News
Food for Living: Mindset As Tool for Success
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Life is governed by principles, and principles are products of mindset. When the right principles are applied, one is bound to get the right results. Amidst the principles of life, it is imperative that the right thoughts are applied. The right formula to any mathematical problem will always create easy access to the solution.
What really is mindset? Mindset is a set of beliefs that shape how people see themselves and the world around them. It can also be described as one’s thoughts towards life.
Mindset works with your energy. Did you know that your mindset towards life shows your understanding about life. As a student of mindset, and mindset coach, I look beyond someone’s words by looking deeper at their subconscious thoughts. My late mother once advised me, that when someone is talking, I should pay little attention to their words, but focus more on what’s inside their mind.
One’s understanding and perception towards life can be seen in their mindsets. This is because everything starts first in the mind before it sees the light of the day. Love starts from the mind. It’s from the mind that attraction comes in. Success and failure start from the mind. If you believe you will succeed, you will succeed, if you believe you will fail, you will fail.
According to Napoleon Hill in his book, “Think and Grow Rich”, whatsoever the mind can conceive, it can achieve. Even the book of life says in 1 John 4:4, he that is in you is greater and stronger than he that is in the world.
The mind is powerful just like the brain. It’s what you believe in that will work for you. If you don’t believe in anything, you will hardly get anything.
The mindset of a child is different from the mindset of a parent. The mindset of a student is different from the mindset of a professor. The mindset of a doctor is different from the mindset of a lawyer. The mindset of a businessman is different from the mindset of a clergy. The mindset of a student or employee is different from the mindset of an employer. The mindset of a regular citizen is different from the mindset of a president. The mindset of a poor man is different from the mindset of a rich man.
To give a proper perspective to mindset, it’s instructive to note that there are different attitudes to life and success. Whatever you want to accomplish, it’s important to connect with that spirit. Someone in a relationship has a different form of mindset, just as a student operates with a different form of mindset, and a businessman has a different form of mindset. Again, a clergy, Governor, President, and others, all have different forms of mindset depending on what they want to achieve.
Do you know that mindset works with values? It’s the value you place in someone, commodity, place, religion, policy, and deity that will determine how you will relate and engage with the person. It’s unfortunate to see uninformed minds requesting financial assistance from people instead of seeking opportunities to learn and serve. This set of people operate from a lack mentality.
It’s sad to note that most people don’t understand how powerful the mindset is. Do you know your mindset is like a magnet? You can connect and attract forces farther than you. If you want to connect with a resourceful person, your ability to know what works for the person will go a long way to determine if the person will connect with you. For instance, if an entrepreneur wants to get a grant from a businessman or a company, the entrepreneur must speak in the language the donors will understand and what appeals to the mindset of that person.
Let me share a practical example of how my mindset played a game-changer role in my life. In 2017, after I published my first book, I traveled to Nigeria to see my grandmother after seeing her in my dream a couple of times begging me to come back. I initially downplayed it because I felt it’s just normal for a grandmother to miss her grandchildren, especially since my younger brother has given her a copy of my book to bless me. She still insisted she want to see me.
After giving it a serious thought, I decided to resign from my job and traveled home to see her. It’s important to state that the decision appeared unpopular among my family members and friends for several reasons. I believed my instincts, and took the risk. Be advised, my grandmother was hale and hearty without any health challenge before I traveled. One may wonder, what gave me the courage; well, I just have the belief that my grandmother’s prayers will play a big role in my life.
Trust me, it happened the exact way I thought it would. When I came back to the USA, I had no job and had to resort to selling my book on the streets of New York. On one fateful day, I met a news anchor on the street of New York and told him about my book and my plans for the youths. He was impressed and gave me his number. We couldn’t communicate for three years until President Trump issued a travel ban against Nigeria. His boss read my interview in the New York Times and reached out to him about my interview. He told his boss he knows me. He reached out to me via Instagram and texted directly on my phone inquiring if I can do an interview with respect to the travel ban. I agreed. He was impressed with my interview and my composure on the television and stated that since I do lots of work on youth advocacy, he will send his team to my house to interview me.
That was how I got featured in News12 and since then I have been a regular guest on television. Now, what’s the moral of this story? Imagine if I didn’t believe in my instinct to travel home, maybe today, I wouldn’t have been featured on the television in addition to attracting the attention I have today. Above all, nothing gave me joy more than the ten minutes of prayer my grandmother showered on me. And guess, what she passed on to glory a year later.
In conclusion, if you want to bring a positive change in your life, consider changing your attitude to life, because it’s your attitude not your aptitude that will determine your attitude to life.
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 Your and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned social media personality and self-acclaimed relationship adviser, Okoro Blessing Nkiruka, before the Federal High Court in Lagos over an alleged N36 million fraud.
