 Pulling Nigeria from the brink. The great consensus and nationalistic feeling in the country today is that Nigeria is on the brink and at the risk of a kilometer four. Whereas you survive depends on who you ask. The above was recently put in context by Mr. John Campbell and Robert Rodberg in their AC entitled, The Giant of Africa is Falling, where they argued quite convincingly that Nigeria has joined the growing number of failed states in the world and run the risk of morphine into a collapsed state in the absence of an ingenious effort in statescraft. Campbell and Rodberg's AC, however, was only a reality check for millions of Nigerians who have lived through these deleterious reality in recent years. Indeed, if a nation's first obligation to its citizens is to provide for the security and maintain a monopoly on the use of violence, then Nigeria has failed, as opposites is the state of the country today. At no time in our history, particularly for people of my generation, did we have it this bad. From the east to the north and from the south to the west, Nigeria battles for its soul under the weight of the hydra-headed monster of insecurity, economic decline, corruption, and a growing threat to her territorial sovereignty. The fallout is that many Nigerians have suddenly lost confidence and hope in the idea of the Nigerian state as a place where their dreams and aspirations can come to fruition. The famous or infamous Plan B, an escapist alternative, which leaves the country at the risk of brain drain, is unfortunately now the option of choice for a disillusioned citizenry. Efforts to restructure the country through concession review is received with skepticism and suspicion. For many, the solution of the marriage of 1914 along ethnic through regional lines has become fashionable. Whether that is the enduring solution would however remain an endless debate. But what is clear to me is that Nigeria's problem is essentially one of poor leadership. In the 60 years of our independence, we have watched the great potential and prospect of the young Nigerian state frittered away. Yet, Nigeria can still be saved and pulled from the brink through a people-led reconstruction effort. For that hope to be lived however, our collective effort as citizens, whether as leaders or followers, cannot be overemphasized. In an atmosphere of ethnic discrimination and mutual suspicion in a multi-ethnic republic, little or no consensus can be forged upon which a strong nation can be erected. Rwandans have shown a great example of how a people can rise from the crucible to build a strong nation that inspires hope, pride, and patriotism in its peoples. I believe Nigeria can also re-enact the Rwandan example. All it takes is for the people and their government to come together in the belief that their country can work again. This would no doubt require a dynamic, pragmatic, and emotionally intelligent leadership which the next Nigerian president must possess as when the country survives until the next election. Happily, Nigeria and Nigerians are famous for their resilience and ability to rise from the ashes at particularly turbulent times. I believe we can draw from this world of resilience to believe that we will bounce back again. Yet, we do not have all the time in the world. Nigeria will be great again. Where is Buwari? Can Tinubu do something? How long are we going to be at this stage? Is heart breaking? When you see someone you love, when somebody that is basically, you look at yourself and I'm like, am I going to go in anywhere? Am I going to get better than this? I was telling my professor that I don't think we are going to get any better than this. I think we're actually stuck here because I don't see the light. I don't see the way out. I don't see any difference that is going to happen because everything is falling apart. Nobody's doing anything. And God help us. Are we going to continue like this? You know, it's very beautiful to talk about resilience and all of that. But I think it's somewhat an indictment on the mental well-being of people. At a point in time, which expires, right? All right. It expires now. So one, you know, the cry of the average Nigerian is not out of reach. We don't want it yet. Just the basic things. And you know, one can keep, I'm a social, I'm a development consultant. So in my work, we try to empower people to, you know, stand, give you the tools you need to have to create a good life for yourself. But the truth is, there is some overriding and overarching responsibility that political leadership has to ensure, you know, to create wealth, it sounds like a cliche, but an enabling environment for people to thrive, particularly young people. So a lot of times, and you know, the example you gave in Rwanda, I was at a conference about three years ago in Egypt. I met the minister of youth affairs in Rwanda. As a matter of fact, that conference was for young people to my great shock, Nigerian delegates, the oldest in age. Yeah, they are now visiting at the back. Then small time, they will not leave the place and go back to your talk to go and see. They let the youth at home. It makes you wonder and ask, like you keep asking. Let us call out to you, you know. Let us call out to you, you know, Ansabi. Let's call out to you. He wants to come back and be president now. No, no, no, no. Until, let us back to him now, so that he will hear. I think we need to be careful in, you know, the things we say. A lot of things are said on that speculation. Typically, it's a private citizen. And until he comes out to say, I mean, he's well within his rights. Of course, but who wants to be here? We need to come. But, you know, we... All right. Technically, you should do. I think what Egeme is saying is that these are principal people who played a role in how we got here. And yes, he's a private citizen and all that, but he's an elder statesman. He's the, you know, icon of the party and the country is gradually descending into whatever it is. And so calling out these people is, look, you were there, you helped us get here. Come out, what do we need to do to come back from where we are going? Because it's, we are really, really descending into anarchy. I mean, I hear of people being at home and people knocking on their doors and taking people, grown men, you know, from their families. Call them by their names. Come out and say something. Come out and help. And we're not bringing him back to money. He's been taken. It's every single day, people are pushing. People are saying that there's no punishment for any crime anymore. And so everybody is going into one form of crime or the other as a bit to get by. Probably it's actually, you even mentioned the mental health. Maybe that's the way the person feels that I need to exert my own anger and all that. And I feel bad that we sound like a broken record