Metro
A Little Sleep, a Little Slumber: Much Sleep Equals Death!
By Tolulope A. Adegoke
“Time sees everyone, yet concentrates on nobody… It is too busy for that! It is a trend that is always willing to give its best to those that are ready and willing to sacrifice their very best for a proper investment.” Tolulope A. Adegoke
Time is the most indispensable currency for exploitation if invested wisely!
Time is cheap, yet expensive! Time is light, yet heavy and loaded with events (Naturally-Spiritual and Artificial-Physical).
Time can be spent or invested in! Time can be handled and managed by effective planning, programming and wise steps/actions for undeniable and reliable results.
Time is no respecter of people; it does not stop for a while for any reason or person(s). It is not controlled by man, but by God Almighty, the Creator of the Creator of all things!
Time does not cheat! It works its way through from its beginning to that which is called its end (REVELATION).
Time sees everyone, yet concentrates on nobody… It is too busy for that! It is a trend that is always willing to give its best to those ready and willing to sacrifice their best for a proper investment.
Time expires… It evolves into phases!
Time is beyond the physical senses of MAN; it is beyond the tools (seconds, minutes and hours) that make up the clock to read its trends and moves! It is life… It goes on and on… It can not be measured but can only be maximized by investing in steady
Meditation is serenity for its revelations and illuminations of ideas and creativity at the speed of shock!
Time shocks man, but not God! Time is a ‘fact’ that is very direct! It works without patience… It is steady and consistent; slackers and the ignorant despise it!
The enemy of time is PLEASURE, which generates PROCRASTINATION! Pleasure abuses its (time) schedules and duties in the creations and manifestations of purpose from IDEALISM into REALISM.
Time flies! It never gives up! It has wings! Time is never tired! It does not wait to be motivated!
Time heals us if it is acknowledged and referred to by God Almighty! Only God Almighty can restore time, because time cannot restore itself.
Time has no friend or foe; it only relates to and works for those who seclude themselves in SERENITY to ponder facts and meditate for reasons in order to become the REASON for the SEASON (Time).
“Time and chance happen to them all (Ecclesiastes 9:11).” Time is for everyone and no one in particular!
Time speaks and its voices echo! Its impacts are daily! Time is always trending in all mediums of communication; it cannot be caged; it cannot be saved; it can only be maximized through wisdom, knowledge, and understanding and their applicability.
True, “time” exists for everything, but it is always ready and available for everything, right? Everything must be done, adopted, implemented, executed, and realized on time, time, time, time.
Time is always positive… Only man’s actions corrupt/pollute it! Time is light, it illuminates, it reveals and exposes the deeds of men.
Light is eternal life; everyone is a candlestick. Your impact lights each candlestick that represents each life.
Time is deeper and sharper than a sword! Every word spoken at the time is WORK (i.e. IMPACT!)
It’s time to get moving…It does not sleep, it does not wait, so why wait till tomorrow before you do that which is right? Why wait till tomorrow before you light up another candlestick around you to lighten up/illumine the world? Why wait till tomorrow before you love, before you invest?
You do not know a true investment until you learn about an investment. Time is always NOW! It is always TODAY, it is clockwise and always today for the right CAUSE… But only the deeds of men pollute it!
Make today right, make it count and worthwhile for a better tomorrow! Time is always productive! Always ready to support everyone’s efforts!
Time is always prepared today to give you a better tomorrow! Time is invaluable… It is one of the greatest assets given to mankind.
Time respects ideas, thoughts, and reasoning, as well as, most importantly, its own full actualizations.
Time worked and produced YESTERDAY! Time works TODAY to produce a grand and brand new day called TOMORROW!
Time is official and must be guarded and maximized with care and responsiveness and respect! “Make hay while the sun shines!” Indolence is foolishness! No food for a lazy man.
“Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, because her lack of a captain or ruler provides her with supplies during the summer.
