I have always been a strong proponent of the power of unity. I believed that the implication of the fact that if one could chase 1000 and then 2 will put 10,000 to flight means that there is power in synergy. In fact, I analyzed and showed people that any one who stood alone when he could collaborate with someone else, was wasting a lot of potentials. Can you imagine how much of 10,000 is lost when two people decide to go separately? If you calculated it, it’s 8,000, that’s a huge percentage of possibilities lost out of lack of collaboration. Just for clarity, here is the equation. 1 will chase 1000, this means that two independent 1’s will chase 2,000, as opposed to the 10,000 they could have chased this is a loss of 8,000 or 80%.

I however discovered a slight modification of this calculation today! I discovered to my utter surprise, that it is not normal for one to chase a thousand. When one chases 1000, it is because the almighty God is involved. That equation is an equation that is only in force when God is involved. One will normally chase a few,  but one with God is majority! Sometimes we underestimate the power of God in our lives, we forget, and we think we are where we are because of our attitude, skill and knowledge. Well A.S.K. (Attitude, Skill and Knowledge) helps but God is irreplaceable and key! So in this call for collaboration, I call on God almighty without whom life would not be worth living, and I call on you too, my ever supportive friends. I have developed something, and I need your collaboration for it to succeed.

www.deoluakinyemi.com is now available offline! I have been working on a project for the past 2 months, and it’s now finished. I have been able to convert articles on www.deoluakinyemi.com into mini books called “essentials” and they are now available for the audience of people without regular internet access. The books have graphics, a colourful hard back cover and glossy interiors - Please find two samples attached. (this1 and this2) These mini books are available to the reading public for a token of N50 per piece. The people who haven’t been to the website before, that have gone through the books have shared amazing comments, the people that have gone through the online articles are wondering why it can’t look like this online. For all the people who have printed copies to share, who have forwarded to others, or who have simply been blessed, it’s available offline in hard copy now, for a little token.

I however have two ideas on how we can collaborate, and they are both proven and workable ideas. The books came in yesterday, and I have personally sold 7,000 copies already. Here are the two Ideas, and I’ll appreciate if you can collaborate with me on any.

1. Charity and Empowerment: Buy 1000 copies for N30,000 and pick a Secondary School/University or Corporate organization of your choice for it to be distributed to free of charge. You can choose to take delivery of the books or to get them delivered on your behalf.

2. Business and Empowerment: Buy 1000 copies for N30,000 and sell at N50 per piece.

It’s as simple as that, really. I want to also use this medium to invite all who are interested or who have other ideas on how to push this for a meeting on the 13th of July, 2008. Please indicate your interest by contacting me via the contact me button on the website. I’ll furnish you with the details of the meeting time and venue.

I also want to use this medium to thank you all, for your support for this website and for me for so long. I’m sure I don’t even know a lot you, but I’m grateful. History will not forget your labor of love, for as long as this site lasts, your comments will continue to reach out to many around. If Jesus tarries, when we are long gone, this site will continue to bless millions around the world, and your name will be on it!

Today I read about a man called Philipp Melanchthon, I had never heard about him, I bet you probably have never heard of him too. How about Martin Luther? Heard of him? Well, Martin Luther is who we know, but Melanchthon was who collaborated with Martin Luther that made him a success. Martin Luther preferred his concepts and thoughts, and spoke highly of him. Philipp became a Professor of Greek at the age of 21 after receiving his Masters in Arts at the age of 17. He also authored the Protestant Theology in 1521. While the world may only know and celebrate the Martin Luther’s of this world, God and history will never forget the contributions of Melanchthon Philipp and people like him. Please take this as a call to join forces to add value with me. Thank you.

“If you must play, decide on three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time” - Chinese Proverb

In my last trip outside the country, I got the opportunity to watch American Gangster. It’s an interesting film for many reasons, it’s also a film that I find a lot of lessons in. I would cronicle a few, in my attempt to share with you what is frontal in my mind this morning.

The story line was that, an American Area Father (Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson)and crime boss died, and his driver  turned right hand man Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) took over. Denzel Washington had driven this man for years, been with him for negotiation meetings, been  his PA for most of the journey, and had watched and learned. There were quite a number of people in the hierachry ahead of him, but he had been closest to the old man, and had learnt a lot from him. How to handle pressure, how to be patient, how to be decisive, how to negotiate e.t.c. He had learnt the art of business. When the Area Father died, a vacuum was created, the market was going to go unregulated. Leadership became available and there were a number of options.

Denzel decided to step up to leadership, he decided to also add a little more business dynamics to the drug business. He leveraged on his relationships, and secured high quality heroine at extremely cheap prices. With a better product, lower price and product supply, he controlled the market, establishing himself as an organized crime chieftain. He did it so well, without getting noticed that most of this competitors and even the cops believed there was an Italian mafia behind the scenes. In fact for a long time he wasn’t even known by the police.

While that was going on, a low life detective in New Jersy Richie Roberts (acted by Russell Crowe) was positioned as a “different cop”. He turned in a million dollars of unmarked money back to the force. With Russell Crowe in this film, it wasn’t a matter of who would know and what was worth it, he seemed to live under a compulsion to do the right thing at his Job. His life didn’t showcase as much integrity, but with his job as a police officer, he couldn’t be bought.

Things went exceptionally well for this crime boss business tycoon. He made money, he made name, he was out of lime light, he was cool! Denzel Washington played it well, a likeable criminal. Things went well… until… Until the war ended, and his military links were being called off from base in Vietnam. He wanted to make one last run for it, he travelled by himself to Asia to secure his last transaction - 7 Coffins filled with pure heroine. He had a conversation with the Chinese Nationalist general. Who told him what I really want you to learn - “Why don’t you quit now?” Denzel Washington (Frank Lucas in this film) looks at him stunned, quit?  The Chinese nationalist general told him again, “Quitting when you are ahead, is not quitting!” He didn’t take this advice, and he hit his waterloo. That was his last transaction, he was caught and he faced the music.

Over to you - What have you been doing that you know is bad, that you ought to quit now? The best time to quit, is after reading an article like this. It’s a sign, a warning, that you are getting past the point of no return. Wrong things have their repercurssions, if you haven’t faced the music yet, it means you are still ahead, quit!

I remember a time when God told the children of Isreal, “You have encamped long enough around this mountain, move now”. That’s saying quit parambulating. The children of Isreal ended up spending 40yrs on an 11 days journey, in the process, everybody older than 20yrs of age at the time of their departure from Egypt died in the wilderness. The repercussions for remaining stiff necked in evil doing are grave, quit when you are ahead. The bible says that because the reward for evil is not speedily executed, men foolishly continue to do evil. Every human has a cup that gets filled when we remain willfully do the wrong things. Nothing happens to you until the cup is filled. If your cup is not filled yet, quit while you are ahead.

Don’t wait until you get AIDS, don’t wait until you have an accident, don’t wait until you die, don’t wait until someone gets hurt, don’t wait until lives are destroyed, don’t wait until your youth is wasted, don’t wait until you enter an irreversible pattern of woes. Quit now, stop today!

In the last one week, one particular thing has consistently been coming to my attention. While I have been busy, I have also had the time and opportunity to have some fun. In the midst of it all, I have come to realize that the greatest benefit you can do for yourself in this second half is to up your game!

The greatest enemy of great is good. The greatest enemy of exceptional is average. Rarely are people get motivated to do beyond where they get comfortable. Do you have a benchmark? Do you have standards you aspire to? Did you set goals for yourself at the beginning of the year, are you taking stock? If you are far from your goals, it’s alright, you now only need to up your game.

Here are a few tips on why and how you need to up your game this year.

Do a little more!

I went for what I would call a Christian entertainment program organized by Daystar Christian Center on Friday night, tagged Effizy Night.

Amongst a number of things that I saw, I saw different artists come on stage to display their various talents. I saw people that could sing and people that could move the crowds, I saw people that could dance and people that were exceptional! I saw two compere’s, one that was good, and the other that was clearly better. I saw the crowd clapping, sometimes shouting, while yet sometimes giving a standing and shouting ovation. Different levels of skill display attracted different levels of crowd appeal. It dawned on me first hand, that the little extra after the ordinary is what makes up the extraordinary. Whatever it is that you know how to do, you have to put a little more into it. If you practiced for 30mins before, increase it to 1hr. If you read for 1hr before , make it 2. Double your input, and it will affect you output. Do a little more!

Maximize the Moment.

I was in a Church on a speaking engagement on Sunday morning-Headstone Church. I went there to speak at their early morning career service. There were three key things in my heart and mind for them.

