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Food for Living: The Blessing of Parents
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By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Every living being craves blessings. An apprentice craves the blessings of his/her master or coach to succeed, the same way a mentee craves the blessings of his mentor. Every living being who truly wants to succeed must earnestly crave the blessings of their parents, especially if they are alive.
You may be wondering what parental blessings are? Parental blessings refer to positive forces that follow you and bring you good luck due to the positive words spoken over your life by those with parental authority over you. This can either come from your biological parents or those who have a form of “divine or positional authority” over you. It must not necessarily be your biological parents though biological parents have a more influential role to play, but we have seen some bad parents, but then that’s not a yardstick to castigate or neglect them. They might be bad but, they see still have some divine powers and authority. This is because we came to the world through their cells, genes, and blood which is the foundation of existence. That’s why most people say, blood is thicker than blood.
In this article, I will share personal thought-provoking insights to inform and enlighten us about the effects of parental blessings. As a transformational human capacity coach with a focus on helping humanity in all spheres of life to not only maximize their potentials but also to unleash their potentials, I have come to realize that true success is internal and not external. During my engagements with people (High school and college students, graduates, entrepreneurs and career professionals), I find it why some people succeed much faster with relative ease while some people literally struggle to succeed.
As a mindset coach, I always focus most of my training on self-discovery. This is because, before you can succeed in anything in life, you must not only understand the basics, you must love it, but more especially, you must have the corresponding blessings that come with the opportunity. These blessings can come in various forms, they can either come from your mentors, parents, founders, or even the creator, but I will focus my point on parental blessings.
You may be wondering why I’m focusing and emphasizing parental blessings. Well, the reason is simple, parental blessings are the foundational blessings we need to survive in whatever we do. This is because at creation, God used our biological parents to bring us into the world, and as such, God gave them all we need to succeed in life. That is why when your mother gave birth to you, you will either look like your father, mother, or even a relative, but more importantly, you’ll have features of either your father or mother in you. That’s why it is been said, a lion can’t give birth to a snake. As always, like begets like.
That said, if the creator didn’t want your parents to give birth to you, they’ll find another person to bring you into the world. Therefore, God deposited all the nutrients and all you need to succeed in life. Your parents are the first people you met in your life apart from the doctors, nurses, and medical team that played a crucial role in the labour room. Your parents are your first friends, they nurtured, trained, and equipped you with all you need to stand as a human being before you became independent.
I can understand the fact that some parents may not be physically present during the birth and training of the child, I can also understand some parents abandoned their child/children, and are not be physically present in their life. There are a thousand and one reasons out there, but the point I’m trying to emphasize is that, regardless of the odd, your parents have a role to play in your life’s success. Yes, it can be painful if you have odd stories and memories. But let me ask, if you are told the reason you have not been able to succeed in life or why life is not adding up for you is because your parents have not blessed you, and you are told, you have to seek for your parents’ blessings, will you seek for your parents’ blessings or will you disregard it? If your thinking is like mine, you will go and search for them wherever they are because they have the key to your success.
This might sound a little bit strange to you, but trust me, there are spiritual blessings that come with parental blessings, but quite unfortunately, many people don’t know about it. It may interest you to know that, in the Holy Bible, the only commandment with a promise is the fifth commandment which says, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
What does this instruction portend? It shows, your “parents” are the only people God has given your blessing. If you like meet world leaders, preachers, billionaires, celebrities, etc., for opportunities, trust me, the blessings or favours will be temporary no matter how long you may think it lasted or may last. Even if it lasts a long period of time, there’s a level of happiness, fulfillment and goodwill you are supposed to get which you may not get because you are not working on purpose. But if your biological parents should pray for you and bless you from their heart, trust me you will attract uncommon favours, goodwill and peace of mind that surpasses all joy. This is why most times reasonable people go all out for parental blessings.
Just like every house has a foundation that holds it together, every success has a foundation upon which it is built. That’s why it is important for children and adults to seek their blessings before they engage in any worthwhile project like the choice of a life partner, marriage, traveling, business, or professional career. I remember giving my late parents my first paycheck in the USA to bless it. I did that because I know the importance of parental blessings.
