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Food for Living: Understanding the Principles of Life
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Life is governed by laws and principles. If one misses the principles and laws, it might be difficult for them to succeed.
Life has many dynamics and navigating through life can be very challenging.
In the course of this article, I will share some insights on how one can overcome the challenges of life. This article will focus on human relationships because that’s one of the best ways to live through life.
Whether in marriage, business, academia, politics, leadership, or entertainment, there are principles, ethics, codes of conduct, laws and rules governing them. When you miss any of them, there’s bound to be consequences. In marriage, for instance, when there’s constant infidelity, domestic violence and lack of communication, there’s a huge tendency for the marriage to break down.
In business, when you don’t have the right systems and structures, it will be difficult to scale up. The same applies to leadership, politics, and professional establishments; when you go against the rules or code of conduct, you are bound to pay the price. The inherent message here is that life is governed by laws and principles, nothing exists on its own. There’s always a corresponding reaction from every action.
It is very sad however, to know that many people just live their life carelessly with hope that life and things will align for them. This is a wrong notion and understanding of life. These shallow minds fail to understand that you can’t build something on nothing, nor can you give what you don’t have. It’s quite unfortunate to know that some people even live their life based on luck, failing to understand that luck only meets prepared minds.
It should be noted that there’s nothing in life that doesn’t have a pattern. Everything in life is governed by a process. Nothing exists on its own, just as no human being exists on their own. We all need one another to thrive. Again, look at the human body, no human organ exists on its own, they all depend on each other to function well.
For one to succeed as an individual, you must learn the art of human relationship. It’s a skill you must learn whether you like it or not. Human relationship is a currency which can attract goodwill if properly harnessed. It should be noted that in this kingdom called life, who hates you does not matter but who likes you really matters. Who likes you can create a million dollar opportunity for you that can change the course of your life. The question you should be asking yourself is how do I attract these people into my life? Your greatest prayer is for these men and women to find favour in you. When they do, they can break protocol for you. Do you know that men can redefine the possibilities of your life? This will only work when you know how to tap into the right principles of life.
You may be wondering what these principles are? While there are a million and one principles, your major concern is to identify the right principle that will work for you. To attract great people into your life, you must study their work, know the causes they support, the kind of principles they adopt, the books they read, the mistakes they made, their vision to life and their attitudes to life. These will give you an insight into their personality. When you do so, you have answered fifty percent of the questions.
Do you know that there are people you can’t cast away even if you don’t like them. Your ability to decipher the right form of wisdom to relate closely with them can be the game changer of your life. When you meet this set of people, your greatest prayer should be “Lord grant me favour to pass through their gate. This set of people may not fit into your ideal man/woman, but the truth is that you need them to get to your destination, and this takes humility to come through. Note that you will be making a big mistake when you talk too much instead of listening more.
These set of people might be the gatekeepers, custodians or even the influencers that can change the trajectory of your life. You will be foolish to disregard them and say, you’ll pray your way out. When these people despise you, it will take divine intervention for you to overcome their rejection. Nor matter how bad they are, they have favours, graces and opportunities coming to them by virtue of their position or gift which you must tap into to succeed. These sets of people may be planned by God to do a particular job or fulfil a particular role. They may not even look it or qualify for the position, but again, that’s how life and nature programmed it. A typical example is the former President of the United States of America Donald Trump, who many people were surprised at how he was able to beat Hillary Clinton to become the US president. President Trump simply applied the right principles which in this case can be the language the people the people wanted to hear. Moral: God can place certain people in different positions to fulfill certain purposes for his glory or for someone. Be smart.
In our contemporary society, we have seen people who pray and do little or no work. My humble advice to them is don’t pray blind prayers or read to get good grades and forget the value of human relationships and mentorship, which place you ahead of your contemporaries, who were getting good grades.
In life, sometimes, you must roll your sleeves and ask how it’s been done technically, professionally, spiritually, socially, and academically. If it entails speaking the ‘street language’, please do. That goes to show how smart you can be when you think out of the box. After all, if you want to get something from a child, you’ll have to bend down, true or false?
Another way to understand the right approach to prayer can be seen when people pray. There are right ways of praying and there are wrong ways of praying. According to the Holy Book, it was recorded that a certain man was praying to God and he said, he was a good man who doesn’t commit sin like his tax collector colleague. At the end of the day, his prayer was not answered, God answered the prayer of the other man who asked forgiveness and admitted he was a sinner. The inherent message here is that of understanding. One of the men prayed right and the other had a proud outlook.
In conclusion, as you approach life, be mindful of how you relate with human beings through your thoughts, words, and action. Your ability to apply the right principles, laws, codes, rules and more importantly, attitudes will determine how far you will go in life.
