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Food for Living: Choose Your Name Wisely
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By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Dear Friends,
We all have names which our parents, godfather/mother, or even good relatives and friends gave to us at birth, and we always like to be addressed rightly and with respect before we respond. Just to let you know how powerful your name can be, if you are called a name that is not yours, there’s every tendency you won’t respond, nor matter how nice it may sound. Even if you are called the right name but with the wrong pronunciation, you might also feel slighted to respond, and even if you respond, you’ll react in a way as to offer correction. This is because names are very symbolic, and according to the platinum rule, people are treated the way they wish to be addressed.
Names are very powerful and they have deep meanings, and as a result, must be chosen wisely. Names are regarded as trademarks/logos and come in different shapes and sizes. Some people even have nicknames which have defined them in different ways. Even in business; the name you choose has an impact on people’s perception, especially your potential clients. Therefore, it is imperatively and critically important for you to consider whatever name you will like to be associated with.
A name is an identity. It is a descriptor that allows people to make quick judgments and assumptions about us. When a particular name is mentioned, a lot of questions normally come to mind. We can even assume what it is likely to be. Our names and identities are regarded as the first impressions people have about us. For example, how we dress, the way we wear our hair, how we behave, and even where we go; all begin with our identity and what we call ourselves. Whether it is religion, sexuality or gender, it is part of an identity that can influence how you present yourself to the world, and how you interact with the world. Depending on the situation and circumstance, what we call ourselves may change. That is why it is important for you to consider the name, group or network you are associated with.
The big question we have to answer is what name do I respond to? As human beings, some of us are very sensitive, some are conservative while others tend to have a liberal attitude towards life. Depending on which category you belong to, you can decide to be the game-changer in whatever situation you are into. You may have been called a dull person, lazy being, slow, ugly, fat, etc., but how you respond is actually what makes the ultimate difference. As you may know, life is not what happens to you, but how you react to it. It should be noted that you can’t stop people calling you negative names, but you can decide to choose what you answer to. As a an advice, don’t answer names you are called, when they call you hello depressed, short, unattractive, unqualified, sick, orphan, just calmly respond, ‘sorry there’s no one by that name around here, I guess you may have gotten the wrong address’. In a rhetoric way, you can also respond, do you mean positive, tall, smart, healthy, blessed, beautiful, handsome, extraordinary, talented, skillful, etc.
Studies suggest that liking your own name is predictive of well-being and happiness, and it also positively affects your self-esteem. But does your name affect how other people treat you? According to Dale Carnegie.
“A person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Why then is it so important to call people their true names? A person’s name is the greatest connection to their own identity and individuality. Some might say it is the most important word in the world to that person. This is because it is one of the fastest and easiest ways to get someone’s attention especially when they are teased or praised.
Here are some tips on how you can use your name to influence your brand.
Make it a commitment:
Make a commitment to answer whatever uplifts and support your vision. Once you are subconsciously aware of what happens around you, do yourself a favor to international change the narrative by changing the negative news or information that surrounds you or your business. For example, you can work on your self, business, brand, organization, etc; to the extent, people will recognize you as an excellent or reliable person/brand as opposed to the different labels that bring negative vibes to you. As you may know, the world is governed by perception.
Practice:
Practicing whatever name brand you want to be associated with is a great way to bring change to not only your personal life but your business or brand. You can do this by calling yourself names of interest that appeal to you. You may be surprised to know it will come back to you. Don’t be concerned about the negative voices you may be hearing from friends or even family members, just continue to work on your craft. There have been testimonies of people who dreamt of being a governor, president, leader of an industry, etc. despite not having what it takes to be the person in the picture. They were able to act it in addition to calling themselves the names and guess what, it’s it came to pass. In one of my articles I published five years ago titled: Dreams Come True, I opined that your dreams are valid and it will come true if you work hard, believe in yourself and have the God factor around you.
Ignore the name tag:
As mentioned earlier, it is up to you to respond to whatever name you decide to answer. Names don’t matter anything unless you give it the needed power/energy it needs to feed on. Names are like dead woods, but you can activate life into it when you speak life into it. Names work with our minds, when you decide to call yourself love, love will automatically follow you.
Furthermore, Ignore the nay-sayers and give your attention to what brings you life, and when you do, the desired transformation will begin to rear up. Personally, I was called names because of my horrible writing skills, but I have been able to author a book by the special grace of God which my detractors have not been able to accomplish. The secret is simple, I never answered the negative names I was called.
