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Food for Living: Steadfastly Develop Your Craft
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
Life can be incredibly challenging and frustrating, especially when you are not getting desired results in your investments and craft. You may have been working on a product for a while and your dream is to introduce it to the market but it’s unfortunate if it doesn’t turn out as expected.
As an entrepreneur, writer, producer, marketer, student, devoted Christian and many more, you may have experienced that secret frustration which nobody knows. It is hard to feel that way, but being consistent and believing in your craft can turn the tides around even when no one believes in you and your product. Remember, you have to believe in yourself even if no one believes in you.
As human beings, once in a while we have the feeling that makes us feel we can’t do it, that we have completely lost it, as result of background, environment, or academic qualification. Yes, these factors can influence our nature of productivity, but they are not the conclusive factors that can decide our faith.
You may have felt disappointed because a friend didn’t keep his word, a bank loan didn’t come through or an investment deal didn’t work out. All these might be legitimate reasons to back out, but the biggest question you have to ask yourself is, who defines my success or failure? Is it me or someone else? It is important to know that you have the key to your success, the universe only comes to facilitate the process for you.
As an entrepreneur and productive minded being, you don’t need a perfect performance to succeed, all that is necessary is for you to try; even if you fail, just know that you have tried your possible best, and learnt from your mistakes.
One of the reasons most businesses fail is because they don’t have a clear-cut vision of what they want to accomplish. If you have a well-structured business and know what you really want to do, you won’t have to engage in several businesses; you’ll be concerned about a specific area. As you plan to develop your craft, you must know the vision you have at the back of your mind. It is your vision that matters and not your mistakes and failures. Your mistakes and failures don’t define you, rather what defines you is what you have been able to achieve and accomplish.
No doubt, we all face challenges in our personal life, business, professional work environment and even in financial life. The big question is how do we manage these challenges? The first step in managing these life challenges is to have peace of mind. Once you have peace of mind despite the obvious problems, you’ll overcome any storm of life.
It is instructive to note that many people may not see your vision not feel what you feel. it’s not really up to them to see or feel it; it’s completely up to you to see and feel it.
Developing your craft entails a lot, especially when the odds don’t add up. As an advice, don’t be hard on yourself; learn to enjoy the moment; learn to appreciate every experience whether negative or positive because they are all part of the building process.
You never know the next big opportunity waiting for you. You may be at the brink of success without knowing it. There was a story of two men who were on an exploration looking for gold, Mr. A was on the brink of hitting a milestone of gold, but he didn’t know, but because Mr. B was able to strike gold and quietly left. Mr. A left his spot and re-routed to Mr. B’s position not knowing he was not far from hitting gold. If only he knew he was few strikes from hitting a goldmine, he would have remained on his position without moving to Mr. A’s position. The story had it that, assuming he had not left, he would have hit goldmine.
The story is not different from everyone of us. At different stages in our life, we all experience the feeling of giving up, especially when you must have given your best by trying to pitch your idea or business plan but it gets rejected on a continuous basis.
As mentioned earlier, don’t be hard on yourself, just be steadfast, you may be close to hitting a jackpot. As a word of advice, don’t feel bad if your work is not being accepted or a potential mentor didn’t acknowledge your work. Remember, people only identify or support projects they are passionate about.
Just continue to give your best, if anyone is destined or inspired to support your work, they’ll definitely engage or communicate with you with little or no effort from you. Trust me, if you are consistent in your craft/work, and do what is needed, you’ll succeed.
Furthermore, it is important to note that who you are is different from what you are. Who you are is what you are created or destined to do, what you are is the work you do. Maintaining steadfastness in your craft really entails a lot. It’s a process. It’s just like in mathematics, it is not your answers that matter but your steps , formulas and analysis that made you arrive at the answer.
In conclusion, it is pertinent to note that there are many stories littered in the internet of many great men who failed many times before they succeed, so don’t get strained when your plans don’t work. Stay strong and positive.
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 and President of gloemi.com. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
The Federal High Court In Abuja on Tuesday ordered the remand of the Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of their bail application.
The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, also ordered the remand of his co-dedendants, his son, Abubakar Malami, and one of his wives Bashir Asabe.
Justice Nwite made the order after taking arguments from the defence team led by Joseph Daudu (SAN) and the prosecution counsel Ekele Iheneacho (SAN).
Malami and his co-defendants are facing a 16-count money laundering charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC alleges that the defendants conspired at various times to conceal, retain and disguise the proceeds of unlawful activities running into several billions of naira.
According to the charge, the alleged offences span several years and include the use of companies and bank accounts to launder funds, the retention of cash as collateral for loans, and the acquisition of high-value properties in Abuja, Kano and other locations.
The commission further alleges that some of the offences were committed while Malami was serving as Attorney-General of the Federation, in breach of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has sent a veiled message to Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, saying support for President Bola Tinubu alone will not guarantee any election ticket.
Wike made the statement on Sunday during a public outing in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.
His remarks were widely seen as directed at Governor Fubara, amid lingering political crisis in the State.
The former Governor of Rivers State said political loyalty must be tested during difficult times, not after power has been secured.
He mocked those he described as late supporters of President Tinubu, insisting that sudden alignment would not earn political rewards.