“How long will you slumber, oh sluggard?” she asked as she gathered her harvest.
“A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep,
So, as a traveler, do you suffer from poverty?
“And you want a man who is armed?”(KJV Proverbs 24:33)
It takes the value of wisdom to enjoy the trends of TIME. Time is the principal raw material needed in the factory of ideas. Ideas are only answered by those who have “time” for them.
Without setting “time” apart for a reason (think), your rise is not in view! Time is where it all begins! Time is therefore of the utmost essence in the school of ideas!
Act Now! Every move you make moves you! For every action, there is a REACTION! Time will show you all of your efforts and rewards.
Time has targets… Its focus is always on TODAY for TOMORROW (the future). The certainty of a better tomorrow is determined by a well-planned and structured today!
“Time is therefore an asset of universal equality.” Most importantly, time is equal! It all depends on how much money you invest or spend on it.
Time is always available for everyone’s efforts, but only God rewards all accordingly (Paul plants, Apollo waters, but only God gives the blessings) with the blessings of man’s deeds! Time records the deeds of men, be they good or evil… God rewards all accordingly!
Time is specific to goals and facts! Time is always deliberate, depending on how smart you play your cards (work) and how prayerful you are.
The more time you devote to reasoning, the more insight you will gain and the better the results you will achieve. The mobile phones you carry with you, for example, frequently work against you. When an idea is coming, it rings and by the time you finish answering the call, the idea has flown away.
Time is an invaluable asset. Unfortunately, most people are abusers of time. We, therefore, must redeem our time from pollution (cultural bastardization, tradition and unrelated issues) by scrambling for our “time” during business/thinking hours.
Every ‘time’ INVESTOR eventually becomes an INVENTOR.
Life is all about timing! Time is life… Life goes on and on; only the life of man is short! Time is infinite, but its moments expire and evolve into phases and realms in the real cycle of life. Therefore, maximize your time judiciously!
Learn, Apply & Share.
Thank You!
Watch out for the Book titled: “The Power of an Empowered Zero” (From Zero to HERO) by Tolulope A. Adegoke. Foreword by Dr Yomi Garnett (CEO/Chancellor, Royal Biographical Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.S.A., U.K., Abuja, Nigeria.) Edited by Ola Aboderin.
Leading communications network, Globacom, has registered another milestone with its ongoing investment in its people as the SheGlows Summit 2025 convened women from every division at the Alliance Française, Mike Adenuga Centre, Lagos.
This year’s theme, “Wellness for Growth,” underscored a simple truth: wellbeing is not separate from performance-it powers it.
From Mrs Olubunmi Aboderin Talabi’s reflections on rest, to Bunmi George’s insights on consistency, and Ifeoma Williams’s masterclass on confidence, every session linked personal wellness to leadership readiness.
The summit’s success mirrored Globacom’s broader commitment to a management culture that continually fosters spaces where women can learn, lead, and lift others.
While the spotlight shone on the female workforce, the quiet endorsement from senior leadership made clear that this vision starts at the top and ripples throughout the organisation.
Participants left with renewed clarity and community spirit, a testament that when companies nurture wellness, they unlock growth that lasts.
They lauded the experience as inspiring and transformative. Ifeyinwa Okoli, Team Lead, Customer Care, said, “The event was beyond my expectations; each speaker delivered her message beautifully, and I’ve taken so much home.”
Esther Ohiomoba from Enterprise Business added, “It touched my core. My biggest takeaway is to let my brilliance serve, not intimidate. I’d love to do this again and again.”
By Tolulope A. Adegoke, PhD
“Leadership is the sacred stewardship of the groan—the courage to lean into the tension of today to midwife the glory of tomorrow for people, corporations, and nations” – Tolulope A. Adegoke, PhD
Introduction: The Universal Sound of Growth
If you have ever led anything—a team, a project, a family, a company, or even a personal dream—you are intimately familiar with the sound. It is not a scream of terror, nor a shout of victory. It is something deeper, more primordial. It is the groan.