Here is a personal story: A couple of years ago, I shared on my Instagram and social media pages how I resigned from my job to see my late grandmother and returned back to New York without a job. But at the end of the day, I received the blessings which made me to be profiled and interviewed by New York Times and News12 because of my book. The interesting part of this story is that my late grandmother played a huge role due to the blessings she showered on me and my book.
Ordinarily, I doubt if my hard work and academic work can earn me those opportunities. I must be honest with myself that if at all I will get the opportunity, I doubt if the ovation will be as loud as it is currently trending. It may interest you to know that I didn’t even lobby or seek this publicity, they came naturally. I was even surprised to see the story was shared on YouTube. As you can see these are some of the goodwill I have received in recent times, and I know more are on the way.
Just so you know, your parents are like your earthly “God”. So just like you obey your boss at work to ensure you are in their good book, you must ensure that you seek for your parent’s blessing. When you provoke your parent to the extent they decide to curse you, trust me, it has a tendency of limiting your growth and success in life. But I have good news for you. According to Proverbs 26:2, “Curses cannot hurt you unless you deserve them”. So, even if your parents or anyone should curse you, if you didn’t cause whatever situation that prompted the cause, trust me, it won’t have any effect.
The blessings of parents are priceless. Some of the associated blessings that come with parental blessings include; you will receive divine favor, divine protection, you will receive supernatural blessings and strength, you will move at the speed of light, you’ll attract favors, uncommon goodwill, you won’t struggle to succeed compared to your contemporaries, you will prevail against your foes or negative force, and you will be fruitful.
But remember they all come with a condition, you must honuor your parents, and honoring your parents entails respecting them, providing for them in form of gifts, monetary support no matter how little, and most importantly showing them love by calling to check up on them.
Are you struggling in life? Do you need peace of mind, fulfillment, opportunities, favour etc? If yes, please seek your parents’ blessings why doing the needful. If you genuinely try this principle of seeking parental blessings and it doesn’t work, then only God, in flesh and blood, can help you.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a Human Capacity & mindset coach. He’s also a 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
By Tolulope A. Adegoke PhD
“Progress endures on three quiet anchors: leadership that roots institutions deep, security that keeps possibility alive, and nation building that weaves the many into one lasting strength.”
Leadership, nation building, and security are not abstract ideals. Together they form the operating system that determines whether societies advance or stagnate. When these three elements work in concert, nations generate stability, shared prosperity, and resilience. When they pull apart, insecurity, exclusion, and institutional decay take hold.
Nigeria, the wider African continent, and the global community face converging pressures—multi-dimensional violence, weak institutions, economic exclusion, climate stress, and shifting geopolitics. The response cannot be piecemeal. Progress requires deliberate, solution-oriented strategies that treat leadership, nation building, and security as mutually reinforcing. This article outlines practical pathways and illustrates their impact through specific case studies that convert these inter-linkages into tangible gains for national development, continental advancement, and global well-being.
Core Principles That Guide Effective Action
Three principles underpin workable solutions.
First, security must be both protective and enabling. It creates the space for investment and daily life while drawing its legitimacy from fair and inclusive governance. Second, nation building succeeds when it expands shared economic stakes and a sense of common citizenship, rather than simply managing diversity. Third, leadership delivers lasting results when it prioritises strong institutions over personalised power and links immediate stabilisation to long-term capacity.
These principles shape the concrete measures and case studies that follow.
Nigeria: Building Security and Inclusion Together
Nigeria’s security challenges are complex and multi-theatre. Residual insurgency in the northeast, widespread banditry and kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts, separatist tensions, and resource-related criminality all strain state capacity. These threats thrive where governance is thin, economic opportunity is scarce, and public trust is low.
A dual-track response is essential. On the operational side, sustained investment in the welfare, training, and equipment of police and military personnel remains critical. Intelligence-led policing, better inter-agency coordination, and technology-supported border management can improve results. Expanding professional state and local security structures under clear national standards can ease the burden on federal forces without fragmenting authority.
