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Food for Living: Importance, Limitations of Money

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By Henry Ukazu

Dear Destiny Friends,

It’s an unassailable fact that money is money. I mean how else can one say it.  According to the book of life, in Ecclesiastes 10:19, “Money answereth all things”. The only problem money can’t solve is death. Though in some instances, money can be used to postpone death. The message here is that money can be used to solve almost all of life’s problems, if not all. Money is not only good, but also sweet. A friend once jokingly told me that, money is sweeter than a woman.

But as sweet as money is, it has two sides, just like the knife. The use depends on what one wants to achieve with it, and in whose hands the money is. That determines if it will function for itsadvantages or disadvantages.

One however, would ask what the disadvantages of money are. As interesting as the question might be, the answer is found in using it for negative purposes such as for oppression or ungodly acts or purposes detrimental to the upliftment of mankind. When the money is used to support worthy causes that uplift humanity, its advantages are immediately established.

One of the many things my late dad, Chief Lazarus Ukazu, told me includes the fact that two things that can separate brothers or friends are money or women. And according to a school of thought, if you want to know someone, give him money or power. They will try to influence or control him, but if he’s able to control both then he can be judged to be a man of integrity. This is in league with another school of thought, which states that there are four people one cannot advise; a rich man, a woman in love, a religious bigot and a member of a political party.

The interesting thing about money is that it has a spirit. If one is not careful, they might become a victim. Let me share a practical example. When one has money, he is supposed to control money and not allow the money to control him. It’s sad to know that some people are slaves to money. When money controls you, you are a slave to money, but when you control money, money is your slave. Your money is supposed to work for you, and not you working for money.

Acquiring money is good because it can be used to enjoy the good things of life like good accommodation, good cars, good food, good education, good health system and more. We basically enjoy the good things of life. That’s why a lot of people strive to make money through any means even if it involves negative avenues, and this urge has led many people to engage in nefarious activities.

Let’s talk about the importance and value of money.

Money is a form of inspiration: If you have travelled to different Countries, Cities, States, and Continents you’ll understand the importance of money. I have been inspired by visiting friends because I see the value money accords them. I have also been inspired by seeing great people and the respect they have been accorded due to the associated impact their products and services have been used to solve problems in the world which in turn brought large sums of money. This singular act inspired me to become successful because when I do, I will  help the needy in addition to promoting worthy causes.

Money provides security: When you have money, you won’t be bothered too much about the challenges of life. According to an Igbo adage from the Eastern part of Nigeria, it is said that “a hunger that is backed with hope can’t kill anyone”. What it really means is that, when a person is hungry and he knows that he has food, he won’t be bothered too much because he knows when he gets home, he will have good to eat.

Now contrast that to when he’s hungry and he knows that if he gets home, he won’t have food to eat. That level of pain is different. That’s why I said, money provides security because there is a certain level of respect that one will be accorded.

Money has value: There’s no doubt money and value are relative. It all depends on what one is looking at. It’s sad to see uninformed minds respect someone because of the money they have in their bank account. This shouldn’t be the right approach to life. Everyone ought to be respected irrespective of the money in their bank account.

In politics, two things are required for one to be accorded a decent amount of respect and recognition. It’s either you have money or have electoral value. Let me explain a little, in politics one of the greatest needs of politicians is money.

According to some schools of thought, money is the greatest need of any politician because it can be used to sway electorates especially as it relates to campaigns, however another school of thought are of the opinion having electoral value is more important because one may have money, but may not be a great candidate, the electorates might not be swayed especially the independents.

But if the candidate is good enough, the electorates can even contribute and campaign aggressively for him.

This act was seen during the 2023 Presidential election where H.E Peter Obi shocked Nigerians with the “Obidient Movement. In less than nine months, he was able to upstage the political landmark of Nigeria electoral system, but unfortunately, he was rigged out of the system despite being alleged to have won the election.

Also, in 2008, President Obama shocked the world by winning the Presidential election against McCain. Again in 2012, he won a reelection against Mitt Ronney, who had more money than him.

The moral is that despite money having value, it was quite limited in what it can do.

However, despite the importance and value of money, money itself is limited. It’s not every problem money can solve. For instance, if one has a life-threatening sickness like stage four cancer, money can be limited in saving the life of the person.

Also, money cannot solve deeply personal, emotional issues. As a matter of fact, it can even create new problems if not handled well especially when one lacks empathy and emotional intelligence.

