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Opinion: The Power of ‘Zero’
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By Tolulope A. Adegoke
“Don’t ever say somebody is useless. You are not even insulting the person; you are insulting the God that created the person.”– Chris Imafidon
Some years back, former Prime Minister of Britain, David Cameron, had an unusual bet with Chris Imafidon, a Nigerian-born professor at Oxford University. Imafidon’s child had just passed the UK’s General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examination at the age of six. GCSE is an examination mostly taken by teenagers in secondary school; so, the achievement of Imafidon’s daughter was a spectacular feat that had stunned the entire country and the world at large.
To the Prime Minister, however, the youngster’s achievement was not totally unexpected – after all, her father had been a very intelligent scholar himself. But Imafidon made it clear to the Prime Minister that his daughter’s achievement had nothing to do with gene but with proper nurturing and mentoring. Still, the PM was unconvinced; as far as he was concerned, people who did well in academics or in life generally did so because they were born to be great.
However, to prove to the PM that with the right orientation and motivation, everyone is a potential success, Imafidon asked the British leader to allow him work on the worst performing students in the worst performing schools in the UK for just nine months to see the difference. Cameron, of course, laughed it off as a practical joke and thus came the bet – 25 million dollars for whoever proved to be right.
To the Prime Minister’s astonishment, nine months later, the selected students had been transformed from seeming lazybones and never-do-wells to geniuses and go-getters!
Life-Changing Secrets
What secret had the seasoned professor discovered that gave him such confidence, to the point of sealing it with such a mammoth bet? And why has he become so good at transforming “dullards” to prodigies? Incidentally, when he attended the convocation ceremony of University of Ilorin (Nigeria) in 2014 and everyone’s attention was focused on the best performing students, Imafidon specifically asked for the so-called worst performing students so he could give them scholarships – much to the consternation of all. Again, why did he have to do so?
Below is the answer he gave in a recent interview, and I want you to pay particular attention to it because it forms a good foundation for the life-changing secrets that you will be discovering throughout this write-up (leadership manual):
“Shakespeare said some people are born great while others achieve greatness, and some others have greatness instilled in them; giving us a suggestion that when God makes people, He makes some one way and the others another way. God is not jobless to make some human beings with half brains. Don’t ever say somebody is useless. You are not even insulting the person; you are insulting the God that created the person.”
That exactly is the central message you will find in this write-up (leadership manual). Nobody was born to live and die as nobody (without fulfilling purpose). In fact, as psychologists and educationists would tell us, every child comes into the world with a blank mind (tabula rasa) that is eagerly waiting to be nurtured and developed into something exceptional. Sadly, only very few people take the time to work on themselves so as to live and die as heroes. Why is this so? Well, it is because these are the ‘few’ who choose to get empowered and encouraged to leave a mark on earth so as to leave their footprints in the sky, while the remaining majority are often the ones that are too ignorant or carefree about their latent potentials that they fail to take the necessary steps that will unleash their greatness.
A Pleasant Surprise
Contrary to what many people think, zero could be likened to be a number (0) (i.e. pregnant with hopes and dreams, also could be an attempt); it does not mean ‘nothing’. The reason is because while ‘nothing’ may have no hope or signify hopelessness, the number ‘zero’ has hope because it is a feminine number (i.e. having tendency to become greater or better, which, when empowered by applying some strategic principles, has the power to reproduce other greater numbers till infinity!
What this means is that the number zero, being feminine, has the innate capacity to mother and multiply other numbers when empowered! In other words, zero is a latently loaded entity that is capable of exceeding expectations when properly empowered.
Now, you may be wondering how this applies to you. Here it is. It is possible that there are aspects of your life in which you are being belittled by people around you. They see you as a zero, thinking you are nothing and can become nothing significant in life. The good news for you is that as long as you have the breath of life from God in you, you are not nothing. Yes, it may appear you’re a zero because you have not been able to achieve anything significant in your life; but I repeat – you’re not nothing!
Nothing means “non-existent”. But you are existing! God specially fashioned you in a unique way to exist for a purpose. This is the secret you need to discover and rouse yourself to.
Here is my exact point: A zero can only be useless as long as it remains the way it is. However, with the right efforts and connections, that zero can surpass other numbers. You can only be truly considered a failure the day you stop trying to excel; the day you stop trying to empower yourself with the right knowledge and skills and associating with the right people. I assure you that regardless of what people may have said about you or how many times you have failed or “messed up”, you can still, like the biblical Jabez who was labelled to be a zero in life, become much more “honourable” than all the people around you (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).