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
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
To be fruitful is to be productive, profitable, and successful in all areas of your life. When one is fruitful, he will attract many opportunities and values. When we are fruitful, we won’t be barren because we will be producing fruits and results with our work. Even the book of life said no woman will be barren in your land. That’s being fruitful.
Fruitfulness permeates every area of our life. When you are fruitful, your life, marriage, business, academic, ethics, relationship/network will flourish. Our business must be fruitful to survive, otherwise it will be out of business. We shall discuss several areas where one can be fruitful.
Parents
The joy of every father is for the child to be greater than him. Any father that wants to be greater than his son is not a good father in my understanding. Parents, mentors, government, teachers, leaders of faith, etc. all want us to be fruitful.
Let’s take a case study of parents. They sacrifice their time, resources and health just to give us a decent life. They do it because they want us to be successful in life.
Personally, I watched my late father and mother deprive themselves of the luxury of life just to give me and my siblings a decent life. My late parents never had the opportunity of having a decent education, it won’t be out of place for one to say they are unlettered, but they knew the value of education.
My late dad will always say, he’s not concerned about building houses, or living a luxury lifestyle, to him, those are secondary needs of life. His primary concern is for his children to have a good education. My late dad will always say assuming he’s educated, he would have excelled higher in life.
My late mother is not an exemption. I vividly remember one day my late mother said to me, her colleagues are buying jewelry, shoes, clothes, making their hair, etc. to fit into trends, but she’s not concerned about that, her major concern is for her children to have a decent education and look good.
Most people don’t understand the inspiration behind why I do what I do today. My late parents were and remained my biggest supporter. Apart from going to heaven, my greatest goal is to make my late parents and children proud. The moral of this analysis is my late parents sacrificed even their life for me and siblings just because they want us to be successful and fruitful.
Mentors
Mentors are not left out of this equation; mentors can be regarded as gatekeepers because they have paid the price of success. It is the fruitfulness of mentors that attracts values and mentees to them. When a mentor accepts a mentee into his fold, he’s simply telling the mentee, “I want you to be successful, I don’t want you to fail. However, it is important to state that before a mentor can accept to mentor a mentee, the mentor would have seen some potential in the mentees.
It’s instructive to mention that there are five types of mentors namely:
- Position Mentor: People follow you because they have a right to follow you which can be because of the position you occupy.
- Permission Mentor: People follow you because you allow them. For example, in relationships when you decide to allow people to build relationships with you.
- Production Mentor: People follow you because of what you have done for the organization or association. This is result oriented.
- People Development Mentor: People follow you because of what you have done for them.
- Pinnacle Mentor: People follow you because of who you are or what you represent. The question now is where do you belong?
For the umpteenth time, I am a product of mentorship. My mentors have really shaped my life.
Teachers
Teachers are not left out. Teachers are generally regarded as professional educators who play a critical role in fostering student achievement, personal growth, and social development. They are seen as the “lifeblood” of the education system, often serving as mentors, role models, and agents of social change.
There are many components of teachers namely:
- Professional Experts: Teachers are trained specialists in pedagogy (the art/science of teaching) and subject matter, holding degrees and certifications that qualify them to guide learners.
- Facilitators and Mentors: Beyond delivering content, they act as guides who help students acquire critical thinking skills and knowledge, shifting from “information dispensers” to active facilitators.
- Lifelong Learners: Effective teachers are viewed as individuals who continuously learn and adapt their practices to new technologies, curricula, and student needs.
- Moral and Cultural Guides: Teachers are often expected to act as stewards of community values, maintaining student safety, and cultivating civic responsibility.
- “Backbone of Society”: They are considered crucial to a nation’s social and economic development by preparing the future workforce. Above all, they assist in making us fruitful human beings.
Leaders of faith
The leaders of faith are regarded as the molders of the human faith because they help to build our faith. When the scripture says in Genesis 1:8, be fruitful and multiply, the scripture is also referring to them because they are regarded as shepherds. As Christians, we expected to be fruitful because our heavenly father is fruitful. Being fruitful here entails bearing fruits with our life and this entails using our life to attract people into the kingdom of God as evidence of our heavenly father who expects us to be Christlike.
Government
Let’s talk about the government. When a government is fruitful, it will reflect on the lives of her citizens, but when the government is performing below expectations, the citizens will be on the receiving end. The principal responsibility of the government is protection of life and security for her citizens. Every other thing is secondary. The government is also responsible for creating job opportunities for the citizens. However, it should be noted the government cannot create for all her citizens, and as such they provide an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive.
