The Nation Newspaper

Category: Celebrity

  • Kabir Jibola Gbemisola: a chip off the old block

    Kabir Jibola Gbemisola: a chip off the old block

    There is a saying to the effect that fathers build empires while sons ruin them. But this cannot be further from the truth in the case of handsome Kabir Jibola Gbemisola. While his late father grew and established Fatgbems Group of Companies in the country’s business arena, Kabir has taken over the reins effortlessly and taken the company to giddy heights, so much so that the charismatic husband of Khadijat is being touted as one of the best young bosses in the country.

    Unlike many silver spoon kids who rely on their parents’ wealth, Kabir had from an early age embraced the virtues of independence and self-reliance. This, coupled with his humility and brilliance, catapulted him to becoming the chief executive of Spirsal Oil & Gas for six years before leaving to assume the reins of his father’s company.

    Rather than being fazed by the huge task of filling his father’s shoes, a prospect that would cow many a lesser individual, Kabir strode on with purpose, invigorating the operations and introducing several novel ideas that helped the company expand to become one of the biggest players in the oil and gas sectors.

    His stock has risen so high that the Egba business tycoon is said to have the ears of fellow big men in the political and business worlds.

  • Saraki, Ben Murray-Bruce, others grace Gbenga Makanjuola’s 50th birthday

    Saraki, Ben Murray-Bruce, others grace Gbenga Makanjuola’s 50th birthday

    In soccer circles, everyone is dazzled by the magical feats of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. But without the trainers and coaches to grease the wheels, so to speak, and without the teammates who provide the platform for these super athletes to excel, there would be no Messi or Ronaldo. The same situation applies to politics.

    A politician of the stature of Senate President Bukola Saraki is dependent on his backroom staff to keep things running smoothly. One of them is his Deputy Chief of Staff, Hon Gbenga Makanjuola, who recently turned 50. It is a measure of his importance to the Senate President that he dragged some principal officers of the Senate, like Ben Murray-Bruce and Dino Melaye, among others, to the venue of Makanjuola’s birthday celebration.

    Although it was a modest affair, Hon Makanjuola was undoubtedly delighted to host to such big names on a landmark occasion in his life. Amid the cutting of the birthday cake and exultant refrains of “Happy Birthday”, he was the very picture of ecstasy as he profusely thanked all the guests for gracing him with their presence.

  • Ibrahim Salu set for dad’s burial

    Lagos socialite, Ibrahim Salu, popularly known as “Ibro Too Much Money “, knows the worth of a father, especially one like Alhaji Muftau Aremu Olaribigbe Salu, who passed away recently. Ibrahim knows that whatever he is today is a direct fallout of his late father’s sweat, toil and tears.

    Consequently, he always made sure that his father enjoyed the fruits of his lifelong labour. And now that the old man has passed gracefully away, the top freight forwarder is planning a burial that will shake the city and show everyone just how much his father meant to him.

    The Fidau prayer held for the late Salu at his Oshodi home last Friday was packed full with worthy names from the happening circle. The upcoming grand burial also promises to be no exception. If the words coming from family sources are anything to go by, Ibrahim is leaving no stone unturned to organise an amazing burial for his beloved father.

    While the details of the grand event remain yet under wraps, those who should know say Ibrahim is sparing no effort to make the occasion a grand one.

  • Where is Opeyemi Saraki?

    Where is Opeyemi Saraki?

    With his brother currently enjoying his time in the limelight as Nigeria’s number three man, one would expect that handsome dude Opeyemi Saraki would take advantage of it to cruise on the high waves of social relevance. The reverse, however, seems to be the case as the fun loving younger brother of the Senate President has almost completely disappeared from the social scene.

    Like the fish that raises its head above the surface of the sea only to return into its murky depths, Opeyemi’s time in the limelight seems to have amounted to only a little more than a cameo.

    The MD of Kwara State Millennium Development Goals Initiative was once very visible among the Ilorin and Lagos happening crowds, playing the perfect guest at high octane parties that drew the crème de la crème of society and sometimes hosting them. But while he was cruising on the fast lane of fame he had a head-on collision with the EFCC, which apparently left him bruised and battered. He has recoiled into his shell ever since.

    As even some of the people he used to move around with are now wondering what has become of the affable dude, some are still holding out hope that the darling of high-profile parties will resurface sooner than later.

  • Mariam Afolabi opens multi- million naira business edifice

    Mariam Afolabi opens multi- million naira business edifice

    No matter how much the rain falls, some people will never get wet. While the country is just emerging from grips of a recession that has crumbled some businesses and dwindle many a personal fortune, some wealthy people appear totally unaffected by it. Instead, their wealth is waxing even stronger.

    Among the lucky few is Mariam Afolabi, the beautiful lady of style who has been expanding her fashion business. Now she has taken things to a whole new level by moving her business to a new upscale location where she is sure to enjoy more patronage from the high profile Lagos crowd.

    Following in the footsteps of her father, Taiwo Afolabi, who heads the SIFAX business empire, Mariam started her own fashion chain several years ago with the launch of The Style Café in the heart of Lekki Phase 1. The place comprised a fashion label, a unisex salon, a fancy eatery and a spa.

    The 24-year old Law School graduate has however moved on to bigger and better things. Last Sunday was the grand unveiling of the new location for The Style Café. The premium spot on Alexander Road, Ikoyi was unveiled amidst fanfare with the who’s who of fashion and style in attendance.