First, whatever it is you desire in this life, it’s not a desire if you have not taken out time to at least pray to God about it. Have you taken your career desires to God in prayer? How skilled you want to become in that area, have you prayed about it? Are your financial goals known to God. The first step in the achievement of any purpose is prayer to God. If you understand God well, (if you don’t I believe it’s a worthwhile investment of your time to know Him) you’ll know that when you ask him for something that he has in mind to give you as well, he answers you. When God answers, you might not see the physical manifestation of the answer immediately, but it becomes reality in a spiritual form. In order to make what you have received manifest, your behavior in the now, needs to correspond to the existence of what you have prayed for. The moment for example that you ask for a Job, and believe that you have it, your behavior needs to step up to the reality that it exists. You need to start reading like someone who has your desired level of intelligence, you need to start preparing yourself by doing the things that will be required of you, you need to step up your game to match with what you have asked for. Don’t push your action till tomorrow, make it today! Act today! When was the last time you did something courageous? When was the last time you went the extra mile? When was the last time you were proud of yourself for how much time you put into some activity? When was the last time you felt you were being trained or groomed for excellence? When was it? Maximize this moment, don’t push your best days forward.

Make up your mind and get a Coach

I had the opportunity to watch some excerpts of a movie centered around the spelling bee competition on Sunday. This girl was obviously good, but because she had not prepared adequately she was almost going to lose out of the competition. When she finally made up her mind to go for the price, she decided to buckle up and work on her talent. She also decided to go meet a man in the same city who had won the same competition locally before, to coach her.

We all need to make up our minds how far we intend to go in life. How high do you want to climb? How deep do you want to swim. What is your aspiration? The quality of a man/woman’s life is a function of the quality of direction he or she gets. We celebrate many sport stars and athlete’s today because they were coached by people who gave them time and commitment. Is it Tiger Woods or the Williams sisters? These are products of coaching, interestingly by their dads. Someone has achieved success in the line in which you desire success or close to it. Make up your mind about what you want, and go after the people that can help you. Remember an hour with a wise man is worth many years of study. Experience is only a great teacher when it’s the experience of others. Set you goals, drive yourself hard and get a driver you can respect.

Refuse to Arrive

I got to hear about a comedy show for Sunday evening and decided I would attend. With the encouragement of some of my colleagues (My wife, Emore Ogho and Busayo Akanro), we decided to go. It was “Made in Warri”, and it was extremely hilarious.

I discovered something interesting however. I discovered that the unknown comedians obviously prepared a lot for their part and dazzled the audience. They were not known, hence they had to create a name for themselves, and in all honesty, they were really good. I could however not say the same for those who had seemed to have arrived - The people whose names where used to sell the tickets, came and performed at levels lower than the standards set for the day in my opinion. “I go die”, came on stage, obviously without adequate preparation and was litterally booed off the stage. The same for some of the other popular artists. What happened? They arrived! The got to limelight, and somehow are gradually losing the same habits that got them there. The skill that required nights and days of honing, now seems to them like inborn. They entered into Samson’s cast, and said like he did, “I will rise up like old times”. The day you arrive is the day you begin to go obscure, because there are many unknown people out there, who are willing to do twice as much to take your spot. It’s easier to get ahead than it is to stay ahead. Growth requires stretch, to stop to stretch is to stop to grow. Give yourself stretch benchmarks, seek to be like the best globally. Refuse to Arrive!

Be Patient

We had a meeting over the weekend with some property consultants and developers from Dubai. We hosted them to a few meetings over the weekend, and had the opportunity to chat together after the meetings. As Malawi citizens by birth and Indians by origin, they were really impressed with the New Nigeria Club Concept, can volunteered their help and support in any way we needed it.

While we discussed the similarities between countries, Nigeria and Pakistan for example, and the similarities between Asia and Africa, the CEO of the company asked us all a question. He asked us what we thought the beginning of wisdom was. We all told him directly - the fear of God. But he went on to share a story with us that I will share later. A very very interesting story. Do you want me to share it now? If you do, you need patience. Patience, my dear, is critical to success.

Our young people don’t want to invest for the long term, they want short term, and high returns. Nobody is willing to test the powers of compound interest, nobody is willing to wait for 10yrs and see what a million can become after so long. They all want it in 1 month, in 3 months or worst case scenario in 6 months. We are too in a hurry, too hasty, too much in a rush! When we approach the building of life that has success on it’s topmost floor, we go to the elevator and punch the up button, we enter and hit the 10th floor. All we need to do is stand still, and wait for the elevator to deliver us to sure success. Isn’t this the way we want it? Smooth easy effortless ride to our dreams? Wake up, and smell the coffee.

“The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs… one step at a time.” - Joe Girard

When I read this post, I was so excited, I went on to research the author of the quote, and what type of life he lived to give him the audacity to utter such an interesting quote. Apparently, what I discovered did not shock me, Joe Girard is rated by the Guinness Book of World Records as the Greatest Salesman in the World!  Rising from a very poor obscure childhood into becoming America’s greatest salesman, he had earned himself the right to let us know the status of the elevator to success. In case you don’t know, it’s really out of order, and the sooner you realize and take a step by step approach the better.

In case you are wondering, does this really concern me? Am I looking for an elevator? What does the staircase look like? How do I know if I’m on the wrong path?

1. Quick Movement.

If you are doing anything that promises you a big jump with little or no effort, you are in the elevator. High returns, short term opportunity, quick win, fast bucks, few weeks, all with no significant input from your side save your initial deposit? You have been snookered into the elevator of life. When you are in an elevator, the movement is quicker than if you were climbing the stairs. There is nothing to explain to another person, no method no process, just punch the button and once it alerts you of destination, alight. Don’t do it!

2. Zero to Little Effort

If you have a promise of success without doing much work, or without doing any work. If you are told all you need to do is on step and we’ll do the rest. If you are told you don’t need to learn any new skill, develop yourself or become anybody new to achieve success, watch it. It’s only the elevator that moves you up without your moving yourself. That elevator is out of order currently and may trap you in.

3. One Door

Many people don’t think carefully before getting trapped. If the offer looks juicy, have the caution to ask yourself how do I get out if things get stuck. Elevators usually have only one door. If that door jams, you are stuck. Only enter into what has conceivable exit plans. How do I cash out, how do I stop? Never embark on a routine that could easily control you, never enter into what is difficult to get out of. Elevators are good, I have one in my office, but the elevator to success is out of order, and you must use the staircase that offers you one step at a time.

Success is step by step. If you learn the steps, you can replicate success. You can’t be trapped on a staircase, you can climb up or climb down. Nothing moves except you move it, you go only as far as your strength is willing to push. Don’t get caught on the elevator to success, don’t get trapped into a quick, zero effort one door opportunity. Learn the ropes, and go one step at a time.

We gathered a number of high potential Nigerians together and presented them with some exclusive opportunities. In our own little ways we are making history and these opportunities are extended to you as well, provided you meet the exclusivity requirement.

1. 10 Tower Apartments (80-150%+ ROI)

We had a Financial Analyst and Property Expert from Dubai come and address us on this mouth watering opportunity. The 10Tower Project is a mixture of residential and commercial apartments, it is billed to be completed Dec, 2009 and it’s the lowest cost opportunity one can get in Jumeirah today. For perspective, Jumeirah is to Dubai what VI is to Lagos. He showed us from their researched data, that today, Dubai properties are the cheapest compared to properties in London, Singapore, Hong Kong, New York, or any other commercial hub in it’s status. Dubai however has the highest rental income amongst all these regions by a wide margin. What this means is a huge potential for both capital appreciation and rental income. This property was secured by a team of Nigerians (interestingly all members of the New Nigeria Club) for AED950/sq foot, this about N32,000/sq foot. Rentals in VI Lagos is about N54,000/sq foot not sales. We were able to secure an entire floor of the building for investment purposes. The plan is to buy now, and flip between January and March when it will have witnessed significant capital appreciation. True to projections, the property has already gained 10% in just 15days of buying into it. The excel sheet attached gives a picture of the scenarios and our target exit strategy at 80-150% ROI. The target exit prices are very conservative as property in the same vicinity that will completed after this one is already being sold at AED2,500. The final ROI will be paid to people based on prorated basis, based on when they joined.
10 Tower Brochure

2. ShapeCD Africa (Private Placement)

The Shape CD technology is a patent right of a German Company and it’s been existing since 1995. ShapeCD is about shaping CDs, DVDs, Blue Ray Disks e.t.c. This machine shapes these CDs into logo’s, business cards, landscapes, e.t.c. These shaped CDs continue to work like normal CDs and can be used to capture corporate profiles, product information, entertainment, tourism e.t.c. It can be used by corporate organizations, churches and other religious centers, entertainment, Nollywood, Government, e.t.c. The Shape CD can also be a subtle cure to intentional piracy.

We were able to secure the patent franchise for this company in Africa. This means we are required to provide leadership and direction for the African market while we earn royalties and commissions for work not connected to us in these regions as well. We already have royalty potentials in Algeria and Egypt, Ghana and South Africa are in the pipeline.