Creating Opportunity:
Knowing how to relate with people is a powerful skill that is in high demand. A good personal relation skill will create opportunities for you. It’s like a charm that can disarm even the most hardened person to respond to stimuli. As popularly opined in some social parlance, if a man can make a lady to smile, he’s halfway into her heart. It is important to note that people want to be treated as human beings, not objects. Using their name is the fastest and most reliable way of building rapport and creating a good first impression. Everyone has a name — use it to better connect to them, especially if you work in the customer service position. You will notice a difference in your relationships.
In conclusion, what is your name?
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. 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. He can be reached via henrous@gmail.com
By Hezekiah Deboboye Olujobi
INTRODUCTION
Justice is the foundation of every civilized society. Yet history has shown that innocent persons can sometimes be convicted while the guilty go free. The case of Adeyemi Faleye presents one of such disturbing examples.
For fifteen years, Adeyemi Faleye, a taxi driver and father of twins, lived under the terrifying shadow of death following his conviction for armed robbery.
But in 2023, hope rose like the morning sun.
A court registrar, who understood the mission of CJMR and knew its commitment to reviewing forgotten cases, contacted the Centre for Justice, Mercy and Reconciliation concerning Adeyemi Faleye’s case.
That single contact opened the door to a fresh search for truth.
By 2024, CJMR had carefully reviewed the records of proceedings, the judgment, and the available court processes.
What emerged from that review was deeply troubling: serious questions surrounded the integrity, credibility, and reliability of the evidence upon which Adeyemi Faleye’s conviction had been founded.
THE BEGINNING OF THE ORDEAL
On 28 February 2011, Adeyemi Faleye left home in search of his daily bread. According to him, while travelling from Aferiku towards Idiroko, his vehicle developed a mechanical fault at Mede. While waiting for his mechanic, he was apprehended by members of the OPC vigilante group. That arrest marked the beginning of a fifteen-year nightmare. He was subsequently charged with conspiracy and armed robbery and was sentenced to death by hanging on 13 February 2018. Throughout the trial, he maintained his innocence.
CJMR’S INTERVENTION
As part of its prison ministry and wrongful conviction review programme, CJMR visited Adeyemi Faleye in custody. Following his persistent claim of innocence, CJMR undertook an independent forensic review of the judgment, witness testimonies and court records.
ISSUE ONE: THE ARREST NARRATIVE COLLAPSED
Adeyemi stated that he was arrested around 8:30 a.m. beside his broken-down vehicle by OPC vigilantes. However, police witnesses presented conflicting accounts, including a claim that he was arrested after a gun battle near the scene of the crime. The OPC vigilantes who allegedly arrested him never testified. If he was arrested beside his vehicle, how could he simultaneously have been arrested at the scene after a gun battle?
ISSUE TWO: CONTRADICTORY PROSECUTION EVIDENCE
PW1 stated that the robbery occurred around 8:00 p.m. on 27 February 2011. PW2 stated that it occurred before 10:00 p.m. PW3 claimed that the complaint was reported around 3:10 a.m. on 28 February 2011, while PW4 stated that the incident occurred on 28 February 2011 at about 1:00 a.m. These were not minor discrepancies but material contradictions going to the root of the case.
ISSUE THREE: THE CONFESSIONAL STATEMENT
The conviction rested substantially on an alleged confessional statement. Adeyemi denied making the statement and maintained that it was written by the police. The statement itself conflicted with the prosecution’s timeline. According to the statement, the robbery occurred around midnight or 1:00 a.m., whereas prosecution witnesses placed the incident between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. The unavoidable question is: who truly made the statement?
ISSUE FOUR: THE QUESTION OF REASON AND LOGIC
The prosecution’s narrative suggested that armed robbers remained around the vicinity of the crime scene for many hours after the robbery. Is it probable that armed robbers would remain in the same environment for as long as twelve hours waiting to be arrested? No independent witness testified about any gun battle, no petrol attendant testified, and no forensic evidence linked Adeyemi to the alleged crime.
THE TURNING POINT: WHEN THE TRIAL JUDGE SPOKE BEYOND THE LAW
After sentencing Adeyemi Faleye to death, the learned trial judge recommended him for executive pardon. This recommendation was highly significant. It suggested lingering concerns regarding the totality of the evidence and the moral certainty required to justify the irreversible punishment of death.
For CJMR, this recommendation became one of the strongest pillars upon which its intervention was anchored. When a judge convicts with the law but pleads for mercy, it may mean that the law has spoken, but justice is still unsettled.
CJMR’S FIRST INTERVENTION IN 2024
Following its forensic review, CJMR prepared and presented a comprehensive petition to the Ogun State Board of Mercy in 2024. The petition highlighted contradictory evidence, conflicting accounts of arrest, failure to call material witnesses, and the doubtful confessional statement. Upon review, the authorities commuted Adeyemi’s sentence from death to life imprisonment. While this removed him from the shadow of the gallows, CJMR maintained that the case pointed to a possible wrongful conviction.
