Ask Chuka

At an auto mechanic workshop recently, I overheard something that shocked me deeply. A man said a former two-term governor, two-term senator and former minister was currently broke and struggling to survive. Think about that for a second. That is almost 24 years occupying some of the most powerful political offices in Nigeria and still ending up with survival problems afterwards. At first, I found it difficult to believe until our discussion shifted to how easy it is for wealth, influence and relevance to disappear when discipline and structure are missing. But that is not even the real lesson. At my tennis club, one of our members, Mr Frank, once informed us that he was being considered for a major appointment in one of Nigeria’s ministries. We were excited and prayed along with him. Eventually, he got the appointment. If you understand how Nigeria works, you will know what many of us were thinking: “This connection could become useful for everybody.” But immediately he assumed offi...

  When I was in boarding school, I had a friend whose provisions were just garri , sugar and kuli kuli . For me, I had no garri at all. My parents believed it affected eyesight, so it never made it into my box. Yet, despite what we had or didn’t have, Kevin and I became very close. Same hostel, same class. We were almost inseparable in Federal Government College Kaduna . He was good at football, fast, and likeable, but there was a problem no one saw. Anytime Kevin asked for my provisions especially milk to soak his garri or cornflakes and I refused, he would stop speaking to me. Completely. No explanation. Just silence. And somehow, I always found myself begging him… with double of what he asked for. This went on for years. My provisions would finish quickly and when my mum asked, I couldn’t explain. They thought seniors were taking them. Even when I started keeping things with my guardian, it didn’t stop. Kevin would demand I bring more. When I couldn’t, the silence returned. At s...

My friend told me recently that their new employee resigned after her probationary period was extended because of her performance. HR had a conversation with her and pointed out areas where she needed improvement. She was given a one-month extension to work on those areas, but instead of taking the opportunity to grow, she chose to resign. A few days earlier, I also spoke with my mentor. He struggled to relax during our conversation because he had just come out of an argument with a Gen Z employee regarding expectations on a task he had been assigned. These days, you hear many stories about what it is like working with Gen Z. It often feels as though a new generation is trying to redefine how work, commitment and responsibility should look in this era. The challenge is that everywhere you turn, someone is saying, “Things are no longer done that way.” The message seems simple: accept the new way things are done or insist on your values even if you have to stand alone. To be honest, I ha...

  If it were good for man to be alone, God would never have created the woman. But He thought differently. He created a help meet , suitable, strong, intentional. And if you truly understand what it means to receive help, you will understand the significance of women in the development of humanity and the advancement of our world. As much as I am a man who believes in uplifting men, I cannot recount a single season of my life when I was not helped by a woman. The first woman I knew was my mother. Without my knowledge, and with God’s help, she carried me into this world. She nurtured me. She walked me to school. She taught me my first words and my first songs. She held me when I lost my father. And when it was time for me to build my own family, she was strong enough to let me go,  to love another woman. How do I recount the blessings of marrying my wife? Yes, marriage comes with challenges. But it also comes with partnership, counsel, strength, and unseen sacrifices that hold ...

 We had the privilege of printing the T-shirts and brochure for the Service of Songs held in honour of Ifunanya Nwangene , a prolific young soloist whose life was cut short following an unfortunate snake-bite incident . Since her passing, the internet has been abuzz. In my opinion, this is not merely because of the tragic incident itself, but because Ifunanya lived a phenomenal life , however short it may seem. Many people have passed following snake bites without drawing the attention of their communities, let alone the media. Others have lived such unimpactful lives that the world silently wished they had come and gone unnoticed. But Ifunanya’s life was different. Her presence mattered. Her voice counted. Her impact lingered. The Bible says in Psalm 90:12 : “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” No one knows when life will end, but Ifunanya’s passing, despite her young age, reminded me of two profound truths: 1. LIVE PURPOSEFULLY If the purpose of a t...

