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Food for Living: Work on Your Vision
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
The strength of any building lies in its foundation. It is better to have a strong foundation and weak façade than to have a beautiful façade and have a faulty foundation. The height anyone can attain in life is tantamount to the drive they have. To a greater extent, your success in life will be as a result of the effort you invest in your passion or ambition.
Vision is the roadmap to life. It is generally said that without a vision, the people perish.” Vision gives clarity. Isn’t it true that If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll likely end up somewhere else? We all need vision in life because you are more likely to succeed in life when you have a vision board.
It is instructive to note that dreams are the touchstones of our characters because it reflects to a reasonable extent, our core values. Your vision reflects your desired mental future; it can also be regarded as your “why” or even your internal purpose of existence.
To accomplish a vision, you must have a mission. It is important to differentiate between mission and vision as it relates to an individual and organization. Your personal vision guides you. It reflects your goals and influences your everyday decisions. As it relates to an organization, the mission defines the present state or the job of your organization which can be regarded as the now or the modus operandi for executing the vision of the organization.
Every organization has a mission and vision board. The mission board can be regarded as the pathway to success, while the vision is the ideal purpose why the organization is in existence. For a lack of better words, the vision can be regarded as the solution to the pain the world is experiencing. Let me elaborate a little. Imagine if you want to make a one-minute pitch using mission and vision, your mission is the road roadmap which is the model you will use to accomplish your purpose. In my company, Gloemi, our model is (P.L.A.N). Each of the letters represents the work we do and the vision we represent, while the vision is the problem you are trying to solve. In my company, the problem we solve is related to assisting High School and College students, budding entrepreneurs, and career professionals to discover their purpose. We are very big on self-discovery. We strongly believe no human being should go to the grave without unleashing their potentials.
As an individual, you are supposed to have a vision board and a vision statement. This mission and vision statement should be the guiding principle of your life. But it’s quite unfortunate many people just pass through the surface of the world without living it to the fullest. If may ask, what’s your vision in life?
Your vision can be found in your interest. Your interest can be seen in your passion and your passion can be seen in your heart and in your heart lies what makes you happy. Where you work can also determine your interest in life, but again, it is not a complete picture. This is because there are situations where some people work in industries, organizations, companies, or agencies they are not passionate about just as a starting point or just to pay the bills.
The interesting thing about working on your vision is that it keeps you alive. Regardless of where you are working, the situation or life experience may have humbled you. You may be working on a job you don’t like just to pay the bills while building your vision. In keeping your vision alive, it is imperative you associate with like minds, organizations that share similar interests with you.
Your vision must be laser-focused like the eyes of an eagle. It must be crystal clear for everyone to see. When people come across you, your company, your work, or even engage you in communication, they shouldn’t contemplate or imagine what you stand for in life, especially in this age of social media when the internet has made the world a global village. It is very easy for people to know what you are passionate about by merely looking at the contents you post or publish on social media.
Let me share some personal experience with you; as an immigrant in the U.S.A, after graduating from New York Law School, it was very difficult to find a career job because I studied a major I wasn’t passionate about due to the influence of my late dad, I had to work as a security guard while exploring other opportunities. While working as a security guard, I was inspired to write a book by one of my mentors who read one of my articles and saw a vision I didn’t imagine. I listened to her and at the end of the day, I published a trailblazer book Design Your Destiny which has been one of the best things that have happened to me.
Due to the impact the book made, I was inspired to form a company after been profiled by News12 Interviews Henry Ukazu and New York Times Interviews Henry Ukazu. The moral of this story is that it is my vision that kept me alive. I didn’t allow my environment, life experience, or even the security job to define me.
Again, I’m going to ask you, what’s that one thing that can keep you up and you can do even though you are not getting paid?
Working on purpose is one of the best feelings if not the best feelings one can ever have. Imagine being paid for what you love to do. The feeling is priceless because you are in alignment with your passion, profession, vocation, and calling.
In working on your vision, either for yourself or your organization, it must be unique. It must fit your passion, values, and authenticity. It must be simple for everyone to understand and join; it must benefit humanity.
To create a vision, you need to know matters to you, you must have secret frustrations, passions, and dreams that keep you awake; your vision should be able to give you happiness and joy, it must align with your values, and it must reflect on the accomplishment and legacy you will like to see in the world.
In conclusion, do you feel like you are walking through your life in the dark? Do you feel you are merely existing as opposed to be living? Do you feel you have more to accomplish but don’t know how to go about it? Do you feel lost? Do you sometimes feel confused, have no idea or clear vision about life? If yes, don’t be hard on yourself, I once experienced it and many people do feel the same way, I can assist you in giving you clarity. Just reach out via info@gloemi.com
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
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
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
