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Empowerment: Pathway to Emerging a Hero

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By Tolulope A. Adegoke

“Your greatest self has been waiting your whole life;

don’t make it wait any longer.” – Dr. Steve Maraboli

 “(EMP)loy POWER for incre(MENT)= EMPOWERMENT!

-Tolulope A. Adegoke

 

You are far greater than you have ever imagined or ever dreamed of being. And no matter what you are experiencing in your life right now, trust that all is good and unfolding in your best interest. It may not look pretty, but it is exactly what you need to learn for you to grow into the person you have been destined to become. Everything occurring in your life has been perfectly orchestrated to inspire your maximal evolution as human being and bring you into your true power. Learn from people, learn from your conscience, and learn from life – this, will empower you and take you to where you are meant to go. Truly, everything has your highest interests in mind, because everything (that is, both good and bad) are working together for your good- Romans 12:2 reveals that: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28 further reveals that: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Within this write up, you will discover many answers to life’s most important questions. I pray you find many truths and gain much insight into the way the world, the people and the Word works, and how to succeed with and within it. Ultimately, the answers you are seeking already lie deep within your heart. There is nowhere else to look. Yes, my words may prompt openings for you and serve to help you remember what you already know at your core. But do not doubt that there is, a treasure trove of wisdom, power, and love slumbering within you-waiting to be awakened by your most courageous part. Isn’t that incredibly inspiring to know? You already are everything you have always wanted to become. You simply need to do the inner work required to remove the blocks that have been covering- and denying-your original (divine) nature.

What then is EMPOWERMENT? How can you maximize it for your desired change of levels?

The word EMPOWERMENT is the combination of three cogent words as stated here: EMPloy POWER for increMENT – which simply means to Employ POWER for Increments (that is, to be MORE). To Employ means to engage or make use of something, while POWER equals to ABILITY (to do). Increment is a degree by which something is made larger or greater. It could also be said to be ‘the action or process of INCREASING especially in quantity or value. It is something gained or added. We can therefore, say that EMPOWERMENT is the Engagement of the Ability (that is, what it takes) or techniques to Increase in value or quantity.

EMPOWERMENT is the intentional act of yielding to a course, for a cause   to being better or transformed from zero to HERO, from nobody to Somebody, from nothing to something, from insignificance to Significance, from raw to refined, from talents into Skills, from mere Skills into Value, and from Values to REWARDS!

Empowerment is the awakening of the Giant that lies within us as individuals for the deliveries of possibilities. It is an infinite exercise of working tenaciously to become better at something or to become a Master, by intentionally subjecting one’s self to learning at the feet of Masters the ‘HOW’ to becoming the ‘WHAT’ or the THAT or ‘WHO’? To become ‘WHO’, then you must understand the ‘HOW’?

We must understand that Learning has its ‘Curves’ and ‘Costs’. The Costs of EMPOWERMENT are:

  • Discipline
  • Working-Inputs
  • Sacrifice
  • Execution
  • Gratitude

Discipline: This is the first rule of Empowerment (Learning). We find so much human errors in our societies today due to lack of DISCIPLINE. Discipline means depriving one’s self of his or her comfort (zones) by passing through what is required for the next phase in life in order to become better and greater at something or become a leading example in a specific area of life. There is no great man in life who is truly great that has not adopted discipline as a lifestyle. Discipline means subjecting one’s self to authentic obedience at feet of an instructor or mentor or instructions or rules.

Here, you are under instructions or tutelages set by conscience or by (man)-whatever that is learned must be adopted as a lifestyle to be more or become greater. There are values and virtues that are built either consciously and unconsciously, physically and spiritually during this processes. Among others, the following below are the pillars of Discipline:

  • Time Consciousness & Management
  • Appreciating the Costs of Values
  • Understanding Price-tag on Values
  • Humility
  • The Power of Quietness or Silence (To listen swiftly and talkless and think smart
  • Sleepless
  • Reading and Studying
  • Meditation
  • Financial Management (Saving More)
  • Embracing the Company Mentality (Shunning the ‘Crowd’ Mentality): Crowd means Everybody, while the word Company means just a selected few who aligns with your Purpose, and at the same time maximizes your effects.

Working-Input (Within): This simply means Working Within the boundaries of Knowledge by Wisdom for depth in Understanding. Another word for it is Input. In the process of learning or empowerment, there is usually a curve, where you ultimately surrender what you ‘think you know’ for things you need to know to be soaked into your being. The more you accumulate knowledge, the more soaked you get. It is a process of chasing after Knowledge for Excellence, so as to be chased by Success in return at every point of execution or delivery (that is, working-out what you have learned or acquired. This also a point of yearning after ‘Clarity’ which is one of the DNAs of MASTERY or ‘Understanding’. This is the process of studying and meditating on it for deeper REVELATIONS and at the same time to removing the ‘blocks’ that have been covering- and denying-your original (divine) nature, thereby rediscovering your authentic self- it is Revelation that gives Understanding.