  • New lease of life for Lola Abiola-Edewor

    Lola Abiola-Edewor, daughter of the late Bashorun MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, has quietly been doing her bit to ensure that history remembers her with the same fondness it remembers her father.

    The Executive Director of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has been using her position to put smiles on the faces of her constituents. She is said to have helped many of them get good placements in government and the private sector. She also regularly provides help for the indigent people in her state so they can go to school.

    Lola represented the Apapa Constituency in the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003 on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) before she moved to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Although she has had several unsuccessful bids to represent the people of Ogun Central Senatorial District at the Senate, she is quite happy to bide her time while waiting for another opportunity.

  • Hon Akinlade raises his game

    When the stakes are at their highest, success cannot be achieved without a robust groundwork, cooperation and creative risk-taking. For suave politician, Hon. Abiodun Akinlade, this is pretty much the case. He has no choice but to raise his game in the high-stakes of the Ogun governorship tussle which is set to mesmerise everyone as the hopefuls slug it out in the weeks and months leading up to 2019.

    The three-term member of the House of Representatives has been watering his governorship ambition like a patient gardener. The consummate politician who represented Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency has been building up his grassroots base and consulting with those who hold the keys of the door to the governorship seat, including the incumbent, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

    Indeed, despite not being in office, the Baba Adinni of Yewaland is making himself felt in the political circles of the state. Coming from the Ogun West senatorial zone, Akinlade is banking on the total support of the people in a zone that has enjoyed little in terms of political appointments in the state since inception. Coupled with his anticipated move to the ruling APC to take advantage of a more robust political structure and the might of incumbency, Akinlade’s campaign is already generating massive excitement.

  • Andy Uba throws his hat in the ring again

    Instead of “the fewer the better,” it is a case of “the more the merrier” as the race for the seat of Anambra governor hots up ahead of the November elections.  Unlike other governorship tussles where one or two handpicked candidates represent their party, the situation in Anambra is akin to a royal rumble as the biggest and the best from the state keep throwing their hats into the ring.

    On the APC side are political behemoths like former national internal auditor, Chief George Muoghalu, billionaire businessman, Ifeanyi Ubah, and Senator Uche Ekwunife among others. And then there is the latest comer to the APC fold in the state, Andy Uba, who is undoubtedly the pick of the APC bunch so far due to his huge political and business clout and deep pockets, not to mention that he was also a former (albeit for just two months) governor of the state. Add to this the fact that the likes of ex-governor Chris Ngige could still declare their intention to pick the APC ticket and the race within the party is looking very juicy indeed.

    Whoever picks the APC ticket will have to enter the ring to face off against the might of incumbent Willie Obiano of the APGA who has the state’s political machinery in his pockets. He also enjoys the goodwill of the state’s voters due to hi strong performance, making him extremely difficult to unseat.

  • Abdulsamad Rabiu moves for 9Mobile

    Abdulsamad Rabiu moves for 9Mobile

    An empire, business or political, begins with a dream. And it will remain a dream until a man willing to go further, dig deeper and try harder comes along. Such men, like Abdulsamad Rabiu, can transform an inherited expanse of land into a global conglomerate worth billions of dollars.

    Not only has his BUA Group become a gigantic enterprise in 29 years, it has also catapulted him into the rarefied air of the world’s few dollar billionaires. And if the Kano-born self-made billionaire gets his wish, then very soon, 9Mobile, formerly Etisalat, will join Globacom as two of the biggest telecommunication companies in the country owned by Nigerians.

    It is no news that 9Mobile’s former owners, Etisalat, have bolted from the company and turned it over to creditors following huge debts, leading to the rebranding of the country’s fourth largest telecoms network. The consortium of banks now in charge have invited bids from those willing to acquire the company and has appointed advisers headed by Citibank of New York and South Africa’s Standard Bank to scrutinise the bids.

    Abdulsamad Rabiu’s BUA Group has indicated interest in acquiring the consortium’s stake in 9Mobile. But he faces stiff competition from the likes of Richard Branson’s Virgin Mobile and South Africa telecoms operator, Vodacom.

  • Shina Peller celebrates 20th anniversary of father’s death

    Shina Peller celebrates 20th anniversary of father’s death

    Boss of Aquila Group and acclaimed king of night life, Shina Peller, might not have taken to magic like his father, the world acclaimed Prof. Peller, but that has not stopped him from creating real magic in the lives of youths through various initiatives.

    The boss of primetime Lagos hangout spot, Club Quilox, is at it again. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of his father’s death SP, as he is fondly called, recently launched the Peller Unity Cup, bringing together 300 players from 20 teams in 10 local government areas of his native Oke-Ogun district in Oyo State. The competition which kicked off penultimate Tuesday has already generated a lot of excitement as it slowly builds up to its much anticipated climax on August 3.

    With a cash prize of N500,000 and the Professor Peller Cup up for grabs, the competition has already witnessed plenty of shocks and thrills as it winds towards the finish line.

    Shina Peller is a household name in the business world as well as on the social radar. He recently added a luxury restaurant to its portfolio of businesses under the Aquila Group banner. His upscale Club Quilox located in Victoria Island is the favourite hangout base of many happening dudes and girls.