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Food for Living: Take Responsibility
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Apart from having the fear of God, one of the greatest desires any individual is a responsible life partner or spouse. In fact, a responsible partner transcends beyond ability to provide as there exists many, who can provide, are still irresponsible. Being responsible is priceless. Being responsible is a currency and goodwill which is not seen among cheap people.
While little girls in high schools are thrilled about the handsomeness of boys, and big ladies in colleges are attracted to the intelligence and financial capacity of guys, mature working ladies are more concerned about the security and loyalty of guys. This set of mature ladies are not concerned about the physical looks and financial capacity of guys. Though money and good looks are important, but they can’t be compared to loyalty and security. This is because a man may not have money, may not look great, and may not even be rich in intelligence, but when a lady sees him as responsible, with prospects, she might take him very seriously, and vice versa.
Asides character, irresponsibility is one thing that detaches a man from a lady. As a matter of fact, when a man senses a lady has been sexually exposed to a lot of men, withdrawal syndrome begins to set in, especially if he’s familiar with such men. Irresponsibility can be attributed to lack of good character or why will a responsible woman be messing around with several men.
One may wonder if this article is about the relationship between a man and a woman. The simple answer is no. The article is about life. I had to begin with human beings to x-ray the importance of living a responsible life. The truth is nobody likes to relate with an irresponsible person whether at work, church, family or events. An irresponsible person will have trust issues, fail in leadership, suffer from accountability issues, and will never be counted as reliable. If negative forces wish to deal with a person, they send an irresponsible people their way, and the individual’s life or work will be completely damaged.
As human beings, we are responsible for our life. It is what we sow that we reap. When we love, we are bound to reap love, when we sow hatred, it has a way of coming back to us. When we sow kindness, kindness will locate us in due time. When we sow hard work, it has a way of paying us back in the near future. When we help the less privileged, we accumulate the grace and mercy of God in the universe. When we invest in people, we tend to open doors, and like a magnet, attracts blessings, favours and opportunities our way.
The question we need to ask ourselves therefore, is what kind of life are we living? According to Socrates, “an unexamined life is not worth living”. Being able to take stock of one’s life is one of the best things that can happen to anyone. Just like a businessman takes inventory of his products, one must be intentional to live a life of purpose. Failure to do so is inviting Karma.
It’s instructive to note that taking responsibility involves a process. It is the foundation one lays that determines the kind of house they live in. For instance, if your tummy aches, what you ate yesterday is the likely the cause; if you are depressed, the culprit is the thought you meditated on the night before; if you are broke, it is usually because you mismanaged your money earlier; if you are overweight, it is because you over-ate in the past. Did you see that actions have consequences and it’s your responsibility to fix yourself with the right thoughts and actions.
The moral of the story is that your reality today is the consequence of your thoughts and actions of yesterday. And your future will reflect your thinking and deeds of today. It’s important to note that no demon is powerful enough to make you reap what you did not sow, neither is any demon more powerful than Karma. If you are in doubt, sow a seed today, and it will show tomorrow.
So, it is important for one to take responsibility for their lives. Nobody will fix you more than you can fix yourself; nobody can help you more than you can help yourself; nobody can save you more than you can save yourself; nobody can inspire you more than you can inspire yourself; and nobody can make you live a responsible life if you are not determined to be responsible.
It’s sad to see people who haven’t taken time to plan their lives, yet expect other people to fix them. Some people don’t invest in themselves by reading, researching, taking a class, course, learning a skill, traveling, investing in their businesses, relationship, network, volunteering in an association, and adding value to their lives. Sometimes, lazy minds lie idle waiting for the Lamb of God, who will take away their sins and burdens. These lazy minds fail to understand that everyone is dealing with a secret frustration.
In conclusion, decide today to take charge of your life, and see how life will unfold positively for you.
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
The Ayo Ogunsan-led Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) has refurbished an eight-years-long abandoned Armoured Personnel Carrier vehicle belonging to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Nigerian Police Force, Lagos State Command.
Itvwas reported that for eight years, one of the APCs acquired by Lagos State Security Trust Fund, LSSTF for the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) had major mechanical challenges, left to rot to the extent that even rodents made it their abode. The report added that the APC experienced structural fatigue, mechanical failure, electrical dysfunction, and everything that could be used to describe a rundown vehicle.
“Its state of decay was so appaling and disgusting that it needed a complete overhaul,” the report said.
Upon his assumption of office as LSSTF Executive Secretary/CEO, Dr. Ayo Ogunsan took an inventory of all LSSTF assets procured for Lagos’ security and identified some that required urgent repairs and maintenance. The APC abandoned for 8 years fell in this category.
