The Nation Newspaper

Category: Celebrity

  • Gboyega Awomolo hits 70

    Gboyega Awomolo hits 70

    SOME of the world’s greatest springs are from anonymous enclaves that are too small to contain them. So it is for Chief Gboyega Awomolo who sprang from the sleepy little town of Igbajo in Osun State but has since grown into a titan of the legal profession.

    The highly respected legal luminary joined the league of septuagenarians a few days ago with an outpouring of emotions from scores of admirers, fellow denizens of the law and even common men whose lives Chief Awomolo has impacted positively.

    The long-time Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Life Bencher has spent 40 years in the legal profession building enduring friendships and a reputation for integrity and straightforwardness along the way. He is a former attorney general of his home state and shares the privileges of the Inner Sanctum with his wife, Chief (Mrs) Victoria Olufunmilayo, who is also a SAN.

    Unlike some who are praised abroad but derided at home, Gboyega is a man dear to the hearts of the people on account of his tremendous achievements which have put Igbajo on the world map as well as his service to humanity.

    Unsurprisingly, the people of Igbajo showed their appreciation by conferring on him with the title of Asiwaju of Igbajoland.

  • All set for Senator Faseyi’s wife’s 50th birthday

    All set for Senator Faseyi’s wife’s 50th birthday

    REV. Mrs Monisola Phebian Faseyi, the beautiful wife of Senator Duro Samuel Faseyi, is a very happy woman at the moment. And the crème of Nigeria’s high society can hardly wait to celebrate with her as she marks her 50th birthday on October 7 at The Redeemed Gospel Evangelical Mission (TREGEM), Akure, Ondo State.

    Snippets from the household of the Faseyis indicate that she is set to waltz into the golden club with great aplomb. The invitation letters sent out to invited guests are so beautiful that some of them have enthused that the quality could make anyone go green with envy.

    As would be expected, a lot of people are eager to be part of the memorable celebration as everything points to the fact that it could be her classiest shindig ever. Senator Faseyi himself would be sparing nothing in his boundless reservoir of goodwill and resources to celebrate the woman that has stood by him through thick and thin.

  • Kessington Adebutu bereaved

    Kessington Adebutu bereaved

    LIFE is like a lottery: sometimes there are winnings and sometimes there are losses. This metaphor would not be lost on the chairman of the country’s number one lottery company, Premier Lotto, Sir Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu, as he mourns one of his wives, Olaide Abimbola Adebutu, née Olayemi, who recently departed the world at the age of 73.

    Though benumbed by a yawning sense of loss, the popular philanthropist ensured he performed the proper rites for his departed beloved. The interment at the exclusive Ikoyi Vaults and Gardens on September 14 was preceded by a Christian Wake for which members of high society came from far and near to pay their last respects to the third wife of the Asoju Oba of Lagos.

    The late Abimbola was born in 1943 to Chief Michael Oredolapo and Princess Asake Onayemi, both prominent members of the South West elites at that point.

  • Gov Okorocha gets 27 cakes for 55th birthday

    Gov Okorocha gets 27 cakes for 55th birthday

    IMO State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, is an ebullient personality and politician by all standards, who walks his talks. In his own words, once the time of his birthday comes around, the drums naturally roll.

    This year, the drumbeats are particularly mesmerizing, courtesy of a unique gesture from all the women in the 27 local government areas of the state. Their gift of 27 cakes, representing the 27 LGAs, was sublimely designed: a two-way staircase signifying the connection between the governor and his people, coupled with words of endearment further expressing their love for him.

    The governor was so overjoyed by the gesture that he could hardly contain his glee on the social media.

    As a state chief executive, Rochas is no stranger to gifts, especially on occasions of his birthday when he becomes the beautiful bride wooed with expensive packages and sweet solicitous words of praise and admiration.

    The one from the women, however, means much more to him than the heaps of expensive baubles he received as he celebrated his 55th birthday yesterday.

  • About Peter Obi, Obiano

    About Peter Obi, Obiano

    THE Italian painter Leonardo da Vinci once said that poor is the pupil who does not surpass his master. The governor of Anambra State, Willy Obiano, seems to have taken this nugget to heart as he prepares for the mother of all showdowns with his erstwhile political godfather Peter Obi.

    Not too long ago, Obi and Obiano were a beautiful tag team who together wrestled the other gladiators in Anambra politics into submission.

    During Obi’s eight-year reign, Obiano was the faithful lieutenant, helping his boss to deliver beautiful governance dividends while also learning the ropes from the master. But their relationship turned sour soon after Obiano assumed power as the executive governor of the state tagged the Light of the Nation. The erstwhile partners turned into foes with Obi defecting from APGA to the PDP.