We already have 5 Angel investors who each are investing sufficient to have just 3 investors, but the NNC has secured some preferentially on behalf of it’s members. We are giving an opportunity to New Nigeria Club members to have equity in this company at very ridiculous entry values. The brochure for ShapeCD Africa is attached. For further interest in this opportunity. Please contact me ASAP, as this opportunity is open till the end of June. This is one of few opportunities where Africa is led by Nigeria.
Shape CD Brochure

3. Prime Estate Phase 2 Ofada (Gain 20% Instantly)

The Prime Estate Phase 2 at Ofada is currently going for N800,000 per plot. Allocation of plots also commences from the 28th of June, 2008 as the estate plan has been approved. We are providing an opportunity for interested people to buy the same plot at N650,000. They can pay N350,000 now and spread the rest over 12 months. This opportunity is open for the next two weeks.

4. Geo-fluid Ltd

Geo-fluid Ltd Private Placement opportunity is closing this week. You can still get some of the units in the preferential allotment that we got. If you are interested in this, let me know.

5. New Nigeria Club - Cooperative and Investment Club

Effective July 1, we’ll be kicking off with the New Nigeria Club Cooperative and Investment Club. Members of New Nigeria Club will have the opportunity of bonding together in a consistent way to multply and grow their contributions. It is high time we start leveraging on our numbers to make big things happen. For the cooperative and Investment Club we are looking at 4 Categories of People

Bronze Category - N10,000 per month
Silver Category - N20,000 per month
Gold Category - N50,000 per month
Platinum Category - N100,000 per month

In order to make this very easy to track and keep both parties well informed, we’ll be using the banking facility in the members area of New Nigeria Club. This way members will be able to move money via the bank into their members area, and transfer it monthly, while being able to take advantage of special opportunities as they become available. We’ll be discussing and using a number of investment vehicles to balance our portfolio and enjoy good returns. Our demo of this last year, yielded 100% in a year and we are confident things can be better.

Benefits

1. Collective Financial Education, research and enrichment of members of the club
2. Enjoyment of association of other members of the club.
3. Long term networking outlet for members of the club
4. Indoctrination of savings and investment culture among the members of the club.

All the work on the banking area is currently well advanced as people can move money into the bank and request payout through their cards. These cards are going to be available for all registered NNC members effective July 1, whether they request or not. People interested in joining the investment club should go into their members area from tomorrow and click on the appropriate links to join or send a mail to emoreogho@gmail.com indicating their names, Phone number, prefered emails and category interested in.

Some of the biggest companies in the world today are such because a few people pulled funds together to take advantage of opportunities. This is our own opportunity!

Please circulate this widely.

Kind Regards

Adeolu Akinyemi

“Advertorial: Join us at the Investors Forum. Book ahead. Send a text to 08033469632 indicating your name and email.”

I hope you are not postponing your life till tomorrow, because if you are, I intend to shake you a bit today! Yesterday is gone, tomorrow does not exist, when we get to tomorrow, if we ever do, we’ll call it today! This truth leaves one with a shocking reality that what you really have power over is today. In fact if we want to make it more extreme, now! Does it then not seem strange, that many are living lives they are unhappy about today, in the hope that it will change tomorrow? Don’t procrastinate your happiness, don’t postpone your joy, don’t leave off to an unknown future the best parts of your life. Haven’t you heard - “Tomorrow, tomorrow… is always a day away!”?

This reminds me of a story I once heard. Of a rich Consultant that traveled to his village to let his air down, have fun and enjoy the peace and tranquility of the country side. While in the village, he decided to go fishing with on of his old time buddies who was a fisherman by profession. He set up an appointment with his friend and they set out to fish together. While they were on the waters, the rich consultant saw possibilities and told his friend. “Do you know that your business can be much bigger than this? You are living way below your potentials”. The fisherman looked at him, puzzled, “really? But why would I want to make my business bigger?” The rich consultant was puzzled at why a human being would not be aspirational and went on to explain further.

“There is huge potential for this fish business, and you are catching enough fish to be able to sell and invest in another boat. After you buy another boat, you can get another fisherman trained to work for you, grow the business and buy many boats. In fact you can get to expand so fast that you can buy a ship. This way you’ll start doing big supplies to neighboring villages and even to the main towns. After a while you can consider reducing your costs on transporting a Big ship by selling some other things that are in the village but peopel need in town. Before you know it, you’ll need to do an IPO on this your business, and really grow it to become a mega brand.” Then the Fisherman asked, “then what?” To which the rich consulant answered “Then when you are old and tired, you resign, come back to the village, have fun with your family, fish once in a while and drink under the tree with your friends.” “Hmmm”, said the fisherman, “But I’m already doing all that now, why do I have to go through all that stess just because I want to enjoy what I’m already enjoying :)”

Now there are some aspects of this story that create a reality shake and some that need to be seived.

Key Lessons

1. Don’t procrastinate your life. Don’t hope for a different yonder or tomorrow. Make sure that your life today has elements of what your tomorrow should look like. Do you hope to one day be a blessing, be a blessing today. Do you hope to one day impact lives, do it today. Do you hope to have fun and rest well, have fun and rest well today. Today is the tomorrow you saw yesterday, today is the dream you dreamt yesterday. Bring your tomorrow forward. Tommorow will not be different, it will only be better. Whatever you want your life to be later, start it in a small way NOW!

2. Don’t play music to earn money to play football. I hear so much of I’m just doing this so I can make money to do what I really love! What a waste! Either find a way to enjoy what you are doing or quit, while you are ahead. “Quitting while you are ahead is not quitting” - American Gangster. You should not be caught alive or dead in a vocation that is not making you happy. If you are not happy today, you are not likely to be tomorrow. Even if the conditions of the present are not pleasant, they are pleasant to the one that knows it’s a necessary part of his/her process. Nobody who sees you singing songs will recommend you for shooting balls. Let your life contain elements of your desired future today. I’m not waiting to grow old and die to go to heaven, I’m carrying heaven in my heart today.

3. “When purpose is unknown, abuse is inevitable” - Attributed to Myles Munroe. If the Rich consultant knew his life goals before he embarked on it, his journey would have been different. It’s good to ask the strong question, what do I want to be remembered for. If you answer this often enough, your activities are likely to be aligned. Why are you here? What gives you passion, what makes you cry, what keeps you motivated, what do you love to do? Start doing it…

4. Life is in the journey, not the destination. Imagine that the fisherman loved the adrenalin of growing a business like I do. Imagine that he would have enjoyed creating jobs for thousands of people? Imagine how far in the sea he would have seen and the travels he would have had to make, suppose those things were important to him? If they are, he would have let go of the journey because he felt the destination was similar. It’s not always about the destination, it’s about the journey. We are born on one day, and we die on another day, the rest of our days is the journey. The journey is important. Where are you now? Is it essential to your journey? Are you enjoying the cruise? Enjoy your journeys! If it “aint werking” for you, make it work, If it can’t, let go and move on! How sorrowful will it be, if the God of the universe decides your stay is over, and your best years are still ahead?

Can someone say my best day is here!??

“Tomorrow belongs to those who live it today” - Adeolu

“Advertorial: There is an Investors Forum on the 15th of June, 2008 (This Sunday) at the Lagos Travel Inn (Toyin Street Ikeja, before Water Parks) at 2pm sharp. This meeting is free for New Nigeria Club members. We’ll be having as guest the MD Property Consulting Company from Dubai, who will be around to offer a unique property deal to interested investors, we will also be providing information about the New Nigeria Investment Club and other exciting opportunities. To book a sit, kindly send a text to 08033469632 indicating your name and email address. Non New Nigeria Club members will be required to pay N30,000 to attend or attend strictly by invitation.”

“A Property Investment forum will also be holding on the 14th of June, 2008 - 2pm (This Saturday) at Realty Point Ltd Office 3RD FLOOR, ONIGBAGBO HOUSE, BESIDE BOLA MEMORIAL CHURCH, BY ABULE B/STOP, 29 MOBOLAJI BANK ANTHONY WAY, IKEJA, LAGOS.”

A friend walked into my office last week, with only one question in mind - “How can I generate multiple streams of income?” From the way he spoke, he had gotten to that point in life, when what is reasonable to do is cry out for help. I tried as best I could to enumerate some basic steps for creating steady streams of income.

If you are wondering whether or not you need this, you probably aren’t ready, at least not yet. Being an employee often offers one the disadvantage of not thinking about this type of thing for a long time. With a sure salary coming at the end of every month, what’s the use of multiple streams? It will be good that you learn ahead though, particularly as we’ll all stop being employees one day. And if you have not developed extra sources, particularly passive ones for yourself, your later years might not be so rosy. When push comes to shove, your net value is the difference between your inputs and outputs. If we borrow from the bathtub theorem, the water the bathtub retains is a function of how many faucets and how you are plugging the drains.

Key tips to creating multiple streams of income

1. Investing
Do you have investments? You must have! No matter how bad things are at any point in time, you should have investments. You should have long term investments, and short-term investments. You should also have a balanced investment portfolio, featuring low, medium and high risk opportunities based on your current age. Here are some of the vehicles I would recommend.

