News
Food for Living: Secret As a Principle of Life
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Everyone has a secret. In fact, it is widely acknowledged that life is full of secrets. There is no denying that we all have secrets. Anyone without a secret is generally believed not to be living. Secrets, in actual fact, make life interesting. Secrets make up a man. Secret is the life wire of every business, and every business has one; every relationship has a secret; every marriage has a secret; every academic major has a secret; success in leadership entails having a secret; electoral success has a secret; writing creatively has a back up secret. There’s hardly any successful project in life without a secret.
While some people may opine that life is indeed sweet and rosy, some other schools of thought might opine that life has no meaning because according to them, life is vanity and not worth struggling for. According to Somerset Maugham, “The secret to life is meaningless unless you discover it yourself.”
If you are asked what is the secret to life? What will be your response? You may ask, if life have a secret. Yes, life has secrets; the secret lies in knowing the principles that govern life. Once you know the principles, you will know when and how to apply them. Just like the law of Karma says, whatever you do to one has a way of coming back to you. The law of gravity says, whatever goes up must surely come down, and the law of success says, failing to prepare is preparing to fail. It should be noted that principles are universal, it’s the application that is different. Once you apply these principles of life, you are bound to succeed.
Every secret needs to be kept secret for a reason (no pun intended). That’s why it is called a secret. Once it is known, it will no longer be a secret and automatically loses its value. That’s why it is advised that one to keeps their secrets until it is ripe for harvesting. Your secrets are like your ideas, when you expose your ideas prematurely, it stands a chance of being stolen and developed. When people know your secret, their next plan is to learn it and thereafter stop coming to you for your service/assistance. That’s why it’s advisable not to expose your secrets. Be like the hen that always protects her eggs until they hatches.
There are certain things, and areas of your life that are meant to be personal. They include your finance, health, marriage and business. When you expose the secret to the world they will easily judge and rate you. If people know your income, it affects the love they have for you. So, keep it to yourself. If they know your marriage details, they can cause marital problems between you and your partner. So, keep it private. If they know your next move, they can thwart it. So, keep it a secret
For instance, since the inception of Coca-cola in 1886, nobody knows the secret of the contents of the drink. Only close family members know the secret.
To gain insights into life, you need to practice meditation, reflection and mindful revelation. It is only by so doing you will be capable of having access to hidden secrets which will make you creative.
Though life has a secret to success, it is pertinent to note that in life there’s no secret to success because you cannot reinvent the wheel. There’s nothing in the world today, that hasn’t been done before. For instance, there’s no formula for creating wealth than having a product or service which you offer to a targeted audience, the product or service must be capable of adding value, and when you are appreciated for the work you did, it’s important to save a portion of the money you are paid.
If you want to increase your chances of improving your life, plan for it to happen. You can do this by setting goals, think big, have positive thoughts towards life, and affirmations. You must also study successful people. When you study the lives of the successful, not just observe them for entertainment purposes, you will learn the mindset, the strategies, and the trials they overcame to reach their successes. Knowing these details will give you the insights that can help you make better decisions on your journey to success. When you practice these steps, you will discover that what you focus on, and practice will expand.
In conclusion, while one can say that life has secrets and at the same time, life has no secrets, it is important to note that having a balance in life is very critical. That’s a sure way of appreciating life. In the words of Rose George Brown “I know how hard it is right now to be you, I’ll tell you the secret of life right now. The secret of life is for you to enjoy being you. If you can do that, everything else happens by itself.” I strongly agree with this summation because you are free when you don’t care what others think about you and when you do what works for you.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a mindset coach and 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 Rivers State Government has clarified that the withdrawal of Governor Siminialayi Fubara’s appeal at the Supreme Court regarding the 2024 budget does not affect the legitimacy of Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The appeal, which challenged lower court rulings to represent the 2024 budget to the Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly, was deemed unnecessary and withdrawn by the governor.
In a statement issued on Monday in Port Harcourt, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Warisenibo Joseph Johnson, explained that the appeal had become an academic exercise since the 2024 budget cycle had already concluded.
