 7 steps to building a nation. Nigeria is a great nation and I dare say Happy Independence Day, Nigeria. Nigeria is 62 and yes, it is normal to wish Nigeria a happy Independence Day. Those who benefited from the days, the heydays of this great nation, Nigeria, celebrate the existence of this nation. Others, however, particularly the meninials, have very little interest in identifying with Nigeria. Many of the developed nations we run to now were nothing at 62. Many were struggling with identity crisis, many of them had no footing on anything yet. Many had more unrest than we do, but is that a good enough excuse for Nigeria to be at this date at 62? Unlike many of these countries, Nigeria started right as an economic powerhouse. Cocoa farms, ground up pyramids, planting plantations and many more achievements and, you know, fits in that area. We had the first TV station in Africa and I dare say one of the first in the world. There have been reports that our western Nigeria television, which would later become NTA, started way ahead of that of France. But at some point we plummeted. It felt like the economic or development grounds caved in on us. We sunk so deep that we only keep hoping for recovery. We are at a place we could call abyss, dumbfounded, unsure of the next step to take. We clock a new year every 1st October and the country only seems to exist and not live. But how did we get here? We talk about how bad our leaders are, a selfish lot that only care about themselves and families. We talk about how we don't have access to our resources because the federal government owns them all. But we hardly ever talk about our intrinsic selfish traits and unhealthy competitive spirits which has brought us this far. Nigeria was a major agricultural nation, largely driven by state or regional governments, not the federal government. Each region had a specialty. With oil came the love of money. But this trait meant nothing, as much as everybody had a share of the roots, who were a nation, a society, all for one, one for all. But gradually this dwindled. And like the Bible says, there came a king who knew not Joseph. With that the woes of the Israelites began. As we celebrate our independence of 62 years, it is important to note that our leaders have been our problems for a long time. And they will continue to be our problem. I wouldn't say amen to that. Boris Johnson was made to step down. Donald Trump was not re-elected and we can talk about the system. That is what we ascribe this success is to. But I have to tell you, these countries did not build systems. They built people. These are countries where a brother will report a sibling for murder and the family will not call him a traitor. Ah, you went to report your brother, you're a bad person. These are countries where you do openly abuse the system. Not because the system is watching, but because your neighbors are. Now, before I continue, let me tell you a story about a friend that relocated to the UK. And we're having a chat and he said, my daughter, I have to take the daughter to school. Then I asked him, why don't you let the daughter go to school alone? He said, well, the daughter can go to school alone, but it's against the law. And one of these nosy neighbors, if he sees your daughter walking without help, will call on the authorities and you will be charged. We're succeeding in building a selfish generation where Yawubois are celebrated, slave queens are brand ambassadors, and being locked up in a house with other people could end you an endorsement of a lifetime. I need to visit that house. For an average Nigerian, it's all about me and not us. We're failing as a people. Rather than accept our failures, we give reasons for our failures. Many people disregard the importance of God in building a nation, saying you are over-religious. And I dare say I agree with you. But together, let us read the second stanza of our national anthem. O God of creation, direct our noble cause, guide our leaders right, help our youth the truth to know, in love and honesty to grow, and living just and true. Great lofty heights attain to build a nation where peace and justice shall reign. You do not need to take it as a prayer. You know, not a prayer request from the God Almighty. Just take it as the seven steps needed to build a nation. Reduce your complaints. Take a step. Identify the challenges within your area and correct it in your own little way. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria and happy independence to this great nation. Lovely, lovely, lovely. You see, one way I would want to come in is, when you look at the likes of America, you talk about the religion, and you say you want to pray. You see, an average American would say God bless America, because he believes once God blesses the country, he or she will be blessed. And they don't ask what does the government have for us. They know God may have the responsibility to build a system. What can I do to make sure I have my own impact in the country? It is more like not about selfishness. It's about patriotism, meaning that if I do something and I know it is right, I will have a legacy that people will celebrate tomorrow. So it's about little drop, he said, makes an ocean. So if I do my little, not expecting, by the time it garages together, it becomes something big. Not expecting because, you know by the day you will say this, that you can actually pant here for 10 people, right? But 10 people cannot pant here for you to eat. For you to eat. That's it. So if you are asking, so what the situation we are here in Nigeria today is individual, the government, or entities or whatever name you give them, right? They are asking us to pant here for them, 10 of us to pant here for one person, even if they cannot eat it. You see cases of senators die in their house, you see rotten dollars, rotten mirror. It's like everybody just pant here, I will hit it alone, even if they cannot swallow it. That's selfishness. Instead of us thinking that we have a