If you do not want your life to end in ‘RED’ (danger), you must READ and STUDY! Revelation comes first before ELEVATION! Knowledge is LIGHT, and LIGHT is LIFE!

There are many people with stature, volume and age, yet lack LIGHT (Understanding)…It is light that separates a dullard from a GENIUS! It is Light that separates a pupil from the Master. The light you carry matters in life – it is what determines your levels in reality, it determines your level of Command in core aspects of life, being that you have gained Mastery, you have become a MASTER!

Light is CLARITY, it is MASTERY (and this is the state of the authentic). This is the time to avoid any pattern of distraction so as to enjoy and engage the light that you are about access from this write-up for Peak Performances to deliver possibilities in People, Corporates and Nations at large.

Relentless Commitment to Daily Growth is key for global relevance. I refer to it as the White-Belt Mentality – this is when you Write on a journal daily, Meditate, Focus, Reflect, Ponder, and Handcraft your days intentionally for positive out-comes. If Knowledge is POWER, then learning is your Super-Power! Knowledge isn’t just power as people say, it is the application of Knowledge that guarantees profit! Empowerment improves you enough to be irresistibly NEEDED, that is, when you are loaded with relevant contents that solves problems, you will be a force to reckon with, even if they do not like you as a person, but the solutions you carry will make you attractive enough to be their only CHANCE of survival!

The fact is, anybody can be Empowered; in fact, everybody needs EMPOWERMENT – the more we learn, the more fit we are to Lead others and EARN. Any zero can become a HERO, and any HERO can become a greater HERO! That is why great are not relenting in being better to be greater – they all want to be MORE – they are not satisfied with little, they are expanding so that the people under them can become more and better as well (that’s why their brands of solutions are simplified, accessible and affordable).

The day you become satisfied with little is the day you start becoming little! Never settle for convenience over destiny! A lot of destinies are hanging on your shoulders for survival; if you refuse to dare for more, it means that you are only living for yourself alone – there are destinies attached to your values, virtues and presence on Earth! To be consistently more, you need to seek KNOWLEDGE per time regardless of your age or level of attainment in life. That is why you have the Company of people you keep who are wired to charge or spur you up to being better and as well maximize your effect. We also need to maximize our connection with the internet, a wise user of a computer puts his or her system on Auto-Update, why? to get updated, upgraded with the latest versions of software online for maximum outputs on the computer and efficient deliveries of services through it. As human beings, we get upgraded, updated by Knowledge through Wisdom for Understanding and maximum deliveries so as not to be stuck in yesterday! The Knowledge or anointing of yesterday is not enough for today! Today is today! What you have acquired today with sweat may become obsolete tomorrow if you fail or refuse to upgrade to the latest version of thoughts, reasoning, and know-how.

Sacrifice: This is definitely not a strange word to a majority across the world, especially the great minds who are great mines. Sacrifice simply means ‘to surrender what you have in order to secure or receive what you NEED! It means surrendering WHAT you are so as to become WHO you desire to become! It also means surrendering WHAT you are in order to become WHO you desire to be! It simply means surrendering where you are so as to arrive at WHERE you desire or need to be. Therefore, sacrifice means letting-go of your WANTS in order to have your NEEDS met! Children (little minds) gives offerings, while Kings (great minds) offers SACRIFICES! We give up ‘WHAT’ we WANT when we NEED POWER! Power is a necessity in this journey of life in order to fulfil destiny or divine purpose. For every Sacrifice, there is a Scar (this Scar connotes the Costs of the Sacrifice). The scar is what decorates your being, it tells your stories in your glory. I would say that, ‘Do not envy Success…kindly envy SACRIFICE! The volume of Sacrifice determines where you would surface (that is, appear), either at the Peak or beneath. Sacrifice is the covenant requirement for every next level of greatness. It cracks the code for each levels of greatness and unravels mysteries, it shakes the Heavens and causes Divinity to intervene in Humanity!

Execution: This simply means ‘To Work-It-Out! It is the process of giving birth to the Knowledge acquired through the volume of light (Understanding) that we carry or have received. This is the Out-put of what has been Put-into you over time (that is, engaging the Knowledge which you have been soaked with). This is where Knowledge turns into formulas through Understanding (Light) by Wisdom. This, is where you make it happen on the field called REALITY…We gather Ability through Knowledge, and we transform it into REALITY based on the level of Understanding which we have or carry, then profit from it by Wisdom! When life tells you NO! Ask yourself, What AM I capable of? Winners does not quit or make excuses, Winners only EXECUTE continuously till they get it right! The likes of Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gate among others had their share of trying moments, their moments of pain which they burned as fuel to acquire the gains we all celebrate today. These ones didn’t give up on the Light they carry or carried, rather, they illuminated or keep illuminating the world by continuous practices. Though, they may have failed or fail severally, but there is always a Bounce-Back-Power for every true Winner, which is fostered by Strong-Will or DETERMINATION.

