Metro
Food for Living: The Gift of Life
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
According to Gary Chapman in his best-selling book “The Five Love language”, there are five love languages, namely: words affirmation, gift, services, physical touch, and time. However, much as this article isn’t about love, I have to make this reference because of Chapman’s idea of gifts.
Do you know that life is a gift? Just imagine if you are to pay for the air you breathe, you will realize that one of the best things if not the best thing God did for humanity is to give us breath for free. Just imagine people who are on oxygen struggling to survive. Life is indeed a gift, but it is quite unfortunate many uniformed minds take it for granted.
Every day we are alive is a gift for a productive living. Yesterday is regarded as history because it is in the past, today is a gift because you can make use of the opportunity to create a better future and tomorrow is a mystery because you can’t control it, nor are you aware of what it will unfold.
According to Amit Ray, “Every morning is a gift of life – bring some smile on your face and welcome the happiness of life.” So live every day like you will not have any opportunity to make amend.
Did you know that the real gift of life is the legacy you leave behind when you depart this sinful world? Nobody really cares about the money you have if you didn’t use it to serve humanity. According to Debasish Mrindha, the real gift of life is not what you give, but who you become in the process of giving”.
As rational human beings, we all love gifts; there’s hardly any right-thinking human being who will receive a gift and turn it down all things being equal. Gifts are medicinal, they work like magic, especially when it comes at the right time. Did you know that one of the best ways to get the mind of a king or anyone is by giving him/her selfless gifts? Gifts play magical roles, it’s not about the size of the gift but the kind thoughts that go into the act.
In our contemporary world, it’s hard to find see people with selfless hearts who go all out for people. Most people who assist others do so because of what they have gained from the person. But the real great minds are the people who share regardless of whether they have been helped or not.
It should be noted that in all we do, we are offering ourselves to humanity. Whether you are working for a big or small company, you are offering your time and services which is a relative gift in order to be compensated by the company. If you can do an excellent job or go the extra mile, the company might be tempted to raise your pay or offer you more opportunities. Do you now see that every opportunity you have is a gift?
You can even use your gift selflessly to serve other people whether on the streets, in school, in church, or in government or non-governmental organizations without charging them. That’s a great way of showing people what you can do. A typical place most people use their gift to serve is in politics, where they offer voluntary services to politicians of interest. If the politician wins the election, he/she might appreciate the kind gesture with an appointment or recommendation.
Again, do you see life as a gift for you to serve?
Each of us has gifts but it’s quite unfortunate some of us don’t know how to use or discover our gifts. When you discover your gift, you will know you are talented. When some people say, artists, comedians, actors, footballers, etc. are talented, what they are simply saying is that they have discovered their talents and nurtured them well.
Did you know that if you know your gift, you don’t really need a job? Your gift is the talent your creator gave you at creation to solve problems. Your gift is your value; when you nurture it very well, humanity will search for you.
So, I will strongly advise you today to take time to think through life and discover your hidden gift and know what’s so unique about you.
If for any reason you can’t figure it out, kindly reach out to me, and as a human capacity coach, part of my job entails helping human beings unleash their potential.
In conclusion, according to Tony Robbins, “Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.”
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
The Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Bayo Ojulari, has acknowledged growing complexities in the effort to revamp Nigeria’s state-owned refineries.
Although the Port Harcourt refinery began processing crude oil again on November 26, it was later shut down in May for maintenance.
Meanwhile, rehabilitation work is still ongoing at the Warri and Kaduna refineries.
Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg on the sidelines of the 9th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Austria, Ojulari said NNPC is in the process of reassessing its refinery strategies, with plans to conclude the review by the end of the year.
“So refineries, we made quite a lot of investment over the last several years and brought in a lot of technologies. We’ve been challenged,” he said.
“Some of those technologies have not worked as we expected so far. But also, as you know, when you’re refining a very old refinery that has been abandoned for some time, what we’re finding is that it’s becoming a little bit more complicated.
“So we’re reviewing all our refinery strategies now. We hope before the end of the year, we’ll be able to conclude that review. That review may lead to us doing things slightly differently.”
When asked whether the review could result in selling the refineries, Ojulari said a sale remains a possibility.
“But what we’re saying is that sale is not out of the question. All the options are on the table, to be frank, but that decision will be based on the outcome of the reviews we’re doing now,” he said.