A few years ago, some of my friends got into trouble while trying to defend themselves from a man who attempted to bully them. Because they were more in number, they subdued him and left that evening. The following day, the police arrested all of them and accused them of assault. Every apology they offered fell on deaf ears. The man simply could not believe that people as young as they looked could overpower him in any way. They called me to intervene when he insisted on pressing charges. As I listened, I noticed his real problem. Over and over again he kept saying, “Do you know how old I am? And you had the effrontery to do what you did? I swear you will not get away with this.” When he finally finished and turned to me, expecting whatever argument he thought I would make as their “elder brother”, I did something unexpected. I went down on my knees. I did not mind that I was dressed in crystal-white attire. I simply knelt and tried to say, “Please forgive us.” Before I could finish my...

  One of the saddest feelings I carry about 2025 is that my friend, Michaela Moye, popularly known as Mickey, passed on before the year ended. If you are reading this, I am glad you made it. Even so, with every part of me, I wish Mickey had made it too. But I am not the author and finisher of life, and my capacity for some things is limited. Mickey was a good person. By human standards, she truly was. She was educated, honest in her dealings, vocal about the things she believed, and never ashamed to share her struggles until the very end. I am grateful that I reached out to her after she posted on Facebook about how weak she felt and how difficult it had become for her to stand due to a shortage of blood in her system. I could only reach out because she shared her struggle openly. That openness gave room for concern, connection, and help. Eventually, a nurse was by her bedside, along with someone she had called and waited hours for to come and assist her. Sadly, those interventions...

  A few weeks ago, I was at Anglican Girls Grammar School Abuja for the sweetest Harvest Thanksgiving service for year 2025. The only downside was the amount of time we spent, perhaps because we were all too excited. At some point during the programme, the Chaplain asked the audience if he could have a few more minutes to round up a section. The students thundered 𝐍𝐎! While everyone laughed because parents were obviously ready to agree with the Chaplain, I saw something entirely different. I saw a new generation of young people who will be bold enough to transform Nigeria. This morning while studying scripture, I landed on Luke 19:41 to 44: Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace. But now they are hidden from your eyes… While reflecting on this scripture, I concluded that many of us in Nigeria and in different facets of life do not like peace. We may not even desir...

A few years ago, to support a friend who was preparing for his wedding, we donated some printing items he needed. A few days later, when he reached out for more items, we submitted an invoice, expecting that he would patronise us. To my surprise, he went somewhere else because their price was just 50 Naira cheaper. I was pained, but it didn’t take long to realise that his loyalty was questionable. A few days ago, we needed to buy a large quantity of paper for our work. As usual, we contacted Mr Okey , our main supplier, as well as other vendors to compare prices. This time, Mr Okey was more expensive. My colleagues then requested approval to buy from the cheaper supplier. They also mentioned that it would be wise to have more options in situations like this. I said, “No way.” I instructed them to return to Mr Okey and give him the price we got from the cheaper vendor. If he matched it, good. If he refused, we would know we tried. As expected, he matched the price and we bought from hi...

  Before you think this story is about marriage, it’s not 😊. It’s about choosing the right person to help rebuild a struggling business. When Kevin (not his real name) engaged me to evaluate his small retail business, things were in decline. My first instinct was to sack everyone, hire new people, train them, and restart the process. It’s a radical approach, but one that works, I’ve used it before. My philosophy has always been: when something becomes stagnant, replace it with something new. It’s a law of growth, though I’ve also learned how much pain it can cause when applied without wisdom. I asked for six months and suggested installing cameras in all three store locations. Kevin agreed, and ordered the cameras from Jewel Multiservices 😊. I began visiting the stores daily, sometimes twice a day. I’d come early to check punctuality, then return before closing to ask two simple questions: “How much sales did we make today?” and “What did you do to achieve it?” By the second w...

