Adding Value
Dele Momodu: Happy 65th Birthday to a Humble Man by Henry Ukazu
Published
1 month agoon
By
Eric
Dear Destiny Friends,
It is with great pleasure that I write to you today about an extraordinarily great man who is celebrating his unique, scintillating and surreal birthday on this auspicious day.
One may be wondering who is this great man in question? He’s no other person than the great Chief Dele Momodu, the Chairman of Ovation Media Group, who was born on May 16, 1960.
According to my spiritual mentor, Evangelist Ebuka Obi, he’s not preaching about Jesus Christ, who he heard about, he’s talking and preaching about Jesus Christ whom he has experienced. In the same manner, I am not talking about Dr. Dele Momodu whom I have heard about, I am talking about Dr. Dele Momodu who I have personally experienced. When I talk about experience, I have spoken to him for over a thousand hours. In fact, he once stated on a live Instagram program, he talks to me more than everyone in the world.
Let me begin by talking about the humble beginning of Chief Momodu. Chief Dele Momodu really had a humble beginning. His father died when he was barely 13 years old. One can imagine when life was in stock for him as a 13years old boy. According to him, his mother was poor and unlettered. Ordinarily, in the eyes and hearts of men, the future appeared bleak and insecure, but as the saying goes, the way of man is different from the ways of God. As we proceed you will discover how faithful God appeared to him.
The life of Dr. Momodu can be described as a testimony because life seems to be very fair to him. There have been situations when life seems to be coming to an end for him and out of the blues, God will send a destiny helper to him. One thing that is certain about this great man is that he has a charming personality. You can’t see him and hate him unless you are a witchcraft spirit. It may surprise you to know that Chief Dele Momodu’s enemy loves him because he tells them the raw truth when they either need to hear it or when they consult him.
The doggedness of Chief Dele Momodu was first felt when he had to retake the West African Examination Council three times to secure admission. Coming from a teenager with an extremely humble background, most times, one is not given an opportunity to thrive, but here is the young Momodu who is making a name for himself by not giving up on himself even when friends, relatives have already given up on him. His late mother once asked him if he was cursed when he couldn’t get his West African Examination Council results and Jamb cancelled results. As God will have it, he was able to secure admission to study Yoruba at Obafemi Awolowo University. Upon graduation, he applied to study Literature in English and thereby became the only Nigerian that read Yoruba language with master’s in literature in English language.
On 30 July 2016, Momodu was awarded with an honorary doctorate degree (PhD) from the University of Professional Studies, Accra, Ghana, earning him the title “Doctor of Humane”.
Upon graduation, getting a job was very hard for him, he began to freelance, luck and fate found him when he got an opportunity to work for Chief Moshood Abiola African Concord Newspaper and in two years time he became the highest paid editor in Nigeria.
Chief Dele Momodu’s love for humanity and good governance can be felt when he opposed bad governance from 1978 till date. He has always stated he has always been in the opposition party. He played a critical role in restoring peace in Sierra Leone, Rwanda and other African countries.
Dr. Momodu is one man I can say he rose from grass to grace. Here’s a man whose father died when he was barely 13 years old. His mother, a poor unlettered woman who knows the value of education went over and beyond to positively send his child to school. I guess she has the premonition that apart from God, education is the only gateway that can shape their future. She was so right because even the Bible states in Proverbs 4:13, your education is your life, guard it very well and proverbs 1:7 states “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
One may be wondering why I had to quote the Bible. Well, it is instructive to note that Dr. Momodu is a child of destiny because how can you describe a man who was evicted from the house with this mother because they couldn’t pay the rent, they resorted to find a temporary solace in the church to a man who has met Presidents of different countries who have engaged him on a one – on – one personal basis, met with world leaders, and travelled to more than 60 countries.
One may be wondering what made it possible for Chief Dele Momodu to achieve all these great strides. The answer is very simple, he has been able to achieve this feat because of his brand, Ovation Media Group ( Ovation International Magazine) which makes him irresistible, but importantly Dr. Momodu has the “God factor” in his life. It won’t be out of place if you call him a child of destiny because his life seems to be more than an uncommon one.
Looking back to his humble beginnings, I doubt if anyone will give him an opportunity to thrive because he has little or no support for him except his belief in God, belief in himself and dare-devil mindset. Yes, I said it because Dr. Momodu is an avid strategic risk taker. He has taken routes which are less travelled by many people and by the grace of God he has come out stronger. The strangest thing about Chief Dele Momodu is that the more you look, the less you see.
