Category: Saturday Interview

Idris Aregbe is carving a niche for himself in entrepreneurship and politics. As businessman, he establishes and operates four companies. Despite his entrepreneurial skills, the grassroots mobiliser has engaged the young and old in several community-based empowerments and programmes. He speaks with WALE AJETUNMOBI on his new project called ‘Our Lagos Your Lagos’.

What does ‘Our Lagos Your Lagos Project’ stand for?

This is an initiative I put forward to ensure Lagosians embrace the idea of new Lagos being driven by the state Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. The objective of this project is to improve everyday life of residents at the grassroots level and serve as a platform for information on the lofty ideals if this government. It is to be in the mind of every Lagosian. When you hear “Our Lagos Your Lagos”, the first thing that resonates in your mind should be that, Lagos belongs to everybody who lives in it. In as much as you live and conduct your business legally and respect the laws, Lagos is for you. The state is governed by a government, but the people being governed have vital roles to play in making Lagos a conducive place for business. I believe together, we can build a Lagos of our dream and that is the objective of this project. This is, to serve as springboard in fostering understanding between the government and the people.

What strategy would you employ to engage the grassroots?

Given the name of the initiative, it is naturally engaging. We believe in vision of Ambode, which is geared towards moving the state forward. We have decided to communicate the message to the people in simplest and easiest method. Volunteers are being deployed to drive this initiative. While Gov. Ambode is working hard to make Lagos maintain its megacity status, what is required of every resident is to support him? This is the essence of this initiative, which is to galvanise the people to support the government. If we must all be prosper together, every resident must support the good initiative of the government. Loyalty to the state is not negotiable, but loyalty to the government is when they deserve it. Let us remove sentiment; obviously we have a government that cares about the people and it is only good to reciprocate the gesture. As a people, we must do everything within our ability to ensure Ambode achieves his vision of better Lagos. No matter how little our effort may be.

Do you seek to force the campaign on the people?

Definitely not. Nobody will force anyone to accept our message. However, I can tell you majority of Lagosians would embrace this initiative without being forced to do so. We believe if people are engaged diplomatically and persuasively, they will be willing to drop behaviours that do not represent the values being preached by the government. Our messages will be sent out often, which will consistently remind people about this campaign. As I said earlier, we will ensure our message is always on everybody’s mind. It is a re-orientation campaign against impunity, with the aim to make people better and be supportive of the government’s programmes.

How do you want to drive campaign?

We have identified two key means to pass our message across. One is education, the other is entertainment. These are the two key areas which we can explore to get desired responses and results. Evidently, Lagos is a home for most of the popular entertainers and artistes we know. We know Lagosians listens to music, sees movie and attend outdoor events. Lagos has successfully organised events, such as the New Year countdown, which gained acceptability among the people. Such platform will be used to get our messages across to the people. Education is also very important and the idea is to organise symposia on campuses, educative concepts, awareness on different platforms, including movie to drive home our message. Very soon, we are launching a household campaign tagged ‘Operation Correct and Protect Your Neighbour’. If we look at what is happening today, people have lost interest in correcting people doing wrong things. This is why impunity is deeply entrenched in our society. If your neighbour gets a N10 million contract for a project and he uses sub-standard materials to carry out the project, you don’t keep quiet because he is your neighbour. You must correct him to do what is right. People need to stand up and demand accountability. For instance, if somebody next to you in a public transport service litters the road, you, as a law abiding resident, has a responsibility to criticize and correct such action. We are open to also receiving student-volunteers from various campuses. When we start this campaign, information on that will be shared.

Would you recommend punishment for people who go against the laws?

Punishment is a method correcting offenders and government has statutory responsibility to punish offenders in accordance with our laws and constitution. However, people must know that for every offence committed by violating the laws, it affects other people living in the state. For instance, if somebody vandalises electrical gadgets meant to provide lights on our highways, this action will deprive millions of road users of the opportunity to drive at night. This is why every Lagos resident must join this campaign and support the government to better our everyday living. Looking at the tempo of the current administration, it shows that Governor Ambode is focused. Let us extend our support by orientating the populace and ensuring that government does not spend extra cost to repair facilities intentionally damaged by a few bad eggs among the people.

