News
Moral Compass: The Way Forward
By Tolulope A. Adegoke
“Any power base which is not rooted in that which is just and morally defensible is bound to crumble from internal contradictions in the long run. Our Nation must reorder its scale of moral value in order to arrest the current decline and establish a new and dynamic society, as this is the way forward for a time as this!” – Tolulope A. Adegoke A., PhD., MNIM, FIMC, CMC, CMS
From the lessons of history, we know that empires and nations fall sometimes by the accident of history and sometimes by the combination of forces outside the control of those affected. Invariably, the main factors include:
- cultural dis-affinity and geopolitical diversity;
- bribery and corruption and inept leadership;
iii. moral decadence and laxity among the people;
- religious strife and persecution and oppression of minorities;
- defeat in wars and costly foreign adventures, among others.
If we take a critical look at the above factors that led to the collapse of empires and nations in the past, one is pleasantly surprised that Nigeria has survived to date because of the sacrifice and tolerance of the majority. We should always try to empathize with the silent minority, and imagine how we would feel if the petroleum oil produced on our soil and in the process of producing which, our waters and environment are permanently polluted, is used to develop other places while we remain neglected. We should also focus attention on the increasing unbearable sacrifice demanded for the silent majority – the have nots in all parts of the Federation especially the urban poor and unemployed. Their deafening silence sounds to many like the gathering storm but nobody seems to listen to their cries and anguish.
Nigeria was founded at the beginning of the century on the tripod theory of power – the former Northern Region, the West and East. The country foundered on this power base by 1966. The power at the center was to be held in trust by the British imperial power but when independence came, almost prematurely, it was to be shared by a coalition led by the North. In 1963, the Mid-West Region was created and three plus one is not equal to four if the base is not ten. This is not a place or time to review the details of events that led to the civil war, but the Federal Military Government decided after due consultation with those available, to embark on the political structural adjustment programme involving the creation of twelve states on the 27th May 1967 which brought about some intelligent reports and development and also terminated some trends and patterns. It is important to note that all hands must be on deck to salvage Nigeria at this crucial period as did then
Factors influencing the decline and fall of individuals, nations and empires in history and compare the excesses of some of the Nigeria leadership in our lifetime, one marvels at the goodness of the Almighty that Nigeria has survived to date. I am sure about what we have done right to keep the country going in the past but, to continue to survive, we have as a nation to satisfy the following necessary conditions:
- Equal opportunity for all citizens in education, employment and all matters relating to law enforcement (federal character should not be applied only where it is convenient or beneficial to the ruling class, neither should it be used as the pretext for enthroning mediocrity; when applied in good faith, it can the best from every part the Federation, although the contrary seems to be the case from our recent history).
- The Minority Question: There are four main power groups in the country, the Hausa-Fulani in the North, the Yoruba in the West, the Igbo in the East and the Minorities in each of the old regions. The minorities form about 45% of the total population in the country. The political arithmetic is that in any democratic process, one of the major groups needs the support of the minorities to gain power. Besides, any group temporarily out of power feels like a minority. This reinforces the contention that we should not return to the system of winner-takes-all. No section should be made to feel perpetually enslaved like second-class citizens.
iii. New Breed Ruling Class will be most welcome in the new Nigeria of our dreams. This is the utopian prescription for stability since from experience, the new breed can only be produced by new vetros’ ethics. We readily blame the political leadership for abuse of office, bribery and corruption but we often forget that it is the voters who demand the lion’s share of the loot. We must understand that all the historian can do is to plead that future politicians realize that they need not become the slave
the electorate they chose to serve. In all we do, there is always some merit of moderation. There is no need to put all one’s eggs in one basket.
As a nation, Nigeria has not been blessed with charismatic leadership universally acclaimed or generated acceptable to all. Neither have Nigerians been fortunate enough to have such leadership imposed. A charismatic leader must fire the imagination of the people and reflect their collective ego and pride. There is no collective historical necessity for this to happen in a heterogeneous society, such as Nigeria, but if it did, it will enable the process of restoring national self-confidence and arresting further decline of the nation.
…To be continued…
Thank you for reading.
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.