CJMR RETURNS TO THE CASE IN 2026
In 2026, CJMR embarked on a wider exercise of gathering complaints of wrongful convictions across the South-West. During this process, thirty-two complaints were received. Out of these, fourteen cases involving nineteen persons were carefully selected for further review and intervention.
It was within this broader justice initiative that CJMR revisited the case of Adeyemi Faleye and once again approached the Ogun State Board of Mercy.
This time, CJMR argued that mercy alone was insufficient. The Board was urged to consider the totality of the evidence, the contradictions in the prosecution’s case, the doubtful confessional statement, and the recommendation of the trial judge himself.
CJMR maintained that where substantial doubt exists, justice demands more than commutation.It demands freedom.
AFTER FIFTEEN YEARS
After fifteen painful years of incarceration, the Ogun State Government under Governor Dapo Abiodun granted
On 24 June, 2026 Adeyemi Faleye amnesty. The taxi driver who once stood under the shadow of the gallows walked out of prison a free man. His story reminds us that the search for justice does not end with conviction. Truth, persistence and restorative justice can still prevail.
Hezekiah Deboboye Olujobi CRJ is the
Founder, Centre for Justice, Mercy and Reconciliation (CJMR)
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), on Friday, vowed to challenge the judgment nullifying its registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that it would exercise its constitutional right of appeal.
Reacting to the ruling on Thursday, the party’s spokesman, Osa Director, said the NDC was still awaiting the certified copy of the judgment before making a comprehensive statement on the court’s decision.
He, however, confirmed that the party had resolved to head to the appellate court.
“We are still waiting to obtain a copy of the judgment. After reading the comprehensive judgment, we will make a detailed statement,” he said.
The spokesman added: “For now, what is certain is that we will exercise our right of appeal.”
Insisting that the party would challenge the ruling, he said: “It is our constitutional right to appeal, and we intend to exercise that right.”
When asked specifically whether the NDC would appeal the judgment voiding its registration, the spokesman replied: “Yes, the party will appeal the case.”
The party’s reaction came shortly after a Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, in a judgement that nullified its registration by INEC, a development that could have significant implications for the NDC’s participation in the country’s political process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The NDC, however, maintained that it would refrain from making further comments on the substance of the judgment until it had studied the full text of the court’s decision.
The party’s planned appeal is expected to set the stage for a fresh legal battle over its status and continued existence as a registered political party.
By Tolulope A. Adegoke PhD
“Real leadership is never about ruling over others—it is about standing beside them, lighting the path forward, and helping them discover strengths they never knew they possessed. Where rulership builds walls to protect power, true leadership builds bridges to a better future. In every choice we make between control and inspiration, we decide what kind of world our children and grandchildren will inherit. Let us choose the harder, nobler path: to lead with humility, vision, and unwavering commitment to the common good.” – Tolulope A. Adegoke, PhD.
Leadership and ruler-ship represent two fundamentally different approaches to power and governance. Ruler-ship tends to emphasize control, hierarchy, personal authority, and the maintenance of dominance, often prioritizing short-term gains or elite interests. In contrast, authentic leadership focuses on vision, service, empowerment, integrity, and the development of collective capacity. It inspires people to rise above immediate challenges and collaborate toward shared, enduring objectives. Far from being a mere management style, leadership serves as the critical systemic foundation enabling sustainable, inclusive, and transformative growth across every domain of human endeavor—political, economic, social, environmental, technological, and cultural—while securing a more prosperous and equitable world for generations to come.
This detailed examination highlights the profound differences between these concepts, analyzes their real-world consequences, showcases compelling examples of success, and proposes practical pathways for embedding genuine leadership at all levels of society.
Understanding the Core Distinction
Ruler-ship often manifests as top-down command, relying on coercion, patronage, or suppression of opposition to maintain order. While it may produce rapid decisions or visible projects, it frequently fosters corruption, stifles innovation, breeds resentment, and leaves institutions vulnerable once central authority weakens.
Leadership, particularly in its transformational, servant, and sustainable forms, operates differently. It seeks to elevate others, build resilient systems, and balance immediate needs with long-term well-being. Transformational leaders motivate people to achieve beyond their perceived limits by fostering purpose, trust, and shared vision. Sustainable leadership explicitly integrates economic vitality, social equity, and environmental responsibility, recognizing their interdependence.
This distinction matters deeply because it shapes outcomes not just for the present but for decades ahead. Ruler-ship extracts value; leadership multiplies it.
Real-World Impacts on Development and Society
History and contemporary evidence consistently show that rulership-driven systems tend toward fragility. Concentrated, unaccountable power may deliver initial stability or growth, but it often leads to elite capture, policy reversals, social divisions, and eventual crises.