I can him the mentor of mentors because he embodies a lot of qualities in me. Above he is the definition of a pinnacle mentor. Of all the qualities he possesses, the one that endears to him is his sophisticated level of humility and selfless spirit.
Dr. Momodu has received hundreds of awards and honors for his work in the world of business, politics, literature, the music industry and the fashion industry
Love for good governance and exile:
In 1993, Momodu resigned to join the Moshood Abiola presidential campaign organization. Momodu was arrested and detained at Alagbon Close in Lagos, after the annulment of the 12 June presidential election by General Ibrahim Babagida He was punished by the reigning dictatorship for his pro-democratic views but was undeterred. He was to be arrested in 1995 and charged with treason by the government of Sani Abacha, then a dictator. Momodu was accused of being one of the brains behind the pirate radio station, Radio Freedom (later Radio Kudirat), after the murder of Alhaja kudira Abiola, Momodu managed to escape by masquerading as a farmer through the Seme border into Cotonou, in Benin Republic, from where he fled to Togo, Ghana and eventually to the United Kingdom. For three agonizing years, he could not re-enter his homeland, Nigeria.
Business
Momodu started Ovation International in 1996 while still in exile. After the death of Abiola in prison, and the subsequent death of his military ruler Sani Abacha, Momodu ended his exile. Since then, he has expanded Ovation International, and is now one of Africa’s most popular celebrities.
Political career
Dr. Momdou’s passion for good governance continued when he wass fraustred with Nigerian leaders. Instead of lamenting like Jeremiah, he contested for the position of president of the federal republic of Nigeria under the Labour Party, during the 2011 presidential election Unfortunately, the Labour Party dropped out of the presidential race and he ended up running under the platform of the National Conscience Party and lost to President Goodluck Jonathan in the general elections.
In February 2022, he declared his intention to run for president of Nigeria, on the platform of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, but lost the ticket to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Dr. Momodu always describes himself as a man of modest income who has become a global citizen.
As I am about to end this article, let me state some obvious facts, The story of my life will not be complete without the mention of Aare Dele Momodu, a man of many immeasurable qualities. One thing about this great man is that he is largely underrated, but those who know him know for a fact, he is a patriot who stands for the right principles, ideology, values, causes, and what he believes.
Today, l boldly state, he is one of the great men if not the greatest man God used to give me visibility. I say this because apart from my book in which he wrote the foreword, nothing has given me prominence in the world than my writing skills.
I have been writing since 2012 on my blog, but in 2018, he gave me the opportunity to write on his platform The Boss Newspaper, and since then, l have developed a keen interest in writing and have not missed a single week of publishing articles about self and human capacity development.
When we talk of mentorship, l learnt the art from him. When we talk of intentionality, l learnt it from him. When we talk of humility, l learnt it from him, when we talk of strategic networking, l learnt it from him. When we talk of working hard and smart, l learnt it from him. When we talk of being objective, speaking truth to power, and being selfless to humanity, l learnt the art from him. I can go on and on, but as the sage will say, a word is enough for the wise.
Sir, as you celebrate your 65th birthday, I pray for more blessing, good health, and the mercy of God upon your life. Amen.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design Your and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
Related
You may like
Adding Value
Adding Value: Stretch Yourself by Henry Ukazu
Published
4 days agoon
June 14, 2025By
Eric
Dear Destiny Friends,
Anyone who intends to go far in life must be intentional in stretching himself, and that explains why the importance of stretching oneself cannot be overemphasized. Nobody will assist anyone when they are not intentional in helping themselves. Someone’s ability to convince others of how passionate and dedicated they are concerning a given cause, position or project, is one of the weapons of inspiration that draws assistance. There aren’t many out there that stumbles into investing help where there’s no passion or dedication to a cause.
I will be sharing a personal, but practical experience that inspired this article with a background in my spiritual leader, Evangelist Ebuka Anozie Obi’s statement that, “I’m not preaching about Jesus Christ I heard, but I am talking about Jesus Christ I have personally experienced”. This statement captured my thoughts and mindset about this article.
In recent times, I have discovered the importance of being practical when writing or living generally. For instance, I got the inspiration to write this article a week ago when I visited the gym at my workplace. I was literally amazed to see the transformation that has taken place in my life.
The sad reality of life is most people want to go to heaven, but they are not willing to die. This means that a lot of people want to be celebrated, they are not willing to do the needful. How can people support you when you are not making an effort to succeed? Sometimes, ignorant minds want their benefactors, mentors or even destiny helpers to fasttrack their opportunities, but they are not willing to learn or do the associate work.