Majority across the world are not usually interested in the ‘HOW’ (Process), but in the ‘WHAT’ (Results or happenings). For example, WHAT happened? WHAT did he/she do? WHAT did he say? WHAT did he give? WHAT did or does he/she has to offer? etc., because majority are only interested What has been or is achieved, they are not interested in knowing the HOW (PROCESSES or Cost) of what it took or takes to be WHAT or WHO. Only a few with great depth would ask ‘HOW’ he/she made it, or HOW he won the Election…the steps he took, the people he aligned with, the Sacrifices he offered, the Disciplines he adopted as lifestyle, the ‘helps’ rendered that attracted divine assistance or intervention, the favors he requested, the sleepless nights, the hours of Meditation, his Think-tanks (technocrats).

Small people wants summaries, and only want to live on survival, they do not have time to ‘go and grow through’ the processes of becoming…they only want their cakes NOW, just like ESAU in the Holy Bible who sold his birth-right because he was hungry and in a haste just to satisfy his belly without bothering to have an understanding of what it would cost him to lose the treasure that lies with his being!

The point of execution is always an opportunity to show-case what you have been cooking through the tool of Knowledge. It is an opportunity to show-off and show up! It is an opportunity to tell the world that I AM HERE-though, I have been here, but it has been behind the scene. Cooking is the right application of HEAT! It is therefore time to serve your MEAL (Products or Solutions) to the world!

Execution is the process of giving birth to what was conceived in the process of learning, just like a pregnant woman who has been pregnant; it is natural to expect her to deliver after nine months of carrying the fetus (baby) in her womb. The same thing goes to you and I; it is time for us to deliver the future, because it lies within us. Ideas are FUTURE conceived within us, packaged as information, encrypted in the Knowledge that man absorbs to deliver his generation at every point of need during execution. Being pregnant is not enough, delivery is a must! The same goes to learning; being soaked with Knowledge is not enough, but Execution (putting it into good use) is what is expected of all true learners. The Holy Book reveals “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” (Romans 8:19). This means that, everything, everyone is waiting for you to show up and deliver the FUTURE (Treasures or Solutions) that lies within you as a deliverer, which has been deposited in you for your generation(s). If you do not show up (Manifest), your generation may be bounded or be in bondage for years; just like Moses (a Jew) who grew up in Pharaoh’s Palace (in Egypt); he assimilated the doctrines, he was soaked in the Egyptians traditions (knowledge) for years, but after so many years that the Israelites had been in bondage, God called Moses at the age of 70 (years) to deliver his people (the Israelites) with the Light which had been deposited into him for years – all this while, before Moses showed-up for the Israelites, they were all in the captivity of the Egyptians. So, if you do not show up (that is, birth the Knowledge, Wisdom, Understanding of the Skills, Values, Virtues that you have been soaked with and nursing over the years), you might be holding your generation(s) to ransom! You may not get it right at first, be free to try again, again and again; there will be a day that you will get it right and gain from the rewards that comes with it (through the pains which you have burned as fuel through determination and strong-will) Get up, go to work and work it out! Destinies are waiting on you; your generation is waiting for you to show up! Take responsibility like David took against Goliath!

The anointing upon your life isn’t just a blessing, but responsibility on your shoulders to birthing solutions that will deliver you generation, even the ones yet unborn. Therefore, instead of being a container of blessings, I charge you now to be a channel, so that these solutions can flow through you unto others. Execute and Excel!

Gratitude: This is a state of the authentic, it is a state of bliss, it is a natural force or lifestyle that preserves, perfects our outputs(efforts) and blessings. Gratitude means Gr(eat)ATTITUDE which means- an attitude that is exclusive to only GREAT Minds who have the depth to look back at what they were and the Mighty hands that picked them up to arrive at where they are at the moment. Small minds make small People-Small people are not usually grateful, they complain about everything, they don’t have clear minds and are not free in spirit. Gratitude is an attitude that when adopted as lifestyle takes us to great altitudes in life. The first step of GRATITUDE is- ACKNOWLEDGING The Maker, God Almighty in all things. Secondly, CELEBRATING your teachers or mentors who have invested time and energy to impart you with the Light (Understanding) that they carry. Thirdly, Celebrate and Appreciate your Supporters (they believed in you when others couldn’t, even when you thought you couldn’t, these ones inspired you could, then you did it! Lastly, Celebrate Yourself for being dedicated and tenacious toward the achievement of Success. Take a break, travel, rest well, eat well, have fun, then go back to study for the next phase or level of Success. Re-engage the formulas for Success, that is, the Costs of Empowerment again and again to be More and Greater and Better!

