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Food for Living: Succeeding Through Relationship and Association
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By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
A man only learns in two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people – Will Rogers
Success and failure have many components and characteristics, and one of them is association. However, many people don’t understand the power of association. Association works with relations. When you work and hang out with the right set of people, your chance of succeeding in life will be greater.
Did you know that your mindset contributes to success? As a matter of fact, your mindset can be described as the foundation of success because the success and failure of anyone starts from the mind. If you have the right mindset, you will think of the right relationship and association to belong to. If you have the right mindset, you will be concerned about your environment which can also contribute to your success.
Your attitude will change for the better if you have a progressive mindset, but if you have myopic and fixed mindset, your thoughts and experience will be limited regardless of your experience in a particular environment.
When people talk of relationship and association, it relates to the fabric of our society which starts from the family. A solid family where love and kindness are shown to the children, spreads love and unity among the siblings which in turn affects the society. When hatred, malice, wickedness, ungratefulness, and unhealthy attitude is sowed in the minds of children, they go out to the society with a hostile mindset. That’s why we have funny people and leaders who act like people without conscience.
Most people don’t know how blessed they are to be raised by decent parents in addition to having great siblings, until they meet people who have been damaged by society.
When one nurtures the right relationship, they are bound to reap the benefits when the right opportunity presents itself. It’s sad to note that many people have placed pecuniary gains and materialistic things above access and knowledge.
When you invest time and resources into the right relationship, it will germinate like a seed that is planted on a fertile soil. These relationships will introduce you to the right associations which will in turn provide you with the information you will need to succeed.
The power of information cannot be overemphasized. Information will only come to you when you have the right relationship and association. Did you know that if you are not informed, you are ill-informed and once you are ill-informed, you can’t perform because information leads to reformation and transformation. In fact, information leads to formation. You are a product of what you have learned, if you don’t read, you won’t know.
According to Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, “You are the same person today and in five years except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read.”
On a personal note, I can attribute my success to the relationship and association I keep. Sometimes, people ask me how I do what I do and how I meet the people I meet. I simply tell them, I’m smart by association and I’m a voracious reader. I say this because I am very intentional in what I do and how I relate with people.
Still on association, when people join associations or live in a particular neighborhood, they do it for a reason. When people pay to attend certain events, schools or travel or even volunteer for certain people or associations, they are doing it for a reason. When people seek mentors, they are seeking for people they hold in high esteem either in their professional capacity or based on their principles or integrity. Even the book of life says Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. (“Proverbs 13:20).
One may be concerned; how does one build these powerful associations? It begins with being selective and intentional. The first question, one needs to ask oneself is what do I want from this person or association? It’s important to align yourself with individuals who share your values and aspirations.
The next step is to embrace diversity. It’s imperative that you connect with people from various backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to life. This will help to enrich your experience, worldview, in addition to making you more innovative and adaptive. We live in a global and social economy. Like I always say, why be local when you can be global?
Furthermore, according to an African proverb “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” You cannot do life alone. All you need is the right people and association. The right people will support your efforts and accelerate your success. The wrong people will retard your progress altogether. According to kola Adesina, CEO Sahara Group, what you need in life is the right people and not necessarily Presidents, Governors, celebrities or people with money.
In conclusion, do you want to succeed in life? Then be intentional with books, people and association.
The Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy (CFRPA) has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Kano seeking the disqualification of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the 2027 presidential election over allegations of certificate forgery.
According to court documents seen by Daily Trust, the plaintiff alleged that Tinubu presented forged academic certificates from Chicago State University and a fake National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 2023 elections.
The suit, marked FHC/K/CS/312/2026, lists Tinubu, INEC, and Chicago State University as defendants.
The plaintiff contended that Tinubu never attended Government College Lagos as claimed, noting that the school was established in 1974, four years after Tinubu allegedly graduated.
The CSO further argued that Tinubu does not possess a valid secondary school certificate, which is the minimum constitutional requirement to contest for the presidency.
