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Food for Living: Nigeria and 2023 Presidential Election
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Politics is one is of the most interesting games in the world. It is a game that naturally should be played with love and understanding. However, one of the most controversial factors that is always at play in politics is interest. This is because everyone has something to gain if their candidates win in an election. That’s why you will see family members, close friends, and religious congregations having different opinions during elections.
To buttress the seriousness of vested interest, imagine where a man is contesting to be the President of a country and his wife’s biological brother is also contesting for the same position in a different party. Who do you think their wives will vote for? Well, I believe every rational woman will want their husband to win the election because that will afford them the position of being the first lady. That’s to tell you how politics and interest can be a game-changer in a family and life.
In social parlance, it’s been said that there are three people you can’t advise; a woman in love, a rich man, and a religious fellow. I beg to add a fourth line to it – a member of a political party.
You may be wondering how that plays out.
Political parties are normally driven by ideologies and it is this ideology that makes citizens join them. For instance, in the United States, Democrats believe in a liberal form of government that supports the citizens while the Republicans are conservatives who believe in downsizing the government. Furthermore, while Democrats advocate civil liberty and social equality with support for a mixed economy, the Republicans on the other hand supports lower taxes, free-market capitalism, restrictions on immigration, increased military spending, gun rights, restrictions on abortion, deregulation, and restrictions on labour unions. Can you see why voters will find it hard to vote for another party, even if they will do so, it will be on a fundamental ground where they will put the country first as was seen during the Presidential election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump where Red and swing States turned Blue for Democrats.
Let’s bring the conversation back home to Nigeria. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission in Nigeria, there are 18 registered political parties in Nigeria, but in reality, only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressive Party (APC) are the two main parties Nigeria. The question we need to ask ourselves is if these political parties have ideological differences? The answer is no. APC and PDP are basically the same parties. That’s why a member of PDP can wake up today and join APC and at night he/she can join APC. Nigerians are yet to mature like other civilized climes where the principle of probity and accountability is of the highest standard.
To a reasonable extent, the principle at play in Nigeria is “stomach infostructure” – a system where politicians have used poverty to weaponize the citizens to vote for them.
As the 2023 presidential election is fast approaching, Nigerians are concerned on who will lead the country. While some are clamoring for the South to produce the next president, other groups are clamoring for the North to produce the president, and this is where Nigerians have a say on what will happen. The electorates don’t seem to understand the power they have as electorates.
Please permit me to share a story I saw on Instagram last week – There were politicians eating on a table, which was resting on the back of electorates. The politicians were saying if only the electorate know that if they stand up the table will scatter meaning if only, they knew the power they have as electorate.
Politics is a game that Nigerian politicians have mastered by using tribalism and religion to divide the masses just for them to get what they want. What most gullible Nigerians don’t know is that leaders meet at the top while followers kill themselves. The interesting thing about Nigerians is that most times they don’t know those who love them. Most times they castigate those who are sent to help them, and embrace their oppressors. This is why during elections; career politicians use bags of money to deceive them. Nigerians on their part are not ready for good governance, and that’s why they end up with the kind of rulers they get instead of leaders they deserve. Isn’t it true that every nation gets the kind of ruler/leader they deserve? That’s the sad state of Nigeria.
As we approach the next general election, I will strongly encourage Nigerians to rise to the call and demand a representative government where the politicians will be answerable to them. Most importantly, Nigerians ought to quit playing politics of interest just because they have friends, they should support meritocracy as opposed to mediocrity. If you dislike any politician, criticize constructively and with love, don’t hate another candidate who supports another candidate. We can always disagree to agree. Nigerians ought to note that what binds us together is more than what separates us. Nigerians have to force interested candidates running for election to a healthy debate and hear from them out.
As citizens, we all have the power to ask our leaders questions and demand what is happening and why are acting the way they are acting. If you don’t ask, they may be tempted to leave the stage thinking they have done fairly well, not knowing they have done more harm than good. In a nutshell, they are disasters that sycophants have made them to understand they are the best things that have happened to Nigeria.
