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Passion is Stronger Than Power by Henry Ukazu

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Greetings my beloved friends. Today, we shall be discussing one of the hidden secrets of most successful people if not all that ever lived on the planet earth. If you care to know, that secret is passion. Passion is an uncontrollable force fueling the bloodstream of a determined being.  Without passion, it will be difficult to be successful in any productive venture. Passion can be likened to spiritual strength because it can’t be seen but it can be felt internally while power can be likened to physical strength.

According to Oprah Winfrey  “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” For me, I’m able to discipline myself to write because I have joy and fulfillment in writing. If I don’t have passion in writing and researching, I won’t be consistent in writing every week. My passion is not only limited in writing, I also have passion in leadership, youth empowerment, public speaking and serving humanity in any little way I can.  That’s the more reason I agree with Mia Ham when she said: “If you don’t love what you do, you won’t do it with much conviction or passion.”

During the course of this article, we shall be looking at how passion can influence and empower us to be successful; how we can discover our passion. We shall also be studying the relativity between passion and love; passion and money; passion and talent. We shall end the discussion with some great quotes that can keep you focus as you follow your heart by pursuing your passion. Since this article is about passion and power, it is pertinent to note that successful people know that passion is energy. It is what drives people to succeed. Without passion towards what you are doing, you do not have a WHY and when you do not have a WHY then HOW  is hard to find.

One of the most difficult thing in the world is knowing oneself. A lot of people struggle with this feeling and this has really affected their success both their personal and professional development. It’s an indisputable fact that identification of a problem is fifty percent solved and the journey of a thousand miles begins with a step in the right direction.  Discovering your passion is not really easy, but it can be easy if you know yourself.

It’s worthy to note that without passion it will be hard to succeed in any business or profession. Passion is more than ordinary strength, it is the energy that fuels the blood.  All the great people that have ever succeeded in life were passionate about their cause in addition to believing in themselves. It is because of this belief that made John Sculley the former CEO of Pepsi to leave his job to join Steve jobs who was still building his company. He believed in the works of Steve Jobs in addition to seeing how passionate Steve Jobs was in his product and today, the rest is history. If you have a passion, please don’t allow it to die.  According to Deepak Chopra “In all my research, the greatest leaders looked inward and were able to tell a good story with authenticity and passion.” Be informed, You are capable of changing the world with your dreams if you allow it to come through. According to the former president of South African Nelson Mandela “There is no passion to be found playing small–in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.

 

The big question is how can passion influence your success? If you are passionate about a cause, you will not only spend quality time on the task, you will go the extra mile trying to know more about the cause. You can even volunteer or pay to attend a workshop, seminar or an event of interest. There’s a saying, people see people that participate. When you spend valuable time trying to know more about a cause, people see you and when an opportunity comes up, your name normally comes first to mind.  It was because of the passion Americans saw in  Ocasio-Cortez  that made her constituents to elect her as the youngest female in Congress on November 6, 2018.  Successful people know that you can’t do everything at the same time.  Just focus your energy on one particular task and believe your turning point will come through. In our contemporary society, the world is being governed by perception. People see what you do without you knowing and that’s why it’s very important you scrutinize what you share on social media, and the people and causes you identify with.

The next big question is how do you discover your passion? As mentioned earlier, knowing yourself is one of the most difficult tasks in life. A good way to know to know your passion is to ask yourself “If I have everything in the world, what will I do with my time”? Another way of knowing your passion is by discovering those things you like to do with relative ease. Your passion is that cause or work that makes you happy. You can easily do it any time of the day. Once you are passionate about any cause, you look beyond the pain. Let’s look at the relativeness of passion with other relevant words of interest.

Passion and Love: Passion is a very strong feeling about a person or thing. Passion is an intense emotion, a compelling enthusiasm or desire for something. Love is all about what you feel to care about, that comes along with affection, desire, and pleasure. Passion is the energy that keeps us going, it gives us meaning, and happiness, and excitement, and anticipation. Passion is a powerful force in accomplishing anything you set your mind on.  Once you are passionate about something, you will love it.  According to Barbara Corcoran “You can’t fake passion.”