It’s instructive to note that your benefactors are not the lamb of God, who takes aways the sins of the world. They won’t do the work for you, rather, they will put the icing on the cake after the progressive minds must have done 90% of the work. This is just the reality of life.
Let me share a practical experience with you, I have a resourceful mentor with global influence. When my first book was ready for publication, I reached out to him to write the foreword, and he was glad. According to him, I have done something he has been willing to do for about 20 years. He was literally impressed to see my thoughts and efforts birthed into reality. The interesting thing about the success of my first book is that the book took me to New York Times, News12 in New York, United Nations in addition to introducing me to resourceful minds globally.
Imagine if I had not taken time to stretch myself, I wouldn’t have attained this height. That’s why I said, when you stretch yourself a little bit, there are bound to be opportunities and experiences that will come your way.
There was a recurrence of thesame experience when I incorporated my business, Global Empowerment and Mentoring Initiative, which helps uninformed youths and career professionals in self-discovery. Since forming the company, I have received invitations from resourceful minds, corporate organizations and contracts from the governments for training opportunities. I have also developed programs from my book and business. All this was made possible because I stretched myself.
Stretching oneself is not only limited to expanding one’s capacity, it also extends to expanding one’s mind. You can do this by reading and researching. It’s sad to know that many people find it hard to read and in fact, it is stated, if one wants to hide information from people, put it in a book because many people find it hard to read.
As human beings, we have an instructional need to stretch oneself. When we stretch ourselves, we’ll be surprised to see the level of opportunities we can attract to our careers, lives, and personal development. Stretching oneself is like taking risk, one will never know what to expect when one stretches oneself, but one thing is certain, we shall gain a new perspective and experience of life.
No great person has ever achieved success without stretching a bit further. They do this by taking unconventional paths which involve taking risks, taking certification courses, attending relevant events of interest, networking and learning from resource minds like mentors. All these are great ways of learning.
As a cultured Nigerian man, we have an adage that says, there’s no perfect time for one to learn, rather when an elderly person is speaking, a child who is there will pay attention. What does that mean? It simply means, when one stretches oneself, no one knows where the next opportunity will pop out.
For instance, when a recent graduate with a good grade, starts an entry level job, it might not necessarily be the grade that will secure the job, though it may contribute. It may surprise you to know that it may be your skills, extra work you have done or potentials that will give you the work. This simply means that one must add value to himself to attract opportunities, and attaining that opportunity entails comingout of your comfort zone.
Overtime, I have developed an intentional habit of updating my resume by adding value to my life by learning a skill every six months. Each time I add value to my work, I always see prospects each time I see someone of interest. I also evaluate my life and my work and see how I can edit my previous work and improve myself based on what I’m trying to achieve.
I don’t know what your storyline might be, but I’m here to encourage and inspire you to stretch yourself because nobody will save you other than yourself. The world is not a fair place, you just must do your best and leave the rest to God.
Do you know that stretching oneself also entails networking with resourceful and influential people. When you meet resourceful people with influence, endeavor to give them gifts as a token of appreciation for what they have either done for you, humanity or simply as a kind of gesture. That single kind gesture is capable of opening doors for you because it will separate you from other uninformed minds, who might be in the habit of begging without adding value to the person’s mind.
In conclusion, today I charge you to stretch yourself mentally, financially, socially, academically, spiritually, medically, professionally, personal development or in any other relevant area of your life and you will see your life blossoming.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
Related
Adding Value
Adding Value: Redirect Your Thoughts by Henry Ukazu
Published
2 weeks agoon
June 6, 2025By
Eric
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
No doubt, we are all familiar with the power behind thought, words, actions and principles. Much as these work in spectacular ways, the ability for one to direct and redirect them can be a game changer.
Whether one works in a public or private establishment, it is important to speak and act courteously because sometimes, it’s not really what one says that matter, but the manner of presentation.
Also, how parents talk to their children is very critical to their mental development, just as how two persons in a relationship talk to each other will affect their union. There’s no gainsaying the fact that words are powerful; they can make or mar a person of situation.
