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Food for Living: Don’t Allow People’s Perception Define You

Published

6 years ago

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By Henry Ukazu

Greetings Destiny Friends,

In our contemporary society, perception is everything, most especially in this era of social media where people share information which either depicts their business, interest or passion. The good thing about sharing information however, is that it gives visibility which in turn attracts value. In communication, it is important to relate with people with resourceful messages. Regardless of what one is sharing, it is instructive also to note that you are sharing information which you like people to know about.

However, the negative effect of sharing different content on the social media, and depending on what you share, is that the society merely finds it as either controversial or socially ignominious or irritating. This can adversely affect or destroy your brand and also label you in certain ways.

When we talk about labeling, several thoughts naturally come to mind. Generally, labelling is seen as a way of identifying people. Labeling can be positive or negative, depending on usage. Depending on how you may have been described or labelled, it is important to note that perception doesn’t define you in a holistic manner. It only gives an impression based on the perception of the person describing you.

Labeling comes in different ways. Some come across as judgments based on hearsay, some create stereotypes, bias, fears and stigma. Labels don’t see people — they describe an oversimplified version of who they are. When you label yourself, you are following the same pattern. Labelling tends to discard all sense of individual identity, and this can be detrimental to not only our personality, but our society in general.

When people label you, they are merely telling you how their thought process works. They stick a label to define us, and if we are not strong, we’ll wear the label like it’s the truth. In one way or the other we may have been defined, but the true definition of a human being is to look at the challenges the person has been able to overcome.

Let’s take a case study of Albeit Einstein; his teacher told him, he’s a dull student and as such he won’t be able to get a good job. He was advised to look for the lowest skill job. Albert Einstein believed what his teacher told him and lived with it for a while, until one day he applied for a job in a company and he was required to do an aptitude test. After reviewing his grade, the Chief Executive Officer of the company called him and inquired why he applied for the lowliest position in the company as opposed to a more advanced position, he responded, that’s what he felt he could do. The manager then told him his score was the highest the company has ever received. From that day, Albert Einstein started to think highly of himself as opposed to believing what his teacher labeled him.

The moral of this story is that people don’t determine our destiny, God does. They might know your name, but they don’t know your story, they might know your history, but they don’t know your future, they might know your past but don’t know your present.

We live in a competitive world where people tend to copy the works, or fit into the standard of the world for social recognition. Don’t fall into the pressure of following the bandwagon. Stick to your calling and maintain your lane.  Don’t allow that label to stick. You’re perfect in your way. In the journey of life, people will laugh at you for reading a book,  they might call you a nerd; they might mock you for working extra hours to grow your business or learn a trade or even start a course that is not popular. They won’t believe in your project; they might tag you with names. Don’t be deterred; they are only seeing today, they are not aware you might be their boss tomorrow.

It is normal for people to say stuff about you or call you names simply because, either they can’t be like you or they are jealous of what you have been able to accomplish. When people label you, it goes to show their level of understating about who you are and their vision of life. Sometimes, human beings love to take advantage of people, especially when you are down. For example, they might say, ‘is this not the carpenter’s son’; that’s what they used to know you as, but you are no longer the names they used to call or tag you. It is important to note that you don’t need to prove yourself to people, your success and reputation will show them over time.

Have you been labeled or defined in a certain way? If yes, work on yourself and tell yourself, you are not where you used to be, and vow never to remain where or be the name you have been associated with, and the best way to do it is to challenge yourself to do better than you were yesterday.

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 and President of gloemi.com. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com

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El-Rufai to Remain in ICPC Custody Till June

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3 days ago

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April 21, 2026

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Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court has adjourned the bail hearing of former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to the first week of June, 2026.

El-Rufai is being arraigned on multiple charges bordering on alleged financial crime and abuse of office by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

“Similarly, another charge, number KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/26, against Mallam Nasir El-Rufa’i and one Amadu Sule (LEDA) has also been filed before a Kaduna State High Court in the Kaduna Judicial Division,” the ICPC said last month.

“The charges in the State High Court case range from abuse of office, fraud, and intent to commit fraud to conferring undue advantage, among others. Both charges were filed by the ICPC on the 18th of March, 2026.”

Speaking after the court session, counsel to the former governor, Ukpon Akpan, kicked against the lingering adjournment of the bail hearing by one presiding judge as politically motivated.

The high-profile case has drawn significant public attention, with heightened security presence observed around the court premises.

The former governor had arrived at the court at about 9 am in a convoy accompanied by ICPC officials and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

During the proceedings, supporters of the former governor gathered outside the courtroom, while security agencies maintained order and restricted movement within the vicinity.

Inside the courtroom, journalists, as usual, were not allowed, as proceedings are expected to focus on arguments presented by both the defence and prosecution regarding the bail request.

At the last sitting, the defence team had maintained that their client poses no flight risk and is willing to comply with all conditions set by the court.

Meanwhile, the prosecution has urged the court to carefully consider the gravity of the charges.

The 66-year-old former governor of Kaduna has been in ICPC custody since February 19 following his release by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

El-Rufai, a former minister of the FCT, was, however, released on March 27 based on compassionate grounds following his mother’s death

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Court Admits Nine Exhibits Against Malami, Family in EFCC Fraud Trial

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3 days ago

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April 21, 2026

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Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Monday, admitted nine exhibits against a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami.

