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Food for Living: Fret Not, That Set Back Is Your Set Up for Success
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
Succeeding in life takes different shapes and form. Sometimes, we might be working towards a direction with the hope we’ll succeed, but in reality, our breakthrough in life can literally come from unimaginable places and sources like your network and strangers. If one is able to think out of the box, you can decipher that true success is an all-encompassing package. This is because you will have to cross the ts and dot the Is.
The interesting thing about success is that it has a way of humbling one. During the course of this article we shall be discussing about distractions, setbacks, disappointments and how unprecedent turn of events can lead to your success.
It’s instructive to know that the universe has a way of using your friends, family, strangers, work colleagues and even your detractors/enemies to catapult you to success. Taking a cursory look at the life of Joseph from the Book of life, his siblings had the plan of killing him because he was fondly loved by his father, his siblings may have felt he’s better prepared for succeed more than them, and as such they planned to kill him without knowing they are setting him up for success. Joseph, as the Bible recorded, was a dreamer who dreamt his siblings will bow before him. Ordinarily, he would have died if the plans of this brothers have worked perfectly well, but because they didn’t know any better, they had a second thought of selling him off to a group of merchants, who were traveling instead of spilling their brothers blood. That singular act of selling Joseph changed the course of Joseph’s destiny and the rest as they say is history.
It is simply the same way your business, environment and life can metamorphose. Let’s take another case study of someone interested in business, you may have a desire to bring in a new business into the market but then, you are unsure of how it will be received it. But then, when you take the risk, sometimes it might be best decision you may have to take your business career.
Let me share a personal experience with you; about three years ago, I resigned from my job and traveled overseas to see my family in addition to promoting my first book. When I came back to the United States, I had no job. I was forced to go the street to market my book. During one of my outings, I met one of the news anchors for News 12. I shared my vision with him. Fast-forward to three years later when New York Times interviewed me, it was the same news correspondent agent who reached out to me for the interview. The rest they say is history.
That’s simply the same way life works. Your disappointment can turn out to be a blessing if you are able to appreciate the blessings that comes with it. In order to do this, you will need to prepare for the best and expect the worst, and whatsoever happens, you’ll know you have done your bit.
It should be noted that God and the universe can use even your enemies to bless you. It can be your family, friends, work, strangers etc., they all orchestrated for a purpose, all things being equal. What you think might be a disappointment can be a blessing in disguise because without them you may not reach the promiseland. What looks like a setback might end up be a set up for your success.
In the journey of life, certain people have been placed in your life for certain reasons. Just like you have destiny helpers, the same way you have detractors all lined up to play their own unique role for you. All these beings are meant to enable you in one way or another. So, stop crying over spilt milk, what has been done has been done, the deed cannot be changed. You just have to think out of the box in every situation.
Critics, doubters, haters are all there for a purpose. Moral: If your enemies weren’t against you, maybe you wouldn’t have worked harder.
Let me scale the conversation up to a another level, imagine water in a tap being stopped from rushing out, when left open, the water will gush out farther than expected due to the pressure that will come upon it. That’s simply how our enemies and life situation come to us. What you think might be a set-back might end up being a set up for you
In conclusion, don’t complain about the person that betrayed, lied, and pushed you aside. Just move on and allow nature to take its due course. You just never know; they might just be setting you up for success.
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
A federal judge in the United States, on Thursday, put a temporary block on President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship.
The ruling imposes a 14-day halt on the enforcement of one of the most controversial executive orders Trump signed hours after being sworn into office for a second term.
It comes after lawsuits were filed by a total of 22 states, two cities and numerous civil rights groups.
“This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” senior US District Judge John Coughenour was reported as saying during the hearing in Washington State.
“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades, I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is,” said Coughenour, who was appointed to the bench by a Republican president, Ronald Reagan.
Birthright citizenship is fundamental to America’s national identity, with the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution decreeing that anyone born on US soil is a citizen.
It says, in part: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
Trump’s order was premised on the idea that anyone in the US illegally, or on a visa, was not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the country, and therefore excluded from this category.