Another way of understanding passion is by looking at a lady in love. Any lady that truly loves a man will go all out to fight for the man. She will date and even marry him for true love as opposed to martial possession regardless of the pressure and circumstances facing her. There’s a saying that there are two people you can’t advise:  A rich man with money and a woman in love.  This is because a woman in love won’t understand any other language except the love language of the man in question which according to Gary Chapman can be words affirmation, physical touch, gift, time or services.

Passion and Money: One of the fastest ways of making money is by solving a problem.  If you don’t have money, it’s either because you are not solving problems for the right people or there’s a fundamental problem with your product. Once you provide the right services, opportunities will locate you. Many people have the mentality that following your passion might make you broke because it might take a long period of time to achieve success.  I strongly disagree with that school of thought. This group of people believes that one might be broke in the guise of being passionate about a cause. According to them, they would rather take whatever is available just to put food on the table.  I have a good news for them, handwork doesn’t kill, what kills is laziness. As an optimistic being, if you know yourself and know your product, all you need is consistency, perseverance, and patience. Trust me, It won’t be long for your breakthrough to come through. One of the great ways of knowing a passionate being is by looking at the time the individual spends on the product. A typical example is the lifestyle of an entrepreneur. They will grind and grind to the extent they might be mocked, they will get so many no’s and rejection, but the moment their product is accepted or endorsed the story changes. If you are in this category, my advise to you is hang in there. All you need is just one yes.  Steve Jobs was definitely right when he said “You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out”. Also according to Harriet Tubman “, Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

Passion And Talent: Passion is different from talent. If you are talented in doing something you really love, you may want to meditate and see if that’s where your passion lies. Talent is similar to gift with a slight difference. A creative mind can combine his or her talent, gift and skill to his/her passion to create a product or service. The idea is that the key to finding a great career is to identify your greatest interest – “your passion” – and pursue a career involving that interest. Moral: Just commit to following your passion, and you’ll have a great career. It is been said that when you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life. Isn’t it true that when you do what you love, you can make a real difference in people’s lives. With your passion, you can inspire others to find their dreams too. Passionate minds believe in paying now and playing later. They are never deterred in what they are facing. They strongly believe in what they have in their mind in addition to seeing the bigger picture. The Book of life States in 1 John 4:4 “ He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world.”

In conclusion, If you will agree with me, passion is the driving force behind success and happiness that allows us all to live better lives. It is because of passion that many people decide to go back to school to study a major that interest them; It is because of passion that a lot of people decide to have a Non-Government Organization to affect humanity and the list continues.  I end this article by leaving you with four great quotes to meditate namely:

“Nothing is as important as passion. No matter what you want to do with your life, be passionate.”-Jon Bon Jovi.

“If you feel like there’s something out there that you’re supposed to be doing, if you have a passion for it, then stop wishing and just do it.”-Wanda Skyes

As you spend time with passionate, successful people, success skills will start to manifest in your live too. Successful people understand that in order to achieve, they must love what they do. So find something that you love to do and you will be following your passion. Passion is the fastest way to massive success. British Statesman.

A person can succeed at almost anything they have unlimited enthusiasm- Charles M. Schwab.

Finally, what’s your passion and what are you passionate about? Will you agree with me that passion is greater than power?

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He can be reached via henrous@gmail.com

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Okuama Massacre: Military Declares Eight Persons Wanted

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The Defence Headquarters has declared eight persons wanted over their roles in the recent killing of 17 military personnel in Delta State.

The military released the list on Thursday at a briefing in Abuja.

Those declared wanted are Prof. Ekpekpo Arthur, Andaowei Dennis Bakriri, Akevwru Daniel Omotegbo (Aka Amagben), Akata Malawa David, Sinclear Oliki, Clement Ikolo Oghenerukeywe, Reuben Baru, and Igoli Ebi.

During the briefing, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, called on Nigerians especially residents of Delta and adjoining states to assist the military with credible information that would lead to the arrest of eight persons allegedly responsible for the killing of seventeen soldiers in Okuama community in Delta State.

General Buba says the military remains determined to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous act in Delta State, reaffirming its commitment to rescue all kidnapped and abducted victims in Nigeria.