1. Join an Investment Club
2. Play the Stock Market (Local and Global)
3. Venture into Real Estate or Penny Real Estate
4. Forex Trading
5. Invest with a Fund Manager
6. Invest in a New Venture

Over 6, I’ll score myself 6/6. How will you score yourself? It is essential that you learn about these vehicles and start balancing your portfolio. If you really want to learn and can make out time for it, I can organize time to explain it to you.

2. Borrowing
Do you now how to borrow? We all grew up learning and hearing that debt was a bad thing. It’s not! There is a how to borrowing, and every successful business person as learnt that. In fact, business magnates like Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki will tell you that if you don’t know how to borrow you are not ready to grow. I believe that your ability to get credit facility is a measure of your credibility. It also doesn’t need to be the bank, it could be family, friends or foes. If nobody in this world is willing to give you a few thousands on any great idea you have, what everybody is saying is that they don’t trust you. Borrowing is about starting small and building credibility and trust as you grow. All of us need leverage, borrowing is cheap leverage. Imagine I have a deal that has the potentials of doing 100% returns. Let’s say I need 10million Naira to take advantage of one of such opportunities, based on my projected ROI, I would have made 10million Naira profit, i.e. 100% ROI. Now imagine I had 10million Naira and instead of participating in just one, I get a loan of 90million Naira from a bank or a friend and I guarantee him an interest of 30% after one year, on the money. I’m borrowing, so I can give guarantees, the person is absolutely shielded from the risks of investing. At the end of the exercise, I invest 100million Naira, and have N200million (with N100million as profit). I return the banks initial N90million and pay an interest of N27million as interest on loan making N117million. What I have left is N83million, if I remove my capital and it leaves me with N73million, that’s over 700% ROI. What did I do, I borrowed wisely. I am happy, my friend is happy, life is good. You need to learn how to borrow intelligently, you need to know when to borrow. It’s a skill set you might need to learn. I have a guaranteed returns arrangement I do for people based on certain investments I have, I take them loans given to me… are you willing to give me your money? Your answer is a test of my credibility In borrowing I rate myself quite highly as well, I borrow, yet I never owe, because I ensure I don’t miss deadlines. How do you rate yourself?

3. Selling
Whether you like it or not you will sell something, yourself, your talents, products, ideas, initiatives, perspectives e.t.c. There is a lot of money to be made in selling. So, what are you selling? There are opportunities to be agents for many products, and to many companies, are you taking advantage of any? “But I don’t know how to sell?”, you better learn! I didn’t know how to walk, talk or run, but I learnt, so can you. Learn how to sell for crying out loud, it will make a difference. It’s as basic skill trust me, don’t be fooled that you have professional sales people in your office. We are all into Sales, whether we admit it or not. How are you perceived at work today? You have been unconsciously selling that? What can you sell or be an agent for?

1. Intellectual Property (Books, CDs, Tapes, Magazines,e.t.c.)
2. Brokering (Buying cheap and selling at a margin)
3. Property (Standard Agent Fees)
4. Ideas
5. Products (physical, web-based, vouchers, e.t.c.)
6. Time/Skill (Facilitation, Consulting, Project Management)

In selling over 6 here, I’ll rate myself at about 90%. I do almost everything you’ve read here. I’m not showing off, I’m just saying anybody can do it, and so can you.

4. Consulting/Problem Solving
You can make money proffering solutions to problems, or being a part of problem solving. Consulting is about leveraging on your knowledge, skills and abilities to meet the need of a company. We all have abilities, we can all develop skills and we can all acquire knowledge. Do you know anybody that your services could be useful to? Why not volunteer to add value? Why not offer yourself and see if anything on earth is really free? What can you do well? Can you help organize an event? Can you help beautify it? Can you help facilitate a program? Can you help manage a companies PR? Can you help promote a brand? Can you help in any way? Why don’t you offer your services to someone who will appreciate it, rather than waiting for perfect opportunities? Can you do this?

I consult, and it’s been a bit rewarding. I also still offer help to people for free, and somehow, they pay it forward into the future. I can see my path as smooth and easy, it’s because of the things that people have paid forward into my life, for services rendered without charge. What need are you meeting today?

Are you interested in multiple streams of income? Why not start balancing all these avenues today.

They decided to brave the option of making money by consulting a traditionalist, and decided to seek the counsel and craft of “Baba”. When they got to Baba, baba gave them a string of cowries to utter their desires to. The environment was filled with all sorts of artifacts that are typical of Ifa priests. They uttered their desires silently and returned the cowries to Baba. Baba then went ahead to consult the oracles on their plight. He takes his “Opele” (Opele is a string of split big seeds with a face and a back, this represent a binary code with about 65536 verses) in his hands, chants the prayer to Ifa that helps him to see meaning and interpretation from his craft. He chants while moving the Opele back and forth and throws it in front of him. As soon as he throws, he moves touches the seed, looking for the leader seed, trying to see where the binary code starts. He does a quick binary conversion and identifies the verse, he sighs - “Ifa mo roye, ela loro” - Ifa, I understand, it is clear!

Baba recites what he sees, and tells them why they have come. “You have come because of shame, you have come because of pressures, you have come, because you are tired of being poor.” - Baba tells them, as they both nod involuntarily. If Baba can decipher their quest, then he should have a solution. Baba tells them that he is interested in helping them, but first, asks if they are really ready to get wealth. They say they are ready, but he asks again. He asks them if they are willing to do anything to get wealth, at this point, one still retains his motivation, while the other becomes a part of the background to the discussions, nodding sluggishly. Baba then goes ahead to tell them what they would need to do. They would need to capture and have sex with two notorious mad women in their town! One decided to go with it, and the other backed down.

Have you ever heard about these kind of thing? Have you ever watched any movie that had this type of twist? Have you ever wondered why the Baba’s usually require something a bit difficult from their clients to prove their desire? Have you ever wondered why the Baba’s themselves live in mud houses, yet show people a part to wealth? Well it’s simple, if any man desires wealth enough to sleep with Mad women, he doesn’t need a Baba to get wealthy, he just needs a Baba to get enslaved. The reason the Baba only shows the way, is because he’s not desirous of wealth enough. He is not willing to do half of what he recommends. Whatever a man (this means man and woman) truly desires, he’ll have. We can have and do anything in this life that we want, if we desire is strongly enough. I have a question I want to ask you today, and it’s like the question of that Baba - Are you really ready for what you claim you are ready for, can you do anything?

Maybe you have a bad habit that you want to stop, do you really desire to stop? Maybe you have an idea you want to pursue, are you really ready to pursue it? Maybe there is something you want to do that requires a bold step, are you really ready to make that move? Are you willing to do anything ethical to get it done? If your answer is yes, then I have a solution for you, that works for me and has worked for everyone I know practices it. It’s a solution that is capable of multiplying your resolve and turbo charging your motivation. I call it, an oath of confirmation!

I once listened to a man I respect, Bishop David Oyedepo preach a message I can’t remember the title of. I was 19 then, and had resolved to live a righteous life. In this particular message he talked about what he considered the number 1 vice that destroyed men - Illicit Sex! He spoke passionately about how he believed the same thing had potentials of stopping him, and he shared his secret. He quoted a passage of the bible then - Hebrews 6:16,17 - “For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. wherein god, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us:…” There is a lot in this passage, but let me highlight the key elements relating to this issue. When men swear to an oath, it’s a way to settle an argument or a struggle. Only a mad man will swear an oath and go ahead to break it. Even God swore an oath to Abraham to strengthen Abraham’s consolation. We make vows, or oaths, when we are serious about what we want! His secret was he had made an oath to God, that on the day he as much as touches a woman that is not his wife, that may he become leprous. I’m certain he swore to a lot more than he made public, but bottom line was that his fear of God in staying off adultery was bolstered with an oath! That same day, I decided to tie my life with an oath, and have only renewed it since then.

How do I bolster my fear of God or motivation to achieve with an oath? Let me share some ideas with you. Can you imagine yourself offering a prayer like this to God? “Father, I come before you today, and consecrate my life to you, I know you are my God, my king and father. Today, I decide to be chaste, I promise that by your grace, I will never have sex or share sexual intimacy with any woman that is not legally my wife. On the day I engage in such, may my prayers cease to be heard by you. May I cry for help in vain, may your favour that is so evident on my life be taken away, and may I watch my children die, and may I die an embarrassing death. In exchange for my consecration to you, I ask that as long as I stay bound by this oath, may doors open to me, may heaven pay attention to my every call, may God’s favor and grace be visible upon my life.” If you have a vow like that on your life - You will never commit fornication or adultery. If you do, it will because you clearly don’t give a damn about your life!

I did a little survey and asked some young men how many of them will go ahead to sleep with a lady that owns up to them just after foreplay that she has HIV/AIDS? So far, none has agreed to go ahead, even when they could protect themselves. It’s the same thing that happens when there is an oath hanging over your head, before you break it, a lot of things will have to happen. Many will profess to fear God, but you will know experientially what the fear of God means. A friend of mine once shared his story with me, of a time when he was lured by a female friend into a process that was meant to end as sex. He was visibly cooperating already, and his body wanted to go further. All of a sudden, he grabs the lady’s hands and shouts… “Do you want me to run mad?”, “Please let me go!” He had made a vow to God that on the day he has sex with a lady he is not married to, may he run mad! He ran, and knew it was a close shave with madness. Desperate situations require desperate measures! Anything that can ruin a man’s life that he engages in, must be subjected to desperate solutions. I know a few people who also have this vow, I am yet to hear of any of them fall into the temptation that is really common to man!

