 It's still plus politics and we're being joined by Reverend Joseph Hyab, Reverend, can you hear me now? Good evening. Good evening. So, yes, looking at all of the points that the bishop has, you know, Mashed, he's talked about the young, you know, assessing their position that they're here taking over. He's talked about the fact that Nigerians are being suffocated by the current system and, of course, the current events in the country. I mean, you and I have sat here to talk about insecurity. We've talked about lack of good governance. Has anything really changed in recent months? Because yesterday I was talking to someone and the person was hoping that Mr. President will use the last few months that he has in office to effect some positive change. How do we get the President's attention on these matters that the bishop has spoken about? Let me begin by actually commanding Bishop Matthew Hasomoka for his first commitment and dedication in speaking out to power and saying things that mark us to the ordinary Nigerians. The truth about this is that virtually in every part of Nigeria, people are truly suffocated. People are in pain, those difficulties, things have really never changed. The challenge we have today is that, as I've always said, our leaders feel that they can govern us by rhetoric, we'll have died. You remember just last week, people came out, or people earlier this week, showing confines about the signing of the Electoral Bill and the kind of response we get from Presidents who do not even show that they care about the feelings of the bishop. But it needs for the youth to know that it is their time, not that they shall grow. We've heard about the young shall grow many years ago in Nigeria. Some of these leaders today were leaders even when they were in their prime age. But even in this food age, they still want to remain as their leaders. So what about the children they get back to? What about their grandchildren? What about the other young children? When will we give them opportunity? I'm not asking that leadership should be given completely to the young ones. Because I was about to ask, I was about to ask if the young people are ready. I begin to show their capability. Because I was going to ask that, how ready are young people? And I'm not in any way trying to say that the young people, that they're not young people who are ready for leadership. But then if we say today, let's take power and give it to all the young people, how ready are these young people to take the reins of power? When you look at the streets, go to many places, you will see young ladies who are doing excellent. Why should someone judge them? Because there is one young man who has made an arrow. The arrow of one young man is determined to complete 99% of other young people. So there are many young people in the area who have skills, who have leadership ability, who are actually showing that leadership in this small area of their healthcare place. Why don't we give them opportunity to go higher? You see, we are completely, even definitely the morale of young people, making it look as if if you're a young man, you cannot be anything, you cannot go to the discussion, you cannot go to every decision making. So we are not encouraging them to move on. The young people need to see deliberately that government is willing to give them space, government is giving them more and more opportunities so that they will come and show what is deposited in them. So I see them, many of them ready. The only thing is that they've never gotten the opportunity. So they were already frustrated with the opportunity to jump that they have applied more than 30, 50 cases and there is nothing. So sometimes, because of the position, you hear them saying things that if you don't understand where they are coming from, you may judge them wrongly. Some of them have actually gone to school, you know, they went through getting money to go to school, please, and after school, there is nothing to offer. So sometimes when you see them reacting, they are reacting to the situation. Give them the opportunity and you will see them excel because they are already doing it in many fields. If you are doing it, have we even called them to say, okay, since we are extending here, come and prove it in the nation, they are right, many of them are ready, they just need opportunity. But I'm also believing that we cannot say completely everything given to the young ones, but there will be a mix of young and old so that they will be learning through the process, growing through the process and becoming better. When you go out of the show of this country, you will see how young people are learning to take responsibility and become patriotic and independent and protect their country. Not necessarily with call. Why are we allowing our children to only go into your own? Talking about that, we are always very quick to put all our problems at the fit of the presidency or the president or the leader of the country. But then we failed to also push responsibilities on our local government chairman and our members of the State House of Assemblies, even the governors, we are always calling on the president, whether it be an Obasanjo or Yaradua or a Goodluck Jonathan, we are always calling on the president. We seem to forget that the governors are the ones who are saddled with the responsibility of making sure that lives are protected within the states, businesses thrive, the environment is very conducive for these businesses to thrive. And of course, I don't really think it's the job of governors or any government to give jobs to people, but of course create the environment for these jobs to thrive. So why are we not putting the same pressure we put on the president on our state governments? Because I see that all the time. Again... Well, let me leave you with the response to your question by saying that I live in Hyatt and Khan of Kaduna State, the organization I am representing. I don't think we share this idea of putting the blame on the presidency alone. We have told our governor several times where he is wrong and how he needs to adjust. We also tell local government where they are wrong and how they need to adjust. Just as we do tell the next president and his cabinet where they are wrong and where they need to adjust. But I want to also be honest to myself that many of the local government chairmen have leaders to offer because they've been kicked by their governors. The fact of all is that the little money, the grant that comes