Do you see the message being accepted by the grassroots?

Like I said, we have a governor in Lagos, who is doing wonderfully well in improving security of lives and property, providing functional healthcare, revamping our roads and etcetera. We can all feel the pulse of governance in our communities with ease. But, the challenge is, how do we maintain the facilities? It will cost government extra resources to maintain these facilities if vandals damage them. But, if we have citizens who see public infrastructure as property to be protected, they will stop anyone who may want to vandalise or steal it. This will naturally save the government of cycle of repair and restoration, which would gulp resources that could have been utilised for other social needs. The resources should always be used to provide other needed services. That is the essence of this initiative.

Don’t you think people may read your effort as politics?

A bad road does not know the political party to which the user belongs. If there is a mishap, people will die, regardless of their political leaning. With our effort to change the mindset of people towards governance and protecting public facilities, it is our intention to also reduce the chances of any inconveniences. People that may want to read politics in this initiative should know that the number of politicians living in Lagos is not more than the number people that want to feel the impact of governance.

Do think this initiative would outlive the present government?

Definitely. This is a project that will be appreciated by the government and the people. We will have Lagos that will be a place of pride for generations to come.

Do you also have plans to relay people’s complaints to the government?

We are launching our mobile application. This will enable Lagos residents to send their complaints directly to the government. We believe there is still a wide gap of communication between the government and the people. The mobile application will bridge this gap and provide a platform for residents to communicate their complaints or praises to ministries and the agencies. This will facilitate instant responses and give people a sense of belonging. The application will also contain contacts of essential emergency response agencies. The mobile platform will make people to be actively involved in making Lagos safe for investment. There will also be an opportunity for direct messages to ministries and toll free numbers for emergency needs. It is also imperative to know that we are open to different ideas to move Lagos forward.

How would you fund the campaign in all the 57 local councils in Lagos?

For me, it is not totally about finance, but the willingness of the people. I am not saying we will not need money to run the campaign. It is basically about engaging volunteers in each community. If my community is safe, I will sleep with my two eyes closed. If there is no life-threatening disease in Lagos, every resident will be happy to live here. You can see that ‘Our Lagos Your Lagos’ project focuses more on people living in Lagos and not just about the government alone. We need support from well-meaning Lagosians; our efforts and resources will be directed towards making the state better. I believe the project will make good impacts on the people, because we have deeply researched to find out of our challenges and we want to use our ingenuity to solve the challenge in a way that we will all be happy together.

How connected are you to the grassroots?

I have been a grassroots person all my life. I move around various communities to meet people and I am able to feel their pulse. I have colleagues who share the same vision that I have. We have collaborated to draw our plan on how best we can approach the people. We are not doing this for any financial or personal gains; we are out to encourage people to do what is right as the government is making efforts to improve their lives through laudable programmes and projects. It is only expected of us to play our part by supporting the government.

How do you understand youth empowerment?

Empowerment is not about donating tricycles to a group of people for sustenance purpose. What If such people don’t have right knowledge on how to operate these machines? They will eventually sell the machines or give it out. If we want to see the change we want, we must be able to understand the attitude of the people, their needs, and their state of mind before thinking of what to do for them. I have empowered several people, but what made the empowerment a success was the ability to identify people’s needs and their state of mind. Whatever you do for anyone with right frame of mind will last longer than the same thing you do for people who want to have short-term pleasure.

Are you a politician or businessman?

I have political background. I was raised by a grassroots mobiliser and a long serving political leader in Lagos, who happens to be my mother. I also studied Political Science at the University of Lagos. However, politics is not a profession for me; it is a passion. It naturally plays out in our daily life. I believe that anyone who calls himself a politician must have other things he is doing. I am an entrepreneur and I have more than four companies and businesses. I used my business skills to grow the companies and I have quite number of employees. This in itself is politics, because I manage these people working in my firms. If you do not possess ability to manage a company to success, you don’t have business in politics, because that is the basic aptitude to manage public office and resources.