In case you are wondering is this applicable to only sex? NO! It’s applicable to any value, character, moral or virtue that you know you ought to keep. It can even be used in business. It’s called burning your ships. Putting yourself in a frame in which failure is not an option. It’s yanking out your reverse gear and heading forward ever. It’s not just for guys… ladies too. It’s still noble to be a virgin! It’s still right to be chaste! Not sleeping around is not being novice or inexperienced, it’s being wise and righteous. Society is standing on it’s head, yet we wonder why things are not going right. Chose to live by right values and burn your ships. Go and check out successful people, they move forward mostly because the back gears have been burnt. If you are struggling with any area, it’s because you are not ready to stop struggling. It’s because you don’t want to stop badly enough. I started making progress in business when I made up my mind and told God, that I was willing to succeed or to die trying (legitimately though). What the oath of confirmation does to you, is end your struggle. When a matter becomes life and death, you are likely to chose life! You might want to start small and grow it as you grow, but it’s a sure recipe for super motivation. The reverse have been used to instigate negative peer pressure - young guys telling each other, “if you don’t sleep with that girl in 7 days, your parents will die” - what do you expect the boy will do? We can use vows and oaths to ensure adherence to what we know is important. Looking at it properly, whether the oaths are there or not, disobeying God’s commandments come with curses, offering an oath is just sounding it loud enough for oneself to hear it.

This is strictly for the mature and the serious. If you want to keep deceiving yourself, let this fly. For me it’s been 12years. in 6 of which I was in a relationship and 5 of which I’ve been married and it’s working. Not only in my sexuality, in all aspects of my life where I am dead serious!

Today, one of my sisters (not blood, but close) came to pour her heart to me, in a bid to be helped. The things she used to do, that made her stand out, that made her desirable, that made her a blessing, she was doing them no more. She confided in me, that if she didn’t tell me, I wouldn’t know, but this is not the way she wants it to go. She felt so bad, she wanted to cry - “The good things I used to do, I don’t do them anymore”. She wants to, she knows she ought to, she can’t say it’s because she has no time, she knows that’s an excuse. All she does is work work work, and she was afraid that the source of her warmth was long gone.

I shared with her something I had learnt not too long ago. Something that is helping to jolt me back into writing daily. Something that has helped me year after year to remain focused and continue to develop myself at the same level with my thirst. I can summarize it first in one story and then in one sentence.

The story is often told by me, of a young man whose desire to know the secret of success decides to embark on a long journey. From village to village he went, inquiring if there was a man wise enough in the village to provide for him the sure secret of success. Every village referred him forward and onward to another village, until alas, he came to a village where people agreed to know such a wise man. On sighting this wise man, he approached him, exhausted from his journey, yet excited that the end had come, for the secret of success. To this, the old man took him to a nearby river and dragged him along the water until the young man was gradually submerged in water. After a while the old man drew the young man out, and walked him back to the mountain top. Out of frustration at the silence that ensued, the young man burst into an outrage. “What’s the meaning of all these?” The young man quipped. The old man gently asked him how he felt when he was completely submerged in water. “If you had waited one second more, I would have thrown you away and gotten out of the water” the young man responded. The old man then went on to tell him, that the secret of success in any endeavor is to desire to do anything as badly as he wanted to breathe under water. In one sentence - you will do anything if you are able to reduce it to how critical it is to needs and really desire it. There are 8 known levels of human needs according to Maslow’s renewed hierarchy of needs. Except what you want can be represented on any of these levels of need, you are not likely to do it.

For the sake of getting practical let’s take a few examples. If I don’t connect my writing regularly with a need to add value to lives and be a blessing in one way or the other, I will gradually slip into a time when I will not write again. If I cannot connect my reading to develop myself to being informed enough to help some people gain better enlightenment, I would stop reading. The things we don’t do, we don’t do because we are not sufficiently motivated by enough desire to make them happen. People stop praying and reading their bibles because they are no longer functioning in any consistent capacity where old glory won’t suffice. People stop writing, because no one is reading. People stop dancing because it’s not awarded. People start failing because there success is not rewarded. People stop swimming because they can’t connect it to meaningful purpose, people stop exercising because they now look fit and it doesn’t matter. To continue to do the things that gave us the opportunity to be who we are today, we need to see sufficient reason, have sufficient motivation to remain consistent.

One thing I’ll like to spell clearly though is motivation is different for different people. What is sufficient reason for me to do something might not be sufficient for you. It is essential however that we find that desire we truly want to meet and connect it with the activity for which we are losing steam. The way human beings are wired however, your greatest motivation will be connected to doing something for someone else - being of help, rendering service, being a blessing, e.t.c. Another thing worthy of observation is that people are at different motivation levels at different times depending on a lot of factors. Individuals actually have what you could call a range of motivation levels. These levels are affected by a variety of things - environment, love life, news, aspirations, availability of cash, friends, e.t.c. It is worthwhile to discover the reasons for which you would willingly go an extra mile, and connect them to your extra miles.

Those things you used to do… you did because you were sufficiently motivated to. You had people you felt responsible for, you had people you were accountable to. You were in an environment and had relationships that put you on just the necessary motivation level, and you could connect the activity with sufficient motivation. To stay fervent, you need to get the same equation right!

On this particular occasion, I was at a youth camp organized by the Baptist Student Fellowship of Emmanuel Baptist Church. I was young and a small in stature. It was a 3 days retreat, we were all young, and away from home, in a quest to hear more about God, have fun and get to bond together. We were over 150 in number, and the camp was big. Shortly before the program opened, I looked behind me at the crowd of people who had come to meet with God, and I prayed a silent prayer to God. “God please, I want to be your favourite”. God answered me immediately!

God make it abundantly clear to me, that he had no favourites. He said he will draw near to those that draw near to him, and lift up those who come running in faith to him. If I was going to be seen by the world as a favourite, it would have to be because I drew nearer to him than anybody else did. It isn’t God’s responsibility to distinguish a man, a man first distinguishes himself and God responds.

In response to God’s words, I made a commitment to God that day, that I would draw near to him, and distinguish myself. I asked for grace to carry out my desire, and made a commitment to God that all through that retreat, I will neither eat nor drink, but will utilize every of such times to meditate and pray. I made a commitment that I would do it secretly, but embark there and then on my first ever 3 days absolute fast. I drew near to God and he drew near to me. I can’t begin to explain the significance of this time in what has become of my life, that’s the place where my life took shape, and I have since ensured that I handle my responsibility for a distinguished walk with God with a serious sense of duty.

Your life, my life, our lives are what we make of it. God is not at fault for your not living your dreams or walking in your gifting, you are. It’s not your wicked uncle, your step mother or your elder brother that is the source of your pain, you are. Your background is not sufficient reason why your back should be on the ground, you are. You and I have the major role to play in the direction of our lives and our relationship with the almighty. A father carries the child that comes running, the person that gets a hug is the one that reaches out. The one that is given is the one that asks, the one that finds is the one who sought, the person to whom the door is opened, is the one who knocks. Bush meat doesn’t run from the forest, into the market to buy pepper, tomatoes and source to undo itself in your cooking pot. No matter how blessed or gifted you are, ripe apples won’t fall on your laps if you don’t sit under an apple tree. Every blessing or opportunity you will get, is based on your commitment to move, to take action, to distinguish yourself to stand out!

The same way you can walk with sheep and expect to hunt with lions, the same way you can’t sleep in the laps of Delilah and expect to wake up in the bosom of Abraham, this same way - you can’t expect to live as one blessed by the heavens, without making a demand for it by sacrifice. To migrate out of earth, an object must be pushed by sufficient force to exceed that which norms all who reside on earth - gravity. What that means is, to live above the normal, you must not be normal. To live a distinguished life, you must distinguish yourself. What are some of the norms in society today, and how can you be different.

1. Corruption - “If I become President, I will…. everybody is doing it”. Corruption is a word used in many ways to describe something that is decaying or spoiling. It’s an order of sin. To distinguish oneself, one must flee corruption.

2. Indiscipline - The bible says he that rules is spirit is greater than he that rules a nation. How many people have sufficient control over themselves to tell themselves, I will do this, I won’t do that? How many people have control over their appetites, over their emotions, over their drives? If you can get gate to be disciplined, you are ahead of the crowd.

3. Godlessness - Many have a form of Godliness but deny the power thereof. In English - they go to church, but really do not have a relationship with God in a way that they can be powerful. Many seek God for what he can give, not for who they can become. Many don’t even seek God, they just follow religious routine. By seeking to know God and establishing a routine of worship and devotion, you set yourself out of the crowd. Many also say they know God but do not fear him, or how can you explain the flagrant abuse of his will and laws? By fearing God, you are a peculiar minority.