Why am I saying this, just a couple of days ago, the Minister of Justice was in New York to give a Public Lecture on corruption. I advertised the event on social media for interested persons to register and have an opportunity to ask the Minister hard questions, the event received poor response. The plan was for the public to register and have an opportunity to participate online if they can’t attend in person. But it’s quite unfortunate they prefer to reign insults on the Minster on social media when I posted the picture, I took with him. Some felt I was used to for branding purposes and PR. Some felt I have received a fat check for the publicity, while others felt that was a bad PR for me because of the credible reputation I have built over time. Some were kind enough to offer me their advice privately. The truth of the matter is that all that is far from reality. I attended the event just like any other person interested in the development of our country.
The reason I am stressing this point is that we need to do more as Nigerians. We need to be more engaging and critical on political issues. I don’t see any reason some people will hate somebody and expect another person to hate the person. Do you know your enemy’s enemy can be your friend? I get the whole negative vibe against the Minster, I also share similar sentiments based on some of his utterances and conducts against the judiciary and how he has handled the affairs relating to his office. But what I don’t understand is the idea of people trying to nail a fellow citizen who took a picture with the Minster without doing any form of PR for him. I am wondering if everyone who took pictures with the Minster is an enemy of the state.
As I conclude this article, I urge all Nigerians home and abroad who are not happy with the way the country is moving to join the political train and be more engaging by either registering with a political party, contesting an election, or becoming a stakeholder in the affairs relating to Nigeria as opposed to sitting on the fence or being on the internet using uncouth words to castigate those who are participating. A word they say is enough for the wise.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a Human Capacity & mindset coach. He’s also a public speaker. 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
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of “weaponising hunger” and using food prices as a political tool, alleging that the Federal Government’s claims of improved local food production are false and intended to mislead Nigerians.
According to the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the government’s economic narrative as “deceptive,” saying it was designed to create an illusion of progress while millions of Nigerians continue to face worsening hardship.
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is deeply concerned by the Federal Government’s misleading narrative around the so-called drop in food prices. Contrary to what is being celebrated in official circles, the reality on the ground, as confirmed by the voices of struggling farmers and families across the country, is that the Tinubu government is manipulating food prices and weaponising hunger for political gains,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC claimed that the reported fall in food prices was not a result of improved local production, but rather an artificial outcome of government import waivers that have flooded the market with cheap foreign goods.
“The reported drop in the prices of some food items is artificial, and a result of import waivers that have flooded the market with cheap foreign food. It is neither evidence of sound policy nor proof of increased local production.
“And while that may offer momentary relief in food prices, it has, and will, come at the heavy cost of sabotaging local farmers who can no longer compete due to soaring input costs, especially fertilisers, and worsening insecurity,” Abdullahi stated.
The party further criticised the government’s claim that its agricultural policies were encouraging domestic production, calling the assertion “dishonest” and “out of touch with reality.”
“Additionally, we find it particularly strange and dishonest for the government to claim that its policies are encouraging domestic production at a time when many farmers have been displaced by bandits, and those who remain are barely able to afford the cost of planting. How can production be increasing when the rural economy is under siege by bandits, and the costs of planting are now beyond the reach of the average farmer?” the party queried.
Rejecting government denials that imported food had been released into the market, the ADC described such claims as “false and cynical,” questioning the logic behind hoarding food in the face of national hunger.
“We also take note of the government’s claim that it has not released imported food into the market. If we are to even momentarily entertain this falsehood, it begs an even more damning question: why is the government hoarding food while the people go hungry? What sort of administration stores food in warehouses during a hunger crisis?” the ADC said.
The opposition party warned that any current decline in food prices was “temporary and unsustainable,” insisting that the government was engaging in propaganda rather than genuine economic reform.
“This is propaganda. What we are witnessing is a deliberate manipulation of food prices for short-term political gain, designed to create the illusion of economic progress while citizens continue to suffer. Any current drop in price is temporary, unsustainable, and driven by panic, not strategy and deliberate planning,” Abdullahi maintained.
Calling for urgent reforms, the ADC urged the Federal Government to “end the politicisation of hunger” and prioritise policies that safeguard local farmers, ensure fair pricing, and guarantee long-term food security.
“The ADC condemns in the strongest terms the weaponisation of hunger and calls for a complete overhaul of the current agricultural approach. We must protect local producers, address rural insecurity, and invest in long-term food sovereignty, not temporary political optics,” Abdullahi stated.
The party concluded by urging the government to put citizens’ welfare above politics, saying: “The Nigerian people deserve truth and food, not manipulation and a false narrative of renewed hope.”
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced plans to commence an indefinite nationwide strike starting November 1, 2025.
NARD President, Mohammad Suleiman, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the strike directive was issued after the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier given to the Federal government over unresolved demands.
This latest action comes after a five-hour meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) on Saturday.
“The NEC has marshalled out minimum demands, strike monitoring directives, and ‘no work, no pay/no pay, no work’ resolutions needed for a successful execution of this action,” the statement reads in part.
According to Suleiman, the decision followed the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal government to address its demands.
“Today, after a 5-Hour Extra-Ordinary National Executive Council Meeting, the Members of NEC have issued out new marching orders to us once again.
“The NEC has unanimously directed us to declare a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike action to commence on Friday 31st October 2025 at 11:59pm.”
Suleiman said the National Officers Committee (NOC) has been mandated to ensure full compliance with the directive and to implement strike monitoring and enforcement measures across all centres.
He added that the association’s centre presidents and general secretaries have been directed to convene emergency congress meetings to brief members on the resolutions.
“We have reported to NEC and NEC has decided. The NOC will carry out this directive to its latter and in full compliance.
“NEC has also decided that centre Presidents and General Secretaries shall go back and call Emergency Congress Meetings to brief Members on the details there-in.
The NARD President accused some government and non-government actors of “evil and exploitative plans” against resident doctors, adding that the union will “collectively resist” such moves.
He also called on members of NARD to use the next few days to hand over patients, engage community and religious leaders, and sensitise the public ahead of the strike.
The industrial action is expected to cripple medical services in hospitals nationwide, as resident doctors constitute the backbone of clinical care in the nation’s healthcare system.
On September 26, NARD issued one-month ultimatum to the Federal Government to address the lingering issues affecting the welfare and training of resident doctors and medical officers across the country.
Part of the grievances listed by the association are excessive and unregulated work hours, nonpayment of outstanding arrears from the 25 and 35 percent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), and the unjust dismissal of five resident doctors from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
The resident doctors also expressed frustration over the non-payment of promotion arrears to medical officers in various federal tertiary hospitals, as well as the failure of the government to pay the 2024 accoutrement allowance despite repeated assurances from the Ministry of Health.
They further cited bureaucratic delays in upgrading resident doctors’ ranks following the completion of postgraduate medical examinations, leading to non-payment of new salary scales and accumulated arrears.
NARD also condemned their exclusion from the specialist allowance, despite their critical role in providing specialist-level care to patients across the country.
The association faulted the exclusion of medical and dental house officers from the civil service scheme — a policy it said denies them rightful salaries, professional recognition, and career progression.
NARD also decried the downgrading of newly employed resident doctors from CONMESS three Step three to CONMESS two Step two, resulting in reduced earnings and unpaid salary arrears in several federal hospitals.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Secrets are exclusive preserves of certain individuals or institutions. They are one’s advantage over others, in the sense of ‘there’s something I know, which no one else knows. No one can ever claim that they don’t have a secret, either in the good or bad light.
Secrets therefore, exist in the family circle, business terrain, academic environment, career/professional pursuit, health management, spiritual connectivity and even in everyday personal living. It is an undeniable fact that everyone has a secret that works for them.
Let’s take a minute to discuss some of the aforementioned secrets.
Family
Every family has a secret. It will be foolhardy for anyone to disclose family secrets. Most families die with their secrets. To understand how family secrets work, imagine the Coca-Cola company. The family is said to be the only one in the world that has the formula for the beverage; a trade secret that originated with its creator, John Pemberton.
It is said that not even all family members enter the room where Coca-Cola is mixed or manufactured for fear of the secret being divulged. Imagine where spouses have access to the room and the marriage goes south, there’s a tendency that a spiteful divorced partner might leak the secret and the rest as they say is history.