Re-examine your life

It is very important that you know and understand where and why you need improvement, then go after relevant Knowledge that treats or solves your weak areas…An unexamined life is not worth living! A dis-empowered life will remain an imprisoned life-it is not worth living. Maximize every condition you go through to be better and for the well-being of Mankind. Be responsible, even in tough-times…never lose your head in tough times, never lose your heart at all times. Empowerment builds your VISION.

VISION is powered by the following sights:

  • Eye-sights
  • Insights
  • Hind-sights
  • Fore-sights
  • Mind-sights

VISION enlightens and opens you up to illuminate Mankind, thereby translating them into the True light from darkness. You are an embodiment of treasures/solutions; I charge you to UNLEASH! I charge you to Man-ifest! Any determined zero can become The HERO! I trust that this write up in has briefly explained the ‘HOW’ to you with relevant examples towards becoming POSSIBLE where you have been described IMPOSSIBLE! you must therefore read, study and follow the teachings in it to the end. You will become an ABILITY on motion in the delivery of possibilities (of) Peoples, Corporates and Nations! It is your vision(s) that determines the extent or size(s) of your mission. Friends, we are on a mission, I encourage you to power your vision by Light. Psalm 119: 130 reveals: “The entrance of the words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” To me, the word simple connotes HUMILITY.

You are on a journey to global relevance that will culminate to you emerging the greater HERO you desire to become in your generation! Simply drop your pride and enjoy the ride to your heroic destiny! The world needs the hero they can believe in. You do not need to be a demi-god to be a hero, you just need to believe that you are one- God gives GRACE to the humble. It’s all within you! You are an embodiment of treasure, please do not call it trash! Dreams comes through, only when you work it out! You can be far better than the exemplars you look up to. Yes! You can be greater!

Thank you all for reading.

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 proven spoken word poet, among others, having written countless articles in diverse reputable fields and honoured many public invitations.

He is also a Senior Administrator.

E-mail: adegoketolulope1022@gmail.com

globalstageimpacts@gmail.com

 

 

 

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Opinion

Catalyst of Exploits (Pt. 1)

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By Tolulope A. Adegoke

“Look past the exterior, and see that there is so much more within. Then decide to unleash that potential to the fullest” – Lincoln Patz

I have no doubt that you have stepped into a greater realm of inspiration with the discovery of the potentials of the so-called zero. The next question therefore is, how can the possibilities embedded in a perceived nonentity become a reality? The answer, as you may have observed from the various examples that we considered in the previous chapter, is consciousness development. Or simply put, TRAINING.

Training has been rightly described as the process of acquiring the skills needed to succeed in a profession, vocation or venture. It is training or conscious development that turns trash into treasures, just as processing turns raw materials into finished products. Training is an indispensable requirement for bringing out the best in people. Even the most gifted people must go through some form of training to sharpen their innate abilities – how much more those who appear to be deficient!

The interesting truth here is that regardless of a person’s level of natural abilities – whether you consider it zero or zillion – training will always bring about a noticeable transformation in their lives. Take the case of Abraham as an example. Being an exceedingly great man, he had hundreds of servants who had been born in his house by his labourers and domestics. These might have been considered nobodies, having been born by lowly people. Yet, Abraham so trained them that they became valiant soldiers. And they were the ones who accompanied him to wage war against the captors of Lot and his household, and the expedition proved mightily successful (Genesis 14:14).

Two vital truths can be gleaned from the above. One is that you never can tell the true measure of a person’s potential until they have been thoroughly trained. This clearly tallies with our earlier assertion that everyone needs some form of training, whether formally or informally. The second vital truth is that everybody can indeed be trained to thrive.

From Vagabonds to Champions

Here is another proof that there is innate greatness in everyone that can be unlocked through training. 1 Samuel 22:1-3 says, “David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.”

The first thing to notice here is the deliberate reference to the profile and pedigree of these men who joined themselves to David. I believe that the purpose is to make us see that no one can be rightly written off as a failure or a never-do-well. As subsequent exploits of David would reveal, these average men who enrolled in the military academy of David were soon transformed into mighty men of valour.  2 Samuel 23:8-17 narrates the accomplishments of three of these men:

“These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time. And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had retreated. He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder. And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines. But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.”

Isn’t this amazing! See what a bunch of men that people would have described as “frustrated failures” had become! What was the secret? Someone believed in them enough to train them, and they themselves were humble and disciplined enough to submit themselves to the training process. And the result was that they were transformed from being men of no repute, men of no value (more or less human trash, or simply zero) to history-makers!

Self-Application

So, what’s in all of this for you? What has all that we have discussed so far have to do with you? I’ll unravel it for you shortly. But, first, here is an insightful quote from Bishop David Oyedepo, “We go to school to acquire the literacy skills required to train ourselves most effectively in our fields of choice. Schooling is not the same thing as the real training! That is why there are many certificated, uneducated people! They have degrees but cannot deliver, because they are not trained to deliver!”

