 Welcome to the Advocate. Your Sunday reminder that important conversations are among the necessary tools for external society. I will be talking about the world in 2022 and the lessons and hopes for 2023. Huzin Olaruwaju will be talking about the new cashless, CBN cashless policies, taking a critical look at their effects. Viktor Nyikiri will be talking about East is fast becoming upnot. Today, expect a mist of seriousness, laughter and jabs. We will be back after this break. Welcome back. The world in 2022 and the lessons and hopes for 2023. Over the last 12 months, the world has experienced several moments that has challenged the course of history and has led to defining moments of a revolutionary outlook. As important or enormous as these events were, the lessons learned can never be overemphasized, especially as we hope for a greater world in 2023. Some of these major events and lessons are as those. In January, the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of vaccinations administered worldwide exceeds 10 billion. China, France, Russia and the United Kingdom and the United States, all five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council issued a red joint statement affirming that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. In February, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union, the United States and the Allies committed to removing Russia banks from swift payment system, as well as imposing measures on the Russian central bank and further restrictions on Russia elite. These and other sanctions foiled a financial crisis in Russia. In March, the National Assembly of Hungary elected the former Minister for Family Affairs, Katalia Novak. As president of Hungary in a 137 to 51 votes indicating the strong value driven politics. Also, the global death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 6 million. In April, the United Nations votes by a 93 to 24 to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council with 58 countries abstaining. In June, at least 50% were killed in a dual mass shooting in or war Nigeria. Also in June, primary elections were conducted in Nigerian political parties. In August, the 2022 Kenya general elections, William Ruto was elected as Kenyan fifth president. Pakistan declared a climate catastrophe and appealed for international assistance as death toll from the recent flooding in the country acid 1000. The world's deadliest floods in 2017. In September, Elizabeth Tross was appointed prime minister of the United Kingdom after winning the election, but little resigned an act of responsible leadership. Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 and her son Charles III succeeded her as king. The 2022 Swedish general elections was head to elect all 349 seats of the rich duck. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersen resigned after her center left block narrowly loses to a block of the right wing parties 176 seats to 173. Andersen is succeeded as prime minister by Uf Kerstessen in October. Bukinha Faso military junta was overthrown by the country's second coup of the year led by army captain Ibrahim Tauri raising concerns of political instability. The death of 22-year-old Masha Amini following her arrest by Iran's morality police, the guidance patrol overwearing an improper hijab in violation of the Iran's mandatory hijab law on women, sparked an ongoing series of protests and civil unrest against the government of Iran. In October, Elon Musk completed his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter in a bid to promote free speech. In November, the world population reached $8 billion mark. Nigerian former president Ulushie Gooba Sanjo successfully negotiated a permanent ceasefire between the conflicting Ethiopian government and the Tigray region on behalf of the African Union. In December, the Congress of Peru removed president Pedro Castillo from office and arrested him after he tried to dissolve Congress in a coup attempt. President Biden hosted 49 African head of government, including Nigerian's president Mohamed Buhari in the United States African leader summit. My fellow advocates, we have come a long way this year as we prepare for a new year and a new political dispensation. What are your thoughts and hopes especially on the following? Peace before and during election. Victor, what are your thoughts and hopes before and during election? Quite a long read, and a lot has happened this year in Nigeria, in Africa as a continent, right? And then of course globally. And I love the way you had kick started like your script, you know, and which is how do we learn from all of these events? If there's something that life teaches you right is taking lessons from events. And if we're not able to learn from each of these critical events that you have outlined, there is a good part of it, right? How do we begin to amplify it? There is the bad side of it. What do we need to do in 2023 to avoid it essentially? And one of the things event doors or the massive return on investments with events, right? And experiences essentially is that it becomes an education curve. Now it depends on how we're able to use that event as a benchmark for making decisions, right? And every single day we're going through these events. I mean you've read a couple of very key ones that happened globally. However, every single day, you know, people are getting killed. Every single day, you know, things are happening. Nigerians are thriving in foreign countries, right? Again, that also brings me to the angle of how are we telling our stories, right? Now, bringing home back to Nigeria, so one of the biggest event of 2023 would be the elections, right? You know, but how are we telling our story as Nigerians? Because often someone says if you go to Nigeria, I mean, I'm put pictures, you're going to find some very funny looking things and when you go to US or Dubai, right? And you go to the picture segment images, images, right? You would see some very, very interesting things to behold. So we're not telling our stories. And I pretty much think that it's either we're adamant to learning, right? Or we're not learning enough from all of these events. The new person that is going to stare the ship, right? Or that's going to lead this company called Nigeria, right? This new person has to take a critical second, third, third and fifth look at all of these events