News
Lifetime Transition: From Vagabond to Champion (Pt. 2)
By Tolulope A. Adegoke
“Regardless of our levels of giftedness or even accomplishment, we all must keep learning. There must never be room for complacency, because he who stops being better stops being good. Moreover, it has been proven again and again that constant learners are constant earners! In as much that there is breath in you, there is no excuse not to learn; even if it is just to learn and understand that the heart beats for a reason so that the purpose of our existence may be valued, honoured and managed with dignity and effectiveness to the glory of God Almighty and for the benefits of mankind!” – Tolulope A. Adegoke, Ph.D., MNIM
The Authentic Key for Emergence and MANifestations
Redemption in Christ Jesus is the ultimate key to true empowerment. This the only key that gives you full access to fulfilling the mandate of Heaven on this earthly plane. Your gifts and talents are heavenly resources deposited inside your earthen vessel. Activating them through an intimate relationship with Christ gives you full empowerment to reign on earth as revealed in the Book of Life – Matthew 28:18 (KJV). According to the Book of Life in John 1:12-14 (KJV) “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name…”
You may be in this world, but you are not of this world, neither are your gifts. But you are needed on this earth because you have an important mission to execute with your divine endowments. Your true identity is not your physical body but the heavenly gifts that it conveys. You are the full identity of the power of God that you carry!
Do not die with your gifts in you; rather, die empty! It is your zero-turned-hero (your activated and maximised gifts) that will speak for you while you are gone as a result of your impacts on humanity! It is by their fruits (that is, talents, gifts and extent of impacts) that every man would be weighed and remembered.
The Example of David
David again serves as a great model for us in activating and making the most of the deposits of treasures within us. Even as a young man, David realised the potentials he had; and he put them to work to his own advantage and to the progress of his nation and the glory of God! He tapped into his gifts and engaged them with the power of AUDACIOUS (RUGGED) FAITH AND RESPONSIBILITY!
David was responsible for safeguarding his father’s flock of sheep. He did his job so faithfully and diligently that he was ready to die to make a success of it. He confronted a lion and a bear at different times when they came to prey on the flock (1 Samuel 17:34-36). He was determined to serve the interest of his father, even at his own expense. I can imagine him telling the lion and the bear, “You will have to kill me first to get to any of these sheep. I am responsible for their welfare!”
David could have easily fled for his life and given his father excuses about the fate of the flock. Interestingly, what the Bible records is that David confronted the lion and the bear (which can be interpreted as his fears, limitations and challenges) and killed them with his bare hands. We are not told that he prayed to God to deliver him or that God sent His angels to protect him; yet, he conquered and kept his flock safe as a dutiful shepherd.
I believe that David’s sterling character and approach to responsibility must have further moved God at this point. I imagine God beginning to compare David, a guide of sheep, with Saul, a king over the Israelites, at this point. It was obvious, as his later encounter with Goliath showed, that Saul could not risk his life to safeguard the people whom God had entrusted to his care – unlike David who could risk his life for mere animals. Saul couldn’t confront Goliath, let alone kill him; he was too obsessed with comfort and luxury and couldn’t be moved to quit his comfort zone. No wonder God catapulted David from the wilderness to the palace. He made David king over all Israel, despite all odds; and there was no longer a trace of Saul on the throne of Israel.
Here is God’s message to you in all of these: “I am the Almighty God…my speciality is doing the impossible…I use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise…I use the egg to crack the nut to disgrace the stone…I use the basket to fetch water to disgrace the bucket! I am willing and able to turn your empowered zero into a hero!”
Activation for MANifestation through the Desire to Develop
Regardless of our levels of giftedness or even accomplishment, we all must keep learning. There must never be room for complacency because he who stops being better stops being good. Moreover, it has been proven again and again that constant learners are constant earners!
Here is an interesting example of a Brooklyn physician, whom Arthur R. Pell called Dr. Curtis. Being a baseball fan, he often went to see the Giants team practise. In time, he became quite friendly with the team, and was invited to attend a banquet given in their honour. After the coffee and nuts were served, several prominent guests were called upon to “say a few words”.
Suddenly, he heard the toastmaster remark: “We have a physician with us tonight, and I am going to ask Dr. Curtis to talk on baseball playing.” Was he prepared? Of course! He had the best preparation in the world. He had been studying hygiene and practising Medicine for almost a third of a century. He could have sat in his chair and talked about this subject (health impacts of baseball playing) all night to the man seated on his right or left. But to get up and say the same things to even a small audience, well, that was another matter. In fact, that was a paralysing matter. His heart doubled its pace and skipped beats at the very contemplation of it. He had never made a public speech in his life, and every thought that he previously developed now took wings.
What was he to do? The audience was applauding. Everyone was looking at him. He shook his head. But that served only to heighten the applause, to increase the demand. The cries of “Dr Curtis, speech!” grew louder and more insistent. He was in a serious dilemma. He knew that if he got up, he would fail; that he would be unable to utter half a dozen sentences. So, he arose, and without saying a word, turned his back on his friends and walked silently out of the room, a deeply embarrassed and humiliated man.
The positive side however was that he didn’t let things remain that way for long. Soon after he returned to Brooklyn, he enrolled in Dale Carnegie’s course in public speaking. He was ready to do all he could not to face that embarrassing situation again. He was a kind of student that delights an instructor: He was in dead earnest. He wanted to be able to talk, and there was no half-heartedness about his desires. He prepared his talks thoroughly, practised them with a will, and never missed a single session of the course. He did precisely what such a student always does: He progressed at the rate that surprised him, that surpassed his fondest hopes.
After the first few sessions, his nervousness subsided, his confidence mounted higher and higher. In two months, he had become the star speaker of the group. He was soon accepting invitation to speak elsewhere; he now loved the feel and exhilaration of it, the distinction and additional friends it brought him.
A member of the New York City Republican Campaign Committee, hearing one of his public addresses, invited Dr. Curtis to his party. How surprised that politician would have been, had he realized that, only a year before, the speaker had fled a public banquet hall in shame and confusion because he was tongue-tied with audience fear.
It is instructive that Dr Curtis took a very bold step without looking back to develop his latent ability, and thus empowering his zero (weakness) to become a hero. He demonstrated wisdom in seeking to acquire public speaking skills to improve his life and society.
I urge you, reader, to take a cue from this man and many others who have turned their weaknesses to strengths and achieved the seemingly impossible by submitting themselves to the diligence, determination, discipline and sacrifice that training requires. Whatever level you are now, you can be so much better. YOUR BEST IS YET TO COME!
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
