Category: Society

In a male-dominated corporate world, some women play a pivotal role in the brilliant coordination and execution of executive plans. These executive-level hardworking women call the shots in the corporate world, politics, and other fields of human endeavor. The astronomic rise of Juliet Ehimuan, in the corporate world, will surely inspire many women aspiring to be better in their fields of work.

The gorgeous cerebral lady was recently appointed a Non-Executive Director at Nestle Nigeria. Her resume in academics and career is quite an intimidating one. Juliet graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University(OAU), Ile-Ife in Osun State with a Bachelors in Engineering before proceeding to Cambridge University, where she obtained a Postgraduate degree in Computer Engineering.

Her foray into the corporate world started when she worked as the Performance Monitoring and Quality Assurance supervisor with Shell Petroleum Company for a period of two years from 1995 to 1997. She later joined Microsoft UK as the Program Manager where she oversaw projects for MSN subsidiaries before promotion as Business Process Manager for MSN International.

In the cause of her stay in the labour market, the entrepreneur in Juliet made her float her business outfit; Strategic Insight Consulting Ltd. Within a few years of operation, she made quality assurance and truthfulness her core values. She as well built a strong reputation for her brand which has increased her list of clientele.

For her continuous commitment to discharging her duties diligently, in 2011, she was appointed the Country Director for Google Nigeria. Despite her impeccable achievements, she remains humbled with a bright personality that has earned her a wide network of high profile friends from all walks of life.

The Olofa of Offa, His Royal Majesty, Oba Mufutau Muhammed Oloyede Gbadamosi, Okikiola Esuwoye II  has so much to thank God for after 10 years on the throne.

It all begun after the demise of the previous Olofa, Oba Mustapha Olawore Olanipekun, the ancient Offa throne was thrown vacant. Anilelerin and Olugbense ruling houses presented candidates to contest the throne.

Kingmakers chose the candidate from Anilelerin ruling house as the Olofa elect to be crowned as king. The then Prince Oloyede Gbadamosi now Olofa, was a Lagos business magnate with numerous business pies under his control. With pressure from his people; most especially his late father, Alhaji Muhammed Gbadamosi Esuwoye, he returned home to contest the stool and was crowned king.

After his coronation in 2010, several typhoons were directed at the royal father to sweep him off the throne. His enemies almost mocked him as he was almost disposed of the throne by the lower court when the Olugbense ruling house instituted a legal case against his selection to challenge the kingmakers with the provision of the law. The Olugbense ruling house alleged that there was a rotational policy between the two ruling houses. Despite every attempt to pull Olofa down, he returns like a cat with nine lives.

The curtain was finally drawn on the legal tussle on May 1, 2016, when the supreme court ruled by upholding the selection of Oba Gbadamosi as the legal and rightful occupant of the Offa throne. The news spread across Offa town like a wildfire and the whole town roared in wild jubilation as victory was ascertained in favour of the highly loved philanthropist monarch.

Hence, on May 9, 2020, the Olofa celebrated his 10th coronation anniversary with no celebration.

The anniversary was marked with a list-long of tremendous achievements that included the building of an ultra-modern Olofa’s palace, completion and rehabilitation of Offa Central Mosque, completion and total rehabilitation of Offa Descendants Union Halls, reconstruction of the burnt Owode market, mobilising the community to build Mobile Police Barack in Offa, reviving the Ijakadi cultural festival among others.

Nigeria’s former Chief of General Staff and de facto Military Vice President, during General Sanni Abacha’s regime; Gen. Oladipo Diya is is currently not having the best of times. Diya lost his junior wife Chief Mrs Deborah Folashade Diya (JP) to the cold hands of the grim reaper.

The deceased who bid farewell to mother earth on May 18, was getting set to celebrate her 66th birthday on May 23, with few family and friends before she gave up the ghost. Sources claimed her death came with a likely COVID-19 related symptom but the real cause of her death was not disclosed to the general public.

According to family sources, she was in great condition until last week. “Chief Mrs Deborah was in good condition until she started feeling funny last week, she was evacuated to an hospital in Ikoyi, Lagos where she was already responding to treatment and the doctors were preparing to discharge her. Suddenly, we just got a call that she gave up on Monday May 18,” the source said.

Burial arrangements for the deceased are yet to be finalised by family members but series of family meetings are being held to map out plans for a private burial due to the pandemic for the wife of the former military vice president of Nigeria.

The deceased during her lifetime was a devout Christian, a loyal and dedicated wife, a loving mother, an alluring grandmother. She was a passionate chorister and member at United African Methodist (Evangelical) Church, Abule Ijesha, Yaba, Lagos where she also holds various religious titles.

By Oladapo Sofowora

Retired Army Colonel, Sanni Bello, might have left the helms of power as a former military administrator of old Kano State, his impact is widely felt across board as a captain of industry.

Apart from controlling a large stake of Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited (“MESL”), operators of the Kainji and Jebba Hydropower Plants in Niger State, he also has his hands on many pies of business chains litters across the country.

To cushion the effect of the current COVID-19 pandemic, The University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) and the Minna Isolation Centre in Niger State being the front-line institutions dealing with the pandemic have received his medical and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) donation.

Through his company, Bello donated over N500 million worth of Medical and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nigeria.

The Chairman of the MESL, Colonel Bello said, he has fully equipped a 50-bed isolation Centre in Minna, Niger State, which includes; medical equipment such as ventilators, ECG machines, hematology analyzers, x-ray machines, and PPE, adding that, they have provided some other critical equipment for use in the isolation ward of the UATH, including X-Ray machines, digitizers, personal protective equipment (PPE), CT scans, and 350KVA generator to make certain of constant power supply.

