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Food for Living: Be the Best Version of Yourself
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
When you truly study top performers in any field, what sets them apart is not their physical skill; it is how they control their minds – Stan Beecham
There’s no gainsaying the fact that everyone loves the good things of life. Every human being loves the best academic, relationship, sports, luxury, vacation, entertainment, professional/vocation, can offer. The same goes for tangible things including food, gift items, clothings, automotive, jewelleries and a whole lot more.
In the same vein, every individual wishes to be the beat in whatever they are involved in. This is because when you are the best in what you do, the world will definitely seek you out.
To understand how this principle works, imagine a patient who is sick and he’s told the only person who can heal him is his supposed enemy who is an expert in a particular field. If the patient wants to live, he has no option but to seek the services of the said doctor.
Again, imagine a coach who is intentional in winning a major competition, he has no option of going to the competition with the best team regardless of whether he likes a particular athlete or not. The same principle is applicable in a professional work environment; your boss may not necessarily like you, but provided you are good at what you do, your boss will retain you. As a matter of fact, it is easier for a boss to fire an employee he likes, but who is not good in what he does than an employee he hates, but who is good in what he does.
The moral of this assertion is that when you are good at what you do, you don’t need much advertisement, your work will surely speak for you.
To get clarity and more insight on how being the best version of yourself works, during the on-going United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) conference, I observed that most of the speakers in the side-events were subject matter experts in their field such as climate change, health, education, security, youth affairs, technology, social development goals among others.
When you have distinguished yourself, it will be easier for people to work with you. It doesn’t matter if you have a degree or not, provided you can show results, and can speak, the world will resonate with you.
In my self-discovery journey, I have realized that one’s profession is what they are trained to do like an attorney or doctor, but your vocation is what you are paid to do like skilled job or 9-5 – your ministry is your calling, that’s where you find your talent, passion and gift. To be the best version of yourself, one has to be intentional in working on their ministries, and that’s where they will be celebrated.
Did you know you can meet any resourceful person in the world just by working on your ministry or passion. To actualize this, you will need to adopt the pareto principle which says that 20% of the effort, or input, leads to 80% of the output. The goal of this principle is to recognize that most things in life are not distributed evenly.
The key to understanding the Pareto Principle is to identify that around 20% of one’s actions on the most productive tasks lead to the most success. This principle enables us to spot the few important things that are happening and ignore the mass of unimportant and mundae things. which are serving as distractions.
The Pareto Principle is very powerful and it is applicable in many areas of life, including in business, relationships, learning, and marketing.
To become the best version of oneself, one must endeavor to discover their purpose and have the courage to pursue it with hard work, and believe in the power of luck to actualize it. I say this because it is very true for one to do all they are supposed to do, and still miss the opportunity because they don’t have luck. So, one has to be strategic in positioning themselves for the right opportunity. When you work according to your purpose and gift, it’s very easy for people to see how extraordinary you are.
Being the best does not relate to academics alone, one can be the best parent, employee, friend/partner, teacher, student, leader, athlete, and many more.
The best don’t really come to you by way of words, but actions. One can be the best by knowing himself and what’s unique about him. As a matter of fact, knowing oneself is the foundation of being the best version of oneself. It’s so sad that many people don’t really take time to understand themselves and that’s why they find themselves in a cobweb situation sometimes.
When you know who you are, your strength, weaknesses, personalities and what’s unique about you, you will stand a better chance to make the right choice because you will have clarity. This clarity will enable you to unleash your potential when you fail. It will also assist you to network with the right people, maximize your time wisely, appreciate who you are, and meditate day and night.
Being the best doesn’t always come easy. One must put effort to learning and doing the needful to get the desired attention and traction. Also, one must endeavor to get a mentor, who will advise and constructively criticise where necessary.
In conclusion, to discover what’s best about oneself, one will need to meditate, seek the face of God, know what makes them happy, explore other areas of interest by serving and volunteering in different capacities. Once you discover the niche that makes you happy, please spend valuable time to develop it because the day you discover your gift and what’s unique about you, that’s the day you become a millionaire.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
The Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) has constituted the LSSTF Monitoring Team with clear guidelines detailing their baseline expectations, roles, responsibilities, and performance. This is to ensure that all security agencies based in Lagos that benefit from the LSSTF largesse are responsible and responsive to the public goodwill which is reposed on them.
The constitution of the LSSTF Monitoring Team is in fulfillment of the pledge of the Executive Secretary/CEO of Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Ayo Ogunsan at the recent Strategic Media Parley with Senior Editors and Media Executives. He had assured the journalists that the era of abuse and misuse of public resources is over.