4. Hearers - Many hear… few do! That’s the law of life. Anyone that hears and does is like one who builds his house on a rock. He will not be shaken in his achievement of his ultimate goal. Anyone who hears and does nothing, is like one whose house is built on sand, he’ll have the appearance of stability for a while, until his roots are tested. Your ears are filled with plenty that you have heard already, this is time for you to join the few who act. Act. Take action, what you need is not more time, it’s more commitment. Act.

First of all, I’ll like to make it clear that I’m not interested in looking at this topic from a different philosophical angles. I don’t intend to waste time on the existence of God or His absence. Neither do I want to attribute the Universe to unidentified forces. I am certain and convinced, that there is a God in heaven, and he rules and reigns in the affairs of men. I believe that this God is a loving God, who made humanity in his image and cares about what he created us to accomplish. This God however is also a principled God, who does not act on whims and emotions, but based on clearly explainable principles. In the words of Albert Einstein - God doesn’t throw dice! He has ways, they are only above our ways.

There are quite a number of ways to make God your enemy, in fact, I doubt if they are exhaustive. I’m going to be share the ones that have been revealed to me, and hope that you will work to make God your friend, and not your enemy.

1. To get access to power without fundamentals (Case Study - Tower of Babel)

There is tremendous power available to any that truly desires power in the universe. Power is the ability to make choices, it’s the ability to have whatsoever you desire. When you have power, you enter a realm of limitless possibilities, you discover that you can do and have anything in this world that you so desire. It’s a realm where you understand “the secret” and know how to replicate your successes. If you get to have this kind of power without fixing your fundamentals, you are about to get yourself God, as an enemy. By fundamentals I mean the basics of living right, living by God’s instruction and standards, living true to his purpose for your life. He that gets gear before he gets wit, is but a short time the master of it. If you get that which propels you high before you learn how to control it, you will be propelled into your destruction. It happened in the Tower of Babel, humanity embarked on a project that had the capacity to get them access to power without fundamentals, God decided to come against them, by scattering their language. Men wanted to be in touch with the heavens on their own terms. They wanted to establish a tower that reaches to the heaven (typical of prayer), but on their terms. Real acceptable prayer ought to start first with “Thy will be done…”. Communication with God and requests from man, must be on God’s terms. That’s fundamental.

Gen 11:6  And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
Gen 11:7  Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

Don’t rise faster than your character! Don’t access power without dealing with the basics. The life that will grow tall, must be planted deep. The buildings that scrape the skies most certainly scrape the depts. Are your fundamentals tight? Do you have unmanaged sin? Do you want to embark on building a tower on your terms? Are you dealing with God on your terms? Is your christianity a convinient one? Are you serving God on your terms or on his?

2. Be entrusted by God with power and go against his will. (Case Study - Balam Numb 22:12-38)

God’s gifts and callings are without repentance. What it means is when God gives, even if you backslide and derail, his gifts to you remain. It hence means that when God gives a gift - talent, opportunity or privilege, he does it on trust, on trust that it will always be used for his will. When you go against his will, even when it seems you do it with his alignment, He is actually against you.

Balam, in one of the funniest almost catoonlike stories in the bible embarks on a journey to use his gift - his ability to declare a thing and have it established. In this story, his donkey was empowered to see an Angel of God in their part, with a sword. The bible captures the encounter like this…

Num 22:22  And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

This donkey in order to protect Balam’s life, after a lot of bashing by Balam, spoke. The Lord had set an ambush against Balam because he was going against his will. One can read the text and wonder why it was this same God that asked him to go ahead in the first instance. The truth is, there are times, that God gives us a go ahead when our heart truly desires, but that which we desire is not his will for our lives. Balam got the answer he wanted to hear - Go ahead now, and act based on my leading when you get there. He was answered based on the idol in his heart.

Balam had asked God the first time, and he told him clearly. These are people I have blessed, you can’t curse them. When your gifting becomes opposed to people whom God has blessed, you are heading in the wrong direction.

If not for his donkey, his life would have ended in that Journey, and it would have been God’s doing. He had made God his enemy, he had power God entrusted upon him and he was moving in a direction contrary to God’s will.

Are you entrusted with any gifts or talents? Do you know how to speak emotively? Are you skilled? Are you annointed? Are you rich or about to be? Do you have potentials? Are you moving in line with God’s will? Are you living it right? Are you cashing in on your gifting by sleeping around? Are you getting rewarded from doing illegitimate things?

3. Double Standards (Case Study -Installed Idols Ezekiel 14:3-13, Ananaias)

In Ezekiel 14, the bible talks about people who come to enquire of God but engage in different kind of sins, or have preconcieved priorities. He says when people come like this, he will give them answers that they want to hear (similar to the case with Balam).

God hates double standards. It’s less confusing if a man is evil and is notorious for being evil, but when a man wears the reputation of being good, and practices evil, God is not pleased. To wear the cloak of sheeps and be a wolve is plain deceptive and incures divine wrath.

Eze 14:8  And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

God doesn’t take it lightly when people practice double standards. God says in the cases where people like this come to a prophet to seek for direction, God himself will give them the answers that their idols deserve. The answer will give, will end up making a sign and a proverb of anyone who practices such.

Do you live a double life? Do some people think the world of you and yet to some other people you are the wicked world? Are you known as inspiring somewhere and destroyer somewhere else? Do you sing with the saints and merry with the players? Is your life complicated? Do you engage in activities God has no pleasure in, yet enquire of him?

4. Doing what God hates (Prov 6:16)

Pro 6:16  These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Pro 6:17  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pro 6:18  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Pro 6:19  A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Wrong doing has one special attribute, it’s like a cancer, it makes every life form it touches same as it. Human beings have lost breats, uterus and even life in trying to detach a cancerous segment of the body. It’s the same with sin, it’s difficult to isolate the sin from the individual. It’s difficult not to attach the part of the body that has it with the hate. I’ll like to look at a few of these things in current day english.

A proud look - When you eyes hit a proud look you know, when you give one you know. It’s that look that comes from the feeling of “I have arrived”, “won kere si number wa”, “It’s all about me”, e.t.c. God hates a pride, and it’s a cancer of the eyes.

A lying tongue - Lying is lying, and it doesn’t have colours. We kid ourselves when we define some has having lighter shades than the other. When you lie, you are trying to cover up something, how big is that thing? All things are plain before God and lying means you are not ready to open. God hates lying and the lying tongue. If you lie, God is not your friend. That’s cancer of the tongue.

Hands that shed inocent blood - Nothing actually typifies this like abortion, there are however people who go all the way. Cancer of the hand.

A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations - Experts say there is no mind as imaginative as a guy trying to arrange a babe. Creativity enters a new gear in the plan for sin and wickedness. Or is it how to cheat someone else, rob someone else, or do something bad? God hates that heart. Cancer of the heart.

Feet that run to mischief, false lying witness, and the sower of discord… God hates all these activities and his wrath is released against those that practice them.

I know there is no sane mortal that wants to set the Founder of the Universe against him/herself. The way to be God’s friend is to live by his standards, to honor and fear him. It’s not impossible you find yourself in any of these positions, the way forward is to seek  God and seek counsel. The way forward is to settle down with God, and ask for his mercy.

See, the only reason people do wrong things, is because the don’t truly desire to do otherwise. The same secret we use to attract wealth is the same one we use to live right. Stop manufacturing excuses, buckle up and live right!

Advertorials:

1. One of our clients requires to services of middle level to senior level HR Professionals. If you are interested, please send your CV to topsiesuzie@gmail.com.

2. The Next Batch of HR MBA 1 (Methods Becoming Action) will be holding for 3 straight days on August 15th, 16th and 17th. Participants are planned for in the sequence of their booking. Booking requires making a call to Tope on 08033469632. For More details on HR MBA, also send a mail to topsiesuzie@gmail.com.

3. Geo-fluid Limited preferential allotment available for  interested investors. Call the numbers in the thread of the previous post.

The last week has been very busy for me, guess it’s also why I haven’t been writing as frequently. I actually want to turn over a new leaf and start writing everyday again, maybe soon. Maybe much sooner than I thought. In the last 8 days, I have been involved in facilitating an HR MBA 1 Class, been organizer and part of facilitators for a 3 days Team Building Session for MTN, I’ve also spoken in one church, one youth seminar, and managed to do the other everyday things I do, including writing… but not as frequently, and there is yet plenty undone. I had conceived an idea about 3 weeks ago, of giving a few people an opportunity to do a success experiment together with me. It’s an experiment I did with some people last year that brought me good fortune. It was like a joke, but within 6 months of my participating in this experiment, a number of events took place that jolted me forward. I am certain it will do the same for you.

