Personality in Focus
December 3 is Made for Henry ‘the Great’ Ukazu
By Sodeeq Abdulakeem Sulyman
…when a man purges his path, honours will have a safe passage to continually locate him” – Eric Elezuo
To those who are yet to meet Henry Ukazu, today is like every other day. But to those whose paths have crossed with Henry Ukazu’s, today is that special day a unique being was born; a man of unquenchable thirst for knowledge and intellectual exploration, who lives to paint his picture in the frame that suits it, and stands tall, regardless of what life has thrown at him.
That becomes the reason Aare Dele Momodu, popularly known as “Bob Dee” in the social circles always refer to Henry Ukazu as “Henry the Great.” Truly, that title from a great icon and enigma of journalistic bravura simply justified what Ukazu has lived to exemplified. Henry Ukazu, who people may know about through a simple Google search, is a man who has lived to make a difference far and wide, proven the notion that one’s life value revolves around his name.
To show you what makes Henry Ukazu different, let me take you through the trajectory of unraveling the beauty attached to his name…
Humane: Henry Ukazu is a compassionate human being with high sense of empathy. He is an individual who shows concerns for the pain or discomfort of another. He is one of those people you could ever meet and your life would never be the same, because either by his humour or humility, you will be inspired and motivated. Making other people feel valuable is a choice Henry Ukazu has made to be one of the tenets of his life. Rau Gopal Das says, “Being a male is a matter of birth. Being a man is a matter of age. Being a gentle man is a matter of choice…”
Engaging: Henry Ukazu is one of those individuals you could ever interact with and you would be transformed. Name the topic; politics, arts, humanities, science, etc., he had ingrained himself with at least basic knowledge to make himself fit into any discussion you raised when interacting with him. He has been living like a light illuminating other people’s lives with its brightness. The words of Socrates that “True knowledge must be elicited from within, and is to be sought for in ideas, not in particulars of sense.” have shaped Henry Ukazu’s belief that every man is a pool of ideas, if given the chance to know his true self.
Networking: Henry Ukazu is a name that rings the bell in the ears of both the nook and cranny. He has done his assignments astutely when it comes to relating with people and sustaining the relationship. He has the skills of building friendship with people and carve a purpose for it, even when you least expect something to be birthed from the friendship. When someone says, “It’s not the years in your life that count; it’s the life in your years,” it sounds like the words are made for Henry Ukazu. In Henry’s life alone, you will find the traces of many lives.
Respectful: Since the time I have known Henry Ukazu, I don’t think there is anyone who can say Henry Ukazu disrespect them. Even if he does, he did such to fulfill the Golden Rule that do unto others as you want them do unto you. Henry Ukazu accords everyone with respect to show to them that their dignity is paramount to him. When Bonnie Koehn noted that “Healthy people have no need to belittle others. They feel that everyone is equal and there is room in the world for everyone to be great,” you will think he was directly refering to Henry Ukazu.
Youthful: Henry Ukazu is an exuberant individual who gets both his heart and soul illuminated and refined by committing himself to learning new things every day. Sometimes when he calls me to discuss some things, he leaves me wondering how thirsty he is to learn and unravel more secrets, principles of life. He lives to demonstrate someone’s words that “You are never too old to learn and you are never too young to teach. Always have the thirst for knowledge.”
Understandable: Henry Ukazu has the ability to comprehend issues, even by sharing a glimpse of the matter to him. As a noble man that preaches the limitless benefits of self-discovery and self-development, Henry Ukazu possesses the charisma and characters to handle issues and manages conflicts. His understandability has endeared him to many elders, dignitaries and distinguished individuals in Nigeria, Africa and the whole world.
Kind: Henry Ukazu is a jewel to those who possess the qualities he looks for in people and share the same values with him. He may not be there for everyone who has reached out to him – that’s normal. But if you possessed what he appreciates, you can never missed out the showers of the rains of his generosity. Dele Momodu affirmed, “Who says there are no good people in this world? I know there are, because I know them.” Henry Ukazu is one of those good people Bob Dee refers to.
Astute: Henry Ukazu has come a long way to carve a niche for himself, no doubt about that. That affirms it that he is a master of his craft. Unless you are calling him to do what doesn’t align with his values. But if his chemistry matches with a quest, Henry Ukazu goes beyond normal to come out in flying colours. When Amy Blaschka says, “Wisdom is the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight,” Henry Ukazu is one of those he describes.
Zestful: Studying the personal trajectory of Henry Ukazu would reveal to you that great men attain greatness by weathering the storms of their lives to distinguished themselves from ordinary men. Despite the disappointments, vicissitudes of life he had experienced, his energy towards life was neither drained nor sapped. Henry Ukazu is a warrior who has fought the battles of life by setting his sights on the greater rewards.
Unique: Henry Ukazu has lived to the title of a coach, leader, brother, friend, uncle or any titles that defines a noble soul which you think it befits his rare persona. His courage to be true to himself has earned him honour and respect that only true genius can attract. Tatalo Alamu says, “True genius is often such a formidably disruptive phenomenon that it must wear the mask of ordinariness.”
As a protégé, junior brother and grooming associate of Henry Ukazu, whose life has been touched and impacted in various aspects through Henry’s words, teachings, advice, kindness and support, I celebrate him today by compiling a list of his quotes, available here https://bit.ly/HEVs-FD-Here. May the days ahead of him be the best and glorious days of him.