According to him, nine rooms at the newly constructed Trauma Centre within the Teaching Hospital were furnished to provide accommodation for doctors and nurses, who are unable to return home to their families due to their job as the frontline of providing medical services to COVID-19 patients.

However, the Managing Director of the MESL, Engr. Lamu Audu who delivered that donation on behalf of Colonel Sanni Bello and his company divulged that the donation was a demonstration of the firm’s goodwill and Corporate Social Responsibility.

He further added that; the company would foot hotel bills of all health workers who were accommodated in a hotel to enable them to concentrate on the battle against the pandemic in their various hospitals.

“We zeroed in on the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital because of the frontline role it plays in the battle against the Coronavirus. We will also be intervening in other states, and all these, through its Corporate Social Responsibility vehicle, Mainstream Foundation.”

By Oladapo Sofowora

The auto magnate and Managing Director of Vision Wheel, Adebayo Adesola, has been mourning since the death of his beloved mother, Madam Iwalola Caroline Oluwajedalo Adesola on May 1.

Despite his sadness, the businessman has told close friends that he has no reason to question Almighty God as his mother lived a fulfilled life till her death.

On Saturday, May 8, Adesola alongside his siblings, will roll out drums for a close-knit befitting burial to the Ondo state born septuagenarian at the Vaults and Gardens, Ikoyi, Lagos. Sadly, the scheduled preparation was supposed to be for the deceased’s 71st birthday.

The burial rites, Society Rendezvous gathered, will be carried out by the popular undertaker, Ebony Funerals.

In an emotional tribute, the billionaire businessman, who shuttles Lagos, Dubai, and Dallas said his mother will be remembered for her compassionate nature, her giving spirit, and her unwavering devotion to God.   He went on to say she touched everyone that she came in contact with positively.

He also wrote: ‘’Today would have been your 71st birthday but instead GOD chose to make it the “celebration of your life”, and your committance to Mother Earth.

How we wish you had stayed longer so you could reap much more for the sacrifices you made while raising us. But HE’s an unquestionable GOD.

Even death could not take away your smile. Rest in your Father’s bosom as you foretold before you passed. Rest in Peace, my Dear Mother’’

Late Iwalola Caroline Adesola has the typical grass to grace story after she was born on May 9, 1949, to the family of Alhaji Alli in Owo local government, Ondo state.

By Oladapo Sofowora

If lawmaking were to be an art, Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama would have a mastery of it. He knows the art of lawmaking like the back of his palm. Little wonder his constituents have often passed a vote of confidence in his representation at the lower house of the National Assembly.

Ogbeide-Ihama began life with a career in engineering, where he secured a position at Exxon Mobil as a drilling engineer.

He worked with the multinational and earned enough repute and experience to advance his links in the chain of enterprise that is the oil and gas sector.

In public service, Ogbeide-Ihama has also been a diligent presence, especially when he served the Oredo Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives as Chairman, House Committee on Culture and Tourism.

At the moment, Honourable Ogbeide-Ihama serves in several committees, including Environment and Habitat; Ports, Harbour, and Waterways; Power; Basic Education; Housing; Capital Market; and Public Petition.

Since his foray into the lawmaking arm of Nigeria with a representation in the House of Reps member in 2015, Ogbeide-Ihama’s approach to handling issues has emerged as a blend of personal and corporate experiences.

With a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Benin and an MBA in Oil and Gas Management from Robert Gordon University Aberdeen, Scotland, he was able to represent the interest of his people with much passion by constructing roads, schools, health facilities, the pipe-borne water, and countless other infrastructures.

A source told Society Rendezvous that; the lawmaker’s long term ambition is to govern Edo State. In preparation for achieving that dream, he presented himself for service at the green chambers in 2015.

The source further said the lawmaker will throw his hat in the ring at the forthcoming election to contest in the coming Gubernatorial elections.

“Hon. Omoregie has always had the vision to govern Edo State. Let me tell you, what started as a rumour, is gradually becoming a reality.

I can confirm to you that he will be contesting as Governor under the platform of the People Democratic Party. He has been given the go-ahead by leaders of his party, constituents, and also People of Edo state which he represents.

Like you know, the voice of the people is the voice, God. He needs to obey the clarion call to service by his people.”

By Oladapo Sofowora

The biblical verse in Corinthians 1 chapter 13, verse 13, which says; “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love”, best describes the nuptial foundation guiding Pastor Sam Adeyemi and his beautiful wife, Nike.

Since the beginning of the couple’s union till their 27th anniversary on May 1, faith, hope and love have remained ever-present.

The bible verse aptly captures the love, which has played a pivotal role in the sustainability of Adeyemi’s union and has kept the couple waxing stronger over the years.

However, the celebration of their 27th wedding anniversary revealed how well the clergy has mastered the art of love which has become prominent in their union.

The two love birds, could not hide their romantic feelings as they both gushed over each other on social media. Sam and Nike could not ask anything more from their creator, as they have both craved to witness the grace of God in their lives as a couple.

Their love story can be dated back close to 3 decades ago when young Pastor Sam was a parish pastor at Rhema Chapel in Lagos. Beautiful Nike, a graduate of Architecture from Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, was posted to Lagos for her mandatory one-year youth service.

It was in Lagos, she met Pastor Sam in the church where they both worshipped and served the Lord in great capacities.

Nike and Sam started as friends, building a Pastor to member relationship before they both gravitated to walk down the aisle and exchange marital vows.

When Nike told her parents about getting married to a young pastor, they not only approved her choice but also gave their blessings and full parental support.

Like the proverbial child born under the lucky star, after their marriage, Pastor Sam and Nike started their ministry, DