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Choose your battles carefully

Sober while I read, I stumbled on two stories this morning on my way to work. The first was about two men crossing a narrow stairway. Both could not walk through at the same time, meaning one person had to make way for the other. For a while, they stared at each other, neither willing to give way. The first man, in anger, asked the other to go back so he could pass. “I was about to ask you to do the same thing,” replied the second man politely, clearly amused by the outburst. “I never make way for a fool,” the first man snapped, visibly angry. The calm second man simply said, “I do,” and moved aside to let him pass. The second story, Battle on the Cliff, was about two goats that met on the edge of a mountain path. They were heading in opposite directions, and there was no way to cross or turn back. They tried to agree on how to move around each other. Like the first man, the first goat shouted, “Get out of my way!” “How can I?” replied the other. “You know it’s easier for you to ...

Planning, Resilience, and Nigeria at 65: Lessons for Life and Business

A few months ago, I came across a story online about a pharmacist who invested in cryptocurrency and, overnight, believed he had become a billionaire. Perhaps it was friends who told him the coins he bought for a few cents had suddenly risen by over 5,000%. Without verifying, he quickly handed in a resignation letter, rudely too, ready to live the “new rich life” he thought awaited him. Only hours later, the coin collapsed and became worthless. Imagine waking up to the reality that your “fortune” had vanished, and the only thing on your mind was how to beg the same boss you had insulted publicly to take you back. Stories like this remind us why many people lose faith in planning. After all, don’t we hear that “plans hardly succeed”? Mike Tyson once said, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” Many take that as an excuse to live without structure, just taking life as it comes. But I believe differently: we must plan . And as Nick points out in one of the devot...

The Show Must Go On – Even Without You

While waiting in the conference room for a scheduled meeting with the MD, I overheard a small argument between Ayo and Ola. Ayo was complaining about how Ola kept leaving most of the departmental work for him to handle. He said he had reported the situation to HR in the past, and though things briefly improved, they soon relapsed. But his greatest frustration was how other managers made him feel like a snitch, an unsupportive colleague trying to get Ola into trouble, even though the department was expected to deliver top-notch work within tight deadlines. This time, Ayo had decided to take it up with the MD directly. He couldn't take it anymore and was already job-hunting, hoping for a drastic change. As I listened to the MD’s intervention and warning to Ola, I quietly wondered: Why do some people feel comfortable not carrying out their responsibilities? Their discussion reminded me of a talented pianist I met at a Catholic church in Port Harcourt. Every time he played, the music d...

My Learning Today – 3rd September : ONLY SACRIFICE CAN AVERT THE PLAGUE

I am not sure if King David had another war to fight, because it was not stated. But I read that God was angry with Israel, so He incited David to take a census of Judah and Israel and enrol the fighting men. Now, this was the same David praised in Scripture, Saul killed thousands, but David tens of thousands. When did statistics (the number of fighting men) suddenly become more important than trust in God, who had been guiding them to victory irrespective of numbers? Scripture records that David was incited to do wrong because God was angry. Please don’t ask me what David did oh 😊 but I am certain he did not take another soldier’s wife this time 😊. Not long after, the prophet Gad visited David. David already knew he had sinned, and Gad told him to choose his punishment. Wise David chose God’s punishment over man’s. (If you think he was wrong, try remembering a time when someone decided to “deal with you.” If men were gods… hmmm 😅). Even with mercy, the punishment was great, 70,000 ...

My Learning Today – 31st August : THE VALUE OF FRIENDSHIP AND LOYALTY.

The sweet benefits of loyalty remind me that the worst thing that can happen to anybody is to be destitute of sincere friendship . Without loyalty and true friendship, life becomes cold and lonely. George Kaitholi once said, “A friend is someone who knows you all through, yet loves you all the more.” This is the truest picture of loyalty in friendship. In my own case, I discovered this when I met Barnabbas Dogara, my first driver. The day he resumed, pot belly and all, I joked, “I hope when we go about our business, people won’t think that you are the boss.” That was the beginning of a relationship that would move far beyond a job description. I gave him principles that mattered to me: don’t be late, don’t steal, respect my family, ask if you need anything, and stay focused on your work. Barnabbas lived by those values and soon proved that loyalty and integrity were his real job description. Before long, I noticed bills paid, groceries sorted, sports runs for my kids done, all wi...