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How CJMR Has Championed Restoration of Justice to Unjustly Incarcerated, Condemned – Founder, Olujobi

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By Eric Elezuo

“At CJMR, we stand firm on our scriptural foundation: ‘Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice…,” Pastor Olujobi 

Most citizens of the world are endowed with milk of human kindness, and are ever ready to lend a helping hand to folks in need, either for cash or kind. One of these citizens is a Nigerian of special breed, filled with compassion and zeal to assist wrongfully detained persons to regain their freedom. He is Mr. Hezekiah Olujobi, who is leading the fight against wrongful detention and elongated detention without trial with his Non-Governmental Organization, the Centre for Justice, Mercy and Reconciliation (CJMR).

The CJMR as stated, is NGO dedicated to promoting human rights and advocacy within the Nigeria Correctional Service and strengthening the rule of law in Nigeria Criminal Justice System, according to the Founder, Mr. Olujobi.

“Our area of focus are Advocacy, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Investigation, Cases review, Rehabilitation of individual upon freedom and Restorative Justice in Criminal Matter,” he added.

The CJMR as an organization, was established in 1999, and was officially registered in 2009. It has since then accumulated an enviable and proven track record of facilitating the release of individuals from death row, some of whom had been unjustly incarcerated for 18 to 28 years.

“Additionally, over 600 inmates have been freed from illegal detention after 4 to 12 years without trial. The organization has also established a Halfway Home that has benefited over 300 individuals.

“Our activities cut across the Correctional service in South West: Oyo, Odun , Ogun and Lagos States. We still have over 100 cases for intervention including 10 people on death row whom we strongly believed they are victims of wrongful conviction,” Olujobi stressed.

Hezekiah Olujobi, also known as a Pastor, for his vocation as a preacher of the gospel, who is the founder of CJMR, is currently working on two books to project the work of the organization so far.

The first, “Their Stories Behind Bars,” is a collection of narratives from individuals wrongfully sentenced to death and how the organization helped secure their rrlease, while the second book, “Their Hurts and Unforgettable Memories,” delves into the stories of victims and offenders, exploring their deep hurts and the healing process through restorative justice.

The following stories below as told by Pastor Olujobi, carefully epitomizes how far the NGO has gone to put smiles on the faces of individuals, who have otherwise lost hope of ever living their lives among free people again

Olaniyi Emiola’s Wrongful Conviction: My Belief in His Innocence

Olaniyi Emiola was sentenced to death based on witness testimony that was a case of mistaken identity. The armed robber apprehended at the crime scene insisted he was not the person being referred to and claimed he did not know Emiola at all. However, one of the victims, who recognized Emiola by the name “Abija,” insisted that he was the culprit. Emiola was known in the streets as “Abija,” not “Niyi,” yet the robber mentioned a “Femi Niyi,” not “Abija.” The man in question is Olaniyi Emiola, not Femi Niyi. During the trial, it was claimed that the robber identified the house of their leader to them, who is known as Abija,

In this controversial case, the conclusion of judgment of my noble lord, Hon Justice Jimoh of the Tribunal Court, was as follows:

“It is our considered judgment that the discovery of the second accused in the house pointed out by the first accused to the prosecution, and the discovery of the stolen items in the house shown to the police by the first accused, are admissible and well taken. Referencing R. v. Garbett (1847) 2 C & K 474 and R. v. Treacy (1945) 30 CAR 93, with these authorities in view, the second accused has been properly identified and linked with the commission of the crime charged.

Since the prosecution has adduced sufficient evidence to place the second accused at the scene at the material time, his alibi defense is logically and physically demolished.

This was established by the Supreme Court in the cases of Patrick Njovens vs. The State (1973) 5 SC 17 at 65 and Christian Nwosisi v. The State (1976) 6 SC 109 at 112.

It is my considered judgment that since the defense of the second accused has failed and, by the acceptable evidence of the prosecution witnesses, the accused has fallen into the warm embrace of the law, and I so hold.

SENTENCE: OLANIYI EMIOLA – The sentence of the Tribunal upon you is that you be hanged by the neck until you are dead or suffer death by firing squad, as the Administrator of this State may direct. May the Lord have mercy on your soul.”

This was the judgment that sent a man to darkness and anguish, leaving him to await execution in a solitary cell for 11 years without the right to appeal, luckily for him, the abolition of execution was announced in Nigeria.

Reprieve came when we visited Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in 2007. We investigated the matter by analyzing the entire judgment and all the contents of the case file. We took up his case, amplified his voice of innocence, and refuted all the arguments in light of the existing facts recorded in the judgement.

