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Food for Living: Begin That Journey Now
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
The journey of a thousand miles, they say, begins with a step. A in the right direction! However, one of the greatest challenges we have as human beings is the courage to take that first step. It is sad to note that due to procrastination and fear of the unknown, many are deterred from taking that all important first step. The sad reality of life is that if you don’t take the leap that will lead you to your dream or passion due to fear of how long it will take to get to your destination, one day, you will regret not taking the step.
I have since come to the sublime realization that there is never a perfect time to do anything worth doing. If you have the desire of being a President, Governor, Professor, etc., you need to start preparing now as opposed to waiting for when the coast is clear. Just like a soccer player will have to practice for several years to become a star, an artist will have to hone the skill of singing to become a star, and an author will have to learn the art of writing to become a bestseller, so it is with everyone interested in doing anything.
The message here is very simple; whatever you want to do in life, you must give it your time. Nothing happens by accident, there’s always a cause and effect. If you don’t put in the work, you won’t get any result. Let’s take a case study of someone who wants to build their body, they must have to go to the gym for daily exercise. No one engages in body building without exercising. That’s simply how life works.
When you develop yourself, your work has a way of speaking for you, especially in this era when we literally live on the internet. You can share your work on several social media platforms and the universe will begin to see your work, and invariably begin to look for you. But if you don’t share your work, how will they know about you? As the saying goes, the internet never forgets, when you share your work, rational minds will always reference you as one who has been very productive and passionate about his cause. The interesting part of using the internet to promote your work is that the universe has a way of conspiring with humanity to work with you. Like I always say, we live in a connection economy, so why stay local when you can be global.
Furthermore, when you decide to begin your journey, irrespective of any field you settle for, you can always transfer your skills to another industry when you have distinguished yourself in one industry. For instance, if you are interested in politics, someone can say, you don’t have experience in politics, you can make a case stating you are accomplished banker, economics, manager, coach, doctor, lawyer accountant, teacher or any field you have distinguished yourself in, and use it as a leverage other skills and knowledge. For the likes of Chief Dele Momodu, leadership is about managing people and resources. When you can show you have been able to manage people and resources, even in a small capacity, you can lead anytime and anywhere.
In conclusion, in whatever you want to do, begin your journey today by taking the simplest of steps that is capable of taking you to the next step.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a Human Capacity & mindset coach. He’s also a public speaker, youth advocate and creative writer. 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
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof Mike Ozekhome, has insisted that former President Muhammadu Buhari should be blamed for his successor, Bola Tinubu’s preference to appoint persons from his ethnic Yoruba language group to key government positions.
Ozekhome, while delivering an address at a symposium on human rights organised by the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) held in Abuja on Wednesday, claimed that the Buhari-led administration polarised Nigeria along ethnic and religious lines.
The rights activist noted that it is not surprising that President Tinubu was following a similar trajectory since it was tolerated by gullible Nigerians when Buhari was at the helm.
“When I hear today the northerners complain that Tinubu has ‘Yorubanised’ Nigeria, with so many Yorubas in the highest places in Nigeria, they are indeed making a point. But the question I would ask is: where were you when Buhari, for eight years, literally ‘northernised’ every position in Nigeria? You were either a northerner or a Muslim,” he said.
“I cried, I cried, I wrote and wrote. I wrote tons of articles. One of the 50 books which I presented on my 67th birthday was titled: ‘How Buhari Mismanaged Nigeria.’ Some people called it ‘na we,’ this is our man, and even if he is riding roughshod over all of us, it doesn’t matter.
“Hear no evil, see no evil because he is our man. Even if it is not benefitting us, the fact that he is our man is sufficient. Once it is no longer our man, we must also take up arms. No country grows like that.”
At the event under the theme; “Unity in Diversity: Embracing Freedom, Equality, and Dignity for All,” he warned those in positions of authority against compromising the unity of Nigerians in pursuit of tribalism, ethnicity, and sectionalism.
He described the 1999 constitution (as amended) as flawed, adding that there is a need for a new constitution with inputs from Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic and religious differences, on the way forward for the country.
“We need to redefine ourselves, not the present system where thieves are rewarded with doctorate degrees,” he said.
The Commission’s Ambassador-at-Large and Head of Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria, Ambassador Dr. Duru Hezekiah, emphasized that this year’s theme presents a significant opportunity, drawing attention to the complexity of human rights linked to the multicultural and multi-ethnic composition of over 250 ethnic groups and more than 500 languages spoken in Nigeria.
He remarked that recurring ethnic and religious conflicts have threatened Nigeria’s national unity and stability, noting that the diversity of Nigeria’s population offers both challenges and opportunities for cultural exchange and understanding, which can promote national unity and cooperation.
According to him, the one-day symposium, held on Wednesday, 11th December 2024, consequently offers a singular opportunity to acquire knowledge and reinforce ties with other stakeholders to promote “Unity in Diversity: Embracing Freedom, Equality, and Dignity for All.”
Additionally, he mentioned that the occasion signifies the official swearing-in of IHRC’s new officials: Ambassador Dr. Malami Shehu Ma’Aji (MFR), who was appointed IHRC Special Advisor on Intergovernmental Affairs for the Africa Region, with Chief John Paul Ochemba serving as IHRC Advisor on Special Monitoring Mission Nigeria, and Dr. Kingsley Nwokoma as IHRC Commissioner in Nigeria, all of whose appointments were duly approved by the IHRC Secretary-General, Prof. h.c. Rafał Marcin Wasik.
The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, has issued a restraining order against human rights activist and lawyer Dele Farotimi, prohibiting him from further publishing, selling, distributing, or advertising his controversial book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.
The ruling was delivered by Justice Peter Kekemeke following an ex-parte application brought by Kehinde Ogunwumiju, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, and managing partner at Afe Babalola’s law firm.
The court’s order extends to Farotimi’s agents, publishers, distributors, sellers, or anyone else involved in the dissemination of the book, whether in hard copy, digital formats, or through electronic or social media channels.
The injunction will remain in effect pending the determination of a motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction, filed on December 6, 2024.
Justice Kekemeke also directed the Nigerian Police Force, Department of State Services, DSS, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and other security agencies to seize all physical copies of the book wherever found.
These agencies are required to submit an affidavit of compliance within 72 hours of receiving the order.
In a related case, the Oyo State High Court granted a similar interim injunction against Farotimi, barring him or any associates from further printing or distributing the book.
Justice Mufutau Adegbola issued the order after hearing an ex-parte application filed on December 9, 2024, by Adebayo Adenipekun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria from Afe Babalola’s firm.
The Oyo court directed Farotimi’s lawyers to be notified of the motion, which has been adjourned for hearing on January 7, 2025.
An Allied Air Cargo aircraft with registration number 5N-JRT, on Wednesday, skidded off Runway 22 of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, prompting a temporary shutdown of the airport.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) confirmed the incident, which occurred at 10:05am, adding that five people were on board the aircraft. All passengers were safely evacuated without injury.
FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs. Obiageli Orah, said: “The Airport Emergency Response Team is on the scene along with accident investigators.
“The runway is being cleared and is expected to reopen for operations as soon as possible. We would like to thank the aviation community and the general public for their understanding and patience. We also request that all speculation be put on hold until the preliminary report is released by the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).”
The evacuees were taken to the FAAN clinic for medical checks as a precautionary measure. The incident has drawn the attention of aviation stakeholders, while efforts are underway to restore normal airport operations.