Leadership-oriented governance generates self-reinforcing progress. By promoting transparency, human capital investment, innovation, and adaptive institutions, it equips societies to navigate complex global challenges such as climate disruption, technological change, and inequality. Transformational approaches enhance motivation, performance, and cohesion across organizations and nations.
The benefits span key sectors:
- Economic Growth: Leaders who prioritize education, infrastructure, diversification, and fair competition create environments where entrepreneurship and productivity thrive sustainably.
- Social Advancement: Inclusive leadership expands access to quality healthcare, education, and opportunity, strengthening social fabrics and reducing disparities.
- Environmental Stewardship: Forward-thinking leaders align development with ecological limits, driving innovation in clean technologies and responsible resource management.
- Political Stability: They reinforce institutions grounded in accountability, rule of law, and citizen participation, enhancing resilience.
- Cultural and Technological Evolution: Leadership that values creativity and ethics accelerates responsible innovation and enriches societal progress.
Illustrative Cases of Transformational Leadership
Several standout examples demonstrate the power of leadership over ruler-ship:
- Singapore’s Transformation: Under Lee Kuan Yew’s guidance, a small, resource-scarce nation evolved into a global hub of prosperity through disciplined investment in education, merit-based systems, anti-corruption efforts, and pragmatic long-term planning.
- Rwanda’s Post-Conflict Renewal: Facing immense challenges after genocide, focused leadership emphasized good governance, infrastructure, gender equity, poverty reduction, and economic modernization—dramatically improving living standards and positioning the country as a development leader.
- Liberia’s Recovery: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf steered her nation through post-civil war reconstruction by championing reconciliation, institution-building, and inclusive policies, demonstrating servant leadership committed to national healing rather than personal power.
- Broader Inspirations: Figures like Christiana Figueres in climate diplomacy and pioneering corporate leaders at organizations such as Patagonia illustrate systems-oriented leadership that builds coalitions and drives meaningful, large-scale change.
These cases contrast sharply with instances where authoritarian approaches yielded temporary gains followed by setbacks or instability.
How Leadership Functions as a Systemic Ladder
Leadership builds enduring progress through interconnected mechanisms:
1. Clear Vision and Foresight: Articulating inspiring, realistic futures that unite stakeholders around generational goals in areas like sustainability and innovation.
2. Talent Development and Empowerment: Investing in education, mentorship, and broad participation to cultivate capable successors and unlock widespread potential.
3. Strong, Accountable Institutions: Creating frameworks of transparency and integrity that endure beyond any single individual.
4. Collaborative Inclusion: Engaging diverse actors—public, private, and civil society—to generate creative, equitable solutions to complex problems.
5. Ethical, Balanced Decision-Making: Weighing economic, social, and environmental considerations to ensure holistic, responsible advancement.
6. Adaptability and Continuous Learning: Embracing feedback, monitoring results, and adjusting strategies to maintain relevance amid changing circumstances.
These elements create compounding benefits, strengthening societies’ capacity to thrive over time.
Fostering Leadership for Lasting Impact
Shifting from rulership to leadership demands intentional action:
- Integrate ethics, critical thinking, and sustainability principles into education systems at every level.
- Reform institutions to emphasize merit, accountability, term limits, and citizen oversight.
- Actively prepare youth, women, and underrepresented groups for leadership responsibilities.
- Protect civic space, independent media, and participatory governance to sustain pressure for integrity.
- Promote cross-border learning and collaboration among reform-minded leaders and nations.
While obstacles such as entrenched interests and global uncertainties persist, committed coalitions have repeatedly shown that meaningful change is possible.
A Call to Legacy: Building Tomorrow Today
Leadership, rather than ruler-ship, offers the most reliable pathway to sustainable and progressive development. It replaces extraction with multiplication, control with empowerment, and short-term expediency with generational stewardship. By embracing service, vision, and accountability, leaders in every sphere can help construct societies that are more innovative, equitable, resilient, and harmonious with the natural world.
The true test of our efforts lies in the inheritance we pass forward: healthier institutions, empowered citizens, preserved environments, and expanded opportunities. This vision calls for a deliberate cultural and structural shift toward authentic leadership—from local communities to global institutions. The responsibility is collective, the opportunity transformative, and the potential legacy profound. Through courageous, principled leadership, we can climb steadily toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all who follow.
Dr. Tolulope A. Adegoke, AMBP-UN is a globally recognized scholar-practitioner and thought leader at the nexus of security, governance, and strategic leadership. His mission is dedicated to advancing ethical governance, strategic human capital development, resilient nation building, and global peace. He can be reached via: tolulopeadegoke01@gmail.com, globalstageimpacts@gmail.com
