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Food for Living: You Can’t Rush Destiny
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
One of the most discussed topics in the world is the concept of destiny. To some people destiny is predetermined, to others it is what you make out of life. Destiny can be likened to leadership. If I may ask; are leaders made or born? According to some schools of thought, leaders are born, while to another school of thought, leaders are made. It all depends on the side of the decide to key in yourself. One thing is certain however, leaders are made and leaders are born. This is because some are born to acquire the skills of leadership by reading and learning from the best while some are born with such quality and then they develop it. According to Williams Shakespeare “some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them”.
In discussing destiny, a lot of questions normally come to mind, amongst them are: is there anything like destiny? Can destiny be delayed? Must one work to accomplish/manifest destiny? These are some of the numerous questions which of course can be a discussion for another day because they are very ambiguous and somewhat sensitive. In today’s conversation, we shall focus on fulfilling one’s destiny.
In our contemporary society, a lot of people worship money. The crave of money has made a lot of people focus on what is not relevant in life thereby leading to misplaced priority. The crave for money has made many people miss their path to life. If we are honest to ourselves, the most priced wealth we may like to have is to be “fulfilled” in life. This is because when you are fulfilled, nothing else matters. It is instructive to note that you might have all the money you desire and still remain miserable because you lack joy and fulfillment. Don’t get me wrong, money is good, but we have seen rich people commit suicide despite the enormous wealth in their possession. That’s a question we need to ponder upon.
It is also instructive to note that if the only thing you have is money, you’re poor. According to some schools of thought, when they have money, it can complement their peace, passion and fulfillment to some extent. One can imagine how true the statement might sound, but a closer look will reveal that they may lack internal peace and fulfillment, especially when they don’t have what makes them happy.
One of the priceless gifts and assets one can have is peace of mind. Nor matter how wealthy you are, if you don’t have peace of mind you’re literally poor. This is because you’ll always be in a perplexed mood.
In seeking wealth, the first thing to ask yourself is, what’s my purpose? In the same vein, in seeking to know more about your destiny, the first thing you need to do is to ask your creator. Once you have been able to figure out your purpose, you’re close to fulfilling your purpose on earth. It’s quite unfortunate to know that a lot of people fail to discover themselves before leaving this world. We struggle with our identity to find purpose which shouldn’t be. It should be noted that we are all packages/gifts waiting to be opened.
It is a well-established fact that succeeding in life entails following lots of laid down principles, some of which might be unpopular. However, the big picture should be the vision as opposed to vested interest. Confident people don’t go about begging to be recognized; they know what they are made of, hence they work on their craft knowing fully well that at the right time, they will get to the end of the tunnel where light will shine.
Furthermore, genuine success in life is a gradual process. There’s nothing like an overnight success. It is very sad and unfortunate to note that due to the crave for fame and material things, lesser minds condescend to criminal and nefarious acts just to attain some level of success. This shouldn’t be the case, especially if you know yourself. The whole word literally stands out for the man who knows where he’s headed. If you truly know yourself, you don’t need anyone to sing your validation. Success will truly come to you if you play by the rules of the game, especially those destined to succeed
Globally, the world has seen rational minds who are desperate for power and material wealth and lose out simply because they were not destined to have it. One of the best things that can happen to any human being knowing himself. Once you know yourself, you can attract opportunities, especially again if you are destined for success.
At creation, you were not responsible for choosing when, how and where you’ll be born, neither are you responsible for choosing your gender. You may have the dream of working in a particular industry, company or even contest for a political election, but if you’re not destined to be in that industry, even if you’re opportune to get there, you’re likely going to crash when you get to the top. Even if you don’t crash, you might not be happy despite having everything together.
Therefore, I will strongly encourage you to maintain your lane and stay focused. Rushing to attain wealth without having substance is like setting up yourself for disaster. When you have a business, you need to be consistent in your craft. If you are a student, you need focus to study your dream course. If you’re a teacher, you need to be rich ‘upstairs’ in order to impact resourceful knowledge. The list is literally endless.
