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Food for Living: A New Nigeria is Still Possible
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
I will like to begin this article with a plea to my dear friends who are not Nigerians: please bear with me.
To those who don’t know my origin; I’m originally Nigerian before I became a United States Citizen.
To those of you who don’t know about October 1, 2021; Nigeria celebrated her 61st independence anniversary on that day.
It is pertinent to note that Nigeria was colonized by the British until she was ready to govern herself. But the question we need to ask ourselves is, is Nigeria truly independent?
Independence means different things to different people. Depending on the rubric that is used. To some, it means freedom to decide what one wants. It can also mean financial independence. One can even appreciate independence from a master-mentee point of view where the later by begins his/her entrepreneurial journey.
Nigeria became a British protectorate in 1901 and since then, we have had four republics. The first republic started from 1960 -1979, the second republic started from 1979-1983, the third republic started from 1992-1993, while the fourth republic started from 1999- date (2021). It’s my personal hope and desire that Nigerians will not experience a fifth republic by getting a good leader who will see Nigeria as one regardless of where one comes from. We truly need a leader who can unite the country and not one who will disintegrate it because that’s the feelings of most Nigerians in the Southern part of the country, who are clamoring for self-determination because of how they are being treated. Sentiments apart, if we cannot live in peace, it’s imperative we separate in peace. It’s not compulsory to live together, especially when the system is not working.
When we take a statistical test about how Nigeria has fared in the last 61 years, we can reasonably conclude that we have not developed and progressed as expected when compared to our counterparts. Let’s not look too far, Ghana got her independence in 1957 from Britain. Nigeria was due to gain her independence around that time, but due to technicality, it didn’t come through. When you look at the development and growth that has occurred in Nigeria, you will just wonder if we are cursed as a country. Our leaders have really failed us, they have used poverty, ethnicity, religion, and tribalism to divide the hapless citizens who don’t realize the power they have.
It is rightly stated that every country, nation, or community gets the kind of leader they deserve. This is because if the citizens know what they want, they will put in the works to get results. It is because of lack of accountability that our leaders misbehave as they know they won’t be held accountable by the citizens, and to some extent, the courts when they embezzle public funds.
The question on the lips of every Nigerian is when will Nigeria get it right? Will Nigeria and Nigerians ever get it right? To some, Nigeria will never get it right.
Well, optimists believe we’ll get it right one day. According to Fela Durotoye, a leadership expert, for a country to develop there must be peace, progress, and property. Without peace, there can never be stability, when there’s instability, there can never be prosperity.
As it stands today in Nigeria, many families find it hard to afford three square meal and the basic needs of life. There’s insecurity, the economy is in shambles which has led to the downfall of the naira, the country is heavily divided on religious and ethnic lines, and there are no jobs for the teeming population.
The government is not helping the situation; they are only paying lip service to the sufferings of the citizens. The only time our leaders remember the citizens is during elections. The litany of problems facing Nigeria can destroy the country. For lack of better words, many Nigerians are merely existing instead of living. Nigeria is merely sitting on a time bomb and if not properly managed, it will explode anytime.
Therefore, the average Nigerian seems to have lost hope and have resorted to unethical means of surviving. The men have resorted to armed robbery, scamming, rituals amongst other crimes against humanity. Some of the ladies on their parts, have resorted to prostitution and stealing just to survive. It is sad and terrible to be a Nigerian at this time.
It should be noted success in life is not about income, but impact. According to Fela Durutoye, success is about income, but greatness is about impact. To really know a great man, look at the impact he has made in the lives of people as opposed to the luxuries he showcases. This is because success is not what you make happen for yourself, but true greatness is what you make happen for others. So, I will leave you with this question, what impacts and legacy are you leaving for others to thread upon?
You can know a great country by merely looking at how she treats her citizens. In the USA for instance, the leaders debate on an endless basis on how they can serve the masses, but in third world countries, most of the leaders are only concerned about themselves. Civilized climes look at the per capita income, they ensure that the minimum wage is capable of sustaining an ordinary citizen, but can that be said of Nigeria? No. Per Fela Durutoye: successful people chase prosperity, but prosperity honors the great. Again, I will ask you, how do you want to be remembered?
In order to make Nigerian great again, the government must make policies and laws that favour the citizens, most especially the youths. They should focus on education, health, sports, technology, and entrepreneurship. The youths composed of 60% of the population. They must make favorable policies that will enable the private sectors to thrive.
Why am I saying this? The future of Nigeria is on her youths. You must build the nation by building the people. If the world wants to determine how developed a country is faring, they look at the citizens. The government must make favorable policies that will benefit the teeming population. Just like your future is inside of you, when you invest in yourself, you are bound to succeed.
Again, Fela Durutoye teaches that the future is not just tomorrow, it is what you can obtain but haven’t’. It is not what you can do, but you haven’t.
Therefore, the future of Nigeria is not a timeline or a race to finish, the future of Nigeria is inside of all of us. It is If you take yourself as an example, you might have great potentials, but due to the fact you haven’t taken time to utilize it, you are bound to remain on status quo, that’s the sad state of Nigeria, which hasn’t taken the bold to utilize her numerous natural and human resources.
