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Food for Living: Celebrating Another Wonderful Milestone
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
It is with great pleasure I wish to share with you the goodness of the Lord in my life. You may be wondering what this goodness of God in my life is. Yes, the goodness of God in my life is the celebration of my entire being on earth. You may also be wondering what the special thing about my life is. Yes, I will tell you; it’s my birthday! I can’t thank God enough for the great things he has done for me, especially the life and blessings he has bestowed on me. It is not because I am the most righteous, handsome, hardworking, strongest etc., that I am alive. It’s just because of the grace of God upon me and His awesome faithfulness.
That explains why I chose CeCe Winans track “The Goodness of God” as a favorite line to buttress how grateful I am to him and the universe. Today calls for a sober reflection, but most importantly, it calls for gratitude to God for making me come this far. I’m quite aware of the fact that many people who arrived on planet earth on the same day with me are no longer on the surface of the planet. Some are married with kids, have accomplished careers, and are celebrated globally, while some are still confused and still trying to find their path to life.
And so, in whatever position you find yourself, I just want you to take a moment to reflect about your life and you will see that you will find something to be grateful for, and if you don’t see any reason you should be grateful, be happy you are alive. As you may rightly know, when there’s life, there’s hope. The problem many people have is that they don’t practice gratitude and appreciation.
Birthdays are for celebration. There’s always something to celebrate about life. Personally, when I look at the trajectory of my life, I can say for a fact, I’m not the smartest person, but favour and grace found me. I say this because if anyone truly knows my background, they will hardly believe there’ll be light in my family. The turning point was education.
My late parents didn’t have the opportunity of going to school, but they knew the value of education and ensured my siblings and I had a decent education. Why am I saying this? If anyone had told me I will ever be a globally celebrated author, I might not have believed it; If anyone had told me I will be a prolific and creative writer the world will read on a daily and weekly basis, I might not have believe it. If anyone had ever told me I will ever be interviewed by the New York Times, I might not have believed it. If anyone had told me I would be a favourite television guest, I might not have believe it. Being interviewed by News12 about my book, I will say, it’s one of the biggest achievements I have attained in recent times.
You may be wondering why I am saying all this, well, the reason is quite simple, it’s a huge milestone for me judging from where I started. This is a man who worked as a security officer for many years in New York City despite being a graduate of New York Law School. I was given little or no chance of surviving in the United States of America, especially New York City because of my horrible writing skills and how the system operates. I never gave up hope. I still persevered.
Birthdays to me call for gratitude and reflection. To say, I am not grateful is the highest act of disservice to God and humanity. I am particularly grateful to God, my late parents who instilled in me the right virtues and training, my family, friends and the universe who have conspired to make me who I am today.
As I look back from where I started to where I am today, I’m glad I’m not where I used to be. The best way to express my profound gratitude and appreciation is by taking some wonderful lines from the amazing Goodness of God” lyrics from CeCe Winans where she stated “your mercy never fails me; I will sing the goodness of God; All my life you have been faithful and so good; I will sing of the goodness of God. You have led me through the fire. I have known you as a father and friend.”
How do I begin to explain the mercy of God upon my life? How He saved and provided for me in the presence of my enemies. His grace is utterly sufficient for me. As mentioned earlier, there are certain things that happened to me which made me realize that it’s not by my power, might or ability, but just the mercy of God upon me. That’s why I am not ashamed of talking about the goodness of God in my life. It is pertinent to note on this birthday of mine, I have decided to dedicate my life to God and work according to his purpose for me. This is particularly because I have been through the trenches, but God saw me through even when men were trying to humiliate me. In recent times, the relationship I have with God is that of a father and friend. This singular act has made me so vulnerable to God.
In conclusion, as I look forward to more prosperous years, I toast and pray for more wisdom, understanding, grace, favour, direction, protection, provision, blessings, and more especially good health and prosperity. Amen.
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
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday laid before the Lagos State House of Assembly a N4.237 trillion Appropriation Bill for the 2026 fiscal year, describing it as an ambitious, future-driven financial plan aimed at solidifying his administration’s legacy in its final full year.
Presenting the proposal, titled the “Budget of Shared Prosperity,” the governor said it reflects the collective optimism that Lagos will continue to expand opportunities, strengthen its leadership role, and reinforce its status as Africa’s foremost megacity.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the budget projects total revenue of N3,993,774,552,141, comprising N3.12 trillion in Internally Generated Revenue and N874 billion in expected Federal Transfers. The funding structure, he noted, leaves a deficit financing requirement of N243,332,457,167.
For the 2026 fiscal year, capital expenditure is set at N2,185,085,419,495, while recurrent expenditure stands at N2,052,021,589,812. He explained that the recurrent component covers overheads, personnel costs, and debt obligations.
A breakdown of recurrent spending shows total overhead costs of N1,084,245,843,091, including general overheads, subventions and dedicated expenditures, while personnel costs amount to N440,494,339,384. Recurrent debt charges are projected at ₦143,876,701,943, with debt repayments estimated at N383,404,705,394.