Employers/Supervisors/Leaders
These sets of people are regarded as people of influence. You need them at your corner, if you intend to move higher in life. Your employers and supervisors are regarded as your leaders. You can never outsmart them; the best one can try is to be in their good books and tolerate their excesses. When an employee is fruitful and exceeding expectations at work, they tend to be rewarded by their supervisors or employers because of the value they create and the problem they solve
In conclusion, whatever you do in life, please try and be fruitful.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court has adjourned the bail hearing of former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to the first week of June, 2026.
El-Rufai is being arraigned on multiple charges bordering on alleged financial crime and abuse of office by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
“Similarly, another charge, number KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/26, against Mallam Nasir El-Rufa’i and one Amadu Sule (LEDA) has also been filed before a Kaduna State High Court in the Kaduna Judicial Division,” the ICPC said last month.
“The charges in the State High Court case range from abuse of office, fraud, and intent to commit fraud to conferring undue advantage, among others. Both charges were filed by the ICPC on the 18th of March, 2026.”
Speaking after the court session, counsel to the former governor, Ukpon Akpan, kicked against the lingering adjournment of the bail hearing by one presiding judge as politically motivated.
The high-profile case has drawn significant public attention, with heightened security presence observed around the court premises.
The former governor had arrived at the court at about 9 am in a convoy accompanied by ICPC officials and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
During the proceedings, supporters of the former governor gathered outside the courtroom, while security agencies maintained order and restricted movement within the vicinity.
Inside the courtroom, journalists, as usual, were not allowed, as proceedings are expected to focus on arguments presented by both the defence and prosecution regarding the bail request.
At the last sitting, the defence team had maintained that their client poses no flight risk and is willing to comply with all conditions set by the court.
Meanwhile, the prosecution has urged the court to carefully consider the gravity of the charges.
The 66-year-old former governor of Kaduna has been in ICPC custody since February 19 following his release by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
El-Rufai, a former minister of the FCT, was, however, released on March 27 based on compassionate grounds following his mother’s death
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Monday, admitted nine exhibits against a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami.
The exhibits were presented before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC), in its ongoing trial of the former Minister and some family members.
The EFCC is prosecuting the defendants on an amended 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities to the tune of N8.7 Billion contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The documentary exhibits were tendered through the fourth prosecution witness, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank Plc.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, J. S. Okutepa, (SAN), the witness, told the court that, in the course of his official duties, he received correspondence from the EFCC requesting documents relating to several accounts linked to the defendants and associated entities.
“I work as a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, Maitama branch. My duty includes receiving correspondence from law enforcement agencies and responding accordingly,” he said.
Bata further disclosed that the bank complied with EFCC’s requests by providing both soft and hard copies of documents relating to accounts belonging to the defendants and companies such as Rayhaan Hotels Limited, Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited, Nashab Limited, Golden Age Global Ventures, and Rahamaniyya Properties Limited.
“My lord, the documents are nine,” he stated, confirming his ability to identify them when presented in court.
Upon application by Okutepa, the court admitted the documents, dated between July 19, 2024 and March 12, 2026, as Exhibits D1 to D9, despite an initial objection by defence counsel, J. B. Daudu (SAN), who noted that “the dates are almost all in March.”
Continuing his testimony under further examination by prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), the witness provided details of transactions contained in the exhibits.
He identified Exhibit D1 as containing account opening documents and statements for accounts belonging to Abubakar Malami and A.A. Malami & Co, including a naira account and a dollar account.
According to him, the statement of account for one of the accounts covered the period from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2023.
The witness confirmed that the accounts were active between 2015 and 2023, noting that “there were transfers within that period.”
He further revealed that total credits into one of the accounts stood at N383,637,21.55 between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2023, while total credits from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2015 amounted to N560,506,465.12.
On debits, he stated that N384,322,120.85 was recorded between 2016 and 2023, while N571,891,174.08 was debited between 2012 and 2015.
Giving further breakdown of transactions, the witness told the court that on November 11, 2020, the account received N194,791,608.00 from New Horizons Limited, and on June 24, 2022, it received N622,500,000.00 from Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited.
He added that on July 1 and July 7, 2022, the account received N250 million each from Rayhaan Hotels Limited, while on December 22, 2022, there was an inflow of N500 million linked to Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited.
Continuing in that format, the witness identified so many transactions running into billions.
Following the testimony, the defence counsel, J.B Daudu (SAN) sought an adjournment to enable him study the exhibits and prepare for cross-examination.
“My lord, we need time to go through the nine exhibits tendered,” Daudu said.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter to May 13, 2026, for continuation of trial.