Ojulari also addressed the cost of oil production in Nigeria, stating that operating expenses range between $20 and $30 per barrel.
“For the cost of crude production, there’s a capital cost and there are the operating costs,” he said.
“The operating cost right now in Nigeria is hovering over $20 per barrel, which is quite high.
“Part of that is because of the investment we’ve had to make in terms of security of our pipelines, which as you know, today we have 100 percent availability of our pipelines. That came out of significant investment.
“So we believe with time, with stability, that cost will start going down, but for now it’s somewhere between $25 and $30 a barrel.”
Looking ahead, Ojulari said NNPC aims to increase Nigeria’s oil output to 1.9 million barrels per day (bpd) by the end of the year.
By Eric Elezuo
A group, Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation (CJMR), has called on the governor of Ekiti State, Abiodun Oyebanji, and other well meaning Nigerians, to come to the aid of a female inmate at the Ibara Custodial Centre, Rashidat Abdul, who is reported to be in critical health condition, and needs urgent medical attention.
The deteriorating health of the said inmate, was reported by officers at the Custodial Centre to the Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation (CJMR), a grassroots organization focusing on human rights and access to justice for those deprived of their rights on death row and in detention.
Speaking with The Boss, the Coordinator of the group, Hezekiah Deboboye Olujobi said, “Upon seeing the woman’s health condition during our visit to Ibara, we pleaded that she be transferred to a hospital where she could receive the necessary medical care. Despite concerns about the financial burden, we took this step of faith to save her life. She is now admitted to Ogun State Hospital, Abeokuta.”
Narrating the genesis of the inmate’s ordeal, Olujobi added that “Rashidat Abdul was sentenced to death by the Ado Ekiti State High Court. She appealed the judgment, but her appeal was unsuccessful. The court convicted the entire family based solely on the testimony of one individual relying on third-party information, without the presence of the alleged witness in court. It is also important to note that her son had just sat for his WAEC examination before their arrest.
“We submitted appeals to the Ekiti State Board of Mercy in September last year and again in March 2025, but these pleas have yet to receive the attention of the Ekiti State Governor. We have conducted a thorough review of the court records, including the brief of argument before the Court of Appeal, and we can see the innocence of this woman and her husband. While the appeal is still pending before the Supreme Court, we are appealing to the human and Christian conscience of the Attorney General of Ekiti State, Hon. Dayo Apata, to look into this case. God delights in true justice and mercy; God hates oppression, so must we.
“The critical state of this woman’s health calls for urgent attention from concerned individuals in Nigeria and abroad. The officer in the prison maintains transparency in this matter, and we are committed to doing the same.
“This morning, 9/7/2025, I received a message from the officer informing us that the funds we deposited have been exhausted. There is an urgent need to purchase injections costing ₦10,000 each daily, conduct X-rays and a series of tests from time to time, engage a caregiver and physiotherapist, provide feeding, and buy supplements to aid her recovery. Additionally, payment for the hospital bed space is required, along with a stipend for transportation for the security personnel on guard and other logistics.”
The group therefore, is appealing to the governor of Ekiti State, Oyebanji and other well meaning Nigerians to come to the woman’s aid so as to preserve her life.
“We kindly ask for your support to respond to this urgent call. Although Rashidat is a Muslim, our service to humanity transcends religion.
“We understand that some who have been deceived in the past may find it difficult to trust those genuinely committed to serving others, and those involved in fraudulent activities may be reluctant to support genuine efforts.
“However, this is the very mission our Lord Jesus Christ has called us to fulfill. We earnestly seek your support.
“Thank you for your kindness and generosity,” Olujobi pleaded on behalf of Rashidat and the group.
For donations and more information, please visit the website: [https://www.cjmr.com.ng](https://www.cjmr.com.ng)
Account Details:
Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation
Zenith Bank
Account Number: 1012189729
Phone: 08030488093
During the price hike, marketers stated that the product was sold at N960 and N980 in the far north because of the distance.
However, as crude prices fell below $70 last week, the pump prices of PMS also declined. Crude prices had crashed because Israel and Iran stopped bombing each other, alleviating fears of a supply disruption in the Middle East.
As of Tuesday, many filling stations sold petrol below N900 per litre in Lagos and Ogun States.
PUNCH Online reports that the filling stations sold petrol at rates ranging from N875 to N890 a litre.
A marginal drop is expected in the price of the product at the pumps.