and ask, you know, himself and his cabinet, what are we going to pick as lessons from this? And if we're not able to draw out lessons, how then do we drive, you know, transformation? How then do we change behavior? And we all know that it is what we do with what we know that creates the outcome in our lives, right? So what are Nigerians essentially going to do? So if you sit down and ask the young folks, what has ensar started? For some, we fought, we did a luta, we scattered everywhere. You know, we made the government know, we give them a five point agenda, you know, things like that. But what has it taught you, right? At a personal level, right? At a political level, right? At a social level and at a professional level. What lessons have we learned from that, right? Maybe things like, I was even expecting that somebody, actually I was writing a book on Saraswaki, but you know, I had to just leave it to the public. I think I've seen it. I was expecting that we should have, like, a follow-up, a sequel to say how can we, you know, to like keep, to measure what we have done. Not even, like, what do we learn from ensar's? How do we engineer? I mean, I'm sure Hussein is on the other side, right? Joining us and he's going to talk, you know. Yeah, Hussein, I was going to ask him, although just before Hussein, Hussein, I wanted to comment on the economy because that's your area of specializing in the economy and the new CBN cashless policies. But before then, I'd like to hear your thoughts on what do you think about peace before a pre and post-election, during and post-election. What do you think about it? What should we do? Just comment on it for like 30 seconds and then you'll say something about the new CBN cashless policies. What do you think about the economy, the effect on the economy, Hussein? I can hear people speak about some areas, you know. So for me, I want to narrow it down to a layman with like the spirit point that I have, right? You see, a lot of openings just as you clearly stated out around the world. But it's difficult for Hussein to, probably due to ideology and not having an open mind set in Nigeria to narrow it down to our own basic understanding. So I would like to pick basically two things which is technical responsibility and taking actions, right? So I give you an example. You made mention of like some prime minister resigning due to one or two things they feel they have filled the country, conscience. Do we actually have that conscience in Nigeria? You know, that's where we should be looking at. Secondly, you look at happening in the likes of Ukraine war where it affected the production of goods, not just in Europe, even in Africa. Today, Nigerians see a price of bread increasing, like for example, a bread that you buy for 200 naira now goes for like 600, 900 naira. You wonder why? You think it is the hardship economy of the government policy? No, it's because we are not growing what we consume. We are buying these, we are depending on this nation. And these nations are having one or two issues which is giving us the reporters to even assess those who have materials to produce the flowers that we use for making bread. All these things are things that we should begin to look into taking responsibility. And we should be looking at a country where we are void of religion and tribal settlements and see reality as they come and learn from what is happening around the world. When you talk about peace, peace can only happen when a group of people decide to agree on a progressive path. If this same group of people decide to say they want to continue because that's what we have in Nigeria today, in a path where it is just self-centered greatness about protecting their own interests, individual interests. I don't want to say this but I feel we will still have issue challenging peace because peace is not something that we just talk about. It's something that we have to take responsibility and heart on it. So in a nutshell, we are having the common 2023 and election is coming. I think we should be focusing more beyond the tribal sentiment, the religion sentiment and what have you, we should be focusing more on what do this candidate have for us. Who is the candidate that has solutions? Who is the candidate that actually sees the essence beyond tribal religion to say this is a new direction? These are things that we will identify. It's not what people just want to be hear of I am Muslim, I am a Christian I am from the north and from the south. Let us should be taught if today they ask a typical person from the north to say who will be your candidate. Majority of them might say this is my brother from the north I prefer to support this person. The south side and south is if you ask a typical Igbo man why are you supporting Peter or B for example? They don't have any majority, he is my brother. If you ask somebody from south to west why are you supporting Jinugu art? It is a minokon, it is somebody from my place. We should live beyond those levels and see that it is clear as ever get a system, we don't have a system. So for us to be able to do this we have to agree to chat a way forward a progressive way forward that is standard. It is not based on greed or sentiment. I think if we are able to take responsibility at all levels in terms of decision, in terms of action in terms of scaling up the system and making the system work peace is very close to us. Thank you very much Uzen. I wanted to hear your talk to Uzen on the economy with respect to the new cashless policy as an economist that you are. So what do you think about you can hear that the Senate is actually having debate over this issue of should the CBN governor increase the limit of cash withdrawal and then is he going to bring down our inflation rate or something. I want to hear your thoughts on this as an economist that you are. Okay, thank you. Details I would like to talk about later but in a nutshell I believe the CBN came about these policies due to necessity the policy has actually been on ground for the past over 10 years since 2011-2012 and they have been strategising in the out, right? I think on the limit people that are still financially estimated are on the high side it has to be forced to be told because people are naturally willing to change. So the limit should be increased a little bit actually accommodates the acceptability of the policy but the cashless