Category: Social Circuit

VETERAN broadcaster, Soni Irabor,  turned 70 on Thursday and he celebrated his new age with a  photoshoot with his wife, Betty Irabor, and children.

While celebrating his birthday and the importance of a good family, he also shared his health challenges and battle with COVID-19.

He wrote: “Right in the middle of a pandemic, I had a stroke! Dr. Seyi Roberts, my friend, and doctor described it as an evolving stroke. Our home was turned upside down momentarily. When you have a great family, you can rise faster against all travails. When I count my blessings, I count my wife, children, and big sister.

“I won’t lie, it has been very challenging especially as I also began to suffer from vertigo. However, I am grateful to God for making me see and mark this milestone. I thank Him for my journey to recovery…”

Irabor also recalled how he found his way to Lagos at the age of 17 and how he became a broadcaster.

He added: “I retired from Radio Nigeria at the age of 48 in 2000 to set up my businesses in advertising, broadcast training, broadcast media establishments, and PR & media services. I am passionate about broadcast quality and standards, although so much has changed.

“I thought I would release my book on the occasion of my birthday but it hasn’t happened quite like that but it will happen.”

IT was a joyous moment when former Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Doyin Okupe, celebrated his 70th birthday on Tuesday at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The party presented an opportunity for his friends in politics, business, and other sectors of the economy to drink, eat and dance with him.

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State was one of the top personalities who graced Okupe’s party. Alongside the birthday boy, he danced his way into the party venue. While dancing, he did not stop exchanging pleasantries with friends and associates, including Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo.

Otunba Gbenga Daniel, retired Inspector General of Police, Tunde Alapini; Chairman of MTN Nigeria, Engineer Ernest Ndukwe; Chief Olusegun Osoba; and Bashorun Dele Momodu were also Okupe’s special guests.

There was also a book launch at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) to mark the politician’s 70th birthday. Titled Double Jeopardy – The Doyin Okupe Story, the book was reviewed by the cerebral journalist, Dr. Reuben Abati.

THE cold war between actress Mercy Aigbe and her ex-husband, Lanre Gentry, may never end anytime soon, though they appear to have moved on.

Gentry, while appreciating his new wife and the mother of his new-born, Busayo, released a powerful statement.  Sharing a video of mother and daughter on his Instagram page, he wrote: “It’s good to have the right partner, I will always be grateful to my God.”

The above statement means only one thing – all his previous partners, including Aigbe, were wrong choices.

The union of Gentry and Mercy Aigbe lasted seven years and it produced a son.

Aigbe was said to be his third wife. Gentry married Busayo in September 2021.

BY a mixture of sheer grit and hard work, Hon. Abiodun Akinlade has become a beacon of hope and a reference point in Ogun State.

Akinlade, a former three-term member of the House of Representatives, will turn 55 on March 21. Considering the circumstances of his birth, he knows God has a plan for him and he does not take it for granted.  For people who do not, Akinlade is the only surviving child of his mother’s children.

With his avid drive to ensure that youths and women in Ogun State are gainfully employed and empowered, he has continued to facilitate jobs and support indigent folks.

Armed with a bigger vision and passion, the Baba Adinni of Yewaland is a close ally of Governor Dapo Abiodun. There is also a gist that the Ogun State Federal Commissioner at the Federal Character Commission (FCC) has also been endorsed by key players in the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Ogun West Senatorial seat in 2023.

ALTHOUGH the Publisher of Hallmark Newspaper and a former Commissioner for Information in Imo State, Emeka Obasi, has finally lost the battle, he fought death bravely.

Despite his failing health, Obasi found the strength to chronicle his struggle in a book, ‘Saved for His Praise.’

In this book which was unveiled in 2008, the late Obasi spoke about his battle with a debilitating medical infirmity that defied regular medical treatment. For healing, he had to visit men of God like Pastor Wole Oladiyun of the Christ LivingSpring Apostolic Ministry (CLAM); Pastor Daniel Olukoya of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM); and Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

Even when everyone expected him to give up, he still survived. For years, he depended on the aid of a machine to survive. Yet, he did not let his biggest legacy, Hallmark Newspaper, die in his lifetime.

Uzezi Adesite, who worked with him for 10 years, said Prince Obasi was the reason she became a journalist. She reacted: “There is some news you’re never prepared to receive and this is one of them. Prince Emeka Obasi, my boss for the longest time (2005-2015). From Hallmark Newspapers to National Mirror, to Business Hallmark. It’s because of you that I became a journalist. You believed in me and gave me an opportunity. You were more than a boss. You were a friend, a big brother, sometimes my dad, and always a mentor. My story is incomplete without the role you played.”

Obasi was married to Betty and the union produced four children – Emeka (Jnr), Onyedikachi, Kamsi, and Miracle.