It is the late-night sigh over a spreadsheet that refuses to balance. It is the fervent debate in a boardroom about a risky new direction. It is the quiet frustration of a community leader facing systemic injustice. It is the personal cost of upholding integrity when compromise would be easier.
For too long, we have mislabeled this groan as failure, burnout, or a sign to quit. But what if we have it all wrong? What if the groan is not the signal of an ending, but the essential, non-negotiable birth pang of a new beginning?
This profound leadership pattern is revealed in the ancient text of Romans 8:18: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
This passage reframes our struggle. The “groan” is the present suffering; the “glory” is the future revealed. The space between them is where true leadership lives. This is not a passive hope, but an active, gritty, and strategic journey of midwifing possibility into reality for people, corporations, and nations—all as an act of stewardship to God Almighty.
Part 1: Deconstructing “The Groan” – The Leadership Crucible
The groan is the pressure that forms the pearl. It is the tension between vision and current reality. For a leader, ignoring the groan is negligence; understanding it is wisdom; and navigating it is mastery.
A. The Personal Groan: The Weight of the Self
Before we lead others, we must lead ourselves, and this is where the first groans are heard.
· The Groan of Discipline: The 5 a.m. alarm to invest in personal development when comfort beckons.
· The Groan of Failure: The sting of a missed opportunity or a flawed decision that becomes the crucible of resilience.
· The Groan of Loneliness: The burden of confidential decisions that cannot be shared, borne alone in the quiet of one’s office.
· The Glory: This personal groan forges character, wisdom, and resilience. The leader emerges not just smarter, but wiser; not just skilled, but grounded. They become a source of stability for others because they have been refined in their own fire.
B. The Organizational Groan: The Birth Pangs of Innovation
Corporations and institutions do not transform through comfort. They evolve through necessary, and often painful, strain.
· The Groan of Innovation: The financial drain and uncertainty of R&D, where countless ideas die so that one might change the world.
· The Groan of Restructuring: The difficult, people-centric process of dismantling outdated systems to build more agile, future-proof models.
· The Groan of Cultural Shift: The exhausting, long-term work of rooting out toxicity and fostering a culture of trust, accountability, and empowerment.
· The Glory: This organizational groan yields market leadership, sustainable profitability, and a legacy brand. The company transitions from being a mere participant in the market to a shaper of it, creating products and cultures that define excellence.
C. The Societal Groan: The Labor Pains of a Nation
The most complex groans are those of nations and communities. They are collective, historic, and deeply felt.
· The Groan of Justice: The relentless, multi-generational struggle against corruption, inequality, and systemic oppression.
· The Groan of Reform: The short-term political and economic pain endured for long-term national benefit—be it in education, infrastructure, or economic policy.
· The Groan of Unity: The challenging work of forging a common identity and shared purpose out of diverse, and often divided, peoples.
· The Glory: This societal groan builds prosperous, just, and stable nations. It results in a legacy of peace, a high quality of life, and a society where human potential can flourish for generations to come.
Part 2: The Global Landscape: Groans Heard Around the World
This “Groan to Glory” framework is not theoretical; it is actively unfolding on the global stage.
· Local Context (Example: A Community Leader): A small-town mayor groans under the weight of a dying main street and youth exodus. The “glory” is not achieved by a single grant, but through the grueling work of rallying local businesses, attracting new investment, and revitalizing community pride—a glory seen in a thriving, vibrant town a decade later.
· Corporate Context (Example: The Tech Industry): The entire tech sector is in a prolonged “groan” over ethical AI. The tension between breakneck innovation and societal safety is immense. The “glory” will belong to the leaders and corporations who navigate this groan successfully, establishing a new paradigm for responsible and transformative technology.
· Global Context (Example: The Energy Transition): Nations worldwide are groaning through the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. This involves economic disruption, geopolitical shifts, and technological hurdles. The “glory” will be a sustainable planet, energy independence, and new frontiers of economic opportunity for those nations that lead the way.