For many weeks, engineers with expertise and experience in repairing APCs worked assiduously to get it back to life. It was restored bit by bit, bolt to nut, wire to cable, engine parts, hydraulics, everything with precision engineering. Finally, the LSSTF’s APC is back to life and running.
Today, Dr. Ogunsan was visibly satisfied and impressed with the excellent repairs on the vehicle as he carefully assessed the work done. He also took time with the mechanical engineers to move the armoured vehicle to test run it and ascertain its operational efficiency.
The repairs were facilitated by the corporate donations and retail donations received by LSSTF, in the course of Dr. Ogunsan’s administration which has spanned a little above 100 days.
Speaking after the assessment, the LSSTF boss, Dr. Ogunsan thanked the engineers who worked on the project. He also appreciated the resilient donors who gave resources to the LSSTF which made the overhaul maintenance possible.
He was also stern in his warning that such dilapidation of LSSTF assets would no longer be tolerated. He signalled that security agencies that obtain resources from LSSTF would be required to give an account on a periodic basis.
The APC is now certified to resume work. It will strengthen the operational capacity of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Lagos. It is expected to be put into use during high-risk operations, rapid deployment, and patrol duties across critical areas of Lagos, especially during emergencies and security threats.
The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) is a specialized tactical unit of the Nigeria Police Force fully funded by the Lagos State Government, through the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF). The squad conducts round-the-clock patrols, intelligence-driven operations, and swift interventions to ensure public safety and maintain law and order across the state.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, dismissed a case filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), against suspended DCP Abba Kyari on allegations bordering on non-disclosure of assets.
Justice James Omotosho dismissed the suit, filed against Kyari and his younger brothers, Mohammed Kyari and Ali Kyari, for failure of the anti-narcotic agency to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has vowed to take strict action against any officer found to be involved in extortion, reckless enforcement, or other unethical practices.
The Corps Marshal, Mallam Shehu Mohammed, gave the warning on Tuesday in Ibadan, at a sensitisation programme tagged: “Discipline Reinforcement and Strengthening of Command and Control in Field Commands.”
Represented by the Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Olusegun Ogungbemide, the FRSC boss said that the corps had, over the past months, observed a disturbing decline in discipline, professionalism, and effective command and control in most field commands.
Mohammed noted that the lapses had manifested as misconduct, unethical practices, abuse of authority, extortion, reckless enforcement behaviours and other actions that contradicted everything the uniform represented.
According to him, the disturbing trend has steadily eroded public trust in the corps.
“Let me state clearly and without ambiguity that such behaviours are unacceptable. They violate our regulations, betray our training, contradict our core values and ultimately endanger the credibility and reputation of the corps.
“Every time a road user loses confidence in us, our mandate becomes harder to achieve.
“Every act of unprofessional conduct damages the image of thousands of disciplined staff, and every abuse of authority weakens the trust built over the decades.
“We must remind ourselves that the corps was not created merely to enforce traffic laws. We were established to save lives and serve the public with integrity.
“Our authority flows directly from public trust, and once that trust is compromised, our effectiveness is compromised.
“This is why the present exercise is a corrective measure, not a witch-hunt, but an opportunity for reorientation, reinforcement and renewal,” he said.
He urged young officers and marshals to remember that their uniforms remain a symbol of honour, which must be worn with pride.
He added that their conduct on the road and in public spaces speaks louder than any public relations effort.
The corps marshal also charged commanding officers and other supervisors to actively supervise, promptly correct, consistently mentor, and never tolerate misconduct in silence, noting that silence in the face of wrongdoing was complicity.
“Going forward, discipline will be strengthened; accountability will be enforced; ethical standards will be upheld, commendable conduct will be rewarded, and violations will be sanctioned with fairness and firmness,” he said.
Earlier in her remarks, the FRSC Oyo Sector Commander, Mrs Rosemary Alo, described the programme as apt and strategic, emphasising that discipline remains the bedrock of any paramilitary organisation.
She noted that the FRSC, being officers entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding lives on highways, must continually realign themselves with the core values of the corps, which are professionalism, integrity, transparency and accountability.
“Command and control are operational necessities. Effective supervision, clear communication channels and adherence to laid-down procedures ensure that we function as a unified and efficient system.
“When discipline is reinforced, and command structures are respected, operational results improve, public confidence increases and the image of the corps is strengthened,” she said.
Alo urged members of the public to take advantage of the FRSC mobile apps on the Play Store to report incidents promptly, give feedback, and actively engage with the corps on its services.