Blessing CEO was arraigned on Friday before Justice D.I. Dipeolu on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and alleged theft involving N36 million
According to the EFCC, the defendant allegedly obtained the money from one Mrs. Ifeyinwa Nonye Okoye under the pretext of securing a six-bedroom duplex in Lekki, Lagos — a claim prosecutors said she knew to be false.
During proceedings, defence counsel P.I. Nwafor informed the court that the defendant had refunded N24 million to the complainant and requested a short adjournment to allow discussions over the outstanding balance.
“We have an application to make. The defendant approached the nominal complainant and refunded N24 million out of the N36 million.
“We are asking for a short adjournment to resolve the outstanding balance. The nominal complainant agreed that if the balance is paid, they can prevail on the EFCC to drop the case,” the lawyer said.
However, prosecution counsel S.I. Suleiman opposed the request, insisting that the commission was not involved in any private settlement arrangement.
“The complainant here is the Federal Government of Nigeria, and we are here for the arraignment. We urge that the defendant take her plea, as that is the business of the day,” he argued.
Ruling on the matter, Justice Dipeolu held that settlement talks could continue independently but would not stop the arraignment process.
“The defence and the nominal complainant can have discussions even during the pendency of the charge. It does not affect the proceedings before the court. The defendant will take her plea,” the judge ruled.
One of the charges alleged that between July 14 and 17, 2024, Blessing CEO fraudulently obtained N36 million from the complainant over a purported property lease in Lekki.
Another count accused her of unlawfully converting the money to personal use, contrary to provisions of the Criminal Code Act.
She pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following her plea, the prosecution asked the court to commence trial and remand her in a correctional facility, while the defence requested that she remain in EFCC custody pending bail arrangements.
Justice Dipeolu subsequently ordered that the defendant be remanded in EFCC custody and adjourned the matter to June 5, 2026, for commencement of trial.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, has narrated how his principal almost sacked him because of Lagos State House of Assembly member, Desmond Elliot.
He said he almost lost his job during the Lagos Speaker Mudashiru Obasa impeachment saga.
Recall that lawmakers of the Lagos State House of Assembly had said that Obasa was impeached to save the integrity and sanctity of the House of Assembly and Lagos State.
The lawmakers, while jointly addressing journalists at the Assembly Complex, said: “It’s just a change of baton. It is only death that is constant, so change is inevitable.”
However, with President Tinubu against the impeachment, the Speaker was restored and peace returned to the Assembly.
Addressing members of the All Progressives Congress on Thursday, Gbajabiamila said, “I almost lost my job as Chief of Staff last year because of Desmond Elliot. Mr President called me to his house in Abuja during the Lagos Speaker Obasa saga.
“He said, ‘I hear this Desmond is your boy, the one we gave you,’ and I said, ‘Yes, sir. He is one of the people causing problems in the Lagos House of Assembly.’
“Immediately, I told the president that Desmond wasn’t part of them, but the president replied and said that, from the intelligence he received, Desmond was part of them.
“After that meeting, I called Desmond and told him what the president said, and asked him to leave the group if he was part of them. Three days later, the DSS DG called me and said there was a problem.
“He said your name is being mentioned, that you’re the one behind the impeachment saga and that you’re supporting Desmond.
“I spoke to the DSS DG and told him I had spoken to Desmond and he denied being part of the group. I then asked Desmond to make a public statement denying his involvement in the impeachment saga, but till today, he hasn’t done it.”
By Eric Elezuo
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has announced the kickoff of the 2026 West African Second-term School Certificate Examination, saying it would be computer-based, and decrying the decline of male participation as against their female counterparts.
The Council made the disclosure on Monday, while addressing the media at its National Office in Yaba, Lagos, on steps so far taken to ensure a hitchfree 2026 Examination.
In his address, the Head of National Office, Mr. Jacob Josiah Dangut, remarked that the 2026 computer-based WASSEC, started on April 21, 2026 with practical test papers, stressing that the nitty gritty parts of the exercise will kick off on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, therefore the reason for the sensitization of the Nigerian public on the exams.
He noted that nearly two million candidates registered to sit for the examinations.
In his words, “A total of 1,959,636 candidates from 24,207 schools enrolled for the examination.
“Of this number, 958,564 candidates (48.92%) are male, while 1,001,072 candidates (51.08%) are female. This reflects an increase in female participation and a decline in male participation compared to last year.”
Dangut called on policy formulations to take the matter serious so as to reinvent the urge for education among the malefolks.
Meanwhile, Dangut informed the public that candidates are being tested in 37 subjects across 97 papers, supervised by about 29,000 senior secondary teachers nominated by state ministries of education.
Dangut said the rise in computer-based entries followed the successful debut of the format in 2025, with more schools and offshore institutions adopting it for its efficiency and alignment with global standards.
The 2026 exercise will run through to June 19th.