It claimed that INEC had failed to act on its petition dated June 19, 2026, demanding clarification on Tinubu’s eligibility.
In its statement of claims, the group referenced a 2023 U.S. court ruling in In Re: Application of Atiku Abubakar (No. 23 CV 05099), which compelled Chicago State University to release Tinubu’s academic records.
The plaintiff insisted those records revealed false entries and inconsistencies, including a forged University of Cambridge General Certificate of Education.
The prayers asked by the plaintiff included declaration of forgery against Tinubu’s Chicago State University certificate, issuance of an order directing INEC to disqualify him from the 2027 presidential election, directing CSU to strike Tinubu’s name from its records and perpetual injunction restraining INEC from uploading Tinubu’s name as a candidate.
The plaintiff also submitted affidavits of non-multiplicity of action, witness statements, and letters to the NYSC and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, demanding disclaimers on the alleged fake NYSC certificate.
Following the abduction of yet-to-be-determined number of students writing the National Examinations Council examinations at Government Day Secondary School, in Lassa Town, Askira/Uba LGA of Borno state, the state police command has reportedly deployed security operatives to comb the forest in the area.
The aredevil terrorists stormed the school on Monday morning, killed one teacher and abducted many students.
The state command spokesperson, Nahum Daso, said security operatives confronted the attackers, preventing a larger-scale abduction.
“Around 9 a.m. in the morning, ISWAP attacked Lassa Day Secondary School. They shot sporadically. An unspecified number of students have been abducted.
“Security forces confronted them. For now, we have an unspecified number of students who were abducted. The CP deployed the Area Commander in Askira/Uba. They are currently combing the bush,” Daso said.
Also, President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, said the attackers wore military and forest guard uniforms.
“Yes. There was an attack on students writing NECO exams. The terrorists came around past nine. They passed the military checkpoint. They wore military and forest guard attire. They shot sporadically,” he said.
Kaigama said one teacher was killed while another sustained gunshot injuries.
“They killed one teacher from Chibok. They shot another, but not dead yet. They also kidnapped some students and women selling on the school premises. The numbers are not yet out,” he said
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), on Saturday, alleged that the Federal High Court ruling nullifying the recognition of the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) as a political party is part of a growing assault on Nigeria’s democracy.
The opposition party warned that the Lokoja court’s decision reflects a broader pattern of legal and administrative actions aimed at weakening opposition parties and shrinking the democratic space ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a statement, its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the cumulative effect of such actions would be to undermine political competition and entrench those already in power.
“The cumulative effect of these attacks is unmistakable: they weaken the opposition, narrow the democratic space and strengthen the hands of those already in power. This is not how a healthy democracy functions,” the statement said.
The party argued that the ruling’s implications extend beyond the NDC, warning that prolonged legal battles involving opposition parties could deny Nigerians meaningful political choices.
It also accused the President Bola Tinubu administration of failing to provide a level playing field for all political parties, insisting that democracy can only flourish where institutions remain impartial and political actors are treated fairly.
“This has not been the case under the Bola Tinubu administration,” the ADC alleged.
The party urged the judiciary to safeguard its independence as the country approaches another election cycle, stressing that public confidence in the courts is critical to the credibility of the democratic process.
“The judiciary remains one of the last lines of defence for our democracy and must never be perceived as an arena where political battles are settled on behalf of those who wield executive power. Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC further warned that any perception of judicial bias in politically sensitive cases could erode public trust in constitutional democracy and the electoral process.
It called on opposition parties, civil society organisations, organised labour, the media, legal practitioners and Nigerians to unite in defending democratic institutions and protecting the country’s multi-party system.
According to the party, attempts to intimidate or weaken opposition voices threaten constitutional rights, including freedom of association and political participation.
“Yesterday’s target was the NDC. Tomorrow, it could be anyone who dares to offer Nigerians an alternative. We must not wait until the democratic space has been completely suffocated before we act,” the statement added.
The ADC reaffirmed its commitment to defending Nigeria’s democratic values and preserving a competitive multi-party political system.