Life generally involves wisdom, sacrifice, patience and understanding in order for one to appreciate the inherent blessings being offered. You may have toiled day and night, but then that’s the price of success. You need to put in the work and hope and pray the universe will appreciate your work. We are all destined to succeed in life, but the simple reason why we don’t truly succeed is because we are either too busy imitating other people or we fail to look inwards at what’s inside of us that makes us unique. There was a story about two friends digging for gold, one was close to hitting tons of gold, but he relented while his friend was able to strike gold. He literally left all he has been doing just to continue to focus his energy on his friend’s exploration instead of concentrating on his work, not knowing he was on the verge of hitting jackpot.
When our plans don’t go as planned, sometimes we feel frustrated which can make us detour. However, if we remain focused, we’ll reap the fruit of our labour. It’s important to note that circumstances don’t say who we are, they reveal who we are.
In conclusion. destiny can be delayed, but it can’t be denied. What is for you will surely wait for you to claim it when the time is right. Therefore, don’t try to rush your destiny, otherwise, you might reroute your success.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. 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
Presidential spokesperson, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, has launched a scathing attack on Rauf Aregbesola following the latter’s criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The exchange comes hours after Aregbesola, while speaking at the convention of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Tuesday, described the Tinubu administration as a government of “scammers”, urging Nigerians to block it from retaining power after the 2027 general elections.
“If allowed, this regime will continue to chant renewed hope till eternity. We have a duty to stop these scammers from retaining power,” Aregbesola said.
In a swift response, Onanuga dismissed the remarks and accused the former Governor of Osun State of hypocrisy and poor performance during his time in office.
“My attention has been drawn to Rauf Aregbesola’s attack on the Tinubu administration at today’s illegal elective convention of the ADC — a party of desperados and power mongers who, to date, have not articulated any credible plan for Nigeria,” he said.
Onanuga further criticised Aregbesola for failing to reflect on his own record before attacking his “former boss and benefactor.”
“Unfortunately, Aregbesola did not undertake any honest self-reflection on his own record in public office — as governor or as Minister of Interior,” he stated.
He alleged that Aregbesola’s tenure as governor of Osun State was marked by hardship and poor economic management.
“His eight years as governor of Osun State were characterised by unmitigated hardship for the people. Under his half-baked socialist policies, civil servants went unpaid for months, and those who were paid received only a fraction of their salaries,” Onanuga said.
“It is to Aregbesola’s infamy that Osun became known as a State receiving negative federal allocation and paying just 20 to 30 per cent of normal salaries. It was worse for pensioners in Aregbesola’s Osun State. Many pensioners who relied on their meagre monthly payments died because they were not paid at all.”
Turning to Aregbesola’s tenure as Minister of Interior under former President Muhammadu Buhari, Onanuga said it recorded major security lapses.
“As Minister of Interior under President Muhammadu Buhari, his tenure witnessed the highest number of jailbreaks in Nigeria’s history — including the infamous Kuje Prison escape in Abuja,” he said.
“During his four years, obtaining a Nigerian passport became a nightmarish process, and there were 15 major attacks on correctional facilities in Jos, Abolongo, Imo, Kabba, and Okitipupa, resulting in over 4,000 inmates escaping to join criminal elements.”
Onanuga added, “For someone who failed so woefully to secure our correctional centres and uphold his duties between 2019 and 2023, it is ironic that Aregbesola now seeks to lecture others on insecurity.”
He further accused Aregbesola and other ADC leaders of lacking credible policy alternatives stating, “The real scammers are the politicians inside the SPV called ADC.”
Defending the current administration, Onanuga said the government had acknowledged challenges arising from reforms but was implementing measures to mitigate their impact.
“The Tinubu administration has never shied away from acknowledging that policy reforms have brought unintended consequences, impacting the most vulnerable,” he said, adding that efforts such as wage increases, social support programmes, and economic reforms were underway.
He insisted that the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda was yielding results, including improved economic indicators and increased investor confidence.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda is not a scam,” Onanuga said, maintaining that the government would continue its policies to stabilise the economy and address security challenges.
Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, has argued that Nigeria’s lingering insecurity could be decisively tackled within six months if the Federal government demonstrates sufficient commitment.
Ndume stated this on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, where he expressed concern over the recent escalation of violence, particularly in the North-East.
The lawmaker stressed that beyond complaints, what is required is decisive action and political will.