If you haven’t read the article I wrote on - “The Secret - Creative Process”, I advice that you read it - here. It will give you clarity on what we are about to do together here.  I’ll want you to find out one thing that you really desire. I’m sure there is more than one thing you really desire, but we’ll be focusing on one in this particular experiment. If you don’t desire anything, you’ll have an opportunity also to build up your desire for one thing. Once you have gotten this desire identified, we’ll now follow a process I’ll outline without fail for the next 40 days (starting from 6th June, 2008), and come back and share our experiences. I’ll also advice you ensure it’s something you are really not shy about, you can do the shy one’s to yourself for now, but you can put one out here as the one we are looking out for together. Shy one’s may include desiring a husband or desiring a wife, that’s achievable as well, but all depends on you. Share what you can, as a show of being in this experiment with us.

These are the detailed steps for this experiement.

Ask God for your desire, and then follow these steps.

1. Write out your one desire using this template - I am so happy, excited and grateful now that I have/own/ __________________ (a Range Rover Sport HSE). My ___________________ (Range Rover Sport HSE) will be used for the highest good of all, and everybody else that participates with me in this, will have their desires met.

Please make sure that it is a desire that when you get can be measured. Also make sure it’s something you can conceive having within the next 6 months. Refuse to answer the question of how though, just ensure the desire is truly a desire. To fuel your desire, go check it out, go online, go to the store, make enquiries. Fuel the desire.

2. Put it on your phone as a reminder to say it every morning for the next 40 days. Also spend some time visualizing it. You can get the picture of your desire and make it your desktop and your screen saver. Also find somewhere on your computer that you will see everyday to write out the same thing. The fastest way to believe is to make believe. See yourself in it, visualize it. The mind and body do not know the difference between imaginary and real, whatever your subconscious accepts will ultimately become reality. Don’t just say it, say it with emotion, feel it. Feel the way you’ll feel if you have actually ordered for it on a catalogue and are just waiting for it to arrive.

3. Stay focused for the next 40 days,we can increase it if we have to, but stay focused. Don’t answer the question of how, but be on the look out. In the next 40 days, you should meet with someone, site an opportunity somewhere, get a phone call or email, or be invited for a seminar that will gradually take you to your desire. Wait for the moment, and when your instincts align, take action. In the course of those 40 days, bookmark this page, and tick the box on the comments area to receive people’s comments on your email, this way we can keep tab on each other and keep encouraging each other.

You can group a number of things with this experiment by yourself, but you can show camaraderie by just stating your one desire here in the comments using the template prescribed… and let’s look out for each other. Don’t worry about time, there is no time in the energy or spirit realm- there is also no size, so nothing is too big and nothing is too fast and vice versa.

We have 40 days, and we start counting from Friday 6th June, 2008. So that we can spend the next 4 days adequately preparing ourselves or getting everything set. We can also start ahead, so we can have a head start. I wish you all the best, as you get set. Let’s do this together!

Advertorial :

1. All regular visitors to DeoluAkinyemi.com can get 100% guaranteed allotment on private placement for Geo-Fluid Limited at a premium this week. This premium is available at the cheapest possible value to New Nigeria Club members, and also at a good value to regular site visitors. Geo-Fluid Limited is planned to list within 120 days, and it’s a Maritime company, reputed to be 10times bigger than Japaul Oil and will be the second company in the Maritime sector on the Floor of NSE. The private placement will still be available next week, but at a more expensive price. Their website is here

2. There is a property investment opportunity in Dubai. This deal is being put together by Realty Point Ltd in collaboration with Generis Solutions. It’s an investment that has the capacity to deliver between 80%-150% within 9-12 months. We are basically pulling funds together to buy a floor of a tower called 10 Tower in Jumeirah Village. Minimum investment here for regular investors in N1,000,000. NNC members are allowed to come in with N200,000 or multiples of the same. The excel Sheets attached will give more details.

For more information, please call the numbers that will provide themselves in the comment section of this post. They should be staff of Generis Solutions. You can also come to our office tomorrow morning or send someone. 71 Allen Avenue.

10 Tower - Dubai Investment Opportunity
Deals Enrolment Dubai

The Creative Process

For the last 4 weeks, I have been listening intently to the Secret, and searching for further understanding so I can build my life into a magnetic force strong enough to attract the things I desire towards me. I have been keen in understanding the creative process. How do we ensure that what we want becomes reality? How do we create from the invisible to the visible. I am not writing about creativity or creative thinking, I’m writing about the Creative Process. The process involved in manifesting intentions. Let’s say for example I want to own and drive a Range Rover Sport HSE as soon as possible, and I don’t want to spend any of the money I have today. Is there a process with which I can cause this to happen? My study says yes, and there is a sure fire way to make it happen.

First of all you need to understand that all of life exists in two states. Now this is what I have personally discovered and I’ll explain it in two ways.

1. Albert Einstein possibly discovered this as well, when he stated that E=MC(Squared) - one of the worlds greatest underutilized and not fully fathomed equations. If you look at that equation properly, it says something. It says that on one side of the equation is Energy, and on the other side of the equation is mass, distance and time. What this says is that all that has mass and functions within the realm of distance and time, are created by things that are unseen - energy. There is a dimension of existence that is unseen and energy based, and there is a dimension of existence that is seen and mass, distance and time based. In the energy realm, there is no time, no distance and no mass. The bible also states that the things that are seen are made by the things that are unseen. It makes perfect sense to conjecture that every living an unliving thing has two phases, the energy state and the mass state.

2. In the basic sciences, we were taught that every object is made up of basic elements, there are over 120 of these elements. These elements are made up of energy levels occupied by invisible electrons. Beyond the molecular is the elementary and beyond the elements you have energy levels. The last form of any object is the energy form. Everything is made up of energy. Every thing.

Once you have these clearly, you begin to see that the seen world takes it’s root from an unseen world. Energy is the fabric with which all of life’s form is made. The next question is what is energy made up of, what or who is energy and how can you make things exist in the energy world?

Physicists tell us that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, that energy is the origin of all things and the final decomposed state of all things. Interestingly, the only other time this kind of definition is used, is when describing God, we say he’s the alpha and the omega, the one who is the source of all things. If we go back to the story of creation however, we know that God created his word, by giving voice to His thoughts. In other words the source of energy is thought. Small wonder physicists now admit, that there can be no universe without the concept of the human mind. The foundational creative force for all energy which is the last thing conceivable by the physics mind is thought. All things originate from thought.

So in the creative process, the steps are as simple as, hold a thought or an intention, create the energy form of what you desire, and employ some other processes to build the energy which is unseen reality, into visible reality. The law of attraction states that like energy attracts like energy, let’s take it further into how to convert energy into visible reality.

1. Desire: Know what you want and really want it, there is a difference between desire, needs, wants and wishes. Desire has the required intensity to drive you to get it. Create enthusiasm, passion and longing for what you truly want. Don’t be random, think about it, if you can have anything you really want in life, what will you want? Want it badly enough, and it will become a desire. To feel the desire express the desire in present tense to get the feel of it. Use statements like I’m so happy now that I have….

2. Ask: Ask God (Scientist say the Universe - But there is no universe without God). The bible says whatsoever you desire when you pray, believe that you shall receive them, and you shall have them. Simply ask, don’t be complicated, but only ask when you are certain that your desire is real, i.e you are enthusiastic about it.

3. Believe: One of the fastest ways to believe is make believe. Act like you already have it. Have faith. The strongest analogy to the expression of believing that I have seen is to behave as you would if you heard you won a lottery. The money is not yet in your hands, but the believe is there. Or if you ordered for a car on a catalogue. It’s not yet parked in your garage, but you don’t doubt that it’s on the seas and yours. Believe. Don’t ask repeatedly, once you have asked, the energy is created, just believe, it’s already a reality in the energy phase, and it’s a phase that has no record of time or size.

4. Receive: To receive requires a number of steps, but what you are doing essentially is asserting and confirming your belief in the existence of what you want as already existing in an unseen phase. To perfect the picture in the energy phase, you must begin to behave like it is yours already. This involves

a. Expressing Gratitude. The show of gratitude is a display of subconscious alignment with a position of already having. You don’t need to show gratitude only for what you are expecting, but look around you and show gratitude for what you have. Express it, feel it in your heart, feel as though you already have what you want. Say it - Thank you God. That’s the most important communication you can make with the almighty. Once your subconscious accepts it, manifestation is near, expect it.

b. Act. Acting is the only thing required for you to physically do to receive. Don’t be bothered if you don’t know what to do yet though, it is sufficient that you build the intensity of your desire. When your desire is strong enough, it will affect the quality of your work and actions. One who desires $1,000,000 dollars will do things on a different performance level with one who desires $10. Our desire affects our output. In receiving however, the action we need to take will be shown to us, usually it comes. When the creative process is at it’s peak, expect new opportunities to show up, expect new ideas, expect to meet with new people, expect to read new articles, expect something to happen. Cultivate this feeling of expectancy, because around the corner of your normal life, lies the action you will feel instinctively that you should take. When the occasion presents itself, ACT. All action requires courage.