This is exactly what I wish to point out here. Everyone must take personal responsibility for being the best that they can be. Success is not an accidental occurrence. You cannot be wasting your precious time on irrelevances and expect to amount to much in life. You must wake up to the task of being positively responsible, deliberately reaching out and taking advantage of opportunities to enhance and deploy your skills.

As the example of the men who placed themselves under David’s tutelage shows, you are the one who must make up your mind not to settle for a worthless, defeated or frustrated life. Regardless of what people say or think of you, it is up to you to decide the direction you want your life to go!

As I earlier observed, training is not only meant for the ignorant or the inexperienced. It is an on-going activity that everyone must actively and constantly engage in, as long as we wish to stay afloat and be ahead. In other words, while schooling is periodic, training is for a lifetime!

The Place of Discipline and Diligence

Let’s face it: Training – whether formal or informal – is never an easy process. Even the Bible admits, “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful…” (Hebrews 12:11). It is in the fallen nature of man to prefer the comfort of self-indulgence to the stress of self-enhancement. This is why many visions are aborted and many destinies are ruined. It is for this reason that discipline plays a crucial role in being a beneficiary of the power of training. It takes plenty of discipline to maintain a training lifestyle so as to emerge a relevant and dominant force in your generation!

It is possible to waste a whole lifetime if you do not understand the place of discipline and responsibility in achieving greatness in life. So, you must settle it in your mind from the outset that you are undoubtedly a Kingdom treasure that cannot afford to be comfortable with a substandard, mediocre or “trashy” life. The possibilities that God has wired into you must be empowered to find expression. You must therefore be ready to pay whatever price it requires. Let me quote Bishop Oyedepo again, “You belong to dignity, royalty, excellence and you have your excellence in Jesus Christ. Therefore, you have the mind of Christ. You have the creative, intellectual capability of the mind of Christ. You are not an ordinary person; you are a peculiar person in the order of existence!”

Closely attached to discipline is diligence. The two must function together to produce the expected result of excellence. Diligence simply means hard work. Interestingly, “hard work” is a term that many in this generation hate to hear. I often hear youths talk about “soft-work” almost everywhere now. They want the easy route to success. Of course, they may get what seems like success but because such is not built on the solid foundation of diligence, it often crumbles within a short time.

Proverbs 22:29 says, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” Proverbs 12:24 (NKJV) adds that: “The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labour.” The revelation here is that it is diligence that establishes enthronement. There is no future for an idle man in the Kingdom. Christ Himself demonstrated this when He said: “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work” (John 5:17).

Make no mistake about it – it is work that defines your worth! In other words, it is how much you work on yourself that will determine your ultimate worth. Work is a must for anybody who desires to take the lead. Even with the abundant favour and grace of God upon your life, you still must work because that is the God-ordained pathway to the top. In fact, the grace of God being upon you to guarantee success in all your ventures should spur you to attempt greater ventures than the average person. Paul the Apostle shares his own experience thus: “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all…” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

Every successful person (empowered zero) is a product of favour from the factory of labour. You can never take out of life more than what you have invested into it. Galatians 6:7 says it accurately, “Be not deceived…whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” 2 Corinthians 9:6 explains it further, “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”

It is only hard workers who become great leaders (heroes)! There is nothing called “luck” in determining leadership or empowering a zero! The harder and smarter you work, the greater the level of your success. This is why someone ironically says, “I’m a great believer in luck and I found that the harder I work, the luckier I become.” So, dear friend, if you can concentrate more on empowering your zero, rather than wasting time lamenting, complaining, regretting, envying others, chatting on social media, listening to irrelevant talks or spending so much time watching the television, you will soon find your circumstances changing on their own. You will not even need to shake the Heavens before your blessings unfold!

Personal Experience

Permit me to use myself as a case study here. There was a time I sowed out my television in order to be on television. There was also a time that, for over a year, I did not subscribe to any cable channel, just to be able to meet up with the demand of delivering possibilities beyond the ordinary frequency. Here is Bishop Oyedepo again: “I have invested an average time of 16 hours a day from the time I stepped into ministry to date, no matter how odd the night may be, I still have my night to work. Seest thou a man diligent in his business, he shall stand before kings and not mere men…Our business that did not look like anything – it was trash when we came into ministry; it had no form of comeliness that anyone should look for it. It is what you invest or put into a trash that will bring forth its treasure! You need to show the world out there that you are on a mission (that is to take the lead in your field). But you cannot take the lead without doing the work to make it happen. So, go on and do the work!”

You can always change your level. It all depends on your level of investment. Just by re-aligning your mentality to believe that you do not belong to mediocrity brings you closer to excellence! Just by evaluating your activities and relationships and severing all unprofitable ties will give your life a sharper focus and clearer direction.

Note it again – hard workers fly higher! Nothing is a substitute for hard work. Be ready to go through the incubation process of becoming a hero. Subject yourself to the diligence and discipline that will transform you to a solution-provider to the people of your generation.

