 Welcome to the Advocate. Your Sunday reminder that important conversations are among the necessary too for a senior society. I will be talking about 22-3 elections in view, Nigeria under a global microscope. Raymond Nkhanibi will be talking about the great resignation, the challenge of talent retention in a post-pandemic labour market. Comfort Boots will be talking about ageism. Why Huzin Ola Rwaju will be talking about the Nigerian concept of what is okay or what is not. Today expect interesting and informative discussions as usual. We will be back after this break. 22-3 elections in view, Nigeria under a global microscope. At this point, the international community has its spotlight on Nigeria under activities. Just recently at the World Economic Forum in Downville, Switzerland. Experts have identified the top five risks in Nigeria that may hamper the country's growth and development. According to its new report, which is the 10th edition of the global risk report for 22-3, terrorist attack, debt crisis and cost of living are the top three challenges faced in the country. In Mauritania, President Mohammed Bouari was honoured by the Abu Dhabi Peace Forum with a word for strengthening peace in Africa. Said there was a need to inculcate values and principles of tolerance and peace in educational institutions and particularly among the youths. This big question is how has this reflected the current reality of the nation which is plagued by inflation, secessionist crisis, insecurity and kidnapping. Jacinda Arden, the 42-year-old Prime Minister of New Zealand on Wednesday, January 18th announced stepping down as a New Zealand's Prime Minister. She said there is a need for a new shoulder to carry on the country's leadership. Nigeria and other African leaders have a lot to learn that the nation confessed before safe. Jacinda Arden's achievements on steering New Zealand through the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings and the White Iceland volcanic eruption, climate change, social housing, reducing poverty, the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing recession as one she was particularly proud of. The invitation of Bola Ametsunubu, Peter Obie, Rabi Okwakonsu and the INC Chair to the Chatham House in London are proof that the international community has vested interest in the Nigerian affairs. As they were given opportunities to share their ideas for Nigeria in view of the 203 General Election, it is important to note that that is a global platform and whatever is being said there we echo and reflect the Nigerian image for years to come. The upcoming election is closed and a new era is around the corner. Our leaders cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the things happening in the country. We need a leader who will consciously restore Nigerian's image and multilateral relations with the international community. If things are not put in check come 203 General Elections, the country might fall into a parasit. Let me conclude by reflecting on the ways of Jacinda Aden, the current and outgoing Prime Minister of New Zealand. You can't ask other people to believe you and vote for you if you don't back yourself. This could be interpreted as politicians should always show responsibility and be confident in their leadership abilities. Gentlemen, we are here again. You saw what happened during the last this week. This week was filled with a lot of activities from Peter Obis present invitation. I was lectured to Chatham House and they followed by the INH here. And then yesterday was Rabi Okwakwonsu. Where they were given opportunity to discuss their ideas for Nigeria and the same period ongoing what economic forum in downfall Switzerland where you saw what they said about the top problems in Nigeria like insecurity, terrorism, inflation. They stated these things. And then they say this week was just too busy for the world. President Bower being honoured as a peace and giving a peace award for the Abu Dhabi Peace Forum in Mauritania. The question is how peaceful is Nigeria now and considering the whole thing. So I want to hear your thoughts on this. For me, I think I want to confirm the aspect of the identifier issues. For example, debt. You see, there are some hardship that is safe created. Like you see when there will be fuel and some finnish station will hold it just to increase the price. Or some people who want to hide under the stock they have, they bought for like 100 naira and when they discover the scarcity they want to hold it they want to increase the price to the current reality. Or say 150 naira, we are not being sincere to ourselves. It comes to take responsibility. So they want to look at debt. For example, you are trying to help people. So debt is probably to expand your business or to solve one problem. But it's creating more problems in the sense that you are asking somebody who says I need financial assistance to not start paying 120% interest per annum. Meaning that you are actually taking all the profit or the capital at a point it becomes very difficult for such person to actually get things working or get things to be the way it is expected to be. Do you understand? There you have some people who are trying to reduce it but it still has 72% per annum. So there is no how you want to go when it is difficult. You are thinking, you can't go to the business because you are thinking on how to solve that interest rate that is high. Do you understand? So you are trying to be smart, you will be smart pushing the responsibility back to the people in the market. There is need for debt restructuring to meet the demands of different markets. Not like a particular debt when you go to a bank, before now you see bank will say they want to see your collateral, they want to enter your room and all those kind of things. Digital world has made things easy. We don't have data, we don't have a centralized data to make things both. At least things are getting better. We need to now start structuring beyond just I am giving you this loan at 10% per month, 5% per month to tell on into the kind of business there are some business that needs daily flutes. There are some business that needs 6 months great period to be able to function very well. We need to think the credit structure has to change. I kind of agree with you but my sense is that the context of what the World Economic Forum had, the forecast they have had for Nigeria has to do with national debt and not necessarily debt or private businesses. I know that ultimately it has to do with the last person on the street, the businesses and individuals. So I agree with you. Of course Nigeria has a debt crisis. If I have not forgotten the debt deficits for the recently passed 2020 budget is over 70%. And there is an indication that for everyone that will end, we are going to spend about 90% to service debt. So that gives a graphic picture of the debt crisis that we currently face in the country. So to meet this problem it actually ties to the team of your pit which is the 2020 Nigeria elections. So what it means is that the next president who is going to succeed from Buhari must know that he has a serious issue of restructuring our balance sheets. And to do that we have to invest so much in we have to devise ways to end revenue because if you don't end revenue you cannot be able to service debt. So we will be able to end enough revenue we can actually be able to meet up with this high debt profile. But what strikes me most in your presentation is the situation in New Zealand. The prime minister who has just indicated that he doesn't have enough tank he doesn't have enough in the tank to go for that. So it just gives you an impression. I think it is a lesson a lot for a lot of leaders. Particularly for this part of the country where