To imagine how powerful words are, consider how the pronouncements of the President of the United States of America can influence the stock market. In the same manner, the words of the President of any country can affect the country. Even the words of the Chief Executive Officer of a company can affect the company.
Uniformed minds are unaware of how potent words can be, so they speak without thinking about the damaging consequences of their words. As a rule of thumb, if your words won’t heal, please keep it. To buttress how damaging words can be, did you know there are certain people that will prefer you “hit” them than speaking to them in a condescending, derogative and denigrating manner.
The reason I had to lay the foundation of this topic on words is to show how our thoughts can affect our words. Isn’t it true that it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks?
Redirecting one’s thoughts work perfectly with our words. There’s power in the spoken words. Whenever we speak, the walls hear, the ground stamps, and the air spreads them. It’s one thing to speak the words and it’s another thing to implement and execute the words with the right actions.
In my journey to life, I have come to understand the importance of redirecting one’s perception to life. Sometimes, we look at life from a narrow position instead of from a broad holistic perspective. For instance, if one fails in an examination, instead of apportioning blame to other factors, how about owning up by going to the drawing board to know where they missed it. The same principle is applicable should one fail in business, marriage or health.
Again, spiritual development is very critical to one’s enhancement. A spiritually grounded person will have his thoughts properly channeled when he experiences a setback. For instance, we are taught not to question God when we lose a loved one because He gives life, and He takes life. We are also taught to give thanks to God in all situations. These are practical ways of redirecting one’s thoughts.
If you don’t redirect your thoughts, other people will redirect it for you, but to suit their own principles. In every sphere of life, we are either directing or redirecting our lives because remaining stagnant can be disastrous. According to Alvin Toffler, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn”. So, it is important to examine the life one lives, as an “an unexamined life is not worth living”, according to Socrates.
Sometimes, we allow the experiences and challenges we go through life to either affect us or define us instead of changing our outlook and attitude to the experience. Most times, we don’t know we have the power and capacity to change the course of our lives; that we can literally turn our pain into gain, our lack to abundance, and our disadvantaged position to an advantaged position. All this will only work if we are able to redirect our thoughts in the right way.
Did you know that your experiences in life do not influence what you think about? Rather, it is what you think about that creates your experiences in life. Life is just a realization of your thoughts. According to Napoleon Hill in his book “Think and Grow Rich”, “whatsoever the mind can conceive, believe, it can achieve it”.
Furthermore, your lifestyle determines your life star, and your personality creates your personal reality. Therefore, the key to changing your life is through changing your thinking. Changing how you think is like packaging your business or writing a business proposal. If you don’t put the right information with the right words, the recipient might not be able to process your application very well, nor will they give it a positive consideration which it ultimately deserves.
Nobody knows what’s in one’s mind except one begins to act. To x-ray how one can redirect one’s thoughts, try as much as possible to have a positive outlook to life no matter how rough life throws dirt at you because it is what you think that you become. If you start thinking or imagining a red car, I can almost guarantee that you’ll not only begin to see red cars, you will begin to attract red cars, red vans, red trucks and red colors because you have positioned your mind to red. This is simply because our thoughts shape your reality.
On a personal note, I have been able to redirect my thoughts, my words, my actions and more importantly my perceptions to life, and this has greatly helped me profess things differently. I no longer take ‘things’ personally. I see people’s actions through their lens. I hear and interpret people’s words differently based on their understanding; I see the reaction and attitude of people based on what they have been exposed to.
As I conclude this article, I would like to ask; how do you process information? How do you see life? How do you redirect your thoughts when life doesn’t add up for you?
In conclusion, today, I charge you to learn how to put to good use the words of Alvin Toffler, to learn, relearn and unlearn many healthy and unhealthy practices by redirecting and channeling your thoughts and actions to the right side of life.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
Related
Adding Value
Adding Value: Always Show Gratitude by Henry Ukazu
Published
2 weeks agoon
June 2, 2025By
Eric
Dear Destiny Friends,
Gratitude is the one of the best currencies on planet earth, especially when properly utilized. Gratitude is just being grateful and being grateful is just expressing appreciation, concern and acknowledgement for favour received.