Olaniyi Emiola was finally set free in January 2011, after 17 years had been wrongfully taken from his life.

One can only imagine what would have happened if execution had not been abolished in Nigeria.

CJMR’s Advocacy visit to the Oyo State Attorney General

The organisation has also taken its advocacy to the Attorney General’s office in Oyo State, and achieved certain parameters as represented in the narrative below:

“On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the Committee for Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation (CJMR) conducted an advocacy visit to the office of the Oyo State Attorney General. The purpose of the visit was to highlight the plight of numerous inmates who have been denied justice and are enduring the prolonged anguish of indefinite trials for capital offenses.

The primary goal of the visit was to bring to the Attorney General’s attention specific cases of individuals who appear to have been wrongfully accused of capital offenses and have been languishing in detention since 2015 without legal advice. Additionally, there are those who have been repeatedly taken to the High Court since 2017 without the prosecution presenting a single witness.

In a recent development on March 18 and 19, 2024, the Oyo State Chief Judge, Honorable Justice Iyabo Yerima, visited the custodial centers in Ibadan and Oyo. She firmly resolved not to address any capital offense cases, maintaining her stance throughout the jail delivery exercise. Consequently, 32 inmates were released from Agodi and 38 from Oyo, totaling 70 releases from facilities that house 1,250 and 827 inmates, respectively. The data clearly indicates that a significant proportion of detainees charged with capital offenses remain unaddressed.

Pastor Olujobi further noted that “During the CJMR’s visit, seven recommendations were proposed to enhance the efficiency of justice delivery by the Attorney General’s office, and a list of 32 individuals awaiting legal advice was submitted.”

The Attorney General, known for his humility and activism, pledged to collaborate with the CJMR.

He further acknowledged that “It is a profound injustice for individuals, even those apprehended with substantial evidence, to be detained indefinitely, risking the degradation of evidence and waning interest or resolve of witnesses. The slow turn of the justice system’s wheels can erode its very foundation.

“Similarly, it is an injustice for an innocent person to endure punishment due to procedural delays or inefficiencies.

The presumption of innocence until proven guilty is a fundamental principle of democratic societies, yet it is undermined when the process to establish innocence is plagued by excessive delays. The time for change is now.

Olujobi is also of the view that “The judiciary must move beyond a confessionary-based approach to prison decongestion and focus on those unjustly detained for capital offenses.”

From Darkness to Light: The Unraveling of Injustice and the Triumph of Freedom for Olusola Adepetu after 26 years behind bar

In this scenario, the police conducted a comprehensive investigation, and the defense attorney performed admirably. However, despite these efforts, the judge appeared to succumb to public pressure, reminiscent of Pontius Pilate’s historical decision, resulting in Olusola Adepetu being wrongfully sentenced to death.

Tragically, this miscarriage of justice led to the loss of 26 years of Adepetu’s life.

The appellant, a native of Ondo state was 34 years old at the time of his arrest, a father of 4 children with a broken home.

He was the owner of Olusola Naturalist Hospital. He was a Guru in herbal traditional-medicine, very popular with radio and television advertisements.

He cures all manner of ailment, he was a highlife socialite, he was a member of special marshal of Federal Road Safety Commission, due to the nature of his work as herbal traditional medicine healer he was highly connected with people in high places who always patronized him and in the world ravaged with deceases people always throng his office to seek healing for their ailments.

He is not a medical doctor but always referred to as Doctor Olusola.

All of a sudden, the light of his fame and popularity went off, he was enveloped with thick darkness. For a good 26 years he never walks under the moon nor is beaten by rain.

What happened?

His girlfriend was murdered in a mysterious way, three days later, her dead body was recovered by the police at the Express way, Sanyo, Ibadan and deposited at mortuary in Adeoyo state Hospital. Who must have done this?

Nobody knows till today. The relations who were in the shop of the father of his girlfriend who saw him when he came to pick the deceased and the bar man who saw him the previous day with the deceased pointed touch light on him.

Upon his arrest, rumors went round the whole city like wildfire and consumed the heart of men, same Radio and Television stations where his advertisements were being jingled, announced his arrest, all kinds of rumors went round the city, his case became a celebrated case.

He was consumed by the public adverse opinion.