Sacrifice: The “Extra” in Extraordinary

Added to your discipline and diligence is the need for sacrifice, or going the extra mile. Essentially, it is not enough for you to be disciplined and diligent – you must also go the extra mile in doing these. Sacrifice is the scar (or scars) that we bear in the process of carrying our crosses towards getting our crowns.

There is no star without a scar! The scar of every star is sacrifice. It is nothing else! It is simply the ticket towards delivering possibilities. Sacrifice is going the extra mile, paying the extra price and taking the extra steps towards delivering your mandates! Your extraordinary inputs will precede your extraordinary impacts. You must go the extra mile in discipline and diligence – and then the star in you will emerge.

So powerful is sacrifice that it can turn a “dummy” into a genius. It can make a so-called misfit become a maestro. There have been cases of people who had great gifts and potentials but found themselves in fields that were different from what they were meant to do in life. Many of these have had to put themselves through the rigours of returning to their natural passions and getting trained to live out their dreams.

See, you cannot have your cake and eat it! You cannot make omelette without breaking eggs! Not even faith is a substitute for sacrifice. Vision is not a substitute for sacrifice! Sacrifice is a covenant requirement of every Kingdom star! Apostle Paul again says, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians1:21). The apostle is simply saying, “I’d rather die than allow anyone despise my glory in Christ”. This is a classic portrayal of what sacrifice entailsBeing crucified with Jesus Christ is sacrifice!

Every star has a story of sacrifice to tell. It is a must for you to rouse yourself from slumber and invest your time in creating the future that you desire! Until you do what others do not do, you will still remain on the same spot as others! You must therefore wake up and tell yourself the bitter truth and design for yourself an enviable destiny. Never let a year end without preparing a schedule of accomplishments for the following year. This will show that you are really on a mission to deliver your world from its aches!

Jesus Christ, the most anointed Achiever, says in Luke12:49-50: “I am come to send fire on the earth…But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!” That was someone who had a clear picture of His mission and what it would take to accomplish it.  Anyone who desires to have a “global impact” must pay a “global price”. Yes, you cannot accomplish that glorious dream of yours without understanding its true worth and paying the necessary price!

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Enhancing Food Security: Governor Umo Eno’s Worthy Interventions

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By Michael Effiong

 

Today, the biggest threat to the survival of mankind is food security. Indeed, the phenomenon has taken a global dimension and is not confined to the borders of any nation.

 

Growing hunger has been fueled by a toxic mix of climate change, insecurity and a global economic crisis that has exacerbated poverty and inequality, affecting the ability of many families and communities to cope.

 

In Nigeria, at least in the last few months, there is no topic that has been more discussed than that of the rising cost of food stuff and the hunger in the land.

 

As US President John F. Kennedy once said, “The war against hunger is truly mankind’s war of liberation.” This is a war that must be fought with vigor and won.

 

On his visit to Niger State on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu called on states to support the federal government’s effort in the area of agriculture and food security.

Interestingly, long before this call by Mr. President, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has already taken action.

 

How? Well, you can call him the modern day Nostradamus and will not be wrong. It was not that he was clairvoyant but we can adduce it to his power of vision because agriculture was one of his focus areas even before his overwhelming victory at the polls on March 18, 2023.

 

The then candidate Umo Eno had developed an economic blueprint for his campaign dubbed the ARISE Agenda. A of the A-R-I-S-E stands for Agricultural Revolution.

 

Having had this as part of his economic blueprint, it is no wonder that the Umo Eno administration had already hit the ground running and has been laying out plans, programmes and projects that are worthy of emulation in a bid to stem the tide of the current national crisis.

Perhaps what can be described as the most impactful and innovative intervention in the area of food sufficiency and sustainability in the country at the moment was signed into law on Thursday, March 14, 2023 as the Akwa Ibom State Bulk Purchase Agency which aims at ensuring that staple foods are available, accessible and affordable to the most vulnerable in the state.

 

Everyone knows that implementing this kind of programme can be herculean, but the government set up a committee with a well-laid out plan to ensure this works efficiently.

 

This programme, like others the Governor has initiated, would be devoid of any political coloration. Already, government has met with traders and market associations. Foodstuff agents will be selected and trained.  They would all sign an agreement with government and would be the ones to operate branded shops and redemption centres that will be located in selected markets and points across the 31 LGAs.

 

The Agency would use a voucher system akin to the Food Stamps now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the United States.

 

The Akwa Ibom equivalent when deployed, will operate in a similar fashion because it would be strictly for vulnerable indigenes who will exchange the monthly vouchers for staple food items.

 

The beneficiaries would get direct subsidies as they would pay well-discounted prices to the agents for the value of the food item on each voucher. The accredited agents would later present these vouchers to government for reconciliation and reimbursement.

 

Furthermore, the Governor’s 368 Personal Assistants in the wards are to help implement the programme at the grassroots while names of all agents and beneficiaries ( drawn from the state social register which had recently been updated) would be published.