Parallel nation-building efforts must tackle the drivers of violence. Targeted programmes that create productive opportunities for young people and rural communities in high-risk areas reduce recruitment pools for armed groups. Transparent resource-revenue sharing, accelerated delivery of education, healthcare, and infrastructure, and practical land-use and livestock reforms can ease competition over scarce resources.
Leadership is the critical link. Clear performance metrics for both security and development outcomes, stronger independent oversight, and policy continuity across electoral cycles increase the chances of durable progress. When citizens see improved safety accompanied by rising incomes and better services, confidence in the state grows and social cohesion strengthens.
Case Studies in Impact: Continental and Global Lessons
Concrete examples demonstrate how aligned leadership, nation building, and security produce measurable results.
Botswana: Institutional Foresight and Sustained Stability Botswana stands as one of Africa’s clearest long-term success stories. At independence in 1966, it was among the poorest countries in the world. Founding President Seretse Khama and successive leaders made early institutional choices that proved decisive. Mineral rights were placed under national rather than tribal or sectional control before major diamond discoveries. Regular multiparty elections, relatively independent institutions, and prudent fiscal management channelled resource revenues into public goods rather than patronage.
The impact has been substantial. Botswana avoided the resource curse that affected several peer economies, maintained political stability for nearly six decades, and achieved consistent economic growth alongside improvements in human development indicators. The case shows that leadership decisions made before resource wealth materialises, combined with consistent nation-building around inclusive institutions and security under the rule of law, can generate broad-based and durable progress.
Rwanda: Rapid Recovery from Catastrophe Rwanda’s experience after the 1994 genocide illustrates the catalytic potential of focused leadership in extreme fragility. The government prioritised rapid restoration of security, centralised administrative capacity, and ambitious economic modernisation. Investments in infrastructure, public services, business environment reforms, and social programmes produced notable gains in poverty reduction, life expectancy, and economic growth over subsequent decades. Kigali’s transformation and the country’s improved rankings on various ease-of-doing-business and governance metrics reflect deliberate nation-building efforts.
At the same time, the highly centralised character of governance has generated ongoing debate about political space and long-term institutional resilience. The Rwandan case demonstrates that decisive leadership can restore order and accelerate development after profound trauma, while also underscoring the importance of gradually expanding inclusion for sustained legitimacy.
Singapore: From Vulnerability to High-Performance State Singapore offers a powerful non-African parallel. Upon independence, the small city-state faced severe security vulnerabilities, ethnic diversity, and limited natural resources. Leadership under Lee Kuan Yew and successors combined rigorous public order and security measures with meritocratic governance, strategic economic positioning, anti-corruption systems, and deliberate nation-building around shared prosperity and multi-ethnic coexistence.
The results transformed Singapore into one of the world’s most competitive and stable economies. High levels of public trust, efficient institutions, and sustained investment in human capital turned geopolitical exposure into a source of disciplined state capacity. The experience highlights how leadership that integrates security, institutional integrity, and inclusive economic opportunity can overcome structural constraints.
Additional African Illustrations Post-conflict recoveries in Sierra Leone and Mozambique further reinforce the pattern. In both cases, progress depended on integrating security-sector reform with political settlements and economic reintegration of former combatants and affected communities. Ghana’s record of successive democratic transitions shows that institutionalised leadership change can reinforce stability and investor confidence even under economic pressure. These examples confirm that context matters, yet the underlying logic remains consistent: security creates space, nation building creates cohesion and opportunity, and leadership aligns the two over time.
Continental Solutions: Strengthening Agency and Shared Resilience
Africa can scale these lessons through pragmatic regional action. Strengthening issue-specific security cooperation—intelligence sharing, joint border operations, and efforts against the financing of armed groups—remains essential even where broader political alignments are contested. Expanding intra-African trade, infrastructure corridors, and skills mobility creates shared economic interests capable of transcending political differences. Investing in a new generation of public leaders oriented toward institutional performance rather than short-term extraction reinforces these gains.