There are many secrets that bind many families which only the immediate family members know. In some cases, only the parents or grandparents know. They can decide to share the secret to either the first male child, first female child or even a member of the family that one considers rational. For instance, imagine where a family is faced with a peculiar life threatening illness which ordinarily might scare anyone who wants to get married into that family, it will be stupid for anyone to spit it out, that act alone can make the intending spouse to reconsider his/her plan to marry from the family.
Business
Every business has a trade secret. Trade secrets are what makes a business unique. Every business has a unique selling point. (USP), which is a distinct benefit that sets the business or product apart from its competitors. A shrewd businessman will never leak his secret to his employees or competitors. The best his employees will know are the values, the operational systems or structures of the business and how his mindset works. But what makes the business stand out is the mystery that one will need to unravel.
Academic
Every student has a distinct trait that makes him/her succeed academically. This unique trait makes the student exceptional. For any student to succeed in their academics, he must know himself and what works for him. While some might study at night, some might study during the day, others might just listen during the lecture and understand the key points.
It’s sad to see students, who haven’t discovered who they are and what works for them following students who have discovered who they are. For example, while some students have good listening and understanding ability, and can listen to lectures and read a little and pass their examinations, some other students will have to read the course material before the lecture, listen during the lecture, read after the lecture and read thoroughly for examination before they can get a decent grade.
In some cases, they might not get the desired grade. Some students will even party hard during the day and at night they study, while some will party at night and study during the day. So, you can see that while some students have discovered themselves and what works for them, some others follow them sheepishly. Moral: Know what works for you and do what works for you because according to Oscar Wilde, “be yourself because others are taken”.
Career/Profession
Every career professional has a secret that works for them. In the same way, every industry knows what makes it stands out. The secret of what makes someone in the entertainment industry successful is quite different from what makes someone in politics or law enforcement, energy, education, legal, or health sector different. They all have different strokes, and the ability of one to do the needful in addition to playing the associated game can be the game changer.
Health
Health is a personal thing. Nobody knows you more than you know yourself. To show you how secretive and important one’s health is, it’s been said that there are three kinds of life: Public life, private life and secret life.
Your public life is the life that is generally known by everyone. It is the character we exhibit in the public space. It can also be regarded as the image perception lifestyle; we don’t generally go around revealing our health status in the public domain except where necessary. The private lifestyle; this is the kind of life only our family and close friends know.
Again, we don’t disclose such pertinent information to them only where and when necessary, then we have the secret lifestyle which only us and our creator knows. In some cases, we go to the graveyard with this. Do you see why health is a personal issue which needs to be kept in a secret place?
Personal
As mentioned earlier, everyone is unique. One of the best things that can happen to anyone is knowing themselves, and knowing what makes them different. I strongly believe we all have seeds of greatness in us. What works for Mr. A might not work for Mr. B. Like I always say, you can copy my style, but you can’t be me because imitation is a limitation.
For instance, I have unique energy and inspiration when it comes to writing. I have developed a keen interest and passion for writing. If tomorrow I become very successful or attract a unique opportunity, and someone decides to try writing to attract similar opportunities, the person might fail because God is the one that decides what opportunities come to anyone nor matter how hard someone may work.
Spiritual
This is another interesting aspect of life. Life is indeed spiritual. There’s nothing that happens physically without taking place spiritually. Everyone has a covenant point that was assigned to them at birth. Once that covenant point is touched that fellow might lose their blessings, anointing or what makes them strong.
There have been many testimonies about this. For instance, in the Bible, Samson’s touching point was his hair. He knows his power lies in his hair, that’s why Delilah tried so many times to know the secret of his strength, but Samson refused to tell her. She tried to make him drunk, but Samson still has the power. Samson repeatedly lied to Delilah about the secret of his strength, first saying it was new bowstrings, then new ropes, and finally by weaving his hair into a loom. Each time, he easily broke free, but Delilah continued to pressure him.
Weary from her constant questioning, Samson finally confessed that his strength was tied to his hair, which had never been cut because he was a Nazirite from birth. Delilah then called for a man to shave Samson’s seven locks of hair while he slept in her lap. His secret was revealed. His hair was cut. He strength was gone.
Do you see that Samson’s secret place was his hair?
In conclusion, depending on what we are working on, we all have our secret strength and place. The onus is on us to cultivate and dwell on this secret place to avoid losing power and focus.
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