LOOKING at the mouth of a king, you would think he never sucked at his mother’s breasts. This popular African proverb captures the story of Major-General Sunday Adedapo Adebayo (rtd).

Looking at him sitting behind a huge desk in his beautifully decorated office, you may find it difficult to believe that it is the same man who for most of his childhood had no idea of where the next meal would come from, much less dream of a rosy future.

Born in his native Ikere-Ekiti town in Ekiti State, he lost his father at the age of 18 months, leaving his poor mother to take care of her two sons alone.

“I was told that my father died when I was one and a half years old,” he said with a look that tells how disappointed he must have been.

Without a husband and the burden of taking care of her two children, the young widow resorted to casual labour, helping people to do manual jobs on their farms to cater for herself and her children.

Yet, of all the sufferings his mother went through to feed the family, one major incident remains etched in Gen. Adebayo’s memory. Asked if life was tough in those days, he said: “It was not just tough but very, very tough, and I experienced it first hand.”

Young Adedapo was about seven years old at the time. His mother had gone to a farm to help carry some baskets of oranges from the farm to the market. But on this particular day, the load seemed too heavy for her.

Recalling the incident, he said: “I cannot forget that particular incident. I was about seven at the time, and my mother went to a farm to help some farmers carry oranges to the market.

“As we were going home with the heavy basket on her head, she was obviously tired and wanted to put the basket down. But she could not do so because there was no adult in sight to help her, and she could not throw the oranges away, because that would mean trouble for her.

“I watched her as she struggled to walk until we saw a hunter who helped her to bring down the load. We rested for some time before she continued. I still remember that incident.”

While the experience makes him sad each time he remembers it, it also made him to become more determined to do good each time the opportunity presents itself.

“I try to do my best each time anybody needs my assistance,” he said. “Even if I cannot do it 100 per cent, I make sure that I do my best to put a smile on the face of anybody who comes to me for help.”

But from the time he was commissioned as a Direct Regular Officer in the rank of a Second Lieutenant in June, 1982 and was posted to the Nigerian Army Education Corps, Adebayo could not have wished for a better fortune until he retired from the Nigerian Army last year after rising to the rank of a Major-General with 37 years in service to fatherland.

His sterling service and contributions to the nation’s army education corps would not have been possible but for providence.

After completing his primary education in his hometown, the future seemed very bleak, with no hope of him going any further with his education. But mother luck smiled on him when a ‘big man’ from the town brought an entry form from the Nigerian Military School, Zaria (NMS), for the indigenes.

Interestingly, he was not listed as one of those to benefit from the opportunity. But one of the beneficiaries, who was his classmate in primary school, suggested that a form be given to him.

He said: “The issue of military school was strange to me. I had completed my primary school but there was no hope of going further with my education. But one day, somebody brought some forms from the Nigerian Military School, Zaria, for children of the town who were brilliant and could go to the school.

“The school was free, which gave me the opportunity of a life time. The form was given to one of my friends and schoolmate, but he was not sure that he would pass the exam, and he suggested that he knew somebody who he believed would pass. That was how I was invited and given one of the forms.”

Interestingly, as predicted by his friend, Adedapo passed the entrance examination and proceeded to the NMS in 1973, while the friend failed to make it.

“God used that man to help me. If he hadn’t done what he did, I sincerely don’t know where I would be now. But since then, I made up my mind to always do things that will make people happy. For instance, if my neighbour needs N10, and all I have is N9, I am willing to give all, if it would make him happy.”

One other decision he made as a young boy was to take good care of his mother if God would lift him up above poverty. And that was exactly what he did the moment he was commissioned a Second-Lieutenant in the army.

He said: “I had a very close relationship with my mum. I always pray that I would take care of her if God helped me to become somebody in life. So, I moved her from the village to stay with me the moment I was commissioned a second-lieutenant. And that was the way it was until she died, except when she went on holiday to stay with my brother in the US.

“We were to build a small house for her where she lived for one year before she died. My joy was that she enjoyed life after all those suffering she passed through early in life.”

Ironically, Gen. Adebayo would not have joined the army if his mother had her way. Awed by the belief that soldiers are meant to go to war, relatives and neighbours rushed to his mother to break the news that her son was going to join the army.