AFP
The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital has upheld the death sentence of Ramon Adedoyin, a prominent businessman and hotelier, for his involvement in the murder of one Timothy Adegoke, a former postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Delivering the judgment on Thursday, the court affirmed the earlier verdict of the Osun State High Court, which had sentenced Adedoyin to death.
“The judgment of the High Court of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s appeal is dismissed in part,” the court declared in part.
The Court of Appeal, however, set aside some aspects of the lower court’s orders, including the forfeiture of the Hilton Hotel and the order for Adedoyin to pay for the education of Adegoke’s children.
Furthermore, the court ruled that it had no jurisdiction to impose penalties outside the statutory provisions
Adegoke’s death was reported in November 2021 after his corpse was found at the Hilton Honours Hotel in Ile-Ife, Osun State, where he had lodged.
The hotelier had travelled from Abuja for an examination at a distance learning centre in Moro, Osun State on November 5 of that year.
He had checked into the hotel but was reported missing after two days. However, Adegoke’s body was found days later, leading to a probe that linked his death to Adedoyin and others.
In May 2023, Adedoyin and others were sentenced to death after they were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder.
But dissatisfied with the judgement, Adedoyin approached the Appeal court to dismiss the sentence and conviction.
The court of appeal, on Thursday, however, upheld the conviction and death sentence of the hotelier.
The Nigeria Police have announced that their operatives have rescued Mrs Folasade Odumosu, the wife of a former Assistant Inspector General, Hakeem Odumosu, who was last Thursday, kidnapped at the entrance of her home in Arepo, Ogun State.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, noting that two of the kidnappers were killed while four others escaped without their weapons.
Adejobi said with the support of the Force Headquarters technical intelligence platforms, the Ogun State police operatives engaged Odumosu’s abductors in a gun duel and neutralized the criminals in the swampy area of Ikorodu on Wednesday.
The police spokesman added that Mrs Odumosu is currently undergoing a medical evaluation and has since been reunited with her family.
The statement read, “In a commendable display of teamwork and swift action, police operatives attached to the Ogun State Command have successfully neutralized the kidnappers of Mrs. Odumosu, wife of Retired Assistant-Inspector General, AIG Hakeem Odumosu, and rescued her unharmed.
“On January 16, 2025, at approximately 9:45 PM, four masked gunmen forcibly abducted Mrs. Odumosu from her Lexus Jeep outside her residence in Arepo, Ogun State. The abduction sparked an immediate response from the anti-kidnapping unit of the Ogun State Police Command, who commenced a thorough investigation and targeted pursuit of the kidnappers.
“With the support of the Force Headquarters technical intelligence platforms, the Ogun State police operatives engaged in extensive surveillance of the creeks surrounding Arepo, gathering crucial information to track down the assailants. Their efforts culminated in a raid on January 23, 2025, at around 06:45 AM. The intelligence-led operation took the police to a creek in the swampy area of Ikorodu, where the kidnappers were reportedly planning their next attack.
“Upon arrival, the operatives encountered the kidnappers, who opened fire. In the ensuing confrontation, two of the gunmen were neutralized, while four others fled the scene, abandoning their operational weapons.”
Adejobi said the police operatives recovered N10m initially paid to the kidnappers, four Ak-47 rifles, three locally made single barrel rifles, and ammunition of various calibres.
He added, “The victim, Mrs Odumosu was rescued within the swampy creeks during the operation, unharmed. She is currently undergoing medical evaluation as a precautionary measure and has since been reunited with her family. The police also recovered 4 Ak-47 rifles, 3 locally made single barrel rifles, ammunition of various calibres, and the sum of N10,000,000 ransom previously demanded by the kidnappers, further ensuring that justice is served.”
Adejobi said the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, commended the police operatives and the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, for the rescue operation.
He asserted that the Police Force is committed to safeguarding the citizens and combat kidnapping and other violent crimes.
“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM., has commended the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, and his operatives for their displayed gallantry in this successful operation.
“This operation exemplifies the dedication and resilience of our Police officers. The Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in its mission to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes, providing safety and security to all citizens,” he added.
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