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Food for Living: The Fragility of Life
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By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Dear Friends
Everything in life is truly a struggle, especially as it relates to third world countries. Nobody will entrust you with opportunities if you don’t work for it. In civilized climes where dignity of work is appreciated, you must earn whatever opportunity comes your way. In our daily search for the meaning and purpose of life, we come across many challenges. Despite these numerous challenges, what makes the difference is how you manage each situation.
If you have a business, and you don’t manage it well, it will flop; if you joke with your academics, you won’t pass with good grades; if you don’t love or treat your spouse, children or family with care, you might end up raising a generation of monsters; if you don’t appreciate a good employee with the right pay and benefits for the work he or she does, you might end up loosing them.
What therefore, is fragility of life? Every reasonable person knows that life is truly fragile and must be handled like an egg to avoid cracking. However, in this context, we will be looking at fragility of life from an empowerment point of view. During the course of this article, we shall be discussing how we can manage the vicissitudes of life in order to avoid crashing.
Life is truly fragile. To really understand how fragile life is, imagine having a raw egg which is yet to boil or cook and it falls to the hard surface, what do you think will happen? Simple, it will definitely break. That’s simply how life works. We all have a life to live, from birth, our parents trained us in High schools, colleges and in some cases doctorate programmes, but its quite unfortunate, many people squander this opportunity which sometimes comes once in a while. While some people merely manage to get middle school or High school diploma, others strive to attain perfection and excellence, and some others, who may be from privileged background choose to take life for granted because they operate under the mindset they are comfortable, and as such have abundant resources at their beck and call.
In striving for mastery and excellence, most people miss golden opportunities to mark their names in gold. It should be noted that nobody will give you anything you want, you have to demand and hunger for it. Saying you deserve it without showing why you deserve it only leaves you with an entitlement mentality.
Life is money if handled with care. To enjoy money, you need to be more resourceful with your time, but sometimes, we allow it to be stolen by waste.
The question we should be asking ourselves is how can we handle life? Just like you treat your family, work, money, and personality with care, you must treat your life the same way if you truly want to enjoy life. If you fail to manage life, life will manage you.
How to manage fragility.
Planning:
According to Benjamin Franklin, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. In the Book of Life, it is stated, orderliness is the first law in heaven. Being able to mange people and resources is one of the most enriching skill one can have in contemporary times. A good planner must be able to think out of the box, be progressive minded and explore opportunities that can serve humanity.
Understanding:
When you don’t understand how a product or person works, it will be hard to work with the product or person. Understanding is not rocket science, all it entails is to apply emotional intelligence and common sense. It’s instructive to note that there can be no problem where there’s problem and there can be problem when there’s no problem depending on how understanding is harnessed with common sense. Understanding makes the difference in the management of issues, be it big or small.
Love
The greatest force in the word is love. Love is a feeling you can’t touch, but can feel. If you truly love someone or treasure anything, you’ll definitely apply tender loving care by nurturing it to grow so you don’t lose it. To understand how love works in empowering yourself, you’ll give all you have in addition to working for the kind of life you want to live. You’ll also ensure you stay away from all toxic situations that can deter you from reaching your desired goal.
When you master the art of handling life, you won’t take any opportunity for granted, especially when it refers to networking and having values for what we truly appreciate. Value is what you place on anything you treasure. For instance, if you place value on trust, loyalty and honesty, money won’t be able to influence your lifestyle, but if you are materialistic, it will be easy to be influenced with money.
To understand the fragility of life, imagine having a dry tissue in your hand, it will serve multiple purpose, but when it is wet, the purpose will be limited, if not being of little or no value.
Most times people think success only comes in terms of wealth, they fail to understand that health, spirituality, academics and being professional play a huge role. This is because if you don’t manage your spiritual life as a new convert, you might head back to the street, and if you don’t manage your health, you’ll lose it.
This is the reason rational minds plan ahead by prioritizing their needs above their wants. If you don’t take charge of what concerns you, you may end up living other people’s life in addition to being controlled by them.
Most time, we have a carefree attitude on what concerns us. We joke with our time, we joke with our work, we joke with our family and friends with hope we’ll will be able to recover, but sometimes, it doesn’t work that way. To improve your life, you have to be deliberate and intentional in whatever you do.