Part 3: The Leader as a Midwife of Glory: A Sacred Stewardship
Our role as leaders in every sector is not to avoid the groan, but to lean into it with purpose and perspective. We are, in the most sacred sense, midwives of possibilities.
Our core function is to “deliver possibilities.” This means:
1. Seeing the Potential: Visioneering the “glory” hidden within the present struggle.
2. Creating the Space: Building cultures and systems where the groan is acknowledged as part of the process, not a sign of failure.
3. Providing the Resources: Equipping our people and our organizations with the tools, trust, and time to persevere.
4. Guiding the Process: Steering the tension with wisdom, making the tough calls, and protecting the vision from short-sighted compromises.
And all of this is “to the glory of God Almighty.”
This is the ultimate “Why” that redefines success. When we lead with this mindset:
· Our ambition is purified. Success is no longer about our ego but about our stewardship. The thriving corporation becomes a testament to God’s principles of order, creativity, and excellence.
· Our endurance is fortified. Knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58) provides a resilience that worldly motivation cannot match.
· Our legacy is eternal. The “glory” we help reveal—a transformed life, a righteous organization, and a flourishing nation—becomes part of a story far bigger than our own.
Conclusion: Embracing the Sacred Tension
The journey from groan to glory is not a straight line. It is a cycle, a spiral of continuous growth and challenge. The glory of one achievement simply reveals the next horizon, and with it, a new, necessary groan.
Do not despise the groan. Do not fear it. Name it. Honor it. Lead through it.
For it is in this sacred tension that true leadership is forged. It is here that we partner with the Divine in the holy work of unlocking the God-given possibilities buried within our people, our organizations, and our nations.
The world is waiting for leaders who are not afraid to groan, for they are the only ones who will ever truly see the glory.
Let us lead accordingly.
Dr. Tolulope A. Adegoke, AMBP-UN is a Recipient of the Nigerian Role Models Award (2024), and a Distinguished Ambassador For World Peace (AMBP-UN). He has also gained inclusion in the prestigious compendium, “Nigeria @65: Leaders of Distinction”.
Gunmen have abducted the Deputy Speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, Samaila Bagudu, in his hometown, Bagudu Local Government Area.
Sources said the gunmen stormed Bagudu town on Friday, shooting indiscriminately. According to the sources, the deputy speaker was abducted shortly after finishing his prayers and leaving the mosque for his home.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Kebbi State Government Ahmed Idris confirmed the abduction to Channels Television.
Efforts to obtain further details from the Kebbi State Police Command on the incident proved abortive.
Also confirming the abduction, the Kebbi State Police Command described the attack as “regrettable and unacceptable.” In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafiu Abubakar, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Bello M. Sani, the Command vowed to rescue the Deputy Speaker unhurt.
According to the statement, a coordinated security response involving Police tactical units, military forces, and local vigilantes was immediately activated to track the kidnappers.
The joint team has since been combing suspected routes and forested areas around Bagudo in search of the abducted lawmaker.
The Command noted that the operation is being executed with precision and urgency, leveraging intelligence networks to narrow down possible hideouts of the armed group believed to be behind the abduction.
“The Police Command remains committed to ensuring the safe return of the Honourable member and the arrest of the perpetrators of this dastardly act,” the statement read in part.
Commissioner of Police Bello Sani, while addressing the press, reiterated the Command’s dedication to safeguarding lives and property across the state.
He described the incident as a test of the Command’s resilience and promised that no effort would be spared in bringing the culprits to justice.
He also assured the people of Kebbi State that peace and security remain top priorities for the Command, urging residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information that could aid investigations.
CP Sani expressed appreciation for the swift support of the Nigerian Army and local vigilante groups, noting that their synergy demonstrates a unified front against banditry and criminal violence in the state.