“My mother didn’t really understand that I was going to join the army. She thought I was going to a secondary school. She became scared when people went to tell her that one of her two children was going to join the army. They feared that I might die in war. All through my five-year stay at the NMS, I made sure that I didn’t see her. It was after I was commissioned that I went home to see her.”

Prior to his commissioning in 1982, he went to the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), where he studied Chemistry.

“I had a year left to spend in the university when I was commissioned,” he said. “But, while I was in the university, I had to go to Jaji for training during the breaks.”

At the end of his course at the university in 1983, he returned to Jaji for an orientation course and was later posted to the Nigerian Army Education Corps as an officer, where he rose through the ranks to the position of the commander of the corps before retiring in 2015.

Asked if his posting to the army education corps made him a teacher, he said yes, before adding, “In the military, we call it instructor. But the military education corps is not only about teaching. Basically, every commissioned soldier is a fighting soldier; you are trained in the art of fighting.

“Your specification only comes into play when there is peace. Secondly, during a war, we are supposed to take care of the families of the soldiers at the battle field.”

As a young boy, Adebayo longed for the day he would be in a position to help his native community. The idea was sown into his young mind after his first visit to Lagos, where he saw electricity for the first time.

He said: “From our orientation, especially growing up in a place like Ikere in those days, all you did was to wake up, go to the farm or school and return home. But I had one experience during my first visit to Lagos. At that time, if you wanted to visit Lagos, you would have booked with the driver several days ahead, and the journey would take the whole day or even two.

“But when I got to Lagos, I saw this bright yellow light, which I later found was electricity. Since then, I always dreamt of the day that I would light up my community.”

But joining the army has expanded the scope from contributing to the development of his native community to developing Nigeria.

The army, he said, helped him to appreciate people from other regions of the country and to want to join others in developing the nation.

“Back then,” he said, “I was really thinking of Ikere, which at the time was probably my world scope. But joining the army changed all that. In the army, I met many people from different parts of the country, people from different cultures and backgrounds.

“I learnt that we could always work together to achieve success despite our differences. For instance, I know that for us to have peace, we need to work together and make sure that everybody contributes his own quota.

“In my capacity as a manager of men and resources in the army education

corps, it was very important that you got the right mix. And that was one of my biggest achievements in the army, because I made sure that everybody was carried along. I believe that I performed to the admiration of my colleagues and subordinates.”

Speaking on the lessons and opportunities being a soldier availed him, he said: “Joining the army has taught me how to be a Nigerian, especially when I was in the NYSC (National Youth Service Corps). I have gone round almost every part of the country and have come to realise that this country is a very interesting place to be.

“Yes, we may be fighting among ourselves, the truth is that we remain solid and have a better future by staying together as one country.

“Another thing that the army has taught me is self-confidence. Being in the army means you have to be able to defend yourself, defend your country and believe in yourself in any circumstance.

“Even as a small boy in the Nigerian Military School, we were made to believe that we are leaders. Back then, we were referred to as ‘boy leaders’ and were told that we were being prepared to be future leaders. So, the army prepares you to be a leader in whatever situation you may find yourself.

“And perhaps, more importantly, being in the army availed me the opportunity to meet people from other regions of the country. What that means is that you would have to learn the cultures and ways of life of these people and try to imbibe those cultures as if they were your own. These are lessons that no other profession can teach you.”

For every good deed, there is always a reward. And so it was for Gen. Adebayo when his kinsmen hosted him to a befitting reception soon after he was pulled out of the army. The reception, which attracted dignitaries from Ikere-Ekiti, was described by Adebayo as ‘the best thing to happen to me’.

According to him, being honoured by his people was the icing on the cake for years of service to humanity. “Believe me, I am overwhelmed with emotions. It was a beautiful reward for my little effort to lift humanity and I am very grateful to my people for finding me worthy of the honour,” he said.

After a 37-year career in the military and wearing uniform almost every day, transforming into civil life can be an uphill task for most military men. Adebayo admitted that it took a gradual disengagement strategy for him to get used to civil life.