Cheer up, dear, friend. Whatever label of negativity that might have been attached to you, you just must refuse to accept it. Regardless of how many times you have failed, you just must not remain on the floor! Only a zero that is not empowered by ‘additions and multiplications’ will remain fixed. Don’t be rooted to the spot of obscurity, defeat, regret and shame. Rise up and get empowered!
(…to be continued…)
Thank you all for reading. I trust that you have been activated!
Watch out for the Book titled: “The Power of an Empowered Zero” (Awakening the Giant Within You) by Tolulope A. Adegoke. Foreword by Dr Yomi Garnett (CEO/Chancellor, Royal Biographical Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.SA., U.K., Abuja, Nigeria.) Edited by Ola Aboderin.
Tolulope A. Adegoke is an acclaimed “globalpreneur”, with the mandate to enrich lives and provide the professional, spiritual, academic and leadership empowerment needed to birth, maximize and sustain possibilities in peoples, corporates and nations. He is a prolific writer, frequent keynote speaker and spoken word poet, among others, having written countless articles in diverse reputable fields and honoured many public invitations.
He is also a Senior Administrator.
Tolulope Adegoke can be booked for public events via the contacts below:
E-mail: adegoketolulope1022@gmail.com
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate for 2027 general elections, Peter Obi, says that Nigerians across all walks of life are suffering under President Bola Tinubu’s administration due to worsening hunger, widespread insecurity, and systemic harassment.
Speaking with journalists at St Fintan’s Catholic Church in Onicha Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, on Friday, Obi urged citizens to stand firm and resist further hardship imposed by the country’s current leadership.
Obi was in Ebonyi State to attend the burial ceremony of Okaji Okorie, father of the NDC senatorial candidate for the Ebonyi South Zone, Linus Okorie. Responding to questions regarding the alleged harassment of NDC supporters by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Obi said that the current hardship transcends political affiliations.
“For me, every Nigerian is already being harassed, not just my supporters,” Obi said. “Hunger is harassing everybody. The worsening economic situation is affecting everyone. Go to any village, and you will see that people are suffering. It is time for Nigerians to tell those governing us that enough is enough.”
Addressing concerns over the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) ability to conduct free and fair elections in 2027, Obi urged citizens to focus on collective action rather than institutional trust.
“It is not really about confidence in INEC; it is about having confidence in the people. The people will determine what INEC does. If Nigerians insist that their votes must count, then their votes will count,” he asserted.
“The people should look at what is happening in Nigeria and ask themselves: What is the future of our children in this enterprise called Nigeria? Are we going to continue in this direction?”
Obi noted that advocating for real change in the current political climate requires tremendous courage.
“Anyone talking about change in Nigeria today is making the ultimate sacrifice because we cannot continue like this. Every single day, poverty is increasing; every single day, hunger is increasing,” he noted.
“The World Bank recently reported that poverty has risen to almost 79 per cent from about 51 per cent when this government came into office. But you do not even need a World Bank report to know what is happening. Go to the villages and see for yourself.”
“Millions more Nigerians are facing hunger. So, what are we going to do about it? Are we going to continue like this? No.”
Turning to his host, Obi described Okorie as a steadfast ally and dependable partner, highlighting their shared political journey across party lines.
“This is not the first time Hon. Linus Okorie and I are working together. We worked together in the Labour Party, and now we are together in the NDC. That underscores the strength of our relationship,” Obi said.
“However, we are here today to pay our last respects to his late father. We pray that God Almighty, who blessed Papa with a long and fruitful life, will grant him eternal rest in His kingdom and give the family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
The beginning of any journey is usually the hardest part. It is usually hard to take the bold step. Whether you are applying for a job, writing a book, starting a new business, getting married or even applying for school, there’s always the tendency to ask yourself mind-boggling questions such as; Will I succeed? Will I be accepted? This is among many others.
When progressive minds encounter this challenge, they are not afraid of taking the first step, they are merely concerned about the big picture, and not what they are currently experiencing. One of the big differences between great people and lesser minds is the ability for great people to take strategic risks, while lesser minds stay in their comfort zone.
On a personal note, I can relate to the journey of greatness when I began writing my first book. In all sincerity, I didn’t know what I was writing. All I knew was that I was putting down whatever comes to my mind provided I found it reasonable and relatable. At the end of the day, I found a proficient and efficient editor who was kind enough to work on the book and it became a trailblazer.
The moral is that I doubted myself many times if I had the capacity to write a book. I was literally afraid of beginning, but immediately I began writing, the universe began to conspire with me to make the work fruitful. Today, when I look back, I’m glad I took the bold step. I say this because just because of one book, I received national and global attention in addition to appearing on television and meeting gatekeepers and resource people.