policy is needed because that's one of the things that can drive economic viability and make things work because once at any point in time when you go to a country or somebody is selling cow and you exchange cash for you to get your cow and this data that you are using it doesn't help you to plan an economy and it even all this data that you are using it also encourages corruption in one way like I give an example you have a project that needs to be presented by a state governor now who are you projecting on you don't even have the data in your state you don't have a full data so instead of your projects or your projects and when you do this there is not how corruption will not set it because you won't be able to account for what is happening in your environment so data is very essential and when you are sending cash that you don't have data of such cash is a problem so I believe cashless policy however needs to submit to others to make it work thank you very much accessing global economy you know you are always talking about staying at the corner of your home and being in the global economy in the global space you can actually import skills soft skills from the corner of your home or your office so how can young people access global economy to the concept of ideas right that's even actually the way Nigerians young folks can take go global essentially so it is the concept of how do we export something that has the propensity to travel thousands of miles ahead of me right how do I build something that solves a problem for someone in Burkina Faso how do I build something that solves problem for someone in Ukraine for someone in Canada for someone in Ecuador for someone in Argentina and that's for me that's the idea of tapping into the global economy I don't necessarily have to you know be in the UK to earn pounds my idea is depending on how viable and usable and transferable that idea is I can sit at anywhere in the world and earn in different currencies that way I'm tapping into the economy right so it's really about taking a helicopter view around problems globally every day there are problems when we look around there are problems there are more problems than human beings there are more problems than you mentioned about 8 billion there are double of that number in problems if not triple so every single day we are dealing with different problems but the idea is do we have people with entrepreneurial mindset to spot these problems and say how can I build something that makes life easier life better quality of life and then how can I ensure that the impasses the test of universality which is how do I take it from my local market and export it to the world that's the way young folks in Nigeria listening right now that's how they can tap into the global economy you have to be globally minded and also knowledge savvy you have to search for knowledge you can be satisfied with the level you are so I think I'm going to come back to you again before we conclude transparent election year in we are talking about 2023 election 2023 is a new year for we Nigerians not just new year it's also a new political era or political dispensation depending on what the outcome of the election will be like as we speak now President Buhari is in the US with other 48 other heads of government and Joe President Biden is going to meet with President Buhari and I think at that 5 other candidates that are having an election next year to discuss their pact with Nigeria with respecting democracy as an institution so how can we transparent election year in process and also what can you say about the media engagement of political candidate so far some political candidate are actually engaging the media very well print and electronic media TV but there are some other candidate in the public conversation if they come they want to speak to us by proxy and it's kind of causing some sort of controversy whether it's in competence or it's in pride so we want to understand is it in competence or pride because you can't do as a political candidate you cannot do without the masses so you have to speak to the masses and you need to engage the masses through the media engage as many as possible so what do you think about transparency and media engagement by political candidates to ensure a free and fair election great stuff fundamentally imagine a pastor or an Imam saying that oh I'm a shy person I don't know how to talk that's a fundamental skill needed to even be a pastor or an Imam so if you can't articulate the message from Allah or from God then you shouldn't be there in the first place so when I hear things like I mean I see it on Twitter the president doesn't have to or the president that is vying for the office doesn't really have to be eloquent or things like that while I understand that it is not the most critical asset required but it should be our minimum basic barrier to entry if you can't even hold a conversation with us you shouldn't have any business being on that seat now I can go be a chief of staff the truth is we can bear it but how can the president not being able to communicate with the masses before I come back to that talking about electionary how are we going to make it more transparent I think we know Elijah we have overflogged this thing so much we don't know what to do to make it transparent I know what to do we don't know what to do but are we willing to trade our greed to trade our selfish interest to trade our our self centeredness to actually do the right thing so nobody is willing to do that people coming with their own personal agenda then data or whatever it is so there is no need saying let's do this to have a a transparent and free and fair election I mean before I was born people have been mentioning free and fair elections so we know what to do so let's not even not flog that let's talk about the idea now you ask me a question how would you feel if I say I would leave Hussein to answer that question and then I'm also going to leave my friend that I brought to the studio to answer the next one and then I'll leave the camera man to answer the next one and then the guys in the studio back end they should answer the final one that is a joke so I pretty much think point blank it's a joke these guys think that Nigeria is a joke and guess I mean it's a common escape and guess who the joke is the masses we are the joke so if you come on a global you know