The exhibits were presented before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC), in its ongoing trial of the former Minister and some family members.

The EFCC is prosecuting the defendants on an amended 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities to the tune of N8.7 Billion contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The documentary exhibits were tendered through the fourth prosecution witness, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank Plc.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, J. S. Okutepa, (SAN), the witness, told the court that, in the course of his official duties, he received correspondence from the EFCC requesting documents relating to several accounts linked to the defendants and associated entities.

“I work as a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, Maitama branch. My duty includes receiving correspondence from law enforcement agencies and responding accordingly,” he said.

Bata further disclosed that the bank complied with EFCC’s requests by providing both soft and hard copies of documents relating to accounts belonging to the defendants and companies such as Rayhaan Hotels Limited, Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited, Nashab Limited, Golden Age Global Ventures, and Rahamaniyya Properties Limited.

“My lord, the documents are nine,” he stated, confirming his ability to identify them when presented in court.

Upon application by Okutepa, the court admitted the documents, dated between July 19, 2024 and March 12, 2026, as Exhibits D1 to D9, despite an initial objection by defence counsel, J. B. Daudu (SAN), who noted that “the dates are almost all in March.”

Continuing his testimony under further examination by prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), the witness provided details of transactions contained in the exhibits.

He identified Exhibit D1 as containing account opening documents and statements for accounts belonging to Abubakar Malami and A.A. Malami & Co, including a naira account and a dollar account.

According to him, the statement of account for one of the accounts covered the period from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2023.

The witness confirmed that the accounts were active between 2015 and 2023, noting that “there were transfers within that period.”

He further revealed that total credits into one of the accounts stood at N383,637,21.55 between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2023, while total credits from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2015 amounted to N560,506,465.12.

On debits, he stated that N384,322,120.85 was recorded between 2016 and 2023, while N571,891,174.08 was debited between 2012 and 2015.

Giving further breakdown of transactions, the witness told the court that on November 11, 2020, the account received N194,791,608.00 from New Horizons Limited, and on June 24, 2022, it received N622,500,000.00 from Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited.

He added that on July 1 and July 7, 2022, the account received N250 million each from Rayhaan Hotels Limited, while on December 22, 2022, there was an inflow of N500 million linked to Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited.

Continuing in that format, the witness identified so many transactions running into billions.

Following the testimony, the defence counsel, J.B Daudu (SAN) sought an adjournment to enable him study the exhibits and prepare for cross-examination.

“My lord, we need time to go through the nine exhibits tendered,” Daudu said.

Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter to May 13, 2026, for continuation of trial.

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Police Retirees Block Aso Rock Gate, Demand Action on Pension Scheme

Published

4 days ago

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April 20, 2026

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Some retirees of the Nigeria Police Force under the aegis of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria (PROF) have staged a protest at the Presidential Villa in Abuja demanding President Bola Tinubu sign the Police Exit Bill passed by the National Assembly in December 2025.
The bill seeks to withdraw the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme.

The protesters, under the scorching sun, walked from the Three Arms Zone in Abuja through the street in front of the Police Headquarters.

They carried placards with various inscriptions, in addition to the Nigerian flag and the flag of the Nigeria Police Force.

Led by its National Coordinator, CSP Raphael Irowainu, the protesters described the retention of the NPF in the Contributory Pension Scheme as fraudulent and illegal.

They also said the CPS is inhumane and obnoxious.

According to them, the protest seeks to prevail on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give assent to the Police Exit Bill passed by the National Assembly on 4th December 2025 and transmitted to the President on 16th March 2026.

They said that when signed into law, the Act will totally exempt the police from what they called a “slavery and untimely death-inducing pension scheme.”

The protesters, accompanied by some of their spouses and children, also blocked Gate 8 leading into the Presidential Villa, causing obstruction to vehicular movement.

Efforts by Villa security personnel to dissuade them from the protest proved abortive as they insisted on seeing the President.

They laid their mats in front of the gate, singing songs of solidarity, while some of them lay on the floor.

As of the time of filing this report, no one from the Villa had addressed the protesters.

CSP Irowainu said that their main purpose is to prevail on President Tinubu to sign the bill exiting the Nigeria Police Force from the CPS, which he said has been passed and transmitted to him by the National Assembly.

He lamented that while other security agencies in the country such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, SSS and others have all been exited from the scheme, the police remain trapped in it.

“Our major aim here is to prevail on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign our bill—the bill exiting the police from the Contributory Pension Scheme—passed by the National Assembly on 4th December 2025 and transmitted to him on 16th March, 2026, into law, nothing more than that.

“The soldiers have been exited, the SSS has been exited, the Air Force has been exited, the Navy has been exited, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has been exited. The police, who are the father of them all, are trapped in this obnoxious Contributory Pension Scheme,” CSP Irowainu said.

It is not the first time retired officers are staging a protest over the CPS. In July last year, they demonstrated at the National Assembly to demand their removal from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The demonstrators, mostly elderly, stood in the rain holding placards and chanting anti-government songs.

Some of the retired police officers also besieged the Force Headquarters in Abuja to protest against the CPS.

Addressing the protesters at the time, the then Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, said the welfare of retired police officers was being addressed, but that the exit of the Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme was not something that could be implemented immediately.

He, however, advised the leaders of the protest to refrain from spreading misinformation, stressing that the Force could not abandon its own.

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