He said: “So the issue is not whether you are supporting Tinubu. That one, we have taken too long, long… Yes, oh. So Tinubu’s issue is not an issue again. Yes. Do you understand me? Yes. Tinubu’s issue is that nobody should be coming here to tell a day. We are for Tinubu; I am against you. Who is for Tinubu University? (laughs) That cannot give you any ticket oh! (laughs again) Direct, direct. It will not. Direction. Direction.”
Wike stressed that his political camp stood with Tinubu when the decision was unpopular. He said that support given under pressure carries more weight than alignment after victory.
He also recalled how the Rivers State House of Assembly openly backed Tinubu early, long before the election outcome was certain.
According to him, some of those now making public declarations were absent during the critical period.
“The same people now who came to declare, put them to God… But they should declare they are saying it for a candidate. Yes. Don’t you see characters? (laughs) So I send the sword far ahead of them.”
Wike further spoke on governance and continuity. He defended projects and agreements initiated during his tenure as governor. He said it is often difficult for successors to acknowledge past efforts, even though government is a continuous process.
His comments come weeks after Governor Fubara formally aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party of President Tinubu.
The move followed months of political crisis in Rivers State, which led to federal intervention and a declaration of emergency rule.
Political watchers believe Wike’s remarks constitute a direct response to Fubara’s recent positioning as a key Tinubu ally in Rivers politics. Critics argue that Fubara’s support surfaced only after the political storm had settled.
Wike, who remains a dominant force in Rivers State politics despite serving in Abuja, appears to have drawn a clear line ahead of the 2027 elections.
He suggested that political tickets would be decided by proven loyalty, not convenience.
Videos from the event in Rumuche, Emohua, spread rapidly on social media. Many users described the speech as a coded warning to the governor.
As of press time, neither the Rivers State Government nor Wike’s media team had issued an official clarification.
The comments, however, suggest that the political rift between both camps is still active, despite earlier peace moves brokered at the national level.
The opposition African Democratic Congress and the Labour Party on Sunday criticized President Bola Tinubu for departing Nigeria for Europe on holiday at a time the country is grappling with rising insecurity, including foreign military interventions in the North.
The Presidency announced on Sunday that Tinubu left Lagos for Europe for his end-of-year holiday ahead of an official visit to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he is scheduled to attend the 2026 edition of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit.
President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that the trip was by invitation from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to participate in the summit, which gathers global leaders from government, business, and civil society to advance sustainable development strategies.
“His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, has invited President Tinubu to participate in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit, which will take place in the emirate early in January,” the statement read.
Reacting to Tinubu’s departure, the ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bola Abdullahi, faulted the timing as inappropriate given the security challenges facing the country.
The ADC noted the deadly terrorist bomb blast in Zamfara and the ongoing foreign military involvement, calling the President’s move insensitive.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s lack of care is alarming. In the wake of another deadly bomb blast in Zamfara, and following an unprecedented foreign military attack on Nigerian soil, the nation is waiting for reassurance from its leader. Instead, we learn the President has gone on holiday. What a President!” Abdullahi said.
Similarly, LP’s acting National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, described the trip as “insensitive and devoid of empathy” for Nigerians facing violent attacks and humanitarian crises.
Speaking through her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Asogwa, she stressed that the President should have remained in the country to coordinate security responses.
“This is the most inauspicious time for the President to leave the country. Even the Christmas holiday in Lagos seems ill-timed, given that a bomb exploded in Zamfara today, killing nine people,” Usman said.
She further alleged that Nigeria was under external attack and accused the government of downplaying the severity of the situation.
“Nigeria is under attack by a foreign nation. No matter how the government tries to frame this, it is a violation of our sovereignty. This is the time for the commander-in-chief to coordinate the response, not embark on a holiday,” Usman said.
She added that the President had not convened critical security meetings since the U.S.-led bombardment of terrorist camps in Kwara and Sokoto States and condemned the perceived lack of engagement with military leadership.
The President’s trip comes amid heightened security concerns. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump authorised AFRICOM to conduct airstrikes on terrorist camps in Sokoto State, hours before Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged the operation. A deadly bomb blast in Zamfara on Friday claimed several lives.
The 17th edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week will run from January 11 to 15 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre under the theme “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go.”
The event aims to connect innovation, finance, and people to advance sustainable development.
Onanuga confirmed that Tinubu would return to Nigeria after the summit.
Hosted by Masdar, the UAE’s clean energy company, the summit will feature the invitation-only ADSW Summit, the World Future Energy Summit, the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony, and specialised sessions on hydrogen, climate finance, water security, and utilities in the Global South. Organisers expect more than 50,000 participants from over 170 countries, featuring over 700 global brands and exhibitions of emerging clean technologies.
The UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, noted that ADSW 2026 builds on two decades of the UAE’s leadership in renewable energy.
Tinubu previously attended the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in January 2025, where he held meetings with Gulf investors and officials on trade, energy cooperation, and climate finance.
Since assuming office on May 29, 2023, Tinubu has undertaken at least 46 foreign trips, spending an estimated 192 days abroad as of October 2025. In 2025 alone, he travelled internationally no fewer than 15 times to countries including Ghana, the UAE, Tanzania, France, Italy, Saint Lucia, Japan, and Brazil for summits, bilateral engagements, and holidays.