 

It is expected that from this arrangement and involvement of many stakeholders, the Agency’s mandate would be delivered within a short period of time.

 

Knowing full well that the Agency’s work is a short term measure, Governor Eno is also thinking long term and has started preaching the “Back-To-Farm” message. His goal is to inspire Akwa Ibomites from all walks of life to see the benefits of farming.

 

In his words: “Please everybody, no matter how small your land is even if it is just behind or beside your house, sow something. We must return to the farm”

 

Let us cast our minds back to what used to be the norm back in the day. Our parents and grandparents used to have little farms around the house where green vegetables, tomatoes, pepper, okra, maize, yams, cassava e.t.c. were grown. Some even reared chickens and goats too.

Governor Umo Eno signing an MOU with Prof. Godfrey Nzamujo of Songhai Farms Initiatives Nigeria

 

Many may see this as a call to subsistence farming in today’s technologically-advanced world, but in truth, if we are able to grow a few of what we eat, it will not only reduce the hunger in the land in a matter of months, but it will free up funds for people to use for other things.

 

This initiative by the Governor for rural and urban dwellers to go back to the farm is already being practiced by other countries to boost their food supply. It is called urban farming.

 

Countries such as Argentina, Australia, Canada and China are way ahead and have incorporated this into their urban planning and city regeneration projects.

 

A good example of the success of this initiative is the city of Rosario in Argentina. Rosario’s Urban Agriculture Programme (Programa de Agricultura Urbana, or PAU) started small, but now grows nearly 2,500 tons of food each year. What started as a means of feeding the population in the wake of an economy in tatters is now a cornerstone of the city’s food sustainability initiative. This shows that the Governor’s call is a much needed step in the right direction.

Also, the government has commenced Phase II of the AK Cares Programme. Beneficiaries across the 31 LGAs would get farm implements, seedlings, poultry birds or fish juveniles and adequate training.

The Ministry of Agriculture is also being galvanized to distribute improved seedlings and support agriculture cooperatives to help increase their productivity. And the Ibom FADAMA Microfinance Bank has been restructured in line with the present realities.

That is not all, the Governor who takes the welfare of the citizens seriously also signed the Akwa Ibom State Agricultural Loans Law (Amendment) Bill, a private member bill sponsored by Hon. Mfon Idung. The law has increased the amount to be granted as loans to individual farmers, corporate entities and cooperative societies  and would enable them expand their operations, embrace modern farming techniques, boost productivity and ultimately, drive economic transformation.

 

It is worth mentioning also that Governor Eno’s people-centred intervention strategy also includes a rejuvenation of the rural communities through construction of rural roads and provision of key amenities. This idea is well captured in R (Rural Development) of the ARISE Agenda. The nexus between rural development and agriculture are as inseparable as a set of conjoined twins!

This school of thought concerning the importance of rural development as a way of boosting agriculture is also held by former Agriculture & Rural Development Minister and current President, African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adeshina.

He expressed these sentiments most succinctly while delivering his acceptance speech on his conferment with the Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership in Lagos recently.

According to him “Nigeria must completely transform its rural economies to ensure food security for all. A better Africa must start with the transformation of rural economies. That is because some 70% of the population live there. Rural poverty is extremely high. At the heart of transforming rural economies is agriculture, the main source of livelihoods.

“As a young student who attended high school in the village, I witnessed the high correlation of agricultural performance with education. “It was common then to hear the phrase “Agbe lo ba” . (farmers are kings), uttered with great pride

“The transformation of rural economies must therefore be structural, systemic, strategic and comprehensive. Doing so, means agriculture must be turned into a wealth creating sector. Sound public policies transform the lives of people”.

No one can dispute the need for sound policies as enunciated by Dr. Adeshina and this is reason as an ardent advocate of agribusiness and with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 in mind, the Governor’s earliest move in the agricultural sector on assumption of office was to sign an MOU with Songhai Farms for the development of Ibom Model Farms.

 

This long-term partnership is aimed at driving a technologically-driven agricultural revolution that will boost food production, tourism, youth development, knowledge transfer and job creation.

 

While construction has already begun at the first farm located in Nsit Ubium LGA (others will spring up when LGAs make land available), the Governor has shown his seriousness for this project by sponsoring some youths on training programmes in preparation for the Farm’s take off.

With all hands already on deck and machinery put in motion to operationalize the multi-layered approach initiated by the Gov. Umo Eno-led administration, the indigenes of Akwa Ibom State are soon going to heave a sigh of relief. Not only would the issue of high cost of foodstuff be history but food sufficiency would become the new normal in the state.

 

 

.Effiong, a journalist, is Senior Special Assistant (Lagos Liaison) to Governor Umo Eno

 

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Opinion

Opinion: The Truth Nigerians Do Not Want to Hear

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By Femi Fani-Kayode

Sadly most Nigerians will not read or appreciate this contribution because frankly it is beyond them.

