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Food for Living: The Success of 2023
Compliments of the season. Today is a special day globally because many countries are already celebrating New Year’s Eve. No doubt, the year 2022 has been an interesting and eventful year. Depending on who you are speaking to you, some will opine that it was filled with challenges, experience, success, and memorable feelings. But one thing is certain, we came, we saw, and we “conquered” by the special grace of God. This is because we were not consumed by 2022 despite the numerous setbacks and challenges.
The greatest testimony anyone can appreciate in 2022 is practicing gratitude and appreciation. It will be foolhardy for anyone to say there’s nothing to celebrate in 2022 simply because they couldn’t meet their expectations. If nothing else, celebrate the fact that you are alive, or your family member is alive. Feeble minds fail to realize that once there’s life, there’s hope. That your plans didn’t work out in 2022 doesn’t mean that you are a failure. Sometimes in life, you will have to fail to gain. There might be lessons or nuts you must tighten up.
As the New Year unfolds in less than twenty hours time, it is pertinent to examine how your life was structured in 2022. Taking a holistic stock of your life will let you know what you did right and wrong. As we all plan to enter the new year in a grand style, it’s important to define what the New Year holds for you. You need to have a realistic vision board to decide what you’ll like to do in 2023.
I will be sharing ideas on some of the principles and strategies you can use to overcome 2023. It’s instructive to note that there are spiritual laws of success and there are principles of success. These laws and principles are universal if properly applied. Your ability to decipher how they work will be the game changer in 2023. I will be sharing some examples of spiritual laws of success and principles of success. Let me make a disclosure here, these principles and strategy are not exhaustive, they are merely suggestions you can apply. Everyone works differently. However, if you can apply them, I strongly believe you’ll thank me later.
To succeed in 2023, the first point of call you need is your creator. I don’t know what you believe in, but as for me and my household, we serve the living God. I cannot overemphasize the importance of God in your life. Most people just believe on their own they can achieve success without God, some don’t even believe in the existence of God, yet this set of individuals can’t authoritatively and intelligently say how they came into existence. To understand how God works, can you tell what happens when you are asleep? Can you determine the kind of dream you dream? Do you control what happens in your dream? Finally, do you decide when you’ll wake up from your sleep? I believe your answer is no. This is simply because when you are sleeping, you are practicing how you will die. If you wake up, it’s God that decides to give you a new life. Do you see that life and dreams can be spiritual?
I strongly believe there are forces that control heaven and earth which mere mortals like us don’t know. As generally acclaimed, the spiritual controls the physical. I also believe success in life is a result of principles and strategies and that’s what I will be sharing with you today.
For you to succeed in 2023, there are spiritual laws of success you must apply and there are principles of life you must apply. You can’t afford to miss them and expect to succeed. There might be other variable factors that can facilitate your success.
The first question you’ll need to ask yourself is, what do I want in life and what I do I want in 2023? These questions might sound so easy, but trust me, they are the hardest questions anyone can answer. Your ability to answer these questions will set you apart from your contemporaries. Your ability to know what you want will determine how to work on your long- and short-term goals. It will also determine how you can use the S.M.A.RT. (Specific, Measurable, Articulate, Realistic and Timely) goals to achieve success.
The second step will be writing it down. I have a workable plan which I call P.L.A.N. (Plan carefully; launch globally; Adjust your plan; and Network globally). This second step encompasses all you need to strategically win in 2023.
There are some spiritual laws of success which you can strategically apply. These laws are very dynamic. They don’t happen spontaneously; you must literally live with them daily just like you breathe. For example, the law of giving says, the giver’s hand is always on top, and the giver never lacks. To reap the fruits of this principle, you must know how to give right. You can’t give foolishly and expect some form of spiritual blessings. However, when you sacrificially give, God will look at your intention to reward you. You may be wondering how this works; you must look for people in need and share with them. For instance, when you give to widows and those who can’t help themselves and they pray for you, their prayers can go a long way.
You can also give to your contemporaries who are in need. Their kind words and wishes might be the prayer God can answer. Giving is like laying seeds on fertile ground, you don’t know soil and seed that will produce a plantation. Giving can also take the form of giving those who already have, like your mentors or those in position of authority. This form of giving does not entail giving them so they can support you, rather it should come in the form of appreciation or gratitude to them.
Another way you can benefit from 2023 is by going all out to help people selflessly. Whenever you find an opportunity to help anyone, please don’t think twice about it. Do it if you can. The universe has a way of paying you back. I strongly believe in the principle which says, you will get what you want faster when you help other people to achieve what they want. This principle works well when you help people who can’t pay you back for what you have done for them.
Another principle that triggers success is practicing gratitude. It is often said when you thank someone for what they have done, they are more likely to do more for you. In our contemporary society, gratitude is lacking. Most people are always in the habit of asking as opposed to thanking people who have assisted them in the past. Progressive minds who truly understood how this principle works tapped into it and cashed out. As human beings, most times, we are always in the habit of looking out for what we lack as opposed to looking inwards on what we have.
To truly understand how this principle works, thank the universe for all that happened to you whether it’s negative or positive. There might be one or two things you can learn from each experience regardless of if it was negative or positive. Moral: Look at the bright side of life and learn from your experience.