Emotional and mental well-being:  Money cannot cure loneliness, heal trauma, or erase emotional pain. While financial stability can reduce stress, it does not guarantee genuine happiness, contentment, or a sense of purpose. Money can buy but it can’t buy sleep and peace of mind. It can buy a comedian to create jokes, but it can’t buy joy.

Genuine relationships. Money cannot buy true love, friendship, or deep intimacy, at most it can influence it.

Serious health issues. While wealth can provide access to top medical care, it cannot cure all diseases or prevent aging and death. Some of the wealthiest people still face serious illnesses.

Lack of character. Money does not buy good character, integrity, or wisdom. A person’s flaws, like greed or immorality, are not erased by wealth.

Loss of a loved one. The pain of losing a loved one cannot be fixed by any amount of money.

Satisfaction and purpose. For those who equate financial success with happiness, an abundance of money can lead to a state of dissatisfaction.

Some societal problems.

Broader social issues like discrimination, inequality, and systemic problems cannot be solved by an individual’s money alone, as they require collective and systemic solutions.

In conclusion, money is a crucial resource for solving problems related to safety, security and access. It provides stability and freedom that can significantly improve one’s quality of life, especially for those living in hardship. However, it is an inadequate tool for solving core human needs related to emotions, relationships, and finding meaning.

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator.  He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design  and Unleash Your Destiny .  He can be reached via info@gloemi.com

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Frozen Account: Adeleke Directs Attorney General to Drop Lawsuit Against EFCC

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Re-elected Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has instructed his Attorney General to withdraw the suit filed against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the freezing of the State government’s bank account.

Adeleke disclosed this in an interview with Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, hours after he was declared winner of the August 15 governorship election.

Asked whether he is ready to put the political disagreements and the EFCC case behind him, the governor said he has decided to move on following President Bola Tinubu’s intervention.

“I’m putting them behind. What else do I want? I have instructed my Attorney General to drop it. Mr. President has done well. He called me. What more do I want?” Adeleke said.

The governor had earlier challenged the EFCC’s decision to secure an order freezing the state government’s account, describing the move as politically motivated and disruptive to the administration’s activities.

President Tinubu subsequently directed the anti-graft agency to lift the restriction and discontinue the related legal action, following concerns over the timing of the freeze ahead of the Osun governorship election.

On allegations that some of his supporters and officials are being invited and questioned by the EFCC, Adeleke said he has directed his lawyers to provide the necessary assistance.

“Well, we have been talking. I have been calling all my lawyers to go there. I’m sure the APC in Osun, according to them, they are telling us they are using federal might,” he said.

Adeleke, however, said he does not believe President Tinubu is aware of some of the actions attributed to federal agencies.

“Most of these things, the President doesn’t know. The President has a lot of foreign work and jobs to do,” he said.

According to the governor, some of his aides were invited by the EFCC for questioning but were released after no wrongdoing was established.

“I told my people, go there. We haven’t got anything to hide. And when they go there, they ask them questions, and then they will say, ‘Go on.’ Can you imagine my spokesperson? You are inviting my spokesperson – is my spokesperson a finance minister or accountant?” Adeleke asked.

He described the invitations as a distraction and alleged that former Osun State governor Gboyega Oyetola was behind the development because of his relationship with President Tinubu.

“All these things is Oyetola because he is the cousin to the President. He is dropping the President’s name. I know that the President didn’t know about the EFCC one. That is why he had to call me and stop it,” Adeleke said.

The EFCC froze an Osun State Government bank account earlier in August as part of an investigation into the alleged handling of about ₦11 billion in Ecology Funds, intervention funds and Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds.

The commission said it had detected suspicious movements of funds and restricted the account to prevent further transfers while its investigation continued.

The development triggered a dispute between the commission and the Adeleke administration, with the governor describing the action as politically motivated and taking the EFCC to court.

President Bola Tinubu subsequently directed the EFCC to return to court to vacate the freezing order and discontinue the related action, saying the timing could create the impression that a federal agency was being used to interfere with the election.

Adeleke secured a second term as Osun State governor, winning 511,067 votes against APC’s Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815. ADC’s Najeem Salaam came third with 17,180 votes. Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 LGAs, while Oyebamiji won 11.

Following his victory, Adeleke described the result as a triumph for democracy and pledged to transform Osun into an industrial hub.

He also called for unity, saying there was “no victor, no vanquished.”