With all kinds of rumors, the death of the lady was attributed to ritual killing, some said he cut the breast of the lady, some said he cut her private part for the ritual purpose.

At every court adjournment the whole court room and the premises will always be filled up with people. The case attracted the public interest. Like Pontius Pilate, the judge has no choice than to deliver the innocent man as a sacrificial lamb not for the world but for his likely hidden sin.

Light shines on his path again, when we unravel the case file documents with the dissenting judgement and the man regains his freedom after 26 years.

The critical question is: Who will advocate for the poor and helpless? It is us;
The Chief Judge, Attorney General, Commissioner of Police, and all stakeholders must be involved. And this where CJMR comes in, and the organization are doing it.

“We therefore call for wholesome assistance from all and sundry to sustain the tempo, and help our people, who graciously need the assistance,” Olujobi concluded.

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Binance Executive Detained in Nigeria Escapes from Custody

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One of the two Binance executives detained in Nigeria for alleged tax evasion and other offences, Nadeem Anjarwalla, has escaped from lawful custody, according to PREMIUM TIMES report.

Our sources said Mr Anjarwalla, 38, escaped on Friday, 22 March, from the Abuja guest house where he and his colleague were detained after guards on duty led him to a nearby mosque for prayers in the spirit of the ongoing Ramadan fast.

The Briton, who also has Kenyan citizenship, is believed to have flown out of Abuja using a Middle East airliner.

It remains unclear how Mr Anjarwalla got on an international flight despite his British passport, with which he entered Nigeria, remaining in the custody of the Nigerian authorities.

Authorities are also said to be working to unravel his intended destination in a bid to get him back into custody.

An Immigration official said the Binance executive fled Nigeria on a Kenyan passport. He, however, said authorities were trying to determine how he obtained the passport, given that he had no other travel document (apart from the British passport) on him when he was taken into custody.

Another source said the two officials were held at a “comfortable guest house” and allowed many rights, including the use of telephones, a privilege Mr Anjarwalla is believed to have exploited to plot an escape.

When contacted Sunday night on the escape of the Binance executive from detention, the Head of Strategic Communication at the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, said he would enquire and revert. He has yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

Mr Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager, and Tigran Gambaryan, a US citizen overseeing financial crime compliance at the crypto exchange platform, were detained upon their arrival in Nigeria on 26 February 2024.

A criminal charge was filed against the two executives before a Magistrate Court in Abuja. On 28 February 2024, the court granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) an order to remand the duo for 14 days. The court also ordered Binance to provide the Nigerian government with the data/information of Nigerians trading on its platform.

Following Binance’s refusal to comply with the order, the court extended the remand of the officials for an additional 14 days to prevent them from tampering with evidence. The court then adjourned the case till 4 April 2024.

Also on 22 March, the Nigerian government approached the Federal High Court in Abuja and slammed another four-count charge on Binance Holdings Limited, Mr Anjarwalla and Mr Gambaryan, accusing them of offering services to subscribers on their platform while failing to register with the Federal Inland Revenue Service to pay all relevant taxes administered by the Service and in so doing, committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 8 of the Value Added Tax Act of 1993 (as Amended).

The defendants were also accused of offering taxable services to subscribers on their trading platform while failing to issue invoices to those subscribers to determine and pay their value-added taxes and, in so doing, committed an offence contrary to and punishable under S.29 of the Value Added Tax Act of 1993 (as amended).

Count Three of the charges accused the three defendants of offering services to subscribers on their Binance trading platform for the buying and selling of cryptocurrencies and the remittance and transfer of those assets while failing to deduct the necessary Value Added Taxes arising from their operations and thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 40 of the Federal Inland Revenue Service Establishment Act 2007 (as amended).

The last count of the charges wants the defendants punished for allegedly aiding and abetting subscribers on their Binance trading platform to unlawfully refuse to pay taxes or neglect to pay those taxes and, in so doing, committing an offence contrary to and punishable under the provisions of S.94 of the Companies Income Tax Act (as amended).

The Nigerian government had, in the past three months, been cracking down on suspected money launderers and terrorism financiers, some of whom it alleged are using the Binance platform for criminal activities

The Nigerian government said over $21.6 billion was traded by Nigerians whose identities were concealed by Binance.

Source: Premium Times

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