Johnson stated: “The 2024 budget became spent on the 31st December of 2024 fiscal year. The appeal is of no useful purpose. The only reasonable thing left to do is to withdraw the appeal and have it dismissed.”
He emphasized that the Supreme Court’s decision does not invalidate the legality of the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led Assembly, affirming that Oko-Jumbo remains the authentic Speaker. “The Supreme Court is a very busy court. It will be most unwise to belabour the Honourable Court with academic appeals without any practical or utilitarian value,” Johnson added.
He further dismissed claims by political opponents, stating: “That is the appeal that the urchins are celebrating. There is no Supreme Court judgment against Gov. Fubara, ignore the outdated political propaganda by some desperate politicians.”
Johnson reiterated: “Supreme Court ruled on the Appeal over the 2024 budget voluntarily withdrawn by Gov. Fubara because 2024 budget cycle have ended and no need wasting time discussing a budget that have been fully spent and implemented. Rt. Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo is still authentic speaker and nothing can change that.”
The clarification comes amid political tensions in the state, with the government reaffirming its commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring the stability of the legislative process under Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo’s leadership.
The gunmen who abducted a former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Maharazu Tsiga, have reportedly demanded N250 million for his release, a family source revealed on Sunday.
Tsiga, a retired Brigadier-General of the Nigerian Army, was kidnapped from his home in Tsiga town, Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State, on Wednesday, February 5, 2025.
The attackers also kidnapped several other residents as they raided multiple communities in the neighboring Kankara Local Government Area.
According to the family source, the kidnappers made contact on Friday, insisting on the ransom before negotiations could begin.
Confirming the incident, Katsina police spokesperson, Abubakar Sadiq, said officers responded to reports of an attack in Tsiga but arrived after the gunmen had fled.
“Unfortunately, before the arrival of the operatives, the hoodlums had already succeeded in their mission,” he said.
The attack left two residents injured, while one of the assailants was reportedly shot dead by his group.
Katsina, like other Northwestern states, has seen repeated attacks by criminal gangs who raid villages, abduct residents, and demand ransoms.
A federal lawmaker representing Bakori/Danja Federal Constituency, Abdullahi Balarabe, described Tsiga’s abduction as concerning and called on security agencies to intensify efforts to secure his release.
A former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki (SAN), has been arraigned before a Magistrate Court at Zone 2 in Abuja on allegations bordering on false marriage, adultery, among others.
Turaki pleaded not guilty when the First Information Report (FIR) was read to him in the dock on Thursday before the presiding Magistrate of Court 9, Abubakar Jega.
He insisted that the alleged offences are not true.
According to the FIR, the former minister is accused of “deceitfully inducing belief of lawful marriage, adultery by a man and criminal intimidation, contrary to sections 383, 387 and 389 of the Penal Code.”
The prosecution stated that the investigation of the case followed a petition dated August 9, 2024, received by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force FCID, Abuja.
It further stated that the investigation revealed that “you Barrister Kabiru Taminu Turaki (SAN), between December 2014 and August 2016, deceitfully cohabited Ms. Hadiza Musa Bafta at a hotel called Han’s Place.
“You also co-habited her at Ideal Home Holiday, Asokoro between August 2016 and November 2021.
“You hired a place for her at No. 12 Clement Akpagbo Close, Gauzape from November 2021 and made her believe you were married to her and continuously had sexual intercourse with her, which resulted to a baby girl.
“You abandoned Hadiza Musa Baffa with her only child and denied the paternity. You threatened to use your influence and position to terminate the lives of mother and child.
“You are thereby suspected to have committed the above offences.”
Shortly after Turaki:s arraignment, the prosecuting lawyer , Chijioke Okorie urged the court to set a date for the commencement of trial.
Turaki’s lawyer, A. I. Mohammed, who did not object to the prosecution’s request for a date for trial, applied for bail for the defendant on the grounds that he would be available whenever he is required to attend court.
Magistrate Jega granted bail to Turaki at N1million with two sureties in like sum.
He said the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and must provide evidence of the residences.
The magistrate then adjourned to March 11 for the commencement of trial.