process, actually we also need self-awareness. Because we call there are processes that we are not aware of. I'll give an example. There are issues between Kogi State election of Senator Dino Malai and there are gorges. What happened? The governor tried to influence some individuals to say, do a recall. And a recall process came. Did you understand? Dino also observed that this is a system that people are not aware of. Let me talk to my people and do the needful. And the recall process was not actually successful. But that is a power. Meaning that we have power. We don't use. Thank you very much. You understand? If we want a better country, we need to start thinking of what are the little things I need to contribute. I know Nigerians today, aside the fact that government are lacking in their responsibilities, and a lot of sectors need to be complete overall. But Nigerians are, if I'm not mistaken, 80% to 90% depending on government for everything. Nigerians want PT. They want everybody to PT that I do this government to PT me, the next person to PT me. Like, take for example, the example you use. He said, there is a law that you cannot allow a child to. Of a particular age? In Nigeria, they will feel like, PT this woman now. She will work for him. She has to go to work and all those kind of things. Leave the government. Let this person go. Meanwhile, we are fighting the system that is expected to protect us. So I think we need to live above that, above PT. There are so many things we need to do. So I want to look like a talkative. Let's bring in comfort. Again, on this podium, on this stage, sounding like Brooklyn records. Be nice, it's Nigeria independence. Wow. I am being nice. You can hear my voice is gone. There's nothing new that we are all going to say. There's nothing that you said that, we've not spoken about in church, on this street, in our workplaces, in our social circles. We've said this, we need to do this. But the truth is the attitude remains the same, whether of defeat, frustration, or if you can't beat them, just join them. And let's keep on going. It is well. I can't stand that line. It is well. And we keep at it. For how long? What gets to me is, when are we going to translate it? When are we actually going to have cohesion in bringing it to light and we genuinely believe this. I'm going to make the sacrifice. I'm going to carry other people along with me to see if we can all make the sacrifice. And one step at a time, see that this country gets better. We have been... We have been at the receiving end for so long. I think we are abused as a people. And you know how your, the victim loves the abuser, like Stockholm Syndrome. It looks as if that's what it is. I mean, we just, every day, we just keep thriving through it. A great nation. I don't know. I really don't know. Can we get there? I don't know. But one thing I want, that gives me hope sometimes is remembering Gandhi. That one man, one man's resolution is to change the face of the nation. Who is going to be that one man or one woman? Vote me into power. Vote me into office. But you see, I don't know. I don't know maybe you also participated in it. You say what? I don't know maybe you participated. Am I what? Did you buy tickets? No, I didn't contribute for me. So I couldn't get my tickets. So I think our ability to take responsibility is another thing. I give you an example of the leaky target issues. At the point, the government says, nominate four man committee, represent these, so that you come ahead to say, this is what we say. This is what we want. But do you know it was difficult? It was difficult because a lot of people were afraid of taking responsibility. They said the government is going to execute them, the government is going to do the government. So if we really want the true independence, even those that did the nationalists at that time, they were ready to put their life on the line and say, yes, if government is going to do this, I am volunteering. Let me say number one thing, I'm the first person. Let me say another three people and say, if I'm going to die for this cause, even if I'm not going to be remembered in this year. So that is the point. At least you have made a statement and one day posterity will have it that this issue went this way and so people make certain sacrifices. And in addition to what you are saying, we are very populists in our views. A lot of us sing the song that people are singing. I'll give you an example. Because there is this followership for, we are saying in Peter Obi. You see some people endorsing Peter Obi and I'm asking, why didn't you endorse him one year ago? Are you endorsing him because you believe in him or because you believe this is where the people are going? We want to do things because we believe this is what the people like, not necessarily this is what we want. In my view, changing Nigeria, a lot of people have compared Nigeria to Rwanda and stuff. It cannot happen. That cannot change, cannot happen. And it's very simple. Number one, you need to understand the structure of each country. Number two, you need to understand the demography, I mean the cultural views of the people. Nigerians are very aggressive. That's why a lot of times when we go to all these African countries, they have challenges with us. We are very imposing. Today or yesterday or so, during the week I went to the Nigeria UK, the Nigeria Commission UK website. And the first thing I saw was an information box that came up saying that Nigerians should stop coming to the embassy on public holidays, on statutory holidays for the UK and Nigeria. Because those days they should expect that the embassy will be closed. But Nigerians go there and they will insist and tell you, this is our embassy, open up. That will not happen in many African countries. We learn to respect. So changing Nigeria as a wrap-up is all about changing it from one local government to the other. If you don't do that, we're not moving forward. Up next is Comfort Booth. Stay tuned.