Furthermore, in 2023, you must learn to strategically know how to network. I call this strategic principle the universal game changer because it works like magic. Most times, as human beings, we think our grades, skills, intelligence and God factor will help us get us an opportunity. Yes, to a reasonable way, they can, however, your ability to know the right people and how to approach them can be the ultimate game changer because the right contact might prefer to work with you more than the person with skills, grades, God factor, intelligence etc. if they like you and you have the basic needs key performance indicators especially when they, trust and like you.
In conclusion, 2023 is like any other year, the only difference will be how you will make it work for you. If you need assistance on how to make 2023 work for you, please feel free to contact me with the email below and I’ll be glad to serve you.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a Human Capacity & mindset coach. He’s also a public speaker, youth advocate and creative writer. 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
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2027: Lagos APC Guber Aspirant Rejects Hamzat As Consensus Candidate
All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Lagos State, Samuel Ajose, has declared that the endorsement of Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat as the next governor by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) will not stand.
GAC, regarded as the highest decision-making body of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, endorsed Hamzat, as its consensus candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
The decision was reached during a closed-door meeting held at Lagos House, Marina, indicating an early alignment within the ruling party ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Speaking after the session, GAC leader, Tajudeen Olusi, said members unanimously agreed on Hamzat, expressing confidence in his ability to sustain and build on the state’s developmental progress.
Olusi explained that the meeting was convened to deliberate on the party’s forthcoming primaries and assess the governorship position ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking about the GAC adoption of Hamzat as Lagos APC consensus 2027 governorship candidate on Arise News on Tuesday, Ajose said that Sanwo-Olu and others are trying to force President Tinubu into making a decision.
“I don’t think our president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is giving in to what they are doing.
“What they are just trying to do is to coerce him into taking a decision, and I don’t think that decision will stand.”
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Reps Approve Tinubu’s Fresh $516.3m Loan Request
The House of Representatives has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to borrow Five Hundred and Sixteen Million, Three Hundred and Thirty-three Thousand, seven ($516,333,007) US dollars in syndicated financing from Deutsche Bank AG.
The House approved it during the plenary on Tuesday in Abuja after the presentation of a report by the deputy chairman of the House Committee on Aids, Loans, and Debts Management, Abdullahi Rasheed.
The money is expected to fund the construction of sections of the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway.
President Tinubu wrote to the lawmakers, seeking a $516.3 million loan from Deutsche Bank to support the construction of the road.
The president said the loan, to be sourced from a syndicated financing facility by Deutsche Bank, will fund sections 1, 1A, and 1B of the project, which covers about 120 kilometres.
Tinubu requested a resolution in line with Sections 16 and 21 of the Debt Management Office (Establishment) Act, 2011, to enable the federal government to secure the financing for Sections 1, Phase 1A, and Phase 1B of the project.
The project is a flagship initiative of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and is targeted at enhancing national connectivity, improving the movement of goods across key economic corridors, and drastically shrinking travel time.
The 1,000-kilometre project will link Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos states, connecting Illela to Badagry.
According to him, the financing arrangement will be backed by a partial risk guarantee from the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC).
He said the Federal government will provide counterpart funding of over N265 billion for land acquisition, compensation, and related infrastructure.
The former Lagos governor said the loan is structured for nine years and includes a three-year grace period.
It has an interest rate pegged at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange SOFR plus 5.3 per cent per annum.
Already, the Federal Executive Council has approved the financing plan.
News
EFCC Arrests Ex-Skye Bank Chair, Tunde Ayeni over Nbillions Fraud Allegations
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested a former chairman of defunct Skye Bank Plc, Tunde Ayeni, over alleged money laundering, misappropriation and diversion of funds amounting to N36.54bn and $30m.
Ayeni, a businessman, was arrested in Abuja on Thursday, and is currently being held at the commission’s facility.
The arrest followed an EFCC probe into alleged misappropriation and diversion of funds said to have been obtained from Polaris Bank through multiple entities linked to him.
“Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested a former board chairman of defunct Skye Bank Plc and businessman, Tunde Ayeni, in connection with alleged money laundering, misappropriation and diversion of funds to the tune of N36,540,058,400.00 and $30m.
“Ayeni was arrested sequel to the investigation of the EFCC into alleged misappropriation and diversion of funds to the tune of N36,540,058,400.00 and $30m obtained from Polaris Bank Plc by different entities linked to him.
“The funds were loans obtained allegedly for specific investment projects but subsequently transferred to other entities’ accounts. Investigations showed that, though the loans were obtained for purposes such as finance of marine security activities, electricity distribution contract, estate development, they were diverted to the NITEL/MTEL asset acquisition through NATCOM account,” one of the sources said.
Another source said the commission is currently probing 12 companies allegedly linked to Ayeni, which it said were used to obtain the loans from Polaris Bank.
“Twelve different companies linked to Ayeni are being investigated by the EFCC. They are entities he allegedly used to obtain loans from Polaris Bank for his shady activities. The loans are depositors’ funds fraudulently obtained and frittered into diverse wasteful purposes. Ayeni will be arraigned in due course upon conclusion of investigations,” the source said.
When contacted, EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale confirmed the arrest but declined to give further details.
The Punch