discourse opportunity to place Nigeria on the global map and then you're saying my friend will answer this one I brought somebody will answer this one that's a joke and I think it should be unacceptable right we should never accept it that is not the kind of polity that we want to build we must raise the bar if you're going to vie for the seat of the pre-accidency you should be able to articulate the vision you should be able to answer any question thrown at you do not direct it to anybody you should be able to communicate that's the basic thing because that's what you're going to be doing most of the time anyway so when they can communicate I think it's a big red flag thank you very much Victor so Huzin I was going to ask you your thoughts on the ongoing US Africa leaders summit in America President Biden is hosting 49 is specific how many states do we have in Africa we know we have about 50 53 or so you care about 49 is being hosted in America by the president of America President Biden and they were very intentional about choosing these 49 people now where you have president of Ghana it was saying something about we Africans should be more responsible and stand up to build our economy especially promoting the African continent African trade agreement and then America is trying to see how to work with African countries and see how to silky we're also going to support in establishing or enforcing or strengthening democratic institution in Africa as opposed to China and Russia because they feel China and Russia according to the American the position of the American government is that China and Russia are only coming to come and do that will benefit their government more than building institution in Africa but the American government don't just want to do business with African according to them they don't just want to do business with African countries Africa as a continent but they also want to support the democratic institution so Hussein I want to hear your thoughts what do you think about the ongoing African US African leaders summit as you present why are you going to meet with Joe Biden or so okay thank you for wanting to hear my thoughts about the ongoing American African you know economic summits see I want to go in line of thoughts of the president of Ghana saying African should take more responsibility the truth be told right when you're talking about the United States trying to build the institution and the United States arguing that the rise of China and some other countries are just selfish about building their country the reality is both the United States and China they are all wanting to build their country and making African be dependent on them right so what we should be looking at is we should begin to take responsibility I'll give an example some years back say around 2012-2013 Gogu came to Africa and saying they want to support institution, university gave some dollars to install their facilities and what have you bringing Gogu advocate to ensure that they promote one or two things but I will tell you what they did the collected data for free is almost for free the same data they collected they are using it to generate more income and to service us back so what they are arguing to say they are building institution but today out of the late infintech industrial companies in San Francisco Gogu is part of it whose economy is he building United States economy so don't let us deceive ourselves African needs to take responsibility because opportunity one time to meet with the president of Rwanda President Paul Kagame he says if Africans are not taking responsibility to manage their data who begin to export which we are seeing in Nigeria export our email resources these same email resources will be exported in a cheap manner and the same refined product of our own will be sold to us at an expensive rate this is what we are seeing so Africans needs to come together all the responsibility it is only African that can develop Africa it is only Nigerian that can develop Nigeria we need to agree to say this is where we are going and this is we have all this so Nigeria I will tell you is the richest country in the world a lot of things when you go outside the country you see that we are really enjoying because upon price is the cheapest in the world as far as my own exposure has been most in any country even in Ghana Nigerian fuel is cheaper compared to what are the upon price in Ghana in the public and what are we doing but are we taking responsibility we are always shouting government government who are the government if not us so we need to take responsibility and stop complaining without sentiment so for me it is a new development based on learning process things that you don't know before you get exposed and see because democracy years in Africa is short compared to over 200 years democracy in nine states so you need to learn as well so I think African leaders has to be smart learn from the process and come back to Africa and develop their own African has to take responsibility that's my own opinion thank you very much you actually said what I want to hear we cannot do we cannot do without learning and also being accountable as nations to other nations of interest of course nobody is an island the world has come together the reason why I cited all these instances happening around the world you can see that some of these things happening everybody has been affected so nobody is living in silos we are all interconnected so we have to try our best to make the world a better place whether you are an American or a Russian or a Ukraine of course I want to appeal to the United Nations and every authority in the world to see how to come to the rescue of the Ukrainians and Russia to solve this problem because the Russian-Ukrainian war is another global pandemic you see what it has done people are dying and the rest and no country is leaving the task if you watch the news you will not be happy children dying in the hospital so let's appeal to the presence of Russia to come and resolve this issue with all relevant authority and also we Nigerians we should prepare for 2023 and have our hope high so let's conclude by commiserating with the families of the boys who we are drowned recently in the frozen Babs Meal Leak by the Arsul Rest in Peace Huzin Olalewadju is next after the break do 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