Gratitude; like relationship, value, skill, network, education, is a currency. Note that currency is not limited to money. Gratitude is much more than that.
A key determining factor towards identifying a person with a grateful heart, is the person’s attitude when he has or doesn’t have. How a person acts when he has money, and how a person acts when he doesn’t have money speak volumes. For example, when someone wants to know a loyal person, it’s advisable to remove the benefits the person normally receives because of the relationship they have with someone. If for example, someone asks you for money and you politely decline, watch the person’s attitude.
A person with a genuine heart of gratitude always go over and beyond to appreciate anyone, who has shown them favour, especially during their time of need. They hardly forget such good deeds. I can vividly remember when I was experiencing a financial meltdown during my formative years in U.S.A, and out of the blues, one of my mentors called me to inquire how I was faring, I used the opportunity to share with him my predicament, and was surprised how he used emotional intelligence to not only boost my moral, but also gave me eight hundred dollars. In all honesty, I do thank him almost every six months and yearly whenever I remember the good deeds until he felt uncomfortable with such an act and advised me to stop because according to him, that’s the least he could do.
You can be grateful even when life does not favour you. For instance, one might be looking for an opportunity and the opportunity doesn’t show up. Sometimes, it can be a blessing in disguise, because we might not know what was likely to happen in the near future. Imagine one applying for a job, and gets rejected for the position, only for the person to realize much later he would have experienced a toxic relationship both with respect to the work culture and human relationship which would have caused more harm than good to him. Also, imagine a scene where a man intends to a marry a lady or lady intends to marry a guy, and due to reasons beyond their comprehension, it didn’t work out, only for both parties to realize not only were they not compatible in terms of tolerance, they also had different spirits, values, vision and mindsets towards life.
This is the reason I personally don’t force relationships, opportunities or anything in life. I like the natural cause of life to always play itself out knowing fully well that the cup of water I will drink will never pass me by.
In the journey of life, I have come to realize the importance of not being desperate for opportunities. Patience has taught me, at the right time, everything will align well. I have had opportunities to make presentations, proposals in addition to meeting highly resourceful people, sometimes, the outcome is quite favorable, other times, it opens doors for more conversation, but one thing is certain I learnt something new from each engagement, but more importantly, I was grateful for the opportunity.
When we talk of patience, it is normal for one to feel a little bit worried if they are ripe for marriage, and no suitable partner is coming; it is normal for one to be concerned when the job is not coming through despite one acquiring all the necessary skills and qualifications; it’s normal for one to put in all the necessary work yet still finds it hard to break through. If you are in his state, I will strongly recommend you appreciate the process and gain inherent lessons associated with the experience.
It’s sad many people don’t know how to apply the principles of gratitude. Gratitude is like a knife, if you use the sharp side, it will hurt you and if you use the blunt side it won’t hurt like the sharp side. Do you know there’s how one will say thank you, and it will appear ungrateful and there’s how someone will say thank you for a little and inconsequential act, and it will attract a greater opportunity. That’s simply how life works. The way, manner, and style a person displays gratitude speaks volume. Gratitude is truly a skill which needs to be understudied.
Gratitude has many sides; let’s talk about the positive aspect of gratitude. Sometimes, some people complain of being the only child or not having family members, but they fail to understand that your family drama is the dream of an orphan. Your dirty dishes are evidence you have eaten. According to Reno Omokri, “your noisy house is proof you have active, healthy children. Your tired body is a sign you have work. And your jalopy car will make pedestrians jumpy and happy. Many of the things we complain about in life are signs that God has blessed us. Billions of people on Earth will gladly trade their lives for ours. Take time to give thanks to God.”
Again, gratitude has many sides; it all depends on the one a progressive mind decides to look on. Did you know that two people can experience pain, and they will react differently? Did you know some students might be in the same class but not all of them have the same level of vision on graduation? A group of people might be working on a project, but not all of them have the same mindset, ideology and vision for life.
Gratitude cuts accross all barriers of life. Whether life treats you fairly or unfairly, don’t be harsh on yourself, just accept your faith with a good attitude, and you will be surprised to see how the universe will work in alignment for you.
In summary, regardless of what life throws at you, endeavor to practice gratitude.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
Related


