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Food for Living: Succeeding with Grace and Favour
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Everyone needs a support system as they journey through life. This support system can come from any source; family member, friend, associate, colleague, mentor, mentee, boss, spiritual leader, or even a stranger. Without a strong support system, the journey to life will be an arduous task.
It’s imperative to note that we live in a wicked world where not everyone wants to see you succeed. They fail to understand they are not the creator who destined everyone to succeed at different times and seasons. These set of people have the Pull Him Down (PhD.) mentality, and don’t want to see the success of their perceived enemy.
Success is not limited to any shape, size and colour, it only produces results, and that’s what people care about.
It’s worthy to note that nobody achieves genuine success without favour and grace. Favor is like a perfume, which when sprinkled on someone, the aroma will attract people to them.
Overtime, I have come to the sublime realization that when you shower people with favour and love, it has a way of coming back to you in ways and manners one may not understand. However, some uninformed people think that when they have money, they are blessed and favored.
I agree that money is necessary for success, but there are certain levels of blessings that money cannot buy, and this form of blessings come with favour and grace, especially when one is not qualified to have it. Just to give you an example; there are people money cannot buy, and so, one’s prayer should be they agree to work with you because they are literally priceless.
In life, we all need the blessings of our parents, mentors, boss, and authentic spiritual leaders to speak into our life. This is because no matter how hard you work in life, there’s a limit you can go, especially when you don’t have a favor following you. You can have favor, but favor comes in different ways. For instance, if you are destined to be an Accountant, and you decide to study Law or Business Administration just because you feel they are lucrative courses or you just like the name, you might “succeed” but may not get the true fulfilment.
To understand how this works, at creation, everyone has an assigned angel following them. This angle is designed to help you succeed in your place of assignment.
Did you know there are people who have been positioned to assist you in your place of assignment?
So, imagine if you decide to study Law while your destiny helper is an Accountant, you might be frustrated having a boss, who is an accountant or even a colleague who is making life unbearable for you despite having money. This ordinarily might not happen if you have studied Accounting. In fact you’ll thrive with relative ease in the profession and might be offered more lucrative offers just simply because the universe is working in your favour.
To understand how the grace of success works, when you have it in your journey, you will attract favour from men, you won’t have to work as hard as your counterparts, your product will receive recognition even though it might not be the best. In the journey of life, most of us struggle too much and get little or no result, while some of us work less and get more results. One may be wondering why. Well, the answer is not far-fetched. I call it the spirituality of success because the universe has a way of connecting people when they are working according to its purpose.
Let me share a practical experience: In 2019, I met a great mind, Sulyman Sodeeq A’akeem who reached out to me on X According to him, he has been following me on the app. He requested me to be his mentor, an offer I gladly accepted, especially when he showed me a series of quotes he got from reading my articles.
When we began to relate closely, he shared touching information based on his trajectory in life. We didn’t spend more than six months relating closely, I made him the Chief Operating Officer of my company when I saw enormous and ingenious talent in him. For a lack of better word, he is extremely resourceful. He’s simply awesome! I call him an ideal hand for every progressive mind interested on resourcefulness.
Fast forward to four years, many people have a disdainful attitude towards him and look up to him for succor. The moral of this post is that not only did I bless him, but I also became the greatest recipient of his knowledge, wisdom, loyalty, profound articulation and understanding and most especially, honesty and steadfastness. The interesting part of our friendship and brotherhood is the grace that has found both of us. It’s instructive to note that, I’m not the richest nor the best to work with, neither is he the best of the most resourceful, but we tend to have bonded and mutually benefited from each other because we greatly share similar interests and values. I call it grace and favour.
When you have the grace of success following you, you will attract favour like a magnet. Whether you are in business, academic, pastoral ministry, or marriage, you will receive mercy wherever you step.
You might be the least in a company, you may not even look or have all the qualifications or experience, but when favour locates you, the rules will not only be broken for you, you will see people agreeing to work together just to make sure you succeed.
Did you know that when favour is at work, people will buy your books and share it among their friends and network as an author; your business will be referred to people of interest, people will unusually trust and like you. When people google your kind of business, despite seeing other people doing what you are doing, they will be attracted to settle for you for reasons they can’t understand or explain. When you have favour and grace following you, it will be easier for your talent to be unleashed.
While most people work hard, strategic, and smart people understand the role luck has to play in order to actualize their vision.
According to a renowned Economist and philanthropist, Tony Elumelu, luck played a big role in making him who he is today. While he acknowledged the role of hard work, he knows truly well, there’s a limitation to hard work because luck can trump hard work.
Did you know that if you can do everything in life without anyone assisting you, you are not favored. You should be able to get to a stage in life where people will naturally assist you in doing somethings for free. For example, if you are a success, you don’t need to pay for all the services you get.
In conclusion, as your journey through life, be intentional in seeking favour because it will save you numerous stress.
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
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Equatorial Guinea’s Randy Official Denies Sex Tapes, Claims They’re AI Generated
Baltasar Ebang Engonga, a top government official in Equatorial Guinea, has finally spoken regarding the sex scandal involving hundreds of private recordings with high-profile individuals in the country.