In conclusion, I will strongly suggest you take stock of your life by writing out the little things that play a role in your life.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a mindset coach and self-discovery expert. 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 Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately remove his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over allegations linking him to an alleged multi-billion-naira corruption scandal involving a purported non-existent government agency, the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, the opposition party described the allegations as grave and said Gbajabiamila’s continued stay in office could compromise any credible investigation into the matter.
The NDC’s demand follows allegations made by Prince Mathew Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the PFIPC, an agency the Presidency has publicly denied exists.
According to the party, the allegations raise serious concerns about transparency, accountability and integrity within the Tinubu administration.
The NDC alleged that despite the Presidency’s denial of the agency’s existence, the PFIPC purportedly secured budgetary allocations in the 2026 Appropriation Act and opened a domiciliary account, a Pound Sterling account and a Treasury Single Account (TSA) domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The party questioned how an agency described as non-existent could allegedly establish multiple high-level government financial accounts without official approval or the required documentation.
It also called on the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to explain whether forged documents were used in processing the accounts.
The statement further alleged that the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation approved 314 staff positions for the purported agency, describing the development as another issue requiring urgent explanation.
According to the NDC, the allegations also include claims that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent of the agency’s take-off grant, reportedly valued at N27.39 billion, a request Adeyemi allegedly rejected.
The party also cited Adeyemi’s claim that he secured his appointment through the Chief of Staff after allegedly paying N600 million, of which N400 million was allegedly paid through proxies, while N200 million remained outstanding.
It said the alleged unpaid balance reportedly contributed to the Presidency’s subsequent denial of the agency’s existence.
The NDC further alleged that the claims point to a wider pattern of institutional corruption, including the alleged sale of public appointments.
The party also linked the controversy to the death of Babatunde Tanimola, whom it described as an intermediary between Adeyemi and the Chief of Staff.
According to the statement, Tanimola reportedly died in a fire incident at a hotel in Utako, Abuja, on October 22, 2025, a day after the police reportedly received a petition from the Chief of Staff.
The NDC also referenced Adeyemi’s claims that he survived multiple assassination attempts, including an attack along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway on September 7, 2025, and alleged that certain individuals within government are plotting to eliminate him.
Against the backdrop of the allegations, the party demanded the immediate removal of Gbajabiamila to allow what it described as a full and impartial investigation.
It also called on President Tinubu to establish an independent investigative panel to examine the alleged operations of the PFIPC, including its budgetary allocations, financial transactions, account openings and staff recruitment.
The NDC further urged investigators to probe the circumstances surrounding Tanimola’s death and the alleged assassination attempts on Adeyemi, while recommending that Adeyemi be granted witness protection.
The party also demanded that the Chief of Staff produce all official documents signed since assuming office for forensic examination.
In addition, it called for the questioning of officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation over their alleged roles in the matter.
The opposition party also urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigeria Police Force to commence what it described as a thorough investigation without fear or favour.
“The NDC will not accept the usual tactic of issuing a mere defensive press release from the Presidency as a deflective ploy. Nigerians deserve to know the truth through a transparent process that promotes fairness and justice,” the statement said.
The Presidency has previously maintained that the PFIPC is not a recognised government agency.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Presidency nor Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila had responded to the fresh allegations contained in the NDC statement.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has announced another reduction in the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), marking its fourth price cut within one month, as the company signaled that Nigerians could expect further price moderation in the coming weeks.
The latest reduction of N50 per litre brings the cumulative decrease in the refinery’s ex-depot price of petrol to over N200 per litre since May 30, 2026, lowering the gantry price to N1,075 per litre.
Over the same period, the refinery has also reduced the ex-depot price of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel, by N300 per litre, while Jet A1 aviation fuel has recorded a cumulative reduction of N520 per litre.
In a statement on Thursday, the refinery said the successive price cuts underscore its commitment to ensuring Nigerians benefit from favourable market developments through fair, responsible, and sustainable pricing of petroleum products.
The company noted that while it remains focused on transferring cost efficiencies to consumers, it is equally committed to maintaining the operational and financial sustainability of domestic refining.
Dangote Refinery explained that its pricing model is not tied directly to daily movements in international crude oil prices, stressing that crude oil is procured weeks or, in some cases, months before refining under commercial contracts linked primarily to monthly average pricing mechanisms rather than prevailing spot market prices.
According to the company, the petroleum products currently being supplied were refined from crude inventories acquired when international crude prices were significantly higher than present levels.
