 Democracy is defined as a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of the state, typically through electoral orientatives. A wise man broke this down even further, called it the government of the people, by the people and for the people. Why is it a very profound definition? What is most important in my view is the last part of that definition, a government for the people, to my mind. A government for the people means a government that has people at heart. As a matter of fact, it's generally believed that the government has three main functions. First, the protection of lives and properties of a citizenry. Second, enabling an environment for wealth, acquisition and distribution. And third, the pursuit of happiness, whatever that means to every individual within the ambits of their fundamental human rights, of course. That said, can we come in and say that we're in democracy in Nigeria? Let's start with security, protection of lives and property. Just last week, another container accident in Nigeria, Legua Lagos, Nigeria, killing nine passengers, nine souls lost. I say another because this is not the first incident in this same location. What about the countless cases of kidnappers and whole communities being ravaged in the northeast? Every Nigerian does not feel safe anymore. And the question remains, how many more lives need to be lost for enough to be enough? What about the economy? Is it just inflation or the recent currency change that has plunged many individuals and businesses into frustration? It's not enough to have money in the bank now. Now you must queue for hours at the cash machine or join a multitude of more first-time customers inside the banking house to get that money out. Should we talk about fuel? The first three months of scarcity with price hikes and kills all over Nigeria. Let's go back to democracy again for a second. The government of the people, by the people, and for the people, became the top five global economies by GDP, the United States, China, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Of all these countries, only one or two of them are actual democracies, meaning they are not necessarily elected leaders, but the leaders and the governments they have. They think about the people and they put the people at heart. I help advocate that Nigeria finds and defines a democracy that works for the people. That is a government that works for the people. We have a government. It was elected, the government was elected by us, the people. But they don't send us the people. That's it. So which now goes to the definition of the government? Let me go to the economy there. And look at your line of thought. The government was elected by the people, and not for the people. But the truth is, the government that I elected actually did business with the people and have completed their business on the election day because some people got paid to give them the votes. And now they have to pay back those money at their own interest rates, at their own preferred time. So it is about them. And that is where the issue of cover has come in. I think far beyond the democracy, as a people, what are the ideologies? The party we are talking about, can we say categorically, the PDB, is it APC, is it any of those parties registered in Nigeria? What ideology do they present outside their individual interests? That is where the problem is. With the A-light, I was the company at the back door. How many of us are actually engaged at the local level, holy units, what level, to educate those vulnerable people who do not know the difference between A and B? But only answers to money, because it's difficult for them to even have 30 square minutes in a day. And when they have someone, we give them the opportunity to have five square minutes with just a few minutes, the key in. So these are things we should be asking ourselves before we start condemning government. I think we should condemn ourselves for not doing enough to get things right as it used to be. It is expected to be right. Let me just quickly ask you one question. Whose work is it to educate the people? Is it my job or the government's job? That's just the only question that I have. Whose job is it to educate the community? The community leaders. We don't need, what is government? Government has different names, but the community is out of stock of the community leaders. No, government is on the bottom. So who's saying, I mean, I understand what you're saying. So I understand that, you know, governance, as a matter of fact, is elections that are grassroots, that require grassroots strategy. Government itself is never bottom up. It's always top bottom. So for instance, a community that wants to do something that feels like it's great, if it's not constitutionally acceptable, it's on its own. If it doesn't have the wealth with it, if it doesn't have the funds, the people, the required elements and machinery to do what he wants to do, he can't do it. So government is always top bottom. It's never bottom up. However, so it's important that we understand. So is that a question of blaming government? Let me tell you exactly what the problem is. It's a systemic problem. See, I did some work with some people that gave me some exposure to how government works over the past couple of years. I assure you, there's actually structures and systems in place that were designed for the people to benefit. The problem is the people that manage these structures. For instance, that community that you're talking about, many of them are selfish. I mean, and it's not all, it's not only, so you talk about, oh, people were elected and they got in because somebody gave them money. Some people were not elected. Some people were appointed. They didn't spend any money. Commissioners are not elected. They are appointed. Ministers are not elected. They are appointed. So at what points do we now take responsibility for what you've been given? The responsibility, I mean, the position that you hold. The problem is service. We don't realize that leadership is service and service from the word servant. You are here to serve. The problem is we have put the thing upside down. So the person that's supposed to serve is being served. So it's an upside down thinking to say that, oh, the government in itself is systemically dysfunctional. And that's where you start from. Once a system is problematic, you put the people, we've had some of the best minds to be commissioners and ministers in Nigeria. Why didn't they work? If you want to look at the government, it's even not the elected government. The most corrupt sector, as we speak today, is the civil service and a little of the public service. Because it is the civil service that will actually educate and enlighten the public servants how they can steal. They are the one not making things work. And they are not elected. They are actually paid staff who will go steady. I know you will understand what I'm saying. And for us to wave forward is to please try to educate ourselves from bottom up, which is not expected to be. But this is how we have to get out of this mess. Okay, I think for me, my thoughts on this would be that I truly would just say that indeed for Nigeria at this point in time, it is indeed an SOS or gently need a government for the people. Because without any gains saying or any doubt about it, governance in Nigeria needs to be looked at, restructured or redefined. Because somehow we cannot have the kind of situation and the crisis that we have going on now. And we say that, oh yeah. So I would like to agree with you that, what is democracy as we are practicing it? What exactly is it that we need? Nigeria may need to actually define and understand what their own level of democracy is going to be and how it's going to work best for them. Because something, somewhere in the system seems to be broken. And maybe that's why I could say, look, at this point in time while we're still defining it, please let's find strength, let's get financial literacy and then maybe try to find access to the redesigned Naira that is somewhere roaming in the streets of Nigeria. Anyway, hidden. Very hidden, I would like to find it. So both old laws and new laws are hidden? I think some things are hidden somewhere and then your ATM cards are also hidden. Your ATM cards are also hidden and your transfers are hanging. So somewhere, please, let's be strengthened because Nigeria may not happen to us. Anyway, the end always seems to come too soon on the advocate. However, the advocacy continues on our social media platforms on Facebook, plus TV Africa, hashtag the advocate NG, or on Twitter and Instagram, and plus TV Africa, the hashtag the advocate NG. To catch up a previous broadcast, go to plusTVAfrica.com forward slash the advocate NG. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel plus TV Africa. Till next week, same time on this station, let's keep advocating for a better society. Bye.