 When are we going to sell this country? Fellow Nigerians, teens are really getting out of hand. But is this news anymore? I do not think so. You only need to have a chat with the average Nigerian out there to find out just how bad teens have gone. But it appears we might have just unlocked a new level in our economic door drums. A few days ago, the governor of Edo states, Goldwyn Obaseki, told us that a hoping 50 to 60 billion era was minted by the federal government for the states to share in the monthly bazaar that best contextualizes the absurdity of our federalism. For the awareness of doubt, what this means is that Nigeria has become so broke that there is not enough money to share owing to depleting federal revenue. Governor Obaseki as a governor of the states that participates in the monthly ritual should know what he was talking about even if other governors may have chosen to be silent about it. The federal government has expectedly denied Governor Obaseki's claims and asserted Nigeria's supposed decent financial standing. So, who do we believe? Obaseki or the mendacious federal government of Muhammadan Buhari? Why the jury is still out on that? Circumstantial evidence, however, seems to support Obaseki's claims, at least from our astronomical inflation numbers and other economic vitals. When the government takes the easy part of maintaining more money, it opens the economy to all men of shocks and risks, including rising inflation and consequential rise in the prices of goods and services. The latest numbers from the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics as of February 2021 shows that Nigeria currently has an alarming inflation rate of 17.3%. We are currently the poverty capital of the world. Our unemployment numbers are scary with an unprecedented unemployment rate of 27%. I leave each and every one of us to speak for themselves on what has become the prices of commodities in the market. So, is that a thing that has been hidden from Nigerians? Ask me if a moment that Governor Obaseki was being unduly sensational with his claims, perhaps to score cheap political points as the federal government would have us believe? Are we not actually heading towards that direction in actual fact? I rarely disturb in peace the other day by the former CEO of the different diamond bank, Dr. Alex Ote, which put in alarming context our current dismal fiscal position, contrary to what the Minister of Finance would have us believe. A situation where we have borrowed up to our neck so that we now owe up to 85 billion dollars and spend over 85% of our annual budget to service our national debt is indicative of a serious economic crisis that might set us on the Zimbabwe or Venezuelan path. So, Governor Obaseki is not a problem. The devil is in the details of our economy. I don't see myself as an incurable optimist. I think I am more of a pragmatist than a cautiously optimistic fellow. And so, if things have gotten so bad out of hand that we now have to print more money to run this economy, I don't think it is altogether out of place to join the choir of pessimists who have often argued that this country as a whole be put up for sale. How much are you looking for? A big one is that it wants to sell Nigeria. The truth of the matter is you cannot emphasize the fact that Nigeria is broke. In fact, one OAP would always say Nigeria is bankrupt. And whatever the glowing state of the economy that the government or the Minister of Finance wants to print, there is a saying in my place. We know what is going on. So, we can tell whether the economy is gloomy or it is performing excellently. And the truth of the matter is we know what we know. Just like if our Governor of Lagos said. See, the economy is in a bad shape. The economy is in a bad shape. The economy is in a bad shape. And we are not one of the most expensive governments in the world. Our national assembly about the most expensive in the world. And if you look at what we deploy to the national assembly and how much more we can do with it by deploying to other sectors of the economy you can begin to imagine what we can achieve. We have held on to certain assets. So, if maybe we commence by selling Nigeria by selling those assets. Those assets have become cost centers. Why are we keeping on to refineries that are cost centers and then whooping 1.2 billion error is 1.5 to repair dollars to repair protocol refinery for 225 barrels per day only. We don't need that. My question. So, this is pinning me because we have spoken to this even in the party that I belong we have a board revenue plan. There are some entities that Nigeria hold equities that we can do without. We can sell them for good money to address pressing needs with long term impact. And remember that at the end of the year we still come and collect company income tax. So, let the government focus on the business of governance and provide a regulation for companies to thrive and creating the environment for businesses to do well as against government competing with businessmen. Now, we have refineries. We have refineries whose capacity is even bigger than the whole of Nigeria they are going to be in competition very soon. Why do we need to do that? So, the fact that we are broke or we want to sell Nigeria let's not sell it as a whole. Let's sell the parts that we need to sell. Let's sell the spare parts. And when I saw Raymond coming with a very big bag I knew he had an agenda. My question Raymond is if and when we sell the country what do we become? Slaves or No, we go and buy