In conclusion, while we waiting for who will take us to the promised land, we have to do our part by being good citizens regardless of who is doing the wrong thing. Just as we started with Fela Durutoye, I will leave you with his personal creed:
1. I will make a personal impact on everyone I meet and everywhere I go
2. I will be a solution provider and not part of the problem to be solved
3. I will be a role model worthy of emulation
4. I will be my best in all I do particularly the things I am naturally good at
5. I will do the right at all times regardless of who is doing the wrong things
6. I will value time and make the best use of it
7. I will care and show respect to all through my words and actions
8. I will consciously build a great legacy starting now today and every day
9. I will live a life o integrity and honor
10. I will make my family and nation proud
SO HELP ME GOD.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a Human Capacity & mindset coach. He’s also a public speaker. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the author of the acclaimed book Design Your Destiny – Actualizing Your Birthright To Success and President of gloemi.com. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, declined a request by the Department of State Services (DSS) to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, in his ongoing defamation trial.
Sowore is being prosecuted over comments made on social media in which he allegedly described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.”
The Federal government argues the statement contravenes provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, as well as sections of the Criminal Code, and is capable of inciting public disorder.
Director of Public Prosecutions, M. B. Abubakar, told the court that Sowore’s remarks amounted to cyber harassment and criminal defamation under Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act and Sections 59 and 375 of the Criminal Code.
He insisted the activist must be held accountable for using digital platforms to malign the President.
During proceedings, counsel to the DSS, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, urged the court to issue a bench warrant, arguing that Sowore had been duly served with the charge and hearing notice but failed to appear.
He described the absence as a clear disregard for judicial authority.
According to Kehinde, allowing such conduct to go unchallenged could undermine the court’s authority — particularly in politically sensitive matters involving state institutions.
He also dismissed a letter submitted by activist Deji Adeyanju seeking an adjournment on Sowore’s behalf, describing it as an attempt to delay the case.
However, presiding Judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, declined the request. He ruled that it would be premature to issue a bench warrant because the second defendant in the matter, X Corporation (formerly Twitter), had not been properly served with the charge sheet.
The judge held that due process in serving all defendants must be completed before any coercive orders can be considered.
Counsel to X Corporation, Christabel Ndiokwelo, confirmed that although her client received the hearing notice, the formal charges had not yet been served.
Counsel to META (Facebook), Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), was also in court.
He aligned with the government’s position, describing Sowore’s absence as deliberate. He also dismissed Sowore’s claims that social media companies were collaborating with the DSS to censor him as “baseless and diversionary.”
Justice Umar adjourned the case to December 2, 2025, for proper arraignment, and directed that fresh hearing notices and charge documents be served on all parties to prevent further delays.
Following US President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), US Senator Ted Cruz has declared that the next step is to hold Nigerian officials accountable.
Cruz is championing the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, a bill designed to protect Christians and other religious minorities from widespread persecution in Nigeria.
After the CPC designation, Trump also warned of possible military action in Nigeria if its leaders failed to protect Christians in the country.
Reacting in a post on his official X handle on Tuesday, Senator Cruz said he has been pushing legislation to designate Nigeria as a CPC and to impose sanctions on Nigerian officials responsible for religious persecution.
He thanked President Trump for the designation and for “fighting to stop the murder of Christians in Nigeria.”
According to Cruz, the next step is to hold Nigerian officials accountable, promising to publicly identify them in the coming weeks.
His post reads: “I’ve been pushing legislation to designate Nigeria a CPC and to impose sanctions on the Nigerian officials responsible.
“Thank you to President Trump for his leadership in imposing the designation, and more broadly, for fighting to stop the murder of Christians in Nigeria.
“Now we should take the next step and hold Nigerian officials accountable. I intend to be very explicit about who they are in the coming days and weeks.”
Last weekend, Trump declared Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged killings of Christians.
In a statement posted on his social media platform Truth Social on Friday, Trump said Christianity faces an existential threat in Nigeria, describing the alleged killing as a “mass slaughter.”
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” he wrote.
The US president added that the United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening” and directed Congressman Riley Moore and House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole to investigate the matter.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected claims of Christian genocide in the country.
In September, the Federal government described claims of a systematic genocide against Christians as “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive.”
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said portraying Nigeria’s insecurity as a religious conflict was a gross misrepresentation of reality.
“Portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a targeted campaign against a single religious group is inaccurate and harmful.
“The federal government strongly condemns and categorically refutes recent allegations by certain international platforms and online influencers suggesting that terrorists operating in Nigeria are engaged in a systematic genocide against Christians,” he said.
Idris stressed that extremists have attacked citizens of all faiths, noting that Muslims, Christians, and even non-religious Nigerians have suffered alike.
Between May 2023 and February 2025, he said, security forces killed over 13,500 terrorists and rescued nearly 10,000 hostages.
He added that the recent capture of top Ansaru leaders and over 700 convictions of Boko Haram suspects reflected Nigeria’s progress in the fight against terrorism.
“These criminals target all who reject their murderous ideology, regardless of faith,” the minister stated.
The Oyo State High Court has granted the Peoples Democratic Party approval to proceed with its elective national convention scheduled for November 15–16, 2025, in Ibadan, the state capital.
The court also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to attend and monitor the exercise, Channels TV reports.
Delivering the ruling, Justice A. L. Akintola issued an interim order permitting the party to continue its convention plans without obstruction.
The decision came after an ex-parte motion filed by Folahan Adelabi against the PDP, its Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum; Governor Umaru Fintiri, who heads the National Convention Organising Committee; and the INEC.
In his ruling on Monday, Justice Akintola held that the claimant presented a compelling case that warranted immediate judicial intervention.
“The motion ex-parte has merit and succeeds as prayed,” the judge ruled, granting temporary reliefs that safeguard the party’s schedule and direct all parties to allow the convention to proceed as planned.
The judge subsequently adjourned the hearing of the substantive motion for an interlocutory injunction till November 10, 2025.
The interim order, issued on November 3, 2025, was sealed by the Oyo State High Court and endorsed by its Principal Registrar, S. O. Hammed.
