU there's one more I'm trying to remember but it will come to me now all of these people around financial crimes financial crimes have no stops in fact there's additional creativity to it right you still have the police also who are supposed to investigate crime but then you have all these other guys around financial crime you have federal road safety you have vio in Lagos you have all of these people again around vehicles roads and all so you can already see let's not even start the argument between states and federal you can see places where money doesn't need to be spent now shall we talk about the ministries that don't need to exist the one that has been trending later around the CBN governor the ministry of humanitarian is it humanitarian affairs yeah we have a the current SGF was minister of special duties again what they do there so I mean let's not divert but you see all of these things right we've come to a place now where there is zero trust we've come to a place now where our leaders are going to have to take not leaps my most steps to get us to believe that they see where we're coming from absolutely let me take a caller we apologize I think people have been calling but I wanted you to learn that point loma from obvious state your life loma your life go ahead please good evening my dear beautiful sister in the house good evening what I really want to say is that why must I sacrifice yeah yeah you know thank you every now and then our leaders will tell us to sacrifice every now and then will I kill myself in sacrificing for Nigeria will I kill myself in sacrificing you just see let me just tell you the problem we are having in this country is that our leader they are not filled with human kindness you cannot tell me that you tell me to continue to sacrifice when you did not horribly put in place when you did not fix our refinery and you decided to make come to Maya here and see how things have skyrocketed people are suffering if you see what is happening in this area you know that this particular administration we are from fray we are from fray so with you people are the hems of the destroyed everything and you're not telling me to continue to sacrifice for Nigeria I cannot be sacrificing again if I sometimes they know that what they are doing to Nigeria is absolutely now we get to Nigeria let them turn a new leaf and stop being weakening the Nigerians people because we have sacrificed a lot let them do the right thing thank you very much don't don't don't agitate the people by saying that we're jumping from fray france fire they are barely like how many days in office so let's calm down let's I know we are upset and I see this and this is what I say to our leaders that the the when you see a child raising tantrum right the wisdom will tell you that this is coming from something it's really like a baby you go and check diaper you check hunger what is happening you check a lot of things there's some time they have crime he'll tell me that I mean I had my my son I went to Dubai he was and he looked like I stole a child you know because that's what we kind of like look at like you would think I actually stole a child but he was really suffering from a very very terrible colleague right I mean so when when you see Nigerians agitated as a leader and now like lashing out and like exploded don't take it like they just attacking or synchronizing your government no they have every right you know like you rightly put everybody has said in the background of medias we leave we breathe we breathe I mean I mean that's really what it is the the fact that that again remember when the subsidy in the speech it was like it's gone right the idea was if that had been followed by here's how we're going to thank right and understanding that certain parts of society need help to adjust and if you come and you say you know what we're going to make this place more efficient or we're going to shut this down and we're going to do this right and because of that we might be able to give certain people um certain support because we all know that we can't afford the subsidy so it wasn't really about the subsidy going or staying was the house it's the house but you talked about the yes let me come back to you easy I mean I need us to like prefer solutions right like yesterday Jola talked about can we not see this year them buying cars me I'm even saying that we can buy cars but patronize our local car people so that we know that the money is within our system there's a guy in Nipah that has gone to Laka I saw it offended to the group right you saw the video I just shared in the group a guy has converted a generator to gas generators so instead of using petrol you have gas so I mean like if we have brilliant minds like this the only sensible thing a government should be thinking is how can I convert those brains into solving real solutions that we have in our country so we're not 100% dependent on where for me you're even going far it's too far you are going far because those are long-term solutions what we need now is look we are spending money today you need to shut that tap you need to cut like when you budget you you look at your needs and your wants and you cut out your wants you know she went there though I went there that's me personally that's not how do you when you get to that point where you look at your financial and you see that you know it's not adding up how do you adjust do you cut down now do you cut down or you look at other how do you do yours let me tell you something you see this hair I'm carrying some people can carry it for two weeks which is fine I would pay the extra amount and I would maintain the hair well I'm carrying it for four weeks that's my own way because I don't want to cut down the other day I was talking to my colleague at work and I was like oh how do you wash your face with your lashes she said she just enters on that shower she just you know I said I said okay the amount I'm spending on my lashes I wash half of my first person half of the other half first I go to the gym every day that's my own way of cutting down because I know that oh I might not be able to afford this thing like that so I want to do it well and be able to manage it when every day I'm applying mousse as if I might as well just sleep without a bonnet oh you know what I got it if it's not there it's not there I don't make it no so try I cut my hair I bought weeks have you have you seen any new one after that first phase we go around it again see you can do side part it can do so I'm about making it work because to be honest cutting down is it's hard but sometimes when push comes to show of course I