His re-election sparked celebrations across the state, particularly in Osogbo and his hometown, Ede, with his nephew Davido also celebrating on social media.

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INEC Resumes Upload of Osun Election Results after 3Hours Pause

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has resumed the upload of results from the Osun State governorship election to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV), with more than 92.53 per cent of polling unit results now available on the platform.

Tribune Online reports that 3,482 results had been uploaded out of the 3,763 polling units across the state, representing 92.53 per cent of the total results expected on the portal.

Concerns were earlier raised after result uploads on the IReV portal appeared to stall for about three hours.

The delay triggered reactions from several social media users, including Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, who questioned the halt in the upload process.

In a post on X, he wrote, “INEC IREV uploads have been stuck for almost 2 hours now. 3292 out of 3763 results submitted and then silence. This is not acceptable Why has the uploading stopped?@inecnigeria

Another X user, @mundus01 tweeted, “Osun IReV uploads have been stalled for over 2 hours. The last result was published at 8:48:08 p.m. The portal is online, but no new results are appearing. @inecnigeria, what is happening? This doesn’t look good.”

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Food for Living: Love What You Do (Pt. 2)

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By Henry Ukazu

Dear Destiny Friends,

Last week, we laid the foundation of loving what you do. We discussed loving the topic as it relates to family, career, health, relationship, personal development, purpose and spirituality.  Today, we shall be focusing on how loving what you do can be a game changer.

It’s instructive to note that in the dictionary of life; when you love what you do and what you do loves you, you are destined for not only success, but also greatness. One may be wondering how this works. Trust me, it is difficult to succeed in a major, or profession one doesn’t like.

The journey of life can be challenging, stressful and unpredictable. When one is trying to set up a business, there’s bound to be setbacks maybe due to a new policy or meeting up with the requirement, there could challenges of funds; in academics, if one choose a major one likes, despite the associating challenges that may arise, one will still manage to pull through because he that is in him is greater and stronger than he that is in the world.

Also, in relationships and marriage, if one values friendship, they won’t allow their ego to have influence over them. Rather, they will invest time and resources in the relationship. That’s why it’s always good to place values above physical features in a human body when it comes to settling down for marriage because at the end of the day, the human body features can fade away, but values and friendship will not fade away, rather, it will serve as the binding factor that keeps the relationship.

One’s career is not an exception; one can tell who likes their job and one who doesn’t like their job. In workplaces, if one is happy at work, they tend to put in extra hours to get the job done. But when they are not happy with the job, they’ll do the bare minimum just to get through.

Let’s spend a minute to understand how loving what one does can be a game changer in one’s life. Just imagine, one is inspired to write a book, there will be challenges, however, it is the inspiration and determination of the person that will determine if they will finish strong. But if they are inspired by the wrong source, they might finish weak. Here is the gist, it is your desire to succeed that will outweigh your fear of failure.

Again, imagine a scenario where one is starting a business but has no resources and structure behind him. The fact is that if the person loves what he’s doing, it will be hard for the person to give up because their force is internal. I can vividly remember when I was working on my first, second and third book, I had many reasons to quit, but I refused because I love the work I was producing.

Furthermore, when you love what you do, you’ll endeavor to learn something new in addition to spending quality time to improve the work. I say this because rational minds don’t invest time and resources in what they don’t like. There’s a saying, if you want to know a man, give money, women and power. One of them would like to subdue him, but if he’s able to overcome them, he is a man.

This principle of loving what you do cuts across all facets of life whether we are taking care of families, academics, religion purpose, health, career, finance and even spiritual life. For families a man/woman who is intentional in building their family, must love their family and loving their family intends sacrificing for the family.

For health, if one loves their health, they won’t take harmful substances, just because they love their health; they will be intentional in exercising, and in doing so, they must love exercising.  For finance, an intentional person must spend time learning about stock, budgeting and investment. These are avenues to show that they have interest in growing their income.  Even in spiritual life, when one shows interest in loving God in truth and spirit, God has a way of coming through for them because they have been tested and trusted. This is simply how life works. Even in relationships if one loves their partner, there’s a high probability they would like to invest time and resources into that relationship.

In summary, endeavor to love what you do because there’s a certain level of spiritual strength, blessings and corresponding opportunities that’s associated with success, when one loves what they do. This is basically how life works.

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny- Actualizing Your Birthright to SuccessUnleash Your Destiny and The Six Pillars of Success . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com

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