DESPITE the controversies surrounding him at the moment, a top member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, seems to be unperturbed.

Some days ago, the body suspended MC Oluomo as its Lagos chapter’s Chairman over alleged misconduct, insubordination, and inciting members of the state chapter against the apex body. But this drama has not stopped MC Oluomo from living his life; he was spotted at the birthday party of Priscilla, the daughter of a Nollywood actress, Iyabo Ojo.

Rocking blue jeans and a white top, his presence caught the attention of guests as he stormed the venue with his entourage. He did not look like a man consumed by the ongoing leadership crisis.

Other faces spotted at the ceremony held in Lagos included Laura Ikeji, Caroline Danjuma, Charly Boy, Chief Dele Momodu, Pretty Mike, Femi Adebayo, Toyin Abraham, Khloe, Dayo Amusa, Muka Ray, and Kudi Alagbo.

THIS year’s birthday celebration of the Senior Pastor of Trinity House, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, will come in a different dimension. It will not just be about nice gifts and birthday messages.

As part of the activities to mark Ighodalo’s birthday, there is a plan to hold an event where Christian leaders will be challenged.

In a nutshell, the Triune Foundation has concluded plans to hold the Second International Christian Leadership Colloquium in honour of Ighodalo’s 61st birthday at the Trinity House on March 31. The church is located in the heart of Victoria Island, Lagos.

With the theme: ‘The African Christian Leadership: Radical Transformation In Unsettled Times,’ top personalities, including the former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe; Founder of The House On The Rock, Pastor Paul Adefarasin; and Dr. (Mrs.) Siju Iluyomade will play lead roles at the event.

There may not be a better person to pick as the keynote speaker than Ogundipe. The professor of Botany is a leader of a huge school community and will be able to relate his experiences to the discourse.

AMBASSADOR of Nigeria to Spain, Demola Seriki, and his wife, Wosilat, were in high spirit as their daughter, Alimah, got married to Makinde Araoye, the son of Professor Akinyemi and Fumilayo Araoye, in a grand wedding ceremony in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The event, which attracted the crème de la creme in Nigeria, was chaired by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.

The governor advised the new couple to be tolerant and patient with each other, as there would always be disagreements between a man and his woman.

According to the Sanwo-Olu, communication is the answer to misunderstandings, adding that whenever Alimah is wrong, Makinde must admit she is right.

“I have known the couple before I became a governor. Alimah is not only a daughter to me; she is my lawyer as well. I see a couple that will be the envy of all and I pray that the two families will move forward. Makinde is an outstanding young politician who wants to learn the ropes of governance,” the governor stated.

WE may not have the power to stop the death of our loved ones but we have the power to decide how we want to bury them. Giving his late father, Chief Samson Rufai, the best departing ceremony is all that matters to the Chairman of Limelight Hotel and Suites, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Otunba Sesan Rufai, at present.

Already, it has been confirmed that the Fuji maestro, Mayegun Wasiu Ayinde, aka K1, will be performing at the grand reception on Friday, May 20, at the Wosam Arena, Ago-Iwoye.

The Mefu of Igan Kingdom’s wake keep service will be held at his residence, Mefu Quarters, on Thursday, May 19. He will also be laid to rest at Mefu Quarters on Friday.

Everyone who knows Otunba Rufai, who is also the chairman of Goldmyne TV, will not be shocked that K1 will be on the bandstand at his father’s burial. Their relationship is not different from the type shared by siblings even though they are not related by blood. K1 speaks highly of Otunba and Otunba speaks highly of him as well. If K1 holds an event and Otunba is missing, something strange must have happened. He is one of K1’s biggest cheerleaders and he is proud to tell the world.

WITH her rich portfolio as a marriage and family counselor, there is no doubt that Tope Abiara, daughter-in-law of the former General Evangelist, Worldwide of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Prophet Samuel Kayode Abiara, is focused on a purposeful life.

Abiara’s strong passion for humanity has not gone unnoticed. On Thursday, March 10, she bagged an award for excellence at the 45 annual conference of the Counselling Association of Nigeria (CASSON) at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State.

As the president of Tope Abiara’s Love & Family Foundation, she is committed to promoting healthy personal and family relationships. She is also passionate about educating women on menstrual hygiene and protecting children from sexual abuse.

Abiara holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Georgia State University and a Master’s degree in Counseling from Liberty University. She also has a Child Protection certificate from Harvard University.

She gained practical experiences while working in the United States, where she spent her formative years. She worked at Rape Crisis Center at Grady Health System, Atlanta, Georgia; Child Abuse Clinic at Hughes Spaulding Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia; and Veterans Counseling Services at Community Hope, Newark, New Jersey.