“That is a serious one,” he said. “After such a long time of wearing the uniform every day, it is not impossible to forget that you have retired and mistakenly wear the uniform. But for me, I knew I was going to retire. I therefore started planning towards it by wearing mufti on some days. So, when the day finally came, I had got used to it without embarrassing myself,” he said with a prolonged laughter.

As a retired military chief, Adebayo has very good words for President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-terror war against Boko Haram. The President, he said, has brought military experience to bear on the war against terror in the country.

“If you look at the strategies employed by the President, you would agree that his military experience is really working in the battle. From the time he changed the service chiefs and the equipment being deployed in the war, President Buhari has done very well within the little time that he came on board.”

On the anti-corruption stance of the President, he said: “Corruption can kill even the strongest country. The President is doing very well in the current battle against corruption. Yes, things might be tough now, but the truth is that it is for us and our children to have a better tomorrow. Nigerians need to understand the President and give him their support.”

Asked if he is tired after working in the army for almost four decades, Adebayo raised his fists as if to prove that he is still very agile, and said: “How can I be tired? If you are fired by the zeal to work for your people and your country, you can never be tired. My retirement from the army is only the end of a stage. Like a true soldier, I am always ready to serve my people.”

For a man who but for providence would not have had the opportunity of a secondary education, rising to the prestigious rank of a Major-General was no mean achievement. But he attributes it all to God.

“You think that was achieved by my own prowess? It cannot be. It was simply God that made it possible,” he said with his hands clasped as if in supplication to God.

Christmas season is like ‘no other season,’ said famous American country music singer Dolly Parton, during her hit show some few years ago in London. Christmas season is a time for festivities for everyone, including the big time celebs around us, who cruise around in big, shiny, fabulous multi million naira cars, and live the high society lifestyle, only seen in movies.

And we have them in sizzling numbers among us here in Nigeria. And guess what, our celebs indeed had a fabulous Christmas!

For Fifi Ejindu, a highflying architect, consultant and businesswomen, Christmas was spent all wrapped up in love with the two wonderful, handsome men in her life. Fifi, who is on the A-list in society circles in Nigeria, spent Christmas with her family in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where she is involved in some sort of industrial re-engineering of the South Eastern state. She spent most of the day at home with her son and husband and indeed was seen to be enjoying the joy of the season. A Princess by birth, Fifi Ejindu loves the peace that characterises her Christmas day celebration.

Top Society lady and businesswoman Alhaja Tai Elemosho-Okesanjo, spent her Christmas in far away United Arabs Emirate popularly known as Dubai. For her, it was double celebration. According to her, “I celebrated my Christmas in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate, because I came here to celebrate my birthday, which was on the 23rd December. So for me, it was a double celebration. Though I am not a Christian, but we all look forward to Christmas because it is a festive season. I was out most of the day; I went to Emirate Mall and Ibn Batuta Mall to shop on Christmas day. Later that same day, I went to have a quiet dinner in a good, fabulous restaurant here in Dubai.”

Like Fifi Ejindu, top fashion designer, Lanre Da Silva, would have just been contented having a fabulous time with family at home, but guess what, Nollywood Star Actress Rita Dominic had a party that had to be attended on Christmas Day. Said Lanre Da Silva: “I spent Christmas day at home with the family; there were a lot of festivities here at home with my entire family, eating, drinking and we had great fun. Later on in the evening, my husband and I along with my sisters went to Rita Dominic’s house where she was having a Christmas party.

“We had a nice time there and it was quite a Christmas day with great fun for me. Also our exclusive family party continued on Boxing Day at home, where I had time to relax and enjoy the day with the children. I pray that the New Year turns out to be a great year for us all.”

While it was not unusual to find live bands at various parties in different cities around the country during Christmas season, one could not help wondering if the musicians actually spend Christmas season with their families. For an answer, five  musicians gave us a picture of what Christmas season looks like in the home of celebrated musicians.

According to Juju music maestro Admiral Dele Abiodun, “we don’t really have time to celebrate Christmas, we go out for performances. Christmas season is a period when we render our services to our clients wherever we are billed to play, and that comes first. Perhaps after all our shows, we then decide to take a break in the first week of the year 2016. But I am using this festive period to thank our numerous fans all over the country, and I say to them, that they have been part of our success story this past year 2015. We appreciate you all.”