we come from where leaders don't see beyond their noses. Ladies who have been for two years she understands that because she has listened to the sound of her body she knows that she cannot be able to go for that and she has she is willing to put her personal interest in the back seats and putting the country's interest forward. All like here where you have a so called top presidential flag bearer whose body is clearly telling him that you can't go for that yet he is still telling Nigeria that no I have to go for that. So I think that particular candidate has a lesson in the conduct of just in that just in that add-in. I am glad that you are saying this. You know what I am saying. Comfort boots. Just before I bring you in I still want you to say something about lessons we can learn from just in the add-ins. This woman she was elected or sworn in or started a role as prime minister of New Zealand in 2017. At the age of 37. In the process she was pregnant she gave birth to her child while in office. She continued the crisis in the country in 2019 where a mosque was attack the college Church Christ mosque in New Zealand and then the role she played the leadership she assumed to manage the crisis so that it doesn't degenerate into a religion and then it continued we had during COVID-19 era she was among the top leaders among other women too that were heads of government were able to manage the COVID-19 pandemic problem in their country very well they were able to cope the further spread of COVID-19 virus in their country and then it went on volcanic eruptions natural disasters economic problem fighting poverty and now she say okay I've done my part I'm exhausted I don't think I can continue anymore I want to step down but no I don't want to continue let another person continue for what I stop I just want to step down and put my interest aside what's your take on this I just want to hear your thoughts on this okay thank you very much Elijah I love the fact that you gave a rundown of her accomplishments and I'm sorry but this is my opinion I actually feel sad that she stepping down at this point because that means from the time 7 to 42 she's been able to build a cabinet she's been able to build what you call it the kitchen the kitchen cabinet people around her that can help her for me take her across the finish line so sometimes yes in leadership we should be able to say okay you know what it's time for me to step down or to leave because I can continue but also what about the people who have been with you in the trenches from the beginning what is your message then saying to them that what you would get to a certain point and then you will not finish it then what's the point of having encode errands to hold your hands up when you are not strong enough so I'm sorry at this point I honestly don't think she should have resigned unless it's a life break name then yes there's the issue of mental health yes there's the issue of even her physical body maybe even home at this but you see all these things will still not don't disappear she's had a stellar record but for me she's had a strong cabinet because she couldn't have done it on her own so even with the ability to say you know what I need to leave here leadership is also about the other people that are watching it the other people who have been with you the other people who have been a sounding board and probably are thinking that okay at the end of it you will pass the button to them so could us to her but honestly I think she should have rested thank you very much thank you very much I like your idea on this I think you wanted that she was a strong boy wanted that to still remain in office but you see everyone has a right to know in a way she said a leader has is good for a leader to know when to when to call it to I agree but I want us to look at leadership also as sacrifice I mean her tenor would soon be over and I'm talking about the group that she is working with so leadership is also about those other people it's not just about you and as I said if it is a like what about okay of course I'm just saying that we should also look at that as a strong woman I mean we don't people please I'm very sure she needs to speak with that expert of her so the reason is best known to her so whichever it is I'm sure they will get somebody from her cabinet and people will eventually because the next in line on what Raymond I like what Raymond was saying about you know the world economic forum at this point I don't even know why there is still intervention of staff because we have a lot of issues as you know you gave that physical breakdown about the project I don't understand if world economic forum that still looks at us and still gives us money we are already in publish we are not using the money properly we have leadership in place why would you know it's just like taking a loaded one and giving a cake why would you do that and so I don't know that's the part of it that concerns me what is the end game why are we being given all this money with no accountability and then we now crack ourselves we go for a forum that tells us that oh you know what you guys are in deep due to you guys are in deep due to and then we store it then we go back to the capital and then they still give us the money I I turn it into the 2023 elections I'm sorry I don't see I'm sorry I don't see it I like to be positive about this but there are so many factors including the three that you know are listed at the world economic forum and I'm looking at the and I'm wondering who is going to have a hand in on this the New New New Zealand the New New New Zealand the New New New Zealand Prime Minister's quote doesn't work for us Felix how are you saying that we should back ourselves it has just made it easier for the politicians you have to support yourself show what you can do show what you can do show what you can do so in terms of open here in that quote it is backing himself it's backing himself to go on from what he has been communicating and clarifying that what he really wants us to do to tell him because he has been speaking in some esoteric languages some esoteric languages which need further interpretation so go back teach yourself worth telling what you want to do but at this point We have to also remove the eyes from him and put it on us. He cannot walk into a soba. None of them can walk into a soba unless you and I are... Thank you very much. We lost our hands. So I think I get what comfort is trying to say. Do it. So what is our role? What are we going to take on to do it? Exactly, comfort. Thank you for that. Let me just quickly chip in something. Like Raymond was saying, the loans that we are talking about should be self-repayable loans. Just like what he is saying, we can see that they are not self-repayable loans. We should be more focused on loans that are more self-repayable. That can generate revenue itself, service itself and run. Because there is no government if you want to actually develop that you go on debt. It's difficult. But the most important thing is, if you look at it, the prime minister of New Zealand, she said, has a good cabinet. But we are here in Nigeria where we are using favoritism, further character to choose people who are not even hoped to the tax. We don't have data to work with and there is a lot of mess. So if we want to beyond the generational change of power from what we currently see, because all these people are the same face we've been seeing over 30 years ago, they are not different. So we need generational change of power. Then we as an individual, we need to take responsibility and say we are ready beyond those candidates. All right, thank you very much, lady and gentlemen for your apt contribution. Raymond in Cannibi is nest after the break. Just do with us.