on there. I mean, you can say, I think I have this particular talking in various forms. Every other week that we come here and we still say the same thing. It's my problem is the sense of helplessness and hopelessness. I completely have never been able to say I want a second passport, never. But I am so much under pressure honestly to do for a second passport because I can't see, I really can't see where we're going to. 2023 is already up in arms. We're already seeing what's going on in 2020, 2021. So I'm wondering that all the political machinations are on and not even being played out for the good of the country. It's not as if what is being calculated right now is how in 2023, do we help Nigeria to get to Nigeria? My point exactly, Comfort, that is why I am saying, Tinubu, can you hear us? We want Nigeria to develop. As you're coming in with whatever dream of country wants, any presidential candidate that wants to come in 2020 should know what we want. We want him to work on security. We want requesting for roads to be things of the past. Electricity, we see we must make our demands known. Like Comfort has said, we've been coming here. We've been singing the same songs but there's only so much Comfort, Olaemi Kemka and advocacy can do. Let us call the power brokers. Let us tell them exactly what we want. When I was coming here, I said to myself, if I could see Tinubu or if I could see Buddy George, if I could sit in a room with APC and PDP, they are the powers that be, I know. If I want any change in this country, I must get these two people to actually do something to make the change. I would tell them, see, we know you are going to be the next president, either APC or PDP. But what we want from you is a deputy, a vice president that is below the age of 60. If you can even manage below 50, we'll give it to him. Then we want our ministers too to be younger. We can actually state these things and that is what I think advocacy can do. The advocate can do. We can state clearly what we want from these powers that be. I usually agree with you, but the thing is this, I don't think we've not gotten to the politicking of 2023 yet, officially, at least officially, you understand. So for now, I think focusing on the subject of what we're actually discussing, what actually strikes me about Campbell and Rodberg's essay is actually a confirmation of a prediction of a study that was made 15 years ago by the United States Council of Intelligence where they said that in the next 15 years that Nigeria was going to collapse. This was a story conducted in 2005. So it's so, I don't know if it's so coincidental, I don't know, but 2020, 2021, we're actually living that reality. So that means they have looked at certain indicators. Of course, you can follow the breadcrumbs and tell, it's not rocket science, I mean, because the pulse of the people at any given time. And don't forget, society is built to deteriorate. And that's why we put machinery in place to maintain. All right, so that it doesn't get to the worst possible state it can be. But our country is like a truck on autopilot without a driver and without brakes. So, and I'm not particularly pointing fingers at the individuals in government. Yes, they have a role to play. As a matter of fact, we entrusted our destinies in their hands the day we gave them the mandate to sit in the house or sit in the executive or to take up a point of positions. But the truth is, and it really, it's a very unhappy phenomenon that we keep trying to draw this responsibility back to the people and say, oh, it's not just government, it's the people. A child does not raise themselves. You need parents in a home to oversee the day to day of bringing of a child. When we have a government that works, then every empowerment you give to the people, you will see, you know, the fruits of it. So it really is... Raymond, can I just pick up on something you said? You said it's not the season for politics, but you see, that's what has also been killing us. We keep saying it's not the season. Meanwhile, the politicians and the people who want this power more than me and you are already doing it. They're way ahead of us. It's on board or not. So for me, I think every opportunity that we have... No, let's tell them what we want. If you want to pull Nigeria from the bridge, this is what we want. If you pull Nigeria from the bridge, it's talking to these people, sounding it out at any given point in time. If you do the same, it's not just for me. Reading what John Campbell said 15 years ago, we have it now, we have the situation now. And we're going to 2023. In fact, in the next year, they're going to start talking about the people who are going to come and sit on this seat. So it's now that we make our demands. This is not the time to advocate. And you hear me saying... You hear me saying, FPC, PDP, they really want to win. Let's not deceive ourselves. Let's speak in our reality. FPC or PDP would win. Presidents, they come 2023. But now, since we know that this is what we... That could very well be a total disaster. Until then, I'll be here. Well, it's true, but I'll be here. Now, on that premise that we know that it's either going to be APC or PDP, what do we want from these people? Let's speak up now. Let's say it loud and clear now. Let's amass the tools that we have. Social media, young people, the black streets of Twitter. Let's say it every day. Let the advocates stand here and say, okay, the next presidential, this is what we want. The next vice-president, this is what we want. The next set of ministers, this is what we want. We have to keep saying it loud and clear. That's the only way we can possibly... For us too to also participate. Right, correct. That's exactly the point. Because we can also be a part of that process. Because you see, political power is never given. It is always taken. So young people have to come up. Now, the truth is, politics is, you know, it's a game of time and chance. Now, am I sit where I am? I have everything it takes to be a senator. But I'm saying to myself, if I come out now, I won't win. No, come out first. Get into the ring, contest. Do what needs to be done. At the right time, you just may find yourself. Come out now. Indeed, society's challenges are never ending. Hence, they need to keep advocating in our private spaces with the hope that it all collapses into improved humanity existence. Join us again next week on another edition of The Advocate. The advocacy continues on our social media platforms on Facebook plus TV Africa. Hashtag The Advocate NG or on Twitter and Instagram at plus TV Africa. Hashtag The Advocate NG. To catch up with previous broadcasts, go to plus TV Africa dot com four slash The Advocate NG. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel plus TV Africa. Let's keep advocating for a better society. Bye for now.