    Come November 18, the former close pals will have a winner-takes-all face-off in the state’s version of Wrestlemania. Obiano will be gunning for a second term, while Obi will be deploying his heavy artillery in a bid to fire the PDP candidate, Oseloka Obaze, to victory.

  • Jigawa governor’s daughter welcomes first baby

    ABOUT a year after their high octane wedding brought the ancient city of Kano to a standstill, Amina, daughter of Jigawa State governor, and her beau, Lawan Dahiru Mangal, once again have cause to celebrate. The beautiful daughter of Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar gave birth to her new bundle of joy a few days ago, and she and her husband have not stopped sharing the good news with all and sundry.

    Of the two, Amina has the most cause to be happy as the new baby represents her baptism into motherhood. And what a baptism it was! She has been flooding her social media pages with pictures of the cute baby boy. The equally joyous father, on the other hand, has had several children with his first wife.

    It will be recalled that Lawan and Amina tied the nuptial knot in a fancy ceremony at Umar Khattab Mosque in Kano. The wedding attracted the cream of high society spanning the political and business worlds.

  • Gbenga Daniels’ latest moves

    WHILE some try to bulldoze their way forward and expose their flanks to the enemy in the process, stealth and subterfuge is usually guaranteed to bring success. In this vein, former Ogun State governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniels, is like a tiger crouching among the trees, waiting for a chance to pounce.

    His target is none other than the plum position of PDP national chairman. Like a child eyeing the juicy mangoes hanging invitingly from a tree, Daniels is determined to secure the position and has been making strategic alliances with friends and erstwhile foes behind the scenes.

    Popularly known by his acronym OGD, the ex-governor looks like one of the main contenders for the position reportedly zoned to the South West.

  • Igho Sanomi’s foundation restores hope to wounded Chibok boy

    RENOWNED British poet, William Wordsworth, says the best moments of a good man’s life are “the little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.” If that is indeed the case, the chairman of Taleveras Group Charles Igho Sanomi must be feeling very happy. With help from his foundation, Ahmadu Ali, a 24-year-old survivor of the deadly Boko Haram sect in Chibok, Borno State, has a second chance at a happy and productive life.

    The young Ali was one of the victims of a raid carried out by the sect in 2014, during which they kidnapped dozens of girls, leaving him with a spinal cord injury. Since then he has had to contend with excruciating pains even as groups like the Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care (GIPLC) ran around, trying to raise funds for corrective surgery on him.

    Succour finally came his way in the guise of the Dickens Sanomi Foundation set up by Igho Charles in honour of his father. The foundation agreed to bankroll Ali’s medical expenses to the tune of $48,000. As a result of this most auspicious of human intervention, Ali has been flown to Dubai where he is currently receiving treatment.

  • Wedding bells for Ajimobi’s son?

    ABOLAJI, son of Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi, must have learnt how to drop bombshells from the US Marine Corps where he is a First Lieutenant. The one he dropped on social media certainly made a loud bang. Handsome Abolaji revealed that he is in a relationship with Fatima, daughter of his father’s counterpart in Kano State, and the news has taken not a few people by surprise.

    In what started as a mundane Instagram post, Abolaji caused quite a stir when he let the cat out of the bag concerning his heartthrob. Not to be outdone, the beautiful daughter of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje swiftly confirmed their attachment with a romantic response.

    With what was a well-kept secret now out in the open, not a few people are wondering whether the wedding bells would be ringing soon for Abolaji and his fiancee. The tall and jovial dude was once rumoured to be in an intimate relationship with UK-based makeup artiste, Imelda Ladebo, but nothing came of the rumour. Perhaps he will have better luck this time.

  • Julius Rone’s humanitarian gestures

    Julius Rone’s humanitarian gestures

    FOR some wealthy Nigerians, the usefulness of their huge wealth lies in keeping money in their pockets or splashing it on the most expensive things money can buy. Not so Julius Rone. For the UTM boss, money is not just a ticket to a life of opulence and comfort, it is also the key to unlock the gates of hope for the poor and the downtrodden.

    In his Niger Delta region in particular, Julius is more like a deity because of his kind and generous nature which has left an indelible mark in the minds of many indigent people in the region who have at one time or the other benefited from his humanitarian gestures.

    On account of his milk of human kindness, he has become a good example for those who are looking for mentors. As such, he can do no wrong in their eyes.

    The Jewel of the Niger Delta turned 43 a few months ago. The father of three is a household name in the region and presides over UTM Group, one of the biggest players in the oil and gas industry.