Global Dimensions: Mutual Gains from Local Progress
Stable and productive African states deliver clear benefits beyond the continent. They reduce pressures that fuel irregular migration, limit space for transnational criminal and extremist networks, expand legitimate markets, and contribute to global climate and food-security efforts.
External partners amplify positive outcomes by prioritising capacity strengthening over substitution. Support for African-led security initiatives focused on training, logistics, and institutional reform; investment in climate-smart agriculture and resilient infrastructure; and trade frameworks that reward governance improvements and value addition all align external resources with local priorities. Global leadership that models long-term orientation and respect for institutions reinforces these efforts.
Turning Pathways into Results
Implementation requires realism and discipline. Early, visible improvements in security and basic services build the political capital needed for deeper reforms. Transparent monitoring that tracks both security indicators and development outcomes enables adjustment and accountability. Inclusive consultation—bringing in local communities, traditional institutions, the private sector, and civil society—increases legitimacy and practical relevance.
Leadership development itself is strategic. Structured exposure to comparative experience, evidence-based design, and ethical standards expands the pool of actors capable of sustaining integrated approaches across political cycles. Civic education that connects individual opportunity to broader national and continental progress strengthens the social foundations of security and nation building.
Conclusion: From Interdependence to Shared Progress
The challenges facing Nigeria, Africa, and the wider world are serious, yet they are not insurmountable. The case studies of Botswana, Rwanda, Singapore, and other recoveries demonstrate that aligned leadership, nation building, and security produce measurable improvements in stability, prosperity, and human well-being.
National strategies that professionalise security forces while expanding economic inclusion, continental approaches that strengthen African agency and shared prosperity, and global partnerships that reinforce local capacity generate reinforcing gains. The ultimate measure of success is the steady expansion of human security, productive opportunity, and institutional trust.
When leadership, nation building, and security operate as a coherent system, they contribute directly to national stability, continental advancement, and global well-being. The pathways are practical and adaptable. Their realisation depends on sustained commitment to a simple truth: order, inclusion, and capable institutions are not competing priorities. They are interdependent requirements for lasting progress.
Dr. Tolulope A. Adegoke, AMBP-UN is a globally recognized scholar-practitioner and thought leader at the nexus of security, governance, and strategic leadership. His mission is dedicated to advancing ethical governance, strategic human capital development, resilient nation building, and global peace. He can be reached via: tolulopeadegoke01@gmail.com, globalstageimpacts@gmail.com
A 19-year-old housewife, Saudat Jibrin, has been sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of her 30-year-old husband, Salisu Idris, nine days after their wedding.
Jibrin, who lives in Kumbosto Local Government Area of Kano, was charged with culpable homicide.
Delivering judgment, Justice Maryam Sabo of Kano High Court held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
“I hereby sentence Saudat Jibrin to death by hanging for culpable homicide. You have 90 days to appeal,” the judge ruled.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Lamido Abba-Sorondinki told the court that Jibrin committed the offence on May 5, 2025, at Farawa Quarters in Kano.
He said that at about 9pm Jibrin laced her husband’s “Zoho” drink and slashed his throat with a knife nine days after their wedding.
Abba-Sorondinki presented two witnesses to prove its case against the defendant.
The convict denied committing the offence.
The prosecutor said the offence contravenes the provision of Section 221(a) of the Penal Code.
The Defence Counsel, Abdulfatah Muhammad, presented the convict to testify in her own defence, Muhammad pleaded for leniency on behalf of his client, saying she had become a changed person while in custody, having memorised the Holy Qur’an.
He also urged the court to consider that the convict is the oldest child of her parents, adding that her siblings depend on her for their survival.
NAN
The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned five men over their alleged complicity in the May 15 kidnapping of pupils and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and the subsequent killing of two of the victims.
The five suspects arraigned on Wednesday before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja are said to be members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group.