The same principle is applicable when I began my first business. I didn’t know what to focus on and how to develop bossiness. All I knew was that I’m a motivator and counselor who likes to help youths and career professionals on proactive ways to succeed in their personal and professional lives. After attending a series of training courses, workshops, webinars, and several conferences, I began to have clarity about my business. I remember when I first started, I told the world that I can build a website just because my uncle assisted in using a free tool to build my website.
Why am I sharing this information? The same business I didn’t know how to structure is now registered with the highest certification from the Office of the Governor of New York to do business with any New York City agency. It now has a Chief Operating Officer, Social media manager, IT personnel and an exceptional Director of Partnership who works as a consultant. The company has also partnered with the United Nations Development Programme and has received awards.
All this is because I took the bold step to start a business. Sometimes in life, you don’t know what lies ahead when one takes the bold step.
According to Dr. Yomi Garnet, a proficient Ghost Writer, “If a book is tiled A synopsis of successful living were to be written, it would in all probability contain the following chapters:
1. Identify your talents, (use then to glory God and to benefit of humanity)
2. Have faith in the favor of God,
3. Engage in proper planning
4. 10% belongs to God
5. Give, give and keep in giving
Let’s take a minute to elaborate on this chapter:
1. Identify your talent: Before you begin any project, one must know who they are, what they have and what problems they want to solve. They also must take into consideration whether they have the capacity, competence and capability of doing the business. One thing is certain, they are using their skills, talent, and knowledge to solve a problem
2. Have faith in God:
Taking the first step entails having faith in yourself, in your business and most importantly in God. Without faith in oneself, in the business and in God, it will be difficult for one to succeed. Taking the first set entails believing in the possibility of the future.
3. Engaging in Proper planning:
It’s instructive to note that failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Before anyone begins any task, it’s important for one to sit back and ask oneself if they have all they need to set up the business. This entails setting up a structure for the business, getting the right people, offering services and setting up the mission and vision statement of the company
4. 10% belongs to God
This is Biblical instruction which is part of the spiritual blessings of doing business. No one succeeds on their own. They either have an altar working for them or they have human beings as networks, benefactors, and resource persons recommending them for opportunities. Alternatively, these acts of tithe giving can also refer to Corporate Social Responsibility which is tantamount to giving back to society.
5. Give, give and keep giving.
This is another spiritual blessing. We are quite familiar with the saying, the giver never lacks, however, it’s important to note that when one gives without wisdom and accountability, one might run dry. So, it’s imperatively important for one to give with discretion, otherwise, one will be exhausted. It’s instructive to note that nobody receives with a clenched fist and the giver’s hand is always on top. If you want to receive it, please give. This giving aspect is made possible because someone took the first step to start a business which made it possible for the art of giving to take place.
In conclusion, if you desire to start a business, or have inspiration, just start, the universe has a way of conspiring with the world to support you to birth your passion, idea or vision. I say this because the worst you’ll want to do towards the end of life is to live in regret. So, I say, just begin. Whether you fail, it’s irrelevant because you are gaining and showing perseverance for the cause you believe in. At the end of theer day, we shall all tell our stories.
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, Unleash Your Destiny and The Six Pillars of Succes . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
The Supreme Court has prohibited lawyers, court registrars, litigation staff and all legal practitioners dealing with the apex court from using the title “Barrister” as a prefix to their names in official correspondence and court-related engagements.
The directive was conveyed in an internal circular dated July 13, 2026, issued by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Kabir E. Akanbi, on the instruction of the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
The circular, titled “Prohibition of the Use of the Title ‘Barrister’ as a Prefix to Names,” was addressed to legal practitioners, litigation staff, court registrars and other lawyers interacting with the apex court.
According to the memo, the continued use of the title “Barrister” before names is inconsistent with the professional standards expected in official dealings with the Supreme Court.
It stated that the Chief Justice had directed that the practice be discontinued with immediate effect.
Part of the circular reads: “The use of the title ‘Barrister’ as a prefix to names is inappropriate and inconsistent with the standards of professionalism expected within the Supreme Court of Nigeria.”
The court further directed that the title should no longer appear in official correspondence, court processes, legal documents, identity materials or any other official communication with the Supreme Court.
Heads of departments and unit heads were also instructed to ensure strict compliance by officers under their supervision.
However, the directive is limited to official interactions with the Supreme Court and does not prevent legal practitioners from identifying themselves as barristers in academic, professional or other non-court-related settings.