will cut down there was a time I didn't have a job was I fixing lashes often no once in a while small money enters my car I can't do it but you learn to survive without it it's not a with when it becomes a do or die affair so I mean and I now look for ways to thrive oh okay your expense has you know gone higher what can we do how can we make money to afford this this is new situation let me come back to you easy I want to hear your thoughts you know how would you you know sacrifice personally pardon me yes how would you sacrifice personally like if you had an opportunity to like you know say okay you are evaluating your financial status and you want to sacrifice what would that look like for you first first things first I'm quite realistic I will cut my cost it's opportunity cost what is important and what is not important first things first I will cut my cost then I would now look at all the streams of income to try to you know come bounce back I wouldn't look at it from the perspective of having to manage the situation based on what has been given to me I would look for other ways to buttress what I already had and move on from there for example I have let's say I have field in my car okay I have field in my car and where I used to go to for say for example for to Naira I have to go there now for for Naira what do you expect me to do first things first I will cut my cost which is more important do I have to go to this place that is cost me for Naira should I should I decide to go to that place that is cost me for Naira my my expense they form was to go to Lagos Island go to all the mile 12 to buy my to buy my things for the house and do my grocery shopping but these days what do I do I stick to within my environment because I kind of thought to spend that amount to go and buy something from Lagos Island or or um or Tejo Shulaki because I find myself spending much more so personally I think that is what I like I like what you said about because I'm gonna quickly take comment from our listeners and I'll come to you for your final thoughts it is very difficult to talk about sacrifice in Nigerian situation today because as Nigerians we have all sacrificed in nothing Nigeria where have we not sacrificed in Nigeria is it bad government we experience daily lack of everything that could give meaning and sense of dignity to Nigerians we have suffered enough in Nigeria if Nigeria were to be like other countries in the world nobody will be standing somewhere telling us to sacrifice them they would have been you know oh wow this is strong what have we enjoyed in this country as Nigerians except those very few um few um in in power those in power should begin to sacrifice now because we are tired of sacrificing do we have a caller okay go ahead please do they want to kill us or no they don't plan to spell it um we have a caller you're live I didn't get your name are you there you're live yes go ahead thank you I'll pass to your country for your sake um if I were if I were to um talk to you about sacrifice um I'm first of all saying I mean honestly that I believe that he has his family as well and he's not um nothing for them both I believe he has to come into office he's doing well but I was thinking in a sense of sacrifice that um Mr. President I was unfortunately a great influence for our country Nigeria however I would like to start by asking the payment tax or packaging for our public officials to be interested here how do you think we'll do income whereas the people we are serving are told to be a job okay thank you I I I caught a little bit of something about tasking um tasking the government officials and all of that yeah go ahead let's take more comments quickly okay who's there do you have good evening my dear beautiful sisters of what are you saying hashtag ways what will sacrifice for Nigeria mean to Nigerian sacrifice is very good only if good things will come out of it my dear beautiful sister is he made mention of the definition of sacrifice which is suffering and smiling the duration of the suffering matters it has to be the type that someone can endure and not the one that can torment you at the end my dear beautiful sister Mary said that our suffering has to be the type that we can cope which I agree because it is very key this oil subsidy removal should not be the type that will make us begin to regret why we are Nigerians my name is Daniel it always okay so are you there yes please like um okay it says good evening ladies for me the question should be what are the people at the helm of affairs sacrificing for the good of our country the everyday Nigerians have been sacrificing forever they can start by reducing their take-home benefits medical jamboree their children's schooling in here etc basically and this is from from so many thank you so this one says good evening my beautiful sister's on waste show please what are the sacrifices does our government want us to make for Nigeria is the sufferings that we go through every day in Nigeria not enough sacrifice what are the sacrifices that politicians make or is it only the poor that's meant to make these sacrifices our political class are not sincere to the masses that's the fact and they know it there's no name to that one all right so you want to wrap up quickly in a minute well I think we've said it all really the our leaders just need to show us right the concept of servant leadership is has been missing from what we see in our leaders typically these decisions are being made we don't agree with them we don't feel the positive impact of those decisions at this time to build trust to engender loyalty and you know that devotion that you should have from your followers our leaders really need to look at how they're going to show us that they are also making sacrifices and that they're leading in the right direction they are now making the types of decisions that will serve every Nigerian and not just the particular class thank you so much ladies we had a fantastic conversation before we go and show you follow us across social media that we can interact with us further drop a comment and more importantly call all our engagements on social media like you and invite your families and friends to watch and follow there was something Mary said about management you know that in this country we know how to manage and they need to learn that it's very very important because even the one way we get it we won't maintain it yeah all right you meet our coach for today let's see it again says let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow we'll see you guys tomorrow at 8 p.m. we'll bring another great conversation to your screen