Female Juju musician, Ayo Balogun, reiterated Admiral Dele Abiodun’s words: “I spent Christmas day working. It is our peak period. There were many celebrations all over the place this season. I even had to choose from a variety of requests. Nevertheless, I still created some form of time for my family. What I did was to take my family with me out of Lagos to be able to spend time with them. This made it a more pleasant Christmas celebration for me. You can call it mixing work with pleasure (smiles), yes that is what I did.

When Tolu Obey, the musical scion of the Fabiyi family, was asked how he celebrated his Christmas season, he laughed and laughed and replied: “With a musician like me, there’s hardly time to spend a quiet Christmas. The truth is that I have not had time to sleep; this morning I’m on the way to Abeokuta for another engagement. On Christmas Eve, I was at the Yoruba Tennis Club in Lagos where my dad, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, was having an all-night musical performance. At some point in the night, I took over at that event. I performed till morning. The next day, which was Christmas day proper, all my father’s children gathered at his house. We do this every year. And you can imagine, there was no time to sleep as I kept receiving dignitaries on social calls.

“On Boxing Day, I joined my dad for a musical performance at Billings Way Road, Oregun in Lagos, where we performed at Mr Kayode Lawal’s daughter’s wedding event. And on the 27th, we were at GRA, Ikeja, where Mr Bayo Fatusi had a get together party. Now this morning again, I’m on the road to another event outside Lagos, no sleep! I thank God for this season though, and I hope everyone out there enjoy and have a memorable holiday. Christmas comes once in a year, but remember, don’t drink too much, and please do not drink and drive. I don’t want to lose my friends”.

It was celebration time at the upscale home of today’s boardroom guru, Funmi Goka, in Ikoyi, Lagos. Funmi, who is the Deputy Managing Director of Agip Oil Company Limited in Abuja, threw her doors open to family and friends. “We spent Christmas season peacefully at home. We had a sumptuous lunch on Christmas day in a very relaxed environment with family members and a few of the children’s friends that are spending their Christmas holidays with us.”

On the Ikoyi axis lives lawyer and former beauty queen, Helen Prest-Ajayi. She was home on Christmas day with her family. The former beauty queen believes that Christmas is a season to spend quality time with the family. “So I spent the day with my family. The children are grown up now; such a pleasure and fun to be together. We had Christmas lunch at Southern Sun Hotel on Kingsway Road in Ikoyi and from there moved to The George Hotel for coffee and cakes. When we left there, we went to visit a few friends who have been close to us during the year.”

And just on the other side of the Lagos Lagoon in the richly abode of Lekki Phase one where TV personality and businesswoman, Barrister Grace Egbagbe, resides; Christmas fever was high in the air. The ex-Nigerian Television Authority top management staff, said: “I started my Christmas day with worshipping God who sent His son to die for us without which as a Christian, we would not have been saved.

Then we sat at the dining table to have a delicious lunch, I however, went straight to bed to meditate and count my many blessings, after which I slept till the next morning.”

Clement Mudiaga Enajemo, popularly known as MUDI, who normally cruises around town in his exclusive sport cars, had for once enough time on Christmas day to hop around the city. “Christmas day was a day for visitation to the home of most of my Christian friends. It is traditionally called kiriyo, which means eating all over the place. So grilled turkey was readily available wherever I stopped and you know Lagos is my base. So Lagos was where I was.”

Christmas day was a day off work. Nothing could take Comedian Koffi out of the house, or off the view of his family. So it turned out to be a family affair. However, things took a different turn after Christmas lunch, as he had to take the children out to fun spots.

Top Nollywood actress ambassador, Grace Ama, whose role it is to present the cultural and tourism image of Ebonyi State to the world through activities such as talent hunts, conference and entertainment to attract investors for the state, said Christmas is about love.