SULYMAN, Sodeeq Abdulakeem is a Librarian, Author. He can be reached via +2348132226994. His new book titled: “The Path to Greatness,” foreword by Henry Ukazu, President and Founder of GLOEMI Inc., The Bronx, New York City, USA, is now available on https://bit.ly/Amzn-HS-TP2G
The Ogbunechendo of Ezema Olo Kingdom in Enugu State, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Tuesday disagreed over the existence of a southern traditional rulers’ council.
Agubuzu had while addressing participants at the National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit On Health in Abuja, attended by President Tinubu, said there was “nothing like a Southern Traditional Rulers’ Council”.
He also urged the Federal Government to be wary of those who claim to be members of the council, especially in the disbursement of funds.
“Now, again, they were talking about the Southern Traditional Rulers Committee on Health, and the eminent Professor Pate was saying that this will become an annual event—what we are doing today—if I heard him correctly.
“The truth of the matter is that there is nothing like a Southern Traditional Rulers’ Council. If you come here, Pate, and give money to people on that basis, it’s not correct,” Igwe Agubuzu said.
“The South is not the North. We have our system. We need unity in diversity. So, if you want to deal with us, deal with us in the South-East. If you have resources for us, give them to us. Don’t give it to people who come and say, ‘We’re Southern Traditional Rulers’ Council.
“Democracy is representative government, and anybody who goes to present himself without his people is not democratic or traditional. So, get it. We think that we will do our best. Mr. President, please listen to our cries,” he added.
But the Ooni of Ife countered the position of the Enugu monarch, saying that the membership of the council was optional.
“Southern Traditional Council is very optional. You don’t need to join us if you don’t want to join us, but it’s a force, a formidable force among traditional institutions for us to come together.
“And we are all reputable in all our domains. You can see all of us because one of us made a speech that there’s nothing like that. We don’t agree to that, but our President is there; we don’t want any impression that there’s division,” Oba Ogunwusi told journalists during an interview.
The Osun monarch said the council was not limited to traditional rulers from the South-West.
He also pledged its support for President Tinubu.
“We don’t want to take out South-East. We have Eze Aro here. Eze Arochukwu is one of the very prominent traditional rulers in the South-East. We have a lot of southeastern traditional rulers with whom we are working together for the betterment of the country.
“So for us, it’s something that is key to let the whole world know that if you don’t want to be part of us, you can option your suggestion out. And please, we implore each and every one of us to focus more on news that is of quality, not social media and rumours. This is one of the major things affecting our country,” he added.
Similarly, the Eze Aro of Arochukuwku Kingdom, Eberechukwu Oji, who also identified himself as the publicity secretary of the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers’ Council, described the council as a movement.
“As the Ooni said, the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers’ Council is a movement. It’s a journey comprising members from across the entire southern part of Nigeria. The Ooni is our chairman.
“We have King Jaja of Opopo, who is from the South-South, and we have eminent traditional rulers from across the southern parts of Nigeria who have come together to advance the cause of the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers’ Council,” the Abia monarch said.
He also disclosed that the council was recognised by the Federal Government.
“So let us put it on record and put it on record very clearly. The President was part of the inauguration of the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers’ Council. It happened in Owerri, and we have representatives of both the press, the government, and stakeholders in that inauguration,” Oji told journalists.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the legendary civil rights activist and two-time presidential candidate, has passed away Tuesday aged 84, his family has said in a statement.
A cause of death was not immediately given but Jackson’s family said he died peacefully surrounded by loved ones.
“Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the Jackson family said.
“We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”
Jackson was hospitalized in November for treatment to regulate his blood pressure, having been under observation for progressive supranuclear palsy, CNN reported at the time.
PSP is “a rare neurological disorder that affects body movements, walking and balance, and eye movements,” according to the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Prior to that, Jackson’s struggles with his health prevented him from attending his 84th birthday celebrations in Chicago last October, which, CBS reported, was nevertheless attended by city mayor Brandon Johnson, former congressman Bobby Rush, and Jackson’s sons — current Illinois Democratic Rep. Jonathan Jackson and former representative Jesse Jackson Jr — among many others.
He announced he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017.
Also in their statement, Jackson’s family expressed their “profound sadness” at his passing and paid tribute to “his unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity.
Culled from Independent.co.uk
Nigerian academic, literary critic and Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo, is dead. He was 80.
Jeyifo was widely regarded as one of the foremost scholars of Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka.
His passing was announced by the President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, Andrew Haruna, in a statement on Wednesday, saying the scholar passed away on 11 February.
The Nigerian Academy of Letters expressed condolences to his family and the academic community, describing his passing as a significant loss to literary scholarship in Nigeria and beyond.
In January, an international scholarly gathering was held at the MUSON Centre in Lagos to mark his 80th birthday.
The event drew academics, writers and cultural figures in recognition of his lifelong contributions to literary studies and intellectual life.
Colleagues have often described Mr Jeyifo’s writing as both intellectually rigorous and accessible, blending critical depth with clarity of expression.
Beyond Soyinka studies, he was known for his wide-ranging engagement with world Anglophone literature, cultural theory and postcolonial thought.
Born on 5 January 1946, Mr Jeyifo was a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters and a prominent public intellectual whose career spanned several decades of teaching, research and mentorship across Nigeria and the United States.