“It is not about complaining. It is not about asking somebody like me as a senator to say why these things. I always believe that if the President and the Federal Government of Nigeria are serious about this, we can end this thing (insecurity) in six months.
“All we need is to train our soldiers, equip them, arm them very well, and then motivate them,” Ndume said.
The senator lamented the continued loss of military personnel, including senior officers, noting that such incidents highlight deeper operational challenges.
“After killing their commanders, they now come back to kill our commanders and they are still taking about five, six, or even seven. Even today, around Northern Borno, we lost a colonel, I understand, with some soldiers. This should not continue. This is now the problem,” he said.
Ndume also attributed the worsening security situation to inconsistent and incomplete implementation of security strategies.
“The escalating security situation has really been enhanced by the challenge and the threat, and the actions that have been taken that have never been completely done. We have to be very serious about this matter; we have to walk the talk.”
Speaking on the issue of foreign support, the lawmaker emphasised the need for intelligence, technology, and specialised expertise rather than relying on external forces.
“What we need is intelligence. What we need is air support. We also need the expertise of those that are specialists. We even have some that were trained outside, special forces. We have capable hands already on the ground; all they need is equipment, ammunition, and motivation.
“We do not have enough drones. Look at what Burkina Faso is doing, it is technology. We can use technology to finish or minimise these things within the shortest possible time. If you deploy drones and have trained people to operate them, with proper command centres, we can achieve results,” he said.
The Borno South senator further noted that Borno State would have suffered greater devastation without the efforts of Governor Babagana Zulum and commended his interventions in stabilising parts of the State.
Ndume’s comments come amid renewed security concerns in the North-East and across Nigeria.
A recent airstrike at Jilli Market along the Yobe–Borno border on Saturday has come under scrutiny over reported civilian casualties.
The Nigerian Air Force said the strike targeted suspected Boko Haram insurgents and that it is investigating reported civilian casualties.
While casualty figures remain unclear, several deaths and injuries were reported, with victims receiving treatment in nearby facilities.
The incident also followed a deadly attack on Thursday on a military formation in Benisheikh, where troops repelled insurgents but suffered casualties.
Security challenges, including banditry, kidnappings, and communal clashes, persist nationwide.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu, during a recent visit to Bayelsa State, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture.
Earlier, the United States Department of State had issued travel advisories and begun reducing its staff presence in Abuja. Federal government, however, described it as a routine precaution and not a reflection the country’s security situation.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has confirmed carrying out an air operation in the Jilli axis of Borno State, describing the mission as part of ongoing efforts to sustain pressure on terrorist groups operating in the North-East.
The confirmation comes amid outrage that at least 56 people, mostly traders, were killed after an airstrike struck a busy weekly market along the Borno–Yobe border.
The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday at Jilli Market, situated between Gubio in Borno State and Geidam in Yobe State.
Reports quoting eyewitness accounts said that four fighter jets were involved in the operation, which was said to be targeting suspected Boko Haram insurgents in the area.
A local councilor, Malam Lawan Zanna, also confirmed the attack.
He said people tried to escape when the jets began firing, but the strikes continued.
According to him, “more than 20 people were hospitalized,” and some of the injured later died, pushing the death toll higher.
Confirming the incident, NAF spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, stated that the strikes were conducted based on credible intelligence and in coordination with ground forces.
According to him, the operation was aimed at restricting the movement of terrorist elements and preventing further attacks.
“The follow-up strikes were executed based on credible intelligence and in close coordination with ground forces to deny terrorists freedom of movement and prevent further attacks.
He explained that the mission formed part of a broader air-ground strategy designed to consolidate previous gains made by military forces in the region.
“The operation formed part of a broader air-ground integration effort aimed at consolidating earlier gains recorded by friendly forces,” he said.
In addition, Ejodame noted that the strikes successfully disrupted insurgent activities within the Jilli axis, an area long considered a strategic enclave for terrorists due to its challenging terrain.
He added that the operation highlights the increasing effectiveness of intelligence-led joint missions in the North-East.
Reaffirming the force’s commitment, Ejodame said the NAF would continue to prioritize surveillance, precision targeting, and rapid response operations in support of wider military objectives.
“The Nigerian Air Force will sustain the current operational momentum to protect innocent lives, secure communities, and restore lasting peace in the region,” he said.