“We have come to know and accept Christmas as an annual ‘ritual’ used to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. The most significant thing about Christmas is the transition from covenant of sacrifice of goat and chicken in the Jewish region to the covenant of love through the birth of Jesus Christ with Jesus as the bridge between God and humanity. That is why the central theme or message about Christmas is love. It is for the love of mankind that God came in human flesh, dwelt among men and sacrificed His life on the cross to give man salvation.

“So, Christmas is a celebration of love and there could be no better way to share the love brought to us by God through Jesus than to show love to people in a special way. As usual, I took time out with young people and the less-privileged in our society. The message here is that, we should share what we have with those who cannot afford to say thank you.

“Yes, many argue that love is not only shown during Christmas. I agree with such school of thought, but God who decided to come in human flesh and chose to be born of a woman on a particular day could equally have saved mankind without taking the step of conception and birth. God loves us and shows us every day, yet the Church still set aside Christmas as a special period to mark the coming of our Lord. We must therefore use the occasion of Christmas to reach out to those we may not have had the time to reach in the previous period of the year. Christmas is about love and we must make meaning in people’s lives mostly those looking upon us to change their story for good.”

Christmas celebration also came alive at the Ikoyi home of the Queen of Herbal Slimming therapy, Quincy Ayodele, “On Christmas day, I went to church with my family; that is, my husband, my children and their spouses together with my grandchildren. We all came back to open our Christmas presents from under the Christmas tree! From then to festivities, we had a nice and healthy Christmas lunch and dinner, both local and continental dishes. Later, we had a mini-parlour party with family members and friends to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We had so much fun all till late in the night.

For ARA the enigmatic drummer, year 2015 was a steady year of success. A culture ambassador on many fronts, ARA, who recently returned from a musical tour of China, and other places, came back musically engaged all through the Christmas period. Her shows in Badagry and at Epe, Lagos, were big. Afterwards, the Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode announced her as a Cultural Ambassador of Lagos State. Ara spent the day with her son creating and having fun.

Fuji maestro, Adewale Ayuba, was busy all through the Christmas season. Despite being faced with the planning of his daughter’s wedding which eventually took place on December 28 in Lekki, Lagos, the musician was on stage everyday of the Christmas celebration.

“On Xmas day, I was in church in the morning with my family members. We had lunch together, made merry before I left for an event to perform in Ekiti. I returned to Lagos on the Boxing Day and performed at a wedding somewhere in Victoria Island. On the 27th, I had to perform at another event. My daughter’s wedding took place the next day. And the following day, I performed at a burial ceremony in Surulere. I have been performing every day and after the New Year day, I will go off to Accra, Ghana for a show.

Popular face in Nollywood movies, Chinyere Nwabueze, declared happily: “I spent the Christmas in my village in Abia State; my village is called ‘small London.’  It is a beautiful place and people came home from different parts of the world with lots of stories and lots of people to see. I was with my family on Christmas day and there were lots of wedding to attend between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. There were also families that I had to see; so, I was moving from place to place in the village and wherever I stopped, there was rice and chicken waiting for me (laughs).

“Right now, as the National President of Women In Nollywood Development Initiative, I’m working along with others to be in Asaba and Port Harcourt, where we would be visiting orphanages with support items and to show them love at this time and season.“

Celebrated fashion designer, Nikki Khiran-Odu, who also lives on the Ikoyi-Victoria Island axis, spent the Christmas season in Lagos. “Christmas time for me is a time to refresh, relax, and set goals for the New Year, ” said the designer with a perfect festive smile. “I rarely travel at Xmas because that’s a pretty busy time of the year for me, plus the fact that I like to think about what I’ve achieved for the year and how I can make improvements for the coming year. I do very little partying and generally goals-set, and ask God for direction and protection as I enter a new year. Then in January, I travel and stock up my store and get some much needed rest. When I travel, I refresh and I’m able to be more creative after a nice change of scene.”

Veteran actress, Funmi Tijani, enjoyed the role of an agile, youthful grandmother during the Christmas season. And she excitedly told us about it. “I spent Christmas with my family here in Lagos. We had a good time at home. We also had a prayer session and later went to the beach. But we also continued the fun at the amusement park because of my little grandchildren so that they wouldn’t be left out. My prayer is that the New Year will be better than 2015.”