They were identified by the DSS as Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar); Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri); Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid); Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa); and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar).
In count one of the charge, Muhammad and Abbas were accused of ordering their foot soldiers in the Ansaru terrorist group, including Umar, Musa and Sani, to, in the event of their arrest, kidnap people and kill them in all parts of the country to compel the government to accede to their demands.
In count two, the DSS alleged that the May 15 kidnapping of pupils and teachers in the Oriire Local Government of Oyo State and the killing of two of the victims were in furtherance of the order allegedly given by Muhammad and Abbas between 2025 and 2026.
In count three, the five suspects were accused of concealing information about the Oriire kidnapping and killing incidents without reporting the same to any law enforcement or security officer.
In count four, Umar, Musa and Sani were accused of conspiring with Muhammad, Abbas and other leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, sometime between January and May 2026, to carry out the Oriire kidnapping and killings.
In count five, Umar, Musa and Sani were accused of aiding Muhammad, Abbas and other members of the Ansaru group to effect the Oriire kidnapping and killings.
In count six, Umar, Musa and Sani were accused of concealing information about the Oriire incidents and failing to report the same to any law enforcement agency or security officer.
The five pleaded not guilty when each count on the charge sheet was read to them, following which the prosecuting lawyer, Dr. Caliatus Eze, applied for the defendants to be remanded in the protective custody of the DSS, a request the trial judge, Justice Salim Ibrahim, granted.
The judge ordered that the defendants be accorded unhindered access to their lawyers and two members of their immediate families.
He also ordered that they be given adequate medical attention and adjourned the matter till September 25 to commence trial.
Counts in the charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026, read: “That you Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar) and Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), adults, males, sometime between 2025 and 2026, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did order your foot soldiers of Jama’‘atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group including Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), that in the event of your arrest by the government, to kidnap and kill victims in different parts of the country in order to compel the government to accede to your demands and in obedience to your order, your foot soldiers and cohorts, including the ones mentioned above, on 15th May, 2026 did kidnap some pupils and teachers of Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery/Primary School, and L.A. Primary School, Orire LGA, Oyo State, numbering about 46 victims, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2)(b) of the same Act.
“That you Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar) and Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), adults, males, sometime between 2025 and 2026, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, in furtherance of your order stated above, foot soldiers and cohorts of Jama‘atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group, including Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), after above kidnap on 15th May, 2026 at Orire LGA, Oyo State, did cause the death two (2) persons, Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, by decapitating them and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 2(3)(g) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2) of the same Act.
“That you, Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara‘a, Abbas Mukhtar) and Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda_ Al-Nigeri), Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), adults, males, sometime between 2025 and 2026, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did knowingly conceal information about an imminent acts of terrorism by Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group which led to the 15th May, 2026 kidnap of about forty-six (46) persons and killing of two (2) persons, Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, knowing the information to be of material assistance in apprehending and preventing the commission of acts of terrorism, but failed to disclose the information to any Law Enforcement or Security Officer, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 16(1) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
“That you, Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), adults, sometime between January and May, 2026, at Suleja LGA, Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, committed an offence when you conspired with Muhammed Sani, Jibril Mohammed, Ibrahim Khabab, Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar), Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri) and others at large, to kidnap school children and teachers in Orire LGA, Oyo State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
“That you, Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), adults, sometime between January and May, 2026, at Suleja LGA, Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, committed an offence when you aided Muhammed Sani, Jibril Mohammed, Ibrahim Khabab, Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar), Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri) in the kidnap of school children and teachers in Orire LGA, Oyo State and thereby commited an offence contrary to Section 26(2) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 26(3) of the Act.
“That you, Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), adults, sometime between January and May, 2026, at Suleja LGA, Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, committed an offence when you knowingly concealed information about an imminent acts of terrorism by Jama‘atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group which led to the 15th May, 2026 kidnap of about forty-six (46) persons and killing of two (2) persons, Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, knowing the information to be of material assistance in apprehending and preventing the commission of acts of terrorism, but failed to disclose the information to any Law Enforcement or Security Officer, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 16(1) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022”