Sanwo-Olu also outlined the sectoral distribution of the 2026 budget. General Public Services will receive N847,472,071,966; Public Order and Safety, N147,040,088,897; and Economic Affairs, N1,372,307,808,626. The Environment Ministry is allocated N235,957,235,138, while Housing receives N123,760,310,429.
The Health sector is earmarked N338,449,258,945; Education gets N249,132,921,287; Social Protection, N70,024,171,038; and the Recreation and Culture sector will take N54,682,339,586.
The governor said the year 2026 carries special weight as the last full calendar year of his administration, describing it as a period crucial for consolidating achievements and ensuring a “strong, successful finish.”
He reaffirmed his commitment to completing all ongoing and newly initiated projects, adding that his administration will continue to prioritise citizen engagement to ensure government decisions reflect the needs of Lagosians.
According to him, Lagos is entering a new phase of “accelerated impact,” driven by sustained investment in infrastructure, human capital, social welfare and governance systems that are “intentional, inclusive and future-oriented.”
Sanwo-Olu reiterated his administration’s core mission: “To keep Lagos secure, to keep Lagos working, to keep Lagos growing, and to make sure the prosperity we build is shared by everyone who calls this centre of excellence home.”
He commended the Lagos State House of Assembly for its consistent partnership, describing the lawmakers as steadfast allies in the state’s development journey. He also praised the civil service for its hard work in translating government vision into measurable progress.
DailyPost
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh, has disclosed that armed personnel have been deployed to all parts of Lagos State to protect schools and other public places.
CP Jimoh disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists on the activities of the command in the last few months.
He also disclosed that no fewer than 56 criminals have also been arrested for different crimes in the last few months.
The police, however, stressed that the crime rate in the State has gone down significantly during the period under review.
The reinforcement of the security around the State may not be unconnected with the recent resurgence of kidnapping and violent attacks in some parts of the country.
According to police boss, the command also recovered ten exotic vehicles from robbers in different parts of the state.
CP Jimoh said: “The security situation in Lagos is not alarming, and we are firmly on top of the situation. During the period under review, there have not been any extraordinary or significant security problems throughout the bigger city.
This is not due to the police effort alone, it is due to the whole population and the collaboration and support of the public, individuals and other members of the public that have come to identify with the police and ensure the safety and protection of life and property throughout the State.”
CP Jimoh continued: “We are making significant progresses in the area of crime fighting and prevention. This with the introduction of new strategies.
It is due to the positive result that has led to the recovery of about 10 vehicles within the last few weeks.”
He stressed that during the month under review, the command recovered 10 vehicles stolen and one motorcycle removed from park.
Across multiple operations in November, the Command recovered six firearms, including locally made pistols, cut-tosize guns, a single cut-to-size barrel gun, multiple live cartridges, dangerous weapons such as a machete, a battle axe, and an assault dagger, as well as Nigerian military m camouflage, charms, and fake currency valued at four thousand dollars. ”
“These achievements are a testament to our sustained November strategy aimed at dismantling criminal gangs, intercepting stolen property, removing illegal firearms from circulation, and strengthening public safety across Lagos State.
“The total number of weapons and items recovered are: one machete, one battle axe, one assault dagger, one Nigerian military camouflage, one charm, and fake 4,000 USD,” the CP also stated.
He added: “These items were seized during intelligence-driven operations aimed at neutralising gangs responsible for violent crimes and coordinated attacks in different parts of Lagos State.
The recovery of these weapons and materials significantly disrupts the capabilities of criminal groups and enhances the overall security landscape of the State.”
CP Jimoh also urges people who may want to come and celebrate the Yuletide period in the state not to entertain any fear.
He noted that increased police surveillance had been put in place to prevent any breakdown of law and order during the celebration.
He added that he had also directed all Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, Tactical Squads, and Unit Commanders to fortify worship centers with adequate security during services.
The United Kingdom Government has rejected Nigeria’s request to deport former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, to serve the remainder of his prison term at home, insisting he must complete his sentence in Britain.
Ekweremadu, 63, is serving nine years and eight months after he, his wife Beatrice, and their associate, Dr Obinna Obeta, were convicted in 2023 for conspiring to exploit a young Nigerian man for his kidney. The organ was intended for transplant to Ekweremadu’s ailing daughter, Sonia, in what became the first conviction for organ trafficking under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act.
While, Beatrice, who received a four-and-a-half-year sentence—with half served in custody—was released earlier this year and has since returned to Nigeria, however, a delegation led by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, met with officials of the UK Ministry of Justice (MoJ) last week to discuss the possibility of transferring Ekweremadu to Nigeria. A report by The Guardian UK, said a senior MoJ source confirmed the request was declined. The UK was reportedly concerned that Nigeria could not guarantee that the former lawmaker would continue serving his sentence if deported.
While the UK government declined to comment on the specific case, a spokesperson stressed that prisoner transfers are approved only when they align with the interests of justice. Another official added: “The UK will not tolerate modern slavery and any offender will face the full force of UK law.”