to them every month, if I go to them directly, it goes to one commissioner appointed by the governor. The commissioner just decide how much they are going to do. They will just come to the state house personally for buy-man or for procedures just for paper. But the real money is not with them. So sometimes we demand too much from them. You realize that their hands are tight. So I do know this alone about many local governments. And I know it's not only in Kaduna State in many local governments. Look, in many local governments in Nigeria. But you see, the governors have a responsibility and they are not leaving it, and they are not blaming the president. But we have, as Nigerians, we must ask to the governor questions to the president and questions to the local government chairmen because we do all elect all of them. So there is no one that is being asked. We are talking about security. You have to look at the president because he is the commander in chief of the embosses of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. When you look at the issue of construction of roads at state level, then you will talk about the governor and other things that he is supposed to do. When you look at certain employment and certain services in state hospitals or schools, you talk to the governor. When you talk to the local government, you look at the local government system and talk about primary school and primary healthcare. But you will also agree with me that even supermen who are always coming out to speak, they will be proud of this country. This country must not be made this way. We are proud of that too long. We cry that it was military regime. Now we are in a democracy. But this is even worse than a military dictatorship. Finally, before we go, Bishop Kuka made a point which is very, very important. She said whether we call it restructuring, rotation, zoning or whatever English name we want to give it, we know that something must happen. We need to disrupt this system because it is not working for the other 90% of many Nigerians. We need to bend the arc of justice for it to serve the people of Nigeria because we cannot continue like this without suffocating under the burden. Very interesting point. This is campaign season. We are hearing zoning. The zoning issue is being discussed every other day. The political parties are saying to zone or not to zone. We have heard restructuring for the past two years. It comes up before the campaign season, during campaigns and during elections. But then in reality, what do we need for our leaders and us, the people to do to make sure that the tide is turned for us? Because at the end of the day, we seem to be the grass that's suffering while the elephants are fighting in closing. I think we have been using so many terminologies in this country. And we just say the time where we don't ask in accordance with the time. That's why Peshawoka is saying that we must just do something. And what we need to do is number one, our leaders will begin to treat and act sincerely, speak and act sincerely. If we say we need restructuring, actually even campaign and talk about restructuring. Certainly when she came, there was nothing like restructuring. She even said to the committee about restructuring. The committee started talking about it. They were just buying time and wasting people's time, buying people's attention. But the reality is that they never intended. We talked about state police. I know that the game is still thrown. Another day the question will tell you that there's only one way that we will collapse the police. I think government is saying there is no sincerity. There's no commitment to doing it. But the reality is that Nigeria is not moving forward. So what can we do? Whether we call it whatever, can we do something to move this country forward? Can we do something to give the common man, the villager, the man who is not even in government to feel a sense of belonging to this country? Can we be clear and honest enough that leadership is not the background of just some selected people? You don't need to show the identity of your tribe or religion before you get certain privilege in Nigeria. You should get it by virtue of your qualification or you are better prepared than others. But we keep toying with people's minds and nothing is going. We favor our people. Nothing is moving. We suppress others. Nothing is moving. Can we be honest and treat Nigeria as a country that we love and we want to see things work for us? Well, Reverend Joseph, I have always a pleasure to have you here on the show. Thank you so much for speaking with us. Thank you for having me. All right. Well, thank you all for being part of the conversation tonight and that's it on Plus Politics. But before we go, oh, well, I'm going to be leaving you with what Nigerians have to say about the fourth year of Lea Sharibu's captivity. And of course, a lot of people had something to say about it. We're hoping that someday she will regain her freedom. I'm Mary-Anna Corn. Thank you for watching. Do have a good evening. That was how they were silenced during the Chibok and the Dabchi girls until we start seeing rescues and negotiations with the captors and the eventual release of the girls. But on Lea Sharibu, the silence has been loud enough and I believe it's time for them to do something about her. She's a young girl with a very bright and prospect. I believe the silence is not good enough. What I have to say generally about the issue of kidnap, especially the kidnap of minors, is the government should take it very seriously because it's a disgrace to our nation and the government of the day where minors are kidnapped and nothing is done about it and we go about our daily activities as safe, there is no problem. It's a big shame and I expect that the government should take this more seriously and go after the kidnappers and release these minors because we owe them a duty of protecting their lives. I say perhaps the reason is because she's not from any influential family. Because in our present society, there's a lot of segregation, there's a lot of unevenness, disparity and discrimination. There's this divide of the rich and the poor if you don't have influence, if you don't have connections, a lot of things that are basic will somehow become luxury. So the reason why the government, somehow complacent on our own issue is because he's not connected to any of them. As I'm talking to you now, the president cannot do anything for that to release such child.