It disclosed that the average landed cost of crude processed by the refinery stood at approximately 124.80 US dollars per barrel in May and 95.25 US dollars per barrel in June, compared with the current international Brent benchmark of about 71.01 US dollars per barrel.
The refinery further clarified that its feedstock is not purchased at the headline Brent price widely reported in the media. Instead, crude is acquired on a Dated Brent basis, with additional market premiums, freight and logistics costs, resulting in actual landed costs that differ materially from benchmark quotations.
Despite these elevated feedstock costs, Dangote Refinery said it deliberately absorbed a substantial portion of the increase instead of transferring the full burden to consumers immediately.
It said the decision is aimed at supporting market stability, easing inflationary pressures, and shielding Nigerians from the sharp volatility witnessed in global energy markets.
“For this reason, prices of petroleum products in Nigeria are still lower than prices in neighbouring countries even after adjusting for taxes,” the company stated.
Dangote Refinery noted that Thursday’s N50 reduction in the ex-depot price of PMS represents the fourth downward adjustment within one month, bringing cumulative reductions to more than N200 per litre.
The company said its pricing decisions are anchored on actual production economics and inventory replacement costs rather than short-term fluctuations in the international oil market.
It expressed optimism that fuel prices would continue to moderate as lower-cost crude cargoes progressively replace higher-cost inventories in its production cycle, provided international market conditions remain favourable.
The refinery also highlighted the stabilising role of domestic refining in Nigeria’s energy sector, saying its production capacity is now sufficient to meet national demand, thereby strengthening energy security, reducing dependence on imported petroleum products, conserving foreign exchange, and providing greater price stability for consumers and businesses.
Reaffirming its long-term commitment, Dangote Petroleum Refinery said its objective remains to supply high-quality, internationally compliant petroleum products at competitive prices while strengthening Nigeria’s energy security, supporting economic growth, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of Africa’s largest refinery.
The company expressed appreciation to Nigerians for their continued confidence and support, pledging to remain committed to building a stable, efficient, and globally competitive downstream petroleum industry that serves the interests of consumers, businesses, and the nation as a whole.
The Department of State Services (DSS) at the Federal High Court in Abuja, arraigned five associates of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
They are accused of concealing information regarding the whereabouts of their principal, who is alleged to be a financier of an aborted coup attempt against President Bola Tinubu.
Sylva, a former Governor of Bayelsa State, has been declared wanted by the Federal government, and his identified properties have been marked for forfeiture following his indictment as the sponsor and mastermind of the alleged coup plot.
The five associates are Reuben Ayuba, Musa Mohammed, Friday Paul, Paganengigha Anagaha, and Ayebaifife Suobite. They were arraigned on Wednesday before Justice Peter Lifu.
A two-count charge filed against them indicates that the accused became accessories after the fact of felony on April 28, 2026, by concealing the whereabouts of Timipre Sylva, who is classified as a fugitive. The alleged offense is contrary to Section 519 of the Criminal Code Act Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Additionally, the DSS has accused them of conspiracy to commit a felony, specifically for concealing the whereabouts of Timipre Sylva, also a fugitive, in violation of Section 516 of the Criminal Code, LFN 2004.
All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them.
DSS lawyer, Emmanuel Orubor, requested that the judge schedule a date for the DSS to commence their trial by calling witnesses to testify against the defendants.
In response, Sunusi Musa (SAN), who represented Reuben Ayuba and Paganengigha Anagaha (the 1st and 4th accused persons), filed a bail application for his clients on various grounds.
Similar applications were made by Ibrahim Imadegbelo, representing Musa Mohammed (the 2nd accused), I. G. Kelubia, standing for Friday Paul (the 3rd defendant), and E. C. Sogo, who argued for Ayebaifife Suobite (the 5th accused person).
The lawyers pointed out to Justice Lifu that their clients have been in custody since October 25, 2025, and urged the court to grant them bail on liberal terms.
In a brief ruling, Justice Lifu granted them bail in the sum of N5 million each, along with two sureties for each, in a similar amount. The sureties are required to swear to an affidavit of means, provide evidence of three years of tax payment, demonstrate visible means of livelihood, and submit recent passport photographs.
Justice Lifu ordered that the claims of identities of the sureties must be verified by the Registrar of the Court.
Pending the perfection of the bail conditions, the Judge ordered that the accused persons be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja and fixed July 22 for the commencement of trial.