It will be recalled that Ogunsan outlined his leadership focus at the media Parley which held at the Agency’s Headquarters on 5th December 2025. ‘Public confidence in the Fund is essential. Under my leadership, transparency will be the standard not the exception. We will, maintain strict oversight on contractor performance, monitor all funded projects closely, publish updates on the utilization of donations, strengthen internal governance and reporting, and deepen stakeholder communication and feedback mechanisms.’
With the LSSTF Monitoring Team duly constituted, Ogunsan gave them the marching orders to include: ‘Monitoring and tracking of vehicles and other security assets belonging to RRS; Conducting routine field inspections to determine the state of Fund’s assets; Maintaining accurate records of assets deployed by the Fund to the RRS and providing operational reports; Accessing the application of assets provided to the security agencies as a prerequisite for further allocation; Monitoring repairs and refurbishments embarked upon by the Fund; and Any other duty as may be assigned from time to time.’
The inauguration and public presentation of a monitoring vehicle to facilitate the efforts of the LSSTF Monitoring Team will be held very soon.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos Sector Command, has confirmed a tanker explosion that occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, 17th December 2025, along the Temu–Sabo route, by the Bypass Pobona area of Epe, Lagos State.
The incident, according to a statement by the Public Education Officer, SRC Oluwadamilola Jayeola, made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), occurred at about 0205hrs and was reported at 0210hrs. Operatives of the FRSC Epe Unit Command responded promptly and arrived at the scene within minutes.
Speaking on the incident, the Sector Public Education Officer, Superintendent Route Commander (SRC) Oluwadamilola Jayeola, stated that preliminary findings revealed that the explosion involved a commercial MACK tanker and five other vehicles, bringing the total number of vehicles affected to six (6).
She explained that the crash was attributed to brake failure, which resulted in loss of control and a subsequent lone crash. Although two adult persons were involved in the incident, no injuries or fatalities were recorded.
Traffic control was immediately established by FRSC operatives to prevent secondary incidents. The Corps worked in synergy with the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), and the Lagos State Fire Service, which successfully contained and extinguished the fire.
A private tow truck was also contacted and placed on standby to facilitate the prompt recovery of the affected vehicles and clear the obstruction along the route.
The Sector Commander, FRSC Lagos Sector Command, Corps Commander Kehinde Ganiyu Hamzat, reiterated his advisory to motorists, particularly operators of heavy-duty vehicles, to ensure regular and thorough vehicle maintenance, with special emphasis on braking systems, before embarking on any journey.
The Lagos Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps remains steadfast in its commitment to prompt emergency response, effective traffic management, and the safety of all road users.
Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has formally submitted a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Ahmed Farouk, over alleged corruption and financial impropriety.
The petition, dated December 16, 2025, was submitted through Dangote’s lawyer, Dr. Ogwu James Onoja, SAN, and received at the office of the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN.
In the petition, Dangote called for the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the NMDPRA boss, alleging that Farouk has been living far above his legitimate means as a public servant.
Dangote specifically accused Ahmed Farouk of allegedly spending over seven million United States dollars on the education of his four children in Switzerland, paid upfront for a six-year period, without any lawful explanation for the source of the funds.
According to the petition, the four children and their respective schools in Switzerland were clearly identified, along with the amounts paid on their behalf, to enable the ICPC verify the allegations.
The industrialist further alleged that Farouk Ahmed had been using his position at the NMDPRA to embezzle and divert public funds for personal gain and private interests, actions which he claimed had recently triggered public protests and widespread criticism of the agency.
Dangote maintained that Ahmed Farouk has spent his adult life working in Nigeria’s public sector, adding that his cumulative earnings over the years could not reasonably account for the alleged seven million dollars reportedly spent on the overseas education of his children.
“It is without doubt that the above facts in relation to abuse of office, breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement constitute gross acts of corruption, for which your Commission is statutorily empowered under Section 19 of the ICPC Act to investigate and prosecute,” the petition stated.
It further noted that under the same section of the ICPC Act, any person found guilty of such offences is liable to imprisonment for a term of five years without an option of fine.
Dangote urged the commission to act decisively, stressing that the ICPC, alongside other anti-graft agencies, is strategically positioned to investigate and prosecute corruption-related offences.
“In view of the foregoing, we call on the Commission under your leadership to investigate the complaint of abuse of office and corruption against Engr. Farouk Ahmed and to accordingly prosecute him if found wanting,” the petition added.
The Dangote Group Chairman also expressed confidence that the matter, being in the public domain, would not be ignored, urging the ICPC to act in the interest of justice and to protect the image of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Dangote further pledged his readiness to provide additional evidence to substantiate his allegations of corrupt enrichment, abuse of office and impunity against the NMDPRA Managing Director.