The country’s Director General, National Financial Investigation Agency in Equatorial Guinea, Baltasar Engonga, was arrested for allegedly recording over 400 sex tapes of the wives of notable people in the country.
The scandal emerged in the course of a fraud investigation against the 54-year-old Economist, which resulted in the search of his house and office on impromptu notice by ANIF officials who came across several CDs that later revealed his sexcapades with different married women.
The leaked recordings said to have been consensually filmed, have sparked widespread public outrage and intense scrutiny of the government’s top anti-corruption official.
However, responding to the allegations, Engonga via the microblogging platform, X on Tuesday, denied the authenticity of the videos, attributing the scandal to what he described as the work of “enemies” intent on tarnishing his reputation.
The 54-year-old official also refuted reports connecting one of the supposed victims to a recent suicide, labeling them as untrue.
The scandal has shaken Equatorial Guinea’s political landscape and raised questions about privacy and misconduct among top officials.
Engonga, who was taken into custody following the revelation, continues to deny any involvement as authorities proceed with their investigation.
“I want to tell the People of Equatorial Guinea that those videos are AI edited. My enemies are trying so hard to bring me down
“Ignore the rumours about someone’s death linked to the leaked videos. They’re unfounded,” he said.
Engonga said he has only one wife and six children, adding that she is his hero.
“I only have one wife and my 6 children. They keep me going. We are a happy family. They are my everything.
“If anything ever happens, you are strong enough to guide our children through anything. I trust you completely. You are not just my wife, but my hero,” he added.
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US Polls: Tinubu, UK PM Starmer Congratulate Trump
President Bola Tinubu has extended his heartfelt congratulations to President Donald Trump on his re-election as the 47th President of the United States of America.
A statement by Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga on Wednesday, said President Tinubu looks forward to strengthening the relations between Nigeria and the United States amid the complex challenges and opportunities of the contemporary world.
Donald Trump claimed victory on Wednesday and pledged to “heal” the country as results put him on the verge of beating Kamala Harris in a stunning White House comeback.
President Tinubu said: “Together, we can foster economic cooperation, promote peace, and address global challenges that affect our citizens.”
According to President Tinubu, Trump’s victory reflects the trust and confidence the American people have placed in his leadership. He congratulates them on their commitment to democracy.
President Tinubu believes that, given President Trump’s experience as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, his return to the White House as the 47th president will usher in an era of earnest, beneficial, and reciprocal economic and development partnerships between Africa and the United States.
Acknowledging the United States’ influence, power, and position in determining the trend and course of global events, the Nigerian leader trusts that President Trump will bring the world closer to peace and prosperity.
Meanwhile, the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has congratulated Donald Trump on his “historic election victory”, adding that the UK-US special relationship would “continue to prosper”.
“As the closest of allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise. From growth and security to innovation and tech, I know that the UK-US special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic for years to come,” he said.
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NASU, SSANU Suspend Strike for Four Weeks
The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have announced suspension for a month, of the ongoing nationwide indefinite strike over withheld salaries.
The unions, in a joint statement on Sunday, said the suspension of the indefinite strike will take effect on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
The statement was signed by Prince Peters Adeyemi, General Secretary of NASU and Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, National President of SSANU.
The strike was commenced on the Monday, October 28, 2024 as a result of what the unions called “government’s insensitivity to the plights of our members in respect of our legitimate demands.”
The statement read: “The National leadership of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NASU and SSANU acknowledges and commends our members in the Universities and Inter-University Centres for their unwavering resolve, unrelenting determination and steadfast support for the ongoing strike action.
“You will recall that the ongoing strike action foisted on us commenced on the Monday, 28th October, 2024 as a result of government’s insensitivity to the plights of our members in respect of our legitimate demands
“During this industrial struggle, we have had several extensive and exhaustive deliberations with the officials of the Federal Government of Nigeria including the new Minister of Education, the Minister of Finance, the outgoing Minister of State for Education, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, the Accountant-General of the Federation and the leadership of the Department of State Services
“These high-level engagements culminated into extracting an irrevocable commitment from the Federal government that the 2 months of the 4 months withheld salaries would be paid in staggered form. One month by the end of October, 2024 (which has largely been done), then the second month to be paid by the end of November, 2024.
“Arising from the above and in view of the level of commitment exhibited by the new minister and the leadership of the Department of State Services, the leadership of JAC, after several contacts and other patriotic considerations, hereby directs that the ongoing indefinite strike be suspended for one- month effective Tuesday, 5th November, 2024.
“Branch leaders of both NASU and SSANU are hereby directed to convene a joint Congress in their respective campuses on Monday, 4th November, 2024 and intimate members of these development and urge them to resume work on Tuesday, 5th November, 2024.
“We wish to also reiterate that discussions on the remaining 2 months, the N50 billion Earned Allowances, Arrears of 25/35 per cent and the Wage Award have been revisited and are undergoing deliberations.
“Thank you for your usual understanding and cooperation in this regard; we appreciate your total commitment and resoluteness during this struggle.”