another country. Okay, we will not have enough money to buy another country. You see, to answer your question in a very funny manner some people have argued that if we should take all of Nigeria's to the US and ask all of them to come here in under 5 years we would be wanting to come back to Nigeria. So, that tells the picture of what we are facing with. In fact, one of my idols Chinua Chebe said that the problem with Nigeria is not the Nigerian heir or the Nigeria or her geography it's simply and squarely a problem of leadership. It is a problem of poor choices. Nigeria is a is a biblical prodigal son who has eaten up all the wealth of his nation and has now become broke. And doesn't have the humility to admit that I am now broke and we need help to fix it. We are still the best for this. We are still the best for this. We are still the best for this. We are still the best for this. People are actually suffering. People are suffering. And why it pains me is because my generation is actually at the at the receiving end of this. Our fathers had a better they had a better experience than us. As a matter of fact, Chinua Chebe described his generation as a lucky generation. Why would he say that? Why would he say the same thing for our generation? So that's why it gives me serious concern. Come forth. I mean, I loved this topic. When are we going to sell in this country? The sooner we are honest about our issues the better for us. But there will be no takers. That's the problem because even the little thing when you sell something there should be some value in it. And at this point if anybody sells us what do we have quite frankly. And I think one of you mentioned that if we did sell what would we do with what would happen to us and the issue of leadership there's also the issue of followership. These leaders come from among us. Each time we know we say the leaders but who are the leaders? We are the ones who participate in what brings out these bad leaders. So when are we followers too and tell ourselves that this country is in the position it's in because I have also contributed to it by either selling my vote or speaking of when I should or not being consistent when I have seen something wrong when I have broken the traffic light even as small things as little as that. Are we going to get to the point where we will be humble enough to say that we are broke? Maybe, but at that point who cares? Everybody tells their own issue in their country and Nigeria is always a country where you have donor money coming in in millions not in small figures they give it to the government they give it to the states we squander it we don't improve on what they've given us the money for so you collect loans you said we should even sell the money if we sell the pieces, the spare parts we will sell it, we will still squander the money and at this point it's a catch-22 so my joy and my hope as the unrepentant optimist is that we have us we have us, we have comfort we have you, we have Francis we have Joyce and we have many other Nigerians like us for every one of us that has a good idea there are 7000 others who are like us but just may not be as outspoken as we are when you go to an event and you ask for questions during the Q&A session 3 hands will come up only but after those 3 15 hands will come up because our hands are up other people will raise their hands this is the hope not hope for foolishness but hope for energy that we can still recover this country amongst us we have the will I don't think we just came here to talk and go no, in our different endeavors we are making efforts and our children will be happier for it but we are not doing it for them alone we are doing it for us too we will be beneficiaries of the better Nigeria that we all are advocating for and working for so that when we have an offer on the table to sell we will say no, we are not selling we are rebuilding I just answer Mr. Francis he opened by saying that he surprised why being a lawyer I am also interested in the buying and selling of Nigeria well I am from Anambra state and I am happy to say that from the part of the country where I come from buying and selling of Nigeria so while we continue to push for the best options for Nigeria and Nigerians please don't stop in your efforts to make Nigeria a better place don't forget the advocacy continues on our social media platforms on Facebook plus TV Africa or on Twitter and Instagram or on Twitter and Instagram at plus TV Africa hashtag the advocate to catch up with previous broadcasts go to plusTVAfrica.com don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel plus TV Africa join us next week same time on this station and let's keep advocating for a better society 5 panellists 5 topical issues no holds bar for me it's not knowledge that's lacking it's that greed, it's that mentality where you feel you deserve to take your own and take it infinitely and let everybody else just manage however they want we're almost becoming hardwired to try and cheat I would suggest that we begin to hold our leaders accountable there was a time in this country when things actually work organizations should be above the law and I think one of the challenges we have in this country is about governance across the board what I'm saying is that it doesn't really affect us in Nigeria it doesn't really affect us in Nigeria I don't know what we can do if the system is already corrupted we've been warned as a continent of the influx of the Chinese if you don't repay your debt they will just to colonize you