Ask Chuka

  I often tell my friends that it’s easy to follow the scriptural instruction to “love your enemies and pray for those who curse you”—when you have no known enemies. We all laughed and debated the point over some delicious Nsala soup my wife, Linda, had prepared. But just a few days later, my friend Roland stormed into my office, fuming about being passed over for promotion again and receiving a lower bonus last year. Before I could even say, “Bros, calm down,” Roland blurted out, “God will punish my boss and the entire management for treating me so badly!” Smiling, I encouraged him to pause and think. I’ve been in his shoes before. I told him that anger wouldn’t solve anything and that it’s in moments like these that we need to choose forgiveness and love—no matter how hard it feels. I reminded him of the scripture that says, “The hearts of kings are in the palm of God’s hands.” Sometimes, in this our Nigeria, promotions don’t happen because of your talent or hard work. You even s...

  PLEASE DO NOT LOSE FAITH Tonight, I reflected on my younger days, when people were drawn to the choir because they loved my voice and the way I led worship. I was passionate about worshipping God and seeing others join the choir excited me. Some of those who joined were ladies who felt connected to me because of how I led them. I never saw anything wrong with what initially drew them in—after all, anything can inspire us to start something good. But I always hoped that over time, their focus would shift to a deeper connection with God, the One we worship through all those beautiful sounds of praise. Unfortunately, I got close to a couple of these ladies, and they agreed to date me because they believed that with a "church boy," you couldn’t go wrong. They assumed that being in church meant I perfectly reflected God’s nature. But I was far from perfect. No matter how righteous I appeared, my righteousness was like filthy rags before the God we served. When some of these rela...

RATHER THAN COMPLAIN ABOUT LACK OF TRUST, DEPLOY SYSTEMS TO ENSURE IT. Warren Buffett famously said, “Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.” With all that Buffett has achieved, I’ve always trusted his wisdom. Yet, in a society where integrity feels like a scarce resource, hiring the right people can seem like an endless battle. Take my experience in 2024. I hired John (not his real name) as a driver, agreeing to pay him 80,000 Naira per month. Not long after, I noticed he had a habit of shortchanging me—for instance, buying 46,000 Naira worth of petrol instead of the 50,000 I instructed, pocketing the balance. When confronted, John repeatedly denied it. To address the issue, I didn’t just rely on trust; I implemented a system. I instructed him to buy fuel only from designated stations and told the staff there to inform me of any discrepancies...

  WHAT ARE YOUR BARGAINING RIGHTS? When my friend Timothy finally decided to start a small business, his biggest worry was the overhead costs of running one. To convince him to move forward, despite his strict condition of spending no more than 50,000 Naira monthly, I hired Martins, who was in desperate need of a job. The arrangement seemed perfect at first, and things moved smoothly. Two years later, during an evaluation, Timothy expressed satisfaction with the modest progress of the business. However, Martins felt deeply dissatisfied. He had earned the same salary for two years and saw no hope of an increase. I understood the dilemma—approaching Timothy could mean shutting down the business altogether. So, I offered Martins a challenge: grow the business to the point where we could hire him an assistant or even open a new branch, elevating his role. My role was simple—provide him with guidance. At the same time, I spoke to Timothy and proposed an agreement. If Martins could doubl...

  WHEN THE PURPOSE OF A ROLE IS UNKNOWN, ABUSE BECOMES INEVITABLE. I once had a driver named Barnabas Dogara. Before we started working together, I laid out a few important principles: timeliness, integrity, moderate speed (not exceeding 100km/h even on clear roads), confidentiality, and good hygiene. Barnabas exceeded my expectations in every way. We had an excellent working relationship until he was lured into a government job, enticed by promises of job security. What stood out most was how seriously he took his role. Sometimes, work stretched far beyond our agreed hours of 8 AM to 6 PM. On those days, I’d feel guilty and urge him to head home to his family while I managed independently. But Barnabas always insisted on staying, saying things like, "You take so many calls; I’ll wait until you’re done." His dedication was unwavering. Barnabas didn’t just drive me; he became almost indispensable. He knew when the internet bills were due, when medical insurance needed renewal,...

  Be Good to the People on Your Way Up the Ladder—You’ll Meet Them on Your Way Down At the 2024 ASNE Conference organised by the School Resource Council (SRC), a guest speaker praised Dr Abubakar (not his real name), a retired Director from the Ministry of Education, for his unwavering support to school owners on compliance matters. What stood out most were the testimonies shared by many school owners at the event. Dr Abubakar’s kindness and professional integrity during his tenure made him a trusted reference point for all compliance-related concerns before approaching the ministry. Leveraging his expertise and goodwill, he set up a private practice post-retirement to help schools navigate compliance seamlessly. Today, over 100 schools in Abuja rely on his services—a testament to his humane approach and refusal to exploit his position while in power. Last year, Jewel Publishers won a printing contract with JJL Ventures (not the actual name). We diligently worked on the project, de...