The story Nightingales in Grey tells of a king who wanted to choose a successor for his throne. Since he had no heir, he decided to conduct an unusual test. In a room near his throne, the king kept two birds, a beautiful, brightly coloured parrot and a small grey nightingale with a lovely voice. From time to time, the king invited princes from neighbouring kingdoms to listen to the sweet sounds coming from the room. When the birds went silent, he would ask them to guess which bird made the sound. Most of the princes pointed at the parrot, convinced that something so colourful must be the source of such beauty. Only one prince chose the small, grey nightingale, and he was the one the king appointed as his successor. When I read that story, I couldn’t help but think about how often we misjudge people based on appearance. I remember when my colleague, Stanley , came to Jewel Publishers for his interview. The waiting room was filled with candidates in shiny suits and skirts, speakin...

 Yesterday, the anchor scripture on the YouVersion app was Jeremiah 29:13 : “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” In our home, Saturdays are usually our rest days. We don’t insist on a family prayer time because everyone deserves to sleep in after a long week of early mornings. But since it was the first day of November, I requested a general devotion once everyone was awake. We began by exploring what it truly means to seek God with all our heart. Each of us shared experiences of times when we desperately called on God for help. The children spoke honestly, and soon the conversation shifted to our daily lives and the things we want to achieve. My daughter started by sharing her battle with mathematics,  a subject that once terrified her. She laughed as she confessed that she used to cry whenever the maths teacher entered the class because everything sounded like gibberish. Thankfully, at Anglican Girls' Grammar School, Abuja where she studi...

  A Hard Beginning In a small town in India, Neelish’s dog was stolen and killed. The pain deepened when a policeman arrested him and accused him of being the culprit. When he tried to defend himself, he was tortured. His mother, a respected community leader, stepped in. She was slapped and humiliated, but she persisted and engaged a lawyer through an NGO. That decision secured her son’s release. Choosing Purpose Over Prestige Years later, as university approached, Neelish weighed courses that could bring a strong salary. His mother guided him to think about usefulness to the community. He chose Law. He remembered the NGO lawyer who showed up when it mattered. He wanted to stand up for others who suffer injustice and to make justice accessible. A November Reset for Business Owners We are in the penultimate month of 2025. It is a good time to reassess purpose. If your work has become only a pursuit of income, pause and revisit the original problem you wanted to solve. Pu...

  A few years ago, during a period when I travelled frequently for work, my driver and I were involved in a serious accident. The cause? Large stones used as roadblocks by security operatives were left unattended on the road long after duty hours. Even those living in that community didn't find a need to take it out.  That experience reminded me of an old story titled “A Good Deed Rewarded.” The King’s Experiment King Arund had grown tired of his people’s constant complaints. They wanted the government to handle everything, even the most trivial tasks. To teach them a lasting lesson, he secretly ordered that a large stone be placed in the centre of the City Square one night. The next morning, people began to pass by. A merchant, annoyed at the obstruction, refused to move the stone. He insisted it was the government’s responsibility. Others also complained, cursed, or found ways to manoeuvre around it, but no one made an effort to remove it. The Farmer Who Chose Action Hours...

  Midlife Crisis Is Real. It’s either you accept it and do something about it, or live in denial and face consequences you cannot deny.  I’m almost certain that, for the past month, I have declined to take a lot of phone calls; business, personal, even intimate ones from my mum and a few others. The bad part was, I knew the consequences: lost business, strained relationships, and growing distance from people I care about. But I didn’t care. To make sure I wasn’t sliding into depression, I threw myself into lawn tennis. I’m usually regarded as someone without great stamina on the court, but I played harder than usual, sometimes twice a day, because tennis became my escape. My driver even asked if I was training for an amateur tournament! 😊 For those wondering what a midlife crisis is, Gemini defines it as a period of self-reflection and emotional turmoil, typically occurring between ages 40 and 60, when one begins to question their identity, life choices, and accomplishments....

  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 ...

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...