Benue Massacre: How Come No Arrest Has Been Made, Tinubu Fires at IGP

Tinubu in Benue, Visits Yelwata Attacks Victims in Hospital

Israel kills Iranian Armed Forces Chief Two Days after Appointment

Abuja River Park Estate: Ghanaian Investors Drag IGP, EFCC, Others to Court

I’ll Work Against Tinubu’s Re-election in 2027 – Ex-aide Aliyu Audu

Court Denies FG Permission to Arrest Natasha

Massacre: Tinubu Postpones Kaduna Trip, to Visit Benue Wednesday

Just In: Drama in Senate As Invaders Take Maze Away

Nigerian Engineer Wins $500m Contract to Build Monorail Network in Iraq

WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Will Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Join Presidential Race?

World Exclusive: How Cabal, Corruption Stalled Mambilla Hydropower Project …The Abba Kyari, Fashola and Malami Connection Plus FG May Lose $2bn

Rehabilitation Comment: Sanwo-Olu’s Support Group Replies Ambode (Video)

Fashanu, Dolapo Awosika and Prophet Controversy: The Complete Story

The Great Gani Fawehinmi: His Life, His Legacies & His Frustrations

Who are the early favorites to win the NFL rushing title?

Boxing continues to knock itself out with bewildering, incorrect decisions

Steph Curry finally got the contract he deserves from the Warriors

Phillies’ Aaron Altherr makes mind-boggling barehanded play

The tremendous importance of owning a perfect piece of clothing
Trending
-
News7 years ago
Just In: Drama in Senate As Invaders Take Maze Away
-
News7 years ago
Nigerian Engineer Wins $500m Contract to Build Monorail Network in Iraq
-
Featured7 years ago
WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Will Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Join Presidential Race?
-
Boss Picks7 years ago
World Exclusive: How Cabal, Corruption Stalled Mambilla Hydropower Project …The Abba Kyari, Fashola and Malami Connection Plus FG May Lose $2bn
-
Headline7 years ago
Rehabilitation Comment: Sanwo-Olu’s Support Group Replies Ambode (Video)
-
Headline7 years ago
Fashanu, Dolapo Awosika and Prophet Controversy: The Complete Story
-
Boss Picks7 years ago
The Great Gani Fawehinmi: His Life, His Legacies & His Frustrations
-
Headline7 years ago
Pendulum: Can Atiku Abubakar Defeat Muhammadu Buhari in 2019?