Worst still many of them, particularly in the younger generation, find it difficult to read more than three lines even though it is to their own shame and detriment.

For those that have the gravitas, insight, foresight, profundity and intellectual virility to read and comprehend the counsel I have offered in this write-up I urge you to bookmark it and wait and see what unfolds unless and until we quickly identify and recognise the problem and address the issues raised.

There are two reasons for the mass abductions and kidnappings that we are witnessing in our country today.

Firstly to garner cash which is then sent abroad to buy more arms and fund terror and secondly to destabilise our country and to discredit and undermine the credibility of our President and the Federal Government.

I hope and pray that someone is listening because this is precisely what we witnessed when the Chibok girls and other children were abducted over the years and the motives are the same.

Those that think it is only about the acquisition of money are naive and ignorant.

There is far more to it than that and there are numerous shady and sinister characters, international criminal cartels, foreign Governments and intelligence agencies and local accomplices and facilitators that are involved in this great evil.

Nigeria has been targetted for destruction, division and disintegration by those that see us as a threat to their regional hegemony, strategic national interests and imperialist aspirations but most of us still don’t get it and perhaps never will.

They do not want a strong, united, prosperous and regionally dominant Nigeria but would rather turn us into a pathetic and pitiful shadow of our former selves, a cowardly and quivering caricature of what we once were and a weak, divided, incredulous and headless pawn and set us up for self-destructive economic and military annihilation.

They know that a strong Nigeria, like a strong South Africa, would stand up to them in the arena of world politics and international affairs and ensure that our collective interests as Nigerians and Africans would be protected and they do not want this.

As a matter of fact for us to achieve that enviable status is not just their greatest fear but their worse nightmare.

They ask themselves in their corporate boardrooms, presidential palaces, cabinet meetings and legislative chambers, who can stand up to a strong Nigeria?

They wonder where else they would get their free mineral resources and be in a position to manipulate and dictate to servile leaders if not Nigeria?

And if Nigeria were to fail, fall and go the way they want us to who would stand and speak for Africa and the black man in the comity of nations?

If the truth be told without a strong, flourishing and virile Nigeria Africa is nothing and the black man is nowhere and this is precisely why the powers that be, when it comes to world politics and the international community, do not want us to succeed.

As far as they are concerned we are too weak, corrupt, ignorant, primitive, backward, servile, self-hating and dumb to achieve anything meaningful and we are more than happy to spend the next 100 years as a nation and a people that seek nothing but validation, leadership and guidance from them.

Yet how wrong they are. They have no idea who and what we are and deep down they fear us and recognise the fact that an unbound and unfettered Nigeria with strong, bold, articulate, confident and fearless leaders that do not seek their approval or validation and that have no interest in remaining as their slaves would be their worse nightmare. Such leaders would be dangerous to their evil cause and their attempt to sow the seeds of civil war, hardship and economic paralysis in our country.

It is time that we confront the matter with an iron hand and fight back to save Nigeria.

It is time for us to get off our knees, to throw away the begging bowl, to stop constantly seeking validation from those that do not wish us well, to stop blindly implementing their disastrous economic models which seek to impoverish and destroy our people, to uproot and reject their well-planted seeds of division and to stop tolerating their subversive activities.

Ask yourself, who funds the terrorists and bandits and where do they get their weapons from?

They did it in Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Algeria, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, Syria and so many other countries over the years and decades and now they are doing it here.

Ask yourself who was behind the attack on a mosque in which worshippers were killed on Friday in Kaduna and what was the purpose of this abominable and condemnable act of terror if not to destabilise us and create panic and chaos in our nation?

Again how is it that just a few days after the mass abduction of women in Gamburu Ngala, Borno state and just one day after the kidnapping of 280 female students in Kuriga, Kaduna state yet another 15 students were abducted in Gidan Bakuso, Sokoto state just yesterday.

All this nonsense must stop and we must desist from refusing to acknowledge that we now have and indeed have always had a major problem which needs to be acknowledged and be solved.

None of these things happen by chance and what we are witnessing is a deep seated and long term conspiracy to literally end our nation as we know it and throw us into a state of fear, poverty, anomie, anarchy, fratricidal butchery and carnage.

Worst of all is the fact that our so called “best friends” and “allies” in the west and the international community are the ones behjnd it.

We need help and if we can get it from the Russians, the Chinese and even the Iranians in order to restore our peace, self respect, freedom, dignity and prosperity we should do so.

Asking the West for help either in intelligence gathering, advice or covert Military operations when it comes to the fight against the terrorists and insurgents in Nigeria is like asking the big bad wolf to save little Red Riding Hood.

It cannot work because ultimately they are the hidden hand behind our numerous travails and they are the enemy.

May God open our eyes and deliver our nation and may we cultivate the fortitude and courage to come together as a people, eschew our differences, resist the evil and save our nation.

(FFK)

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