My Learning Today – 20th August : STOP GOING TO PARTIES AND EVENTS EMPTY HANDED. E GET WHY.

Your little gifts today may be the open doors tomorrow. My friend Musa was in my office when I got an invitation to our mutual friend Paul’s birthday party. The invite clearly stated: “Access card valid for one person only.” For over an hour, Musa quietly waited for his own IV, until he finally asked: “Paul never send my own IV oh, abi him no want make I come?” Awkward moment. Weeks earlier, Paul had told me he wanted the party to be very exclusive. When I checked his guest list, Musa’s name was missing. I assumed it was a mistake, so I asked Paul. Smiling, Paul explained: “I don’t want people who never hold parties and never bring presents. They are always the first to arrive and the first to leave, with nothing in their hands.” Let me not lie, he hyped me small. He said he couldn’t remember me ever attending his house or events without a gift, even if it was something little from Jewel Publishers (like mugs, t-shirts, sports jerseys) or gadgets from Jewel Multiservices (like laptop...

My Learning Today – 19th August : YOU WILL KNOW THE VALUE OF EVERY DROP WHEN YOU CARRY YOUR OWN WATER

Do we truly value things until we’ve carried the burden ourselves? When my son Papi turned 10, I decided it was time to add washing his football boots and socks to his chores. Not just his own, but also those of his two younger brothers. One evening after training, I asked him to soak all the socks and then wash them. As he struggled through it, I quietly smiled, knowing he was learning something deeper than just doing chores. A few moments later, his younger brother Domba strolled out with no slippers on, just socks. Immediately, Papi shouted, “Haba, Domba! How can you walk around in only socks? Is it because you’re not the one washing them? Daddy, warn him oh, otherwise he’ll wash them himself!” I burst into laughter because it reminded me of when I used to complain, “Why are you walking around in socks without shoes?” Papi would just say sorry, and sometimes even do it again. But now, because he is responsible for washing them, he insists no one should walk around the house in...

My Learning Today – 18th August : MONEY IS GOOD, JESUS IS BETTER, JEWEL PUBLISHERS IS BETTER, YOU TOO CAN BE BETTER

What if money isn’t the best thing someone could ever give you? They called the gate of the temple Beautiful. It was there that Emmanuel (not real name), a man lame from birth, was dropped daily to beg. Perhaps it was called “Beautiful” because kind people passed by, often generous enough to give him something. For years, this man never went anywhere else, he grew comfortable with his lifestyle of begging. One day, however, everything changed. Peter and John, unlike others, had no money to offer. Instead, they told him: “In the name of Jesus, get up and walk.” Instantly, he was healed and there was no record of him ever returning to his old trade. Reading this from Acts 3 today reminded me of Cosmas Maduka ’s words: “If all a rich man gives you is his money, he has cheated you.” Too often, when we meet wealthy or influential people, we only want money, forgetting that a connection, a referral, or even a miracle could be far greater than money. My prayer for you and me is this: may we m...

My Learning Today – 17th August : IF YOU WANT PEACE IN ADVERSITY, PRACTISE RESTRAINT

Do you always have to say what you know? In the Bible in One Year by Nicky and Pippa Gumbel, I came across something striking from Proverbs 12:23: “Fools blurt out folly, but a prudent person is reluctant to display knowledge.” Their commentary added, “Knowledge is like underwear, it is useful to have it, but not necessary to show it off!” Back in my undergraduate days, I was obsessed with philosophy. In 100 level, not a day passed without me sitting in the library, devouring ethics and epistemology texts. I could proudly say I had gathered some knowledge. Then came a literature class where the lecturer tried to analyse a book using one of those ethical doctrines. But much of her explanation didn’t align with what I had studied deeply. Instead of keeping quiet like everyone else, folly whispered, “Don’t let your mates learn the wrong thing, stand up and correct her.” And so, I did. I explained the origin of the concept, its proponents, its application, and then asked whether she ...