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Food for Living: The Change We Need
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
It is an indisputable fact that the only permanent thing in life is change. This is because as rational human beings, we are bound to change. This change is not applicable to human beings alone; animals, objects, institutions, inventions and whatever that exists is not left out. They all go through the process of change. Change is definitely inevitable.
It’s interesting to note that we all want to be changed, but we don’t want to change. We are born to change. Change can be refreshing and nourishing when we change for a good cause. Change can initially be frightening, but eventually refreshing if we don’t give up.
In the journey of life, we all need change to progress. The world, at the moment, is experiencing one of its most challenging times in modern history no thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic. It is unassailable that the world will not remain the same at least for a reasonable period. However, progressive minds have been able to adapt to the new normal by exploring other options and avenues to manage their businesses, institutions, and personal lives. This is a typical example of how change works.
In today’s article, we shall be exploring how we can use change to our advantage. Change is not easy. As business owners, scholars, corporations, institutions, human beings etc., it makes no sense to do the same thing over and over again and expect to get a different result. Change comes in different stages and sizes. The question we must ask ourselves is how do we change?
As human beings, we all want progressive change, but sometimes we are not willing to abide by the process and requirements of change. As human beings, we have to evolve, otherwise, we will remain redundant. If you need to see growth in your finance, you need to spend less than you earn, otherwise, you may be running into a deficit. If you need your condition or circumstance to change, you must change the surrounding network around you. This can be your friends, siblings, associates, colleagues at work and even your thought process. Moral: You need to change before your circumstance can change.
In order to truly see real change in your life, you must change your approach to life. Change brings transformation to our life, most especially as it relates to your thought pattern, marriage, relationship, education, religion and life in general. Chinese Philosopher, Lao Tzu, aptly captures it in these lines: “Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
When you truly desire to add value to your life, the first point of call is to change by associating with what you genuinely want to imitate or achieve. When you change for the better, it adds value to your life and informed minds see the change in you
Question is what are you willing to change in your life? Sometimes as human beings, we are feel unfulfilled when we look at our lives, and see our contemporaries, we feel we are not measuring up to standard; it is normal to feel this way, it’s not a problem. It only becomes an issue when we practice ingratitude for all the experiences we have learnt overtime, and most especially, appreciating the fact that you are not where you used to be in the past. Let me re-emphasize this point, the good thing about change is that you are not where you used to be. If that is the case, you must be more excited about how far you have come than how far you have to go. That’s how great men with a heart of gratitude normally feel.
Let’s take a case study of a butterfly for example, a butterfly must pass through three phases of life: egg – caterpillar, pupa and adult. Without this process, it will be hard for the butterfly to complete the metamorphosis process. I don’t know what your predicament is at the moment, I urge you not to regret whatever decision, disappointment, losses, set back, pain, regret etc you may have suffered in the past. They are in your past, and are called past for a reason. Your concern should be how to move forward.
Remember, without those setbacks, you may not have developed or explored other options that made you who you are. Those challenges may have contributed to your turning point. Those people who did you wrong were part of your necessary transformation to the greatness you have become. Therefore, appreciate the changes and pains that come with transformation. It’s part of the change that you need to transform.
Question: What are you changing for? What are you willing to change for and what do you need to focus on to change?
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 Oyo State High Court has granted the Peoples Democratic Party approval to proceed with its elective national convention scheduled for November 15–16, 2025, in Ibadan, the state capital.
The court also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to attend and monitor the exercise, Channels TV reports.
Delivering the ruling, Justice A. L. Akintola issued an interim order permitting the party to continue its convention plans without obstruction.
The decision came after an ex-parte motion filed by Folahan Adelabi against the PDP, its Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum; Governor Umaru Fintiri, who heads the National Convention Organising Committee; and the INEC.
In his ruling on Monday, Justice Akintola held that the claimant presented a compelling case that warranted immediate judicial intervention.
“The motion ex-parte has merit and succeeds as prayed,” the judge ruled, granting temporary reliefs that safeguard the party’s schedule and direct all parties to allow the convention to proceed as planned.
The judge subsequently adjourned the hearing of the substantive motion for an interlocutory injunction till November 10, 2025.