This is the creative process. So whatever it is you desire (desire), when you pray (ask), believe (believe) that you shall receive (receive -a) and you shall receive (receive -b) - Mark 11:24

One of the first things I realized in my discussion with Bunmi, which I didn’t hesitate to tell him, was that it would take a lot of business education to explain things to the average employee. How would you ever explain some things to people. Well, maybe that’s why some of us are passionate about educating people, else how will you explain what I’m about to do. Somehow I felt I could only relate to some of those things because, first I had worked in a manufacturing company, and now own a business. Irrespective of why I feel I understand however, I’ll do my best to be as explanatory as possible.

I’ll like to say as well that I am not biased. This is the first time I’ll ever speak with the man for more than 2 minutes. In previous times, all that I have ever done, had been to walk up to him and greet him, like I have done to many other MDs that have crossed my path. Where there is smoke, there is certainly fire, I’ll try as much as possible to share my perspectives about the smoke as well.

Again, these are merely my perspectives, the impressions I got when i spoke with the man. They in no way form the court’s discoveries or 100% of Bunmi’s views as I did not hold a recorder when speaking with him. I’m not his lawyer as well, so be easy on judgment And of course, measure based on your measure. I expect that the cleanest people are usually the most intolerant of any spec of dirt.

Bunmi Oni became the MD of Cadbury by his own records in 1995. When he came in, he set a 5yrs goal for the company together with top management. By the year 2000 they exceeded their goals, both for profit and company growth and he was very excited about it. He went ahead to set a 10yrs goal for the company, knowing also that the goal would outlive him, as he would have handed over to a successor. The goal was to build Cadbury Nigeria into a $1Billion company by 2010. He this was a very stretch goal, considering their size at the time, but he and his team were passionate it could be achieved. Confirmation came for them in 2003, when to the amazement of the onlooking world, MTN came to Nigeria and achieved beyond their 10yrs goal in their second year, without bringing a dime of foreign money into Nigeria. It reaffirmed his fate in the possibilities of growth in Nigeria as all that money was inside the system. At this time they reviewed how they were doing as well, and reviewed the plan to achieve the goal latest by 2012.

In line with this stretch goal, one of the things he knew would have to change were some of the machines they were working with. There was no way they could build a 21st century $1Billion business using the current equipment. The machines they used for making Bournvita were old technology plant that used a coal oven. He believed they needed a machine with better throughput. He realized that they were not skilled enough to design what they needed, and decided to seek help from Cadbury Schweppes UK. These agreed to design the plant, that would give them their required results. Cadbury Schweppes designed but where not willing to pay for the development, but recommended another company in Europe that was great in implementing designs. This company developed to specification, the machine was transported to Nigeria, set up, powered, but refused to work! An investment of £4.8Million Pounds was not working, this created a lot of concerns.

It took quite a lot of back an forth convincing the development team that it was not due to operational competency. They finally came down to operate it themselves with some of their consultants, only to finally open up to Cadbury Nigeria that the design was faulty. This was a shocking revelation which they took up with Cadbury Schweppes UK. Cadbury UK, switched to denial. They kept denying until after a while they decided to concede without committing it to writing, and agreeing to help fix the line. Because it was a line with a continuous automated process, they had to fix each module before they discover the issues with the next module. They also had to waste a lot of cocoa and other raw materials testing the line. This gulped some other millions of pounds and 18 months! The machine was finally fixed but with a capacity only 60% of initial design specifications requested. This also gave Cadbury a liability of 300 extra staff that were supposed to be replaced or redeployed to other sides of the business with the coming of the automated line.

Here is where the misstatements started…

Bunmi out of no fault of his own, save a desire to grow the business, is left with a messy situation. About N2billion had been expended on a line project that he went into with the full alignment of the board, but that Cadbury UK had fouled on. He decided to take responsibility for it, and work with his team to progress inspite of the shortfalls. Since the entire process took 18 months, he and his team ( I believe with the boards approval) decided to depreciate the costs incurred in procuring the machine and the entire design exercise over 2yrs+. They recorded a part of it in 2006, were going to do the rest in 2007 and if there was any excess capture it 2008. IMO, this is allowed in accounting. I say this not as an accountant, but as one who has seen many books and worked closely with a good number of highly rated financial analysts and accountants. Multinationals that score number 1 in integrity globally do these things, and I have worked with one of them. This however is the case that looks most like it can win a case for miss statement. But I’m open to expert views from accountants on this, particularly those familiar with the manufacturing environments.

When the investigations were done, the people who had the brief (PWC UK) decided to look for other opportunities to position for miss statement… and found some interesting ones. Due to regulatory changes for example, many companies had a gratuity liability that was huge. A number of companies in the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and many others not in, decided to approach the body in charge to negotiate for an opportunity to clear the liability over 3yrs. They agreed and gave Cadbury Nigeria, together with a number of companies this waiver. The investigators got the letter, reported that the decision of the body was wrong and that the full amount for 5yrs be taken out of the companies books in 1yr. This accounted for a few billions of Naira in the eventual 13 Billion Naira misstatement.

They went through he books, and even though they had just cleared their income tax liabilities with the Tax bodies, they said that the staff had still underpaid tax and they had an exposure of over N1billion.

They also discovered that Cadbury distributors were only rewarded for their performance and given their bonuses in the next year after they had done the work. Experts (Gamaliel Onosode for example) says this is typically the same way dividend is done. The consultants decided against it and said is should be charged into the books in the same year. In their zeal, they decided to charge for 2005 and for 2006 all in 2006. This accounted for a few billions miss statement as well.

They also went through the books and reviewed some of their policies. In Nigeria for example, they defined a bad debt from their clients to any amount that was not paid in 180 days. the consultants (PWC UK) came, and said it should be 90/60 days (sorry I didn’t write it down, just listened hard), and counted everything above these number of days as bad debt and captured it, also a few billions as miss statement.

They found or invented, a number of these type of things, pulled them together and called it N13billion miss statement. I’m an HR specialist and business man, I need the help of an accountant here to let me know if what I have watched done all my multinational career was actually wrong. If they are, then is there any clean? Before you jump into attack mode, please find out what your accountants are doing, find out what’s keeping them in the office late at night. I’ve worked somewhere before when if you make a forecast, it must never be wrong! In fact you must not even make much more profit that you forecasted. Wrong forecast they say is an indicator to your investors that you are not on top of your business, and if good mistakes can happen bad ones can too, and a process of creative, yet ethical (I’m made to believe) accounting occurs and it’s never missed, at times, we sell of things whose book values have reached zero for profit, pressure a few of our receivables to come in, initiate projects that make our distributors buy more e.t.c.

I’m sure there are some fine lines that have been crossed here, and if anybody decides to witch hunt the cleanest of CEO’s in the world, we’ll find some of these things. If we look closely at clean water, we might see micro-organisms. Scientists even say that there is no liquid water without life. Is Bunmi Oni being measured by the same standards by which we measure all the companies on SEC? Are the punitive measures taken against him not tantamount to using bullets to kill ants? Are we inventing another measure for him for no reason? When I heard him, I felt that going the length they went to prove a point, and clear evidence of motive says to me, was this a routine check? Did SEC check Cadbury out indpendent of the report PWC UK submitted to it?

Before I start sounding like a lawyer before a jury trying to establish the presence of reasonable doubt. Let me restate the facts of this matter. No money was made. Something questionable was done, Bunmi took accountability for it and asked that his team be spared of any punitive measures due, as it happened under his watch. Bunmi Oni did not act based on the motivation of personal gain, security, survival or sex (the human motivations), he acted according to him, in the integrity of his heart. Cadbury UK pounced on him, perhaps before the issues blew in their face. Why would you miss state? Why? Just for the fun of it? To defraud the shareholders? To get people to buy and dump your shares? Or to steer the company carefully into your dream for it? And was it really a miss statement? And why are they making it so big by making other things miss statements? Would it have made a super star out of the Next MD if the previous year had taken a big deep of amounts that were supposed to be spread? Would the next MD not make profit already from day 1? Was it planned that the next MD would be… let me guess from UK? Now it has all become a matter of yam pepper scatter scatter…

Please forgive my errors… I’m in the office after 10pm and need to rush home.

The first question he asked me when I dropped the bombshell was, “how much time do you have?” I told him I was willing to wait for as long as it was going to take. When he continued the story, I understood it perfectly. I had also spend 4yrs plus working in a manufacturing company and was fully in touch with the experiences he shared.

The details of the interview and the things I learnt from Bunmi Oni cannot be shared in one post, expect me to complete this episode in the next coming days. But here are a few quick outlooks.

1. No personal profits were made - Bunmi Oni did not defraud the company in any way. Cadbury together with all the bodies that investigated the case have published publicly that no personal profits or gains were made from whatever they claimed happened.

2. He did nothing Wrong - I’m not a judge, but I have high personal and moral standards. I listened to the accusations against him, the things they said, and the things they kept from saying,  and frankly if  Bunmi Oni can be faulted for integrity, then there is no man known to me on earth that has it. He did all that he did in the integrity of his heart and in the best interest of the company and it’s shareholders. I pride myself as one that can