The interim order, issued on November 3, 2025, was sealed by the Oyo State High Court and endorsed by its Principal Registrar, S. O. Hammed.
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has released the passport of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan following outrage over what she described as an unlawful and politically motivated seizure of her travel documents at a Nigerian airport.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, was reportedly stopped by immigration officers on Tuesday morning, who withheld her passport without any official explanation.
The lawmaker, visibly frustrated, went live on social media to protest the action, accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of ordering the seizure.
“I have committed no offence and there is no order from the court to withhold my passport and deny me travelling. The last time this happened, the officer in charge told us that the Senate President, Godswin Akpabio instructed them to withhold my passport and prevent me from travelling because he said each time I travel out of the country, I spoil the country’s image by granting interviews out in international media.
“Please, can you tell them to release my passport and this embarrassment should stop? You have no right to withhold my passport.
“You have no right to deny me exit and entrance into my country. I have not committed any offence and this must stop. No, this must stop.
“As a matter of fact, I think I have to sue you for continuously embarrassing me. No, don’t tell me sorry. Can I please have my passport? You can’t keep doing this to me all the time,” she said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was recently celebrated her second year in office, described the incident as a continuous pattern of harassment.
She noted that her passport had previously been seized under similar circumstances, only to be released after intervention from someone influential.
The female Senator said, “I’ve been standing here for the past 20 minutes. Why are you doing this? What have I committed? The last time it had to take someone influential to call you to release my passport. That was what allowed me travel.
“Now again, you’re withholding my passport while I’m making calls. Is Godswin Akpabio so important? Why is he overruling boundaries? Godswin Akpabio, the Senate President, has instructed the Comptroller General of Customs to deny me exit, to withhold my passport. This is wrong.
“Yes, I know I have two federal government cases against me, of which the president of Nigeria instructed the AGF to cancel the cases, to withdraw the cases.
“This president, Bola Tinubu, actually spoke with Godwin Akpabio to terminate all the cases against me because he admitted, he agreed that they were politically witch-hunting cases. So there is no reason why my passport should be withheld at the international airport.
“There is no reason why. You have no right to do that, madam. You have no right. You are taking laws into your hands. There is no court order. I have not missed any of my court appearances.
“I have attended all my court sessions. I am not a flight risk. I am not a risk to my country. So why are you treating me like a criminal? Can I have my passport, please? Thank you very much. Sometimes I think you just have to be a rebel to get things right. Then you keep asking Nigerians to be good citizens.
Minutes after her public protest gained traction online, the NIS reportedly bowed to pressure and released her passport.
“If I had not gone public, would you have given me my passport,” she added.
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Would You Rather I Travel with My Enemies’ Children, Wike Defends Traveling with Sons to Official Assignment
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has reacted to viral photos showing his sons accompanying him on local and foreign trips, saying he has the right to carry them along.
He argued that his sons, as master’s degree holders, need the exposure.
“What law says that my sons shouldn’t travel? Let the FCT say where they paid ₦1.
“What official matter? Did they sign any document? It doesn’t need to be a personal trip.
“What’s wrong? So, I can travel with anybody from the FCT. I can travel with anybody in Nigeria. I have that right.
“Oh, come on, they have to know how Nigeria is. They have to learn about government,” Wike said on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.
Asked whether he was teaching them to become politicians, he said, “No, that’s not correct. My first son is a lawyer. He said, ‘No, I’m not going to practice. I want to be a farmer.’
“I said, ‘What do you mean by this? He said, ‘No, this is what I want to do.’ I said, ‘Okay’. What do you do?
“They’ve gone for training in Spain. They’ve gone for training in Lisbon.
“My second son finished from King’s College — a master’s degree in Economics. He said he wants to be in real estate.”
The former Rivers State governor also said he is happy that his sons behave responsibly and give him comfort.
“I’m so happy that I have children who have given me comfort, who have not given me problems.
“Assuming they were somewhere smoking. You would have said, ‘Oh, look at these children now. Who are they? I will not travel with my enemy’s children,” he added.
Wike has been spotted with his sons at official events, including the commissioning of projects in the FCT.
Last week, he was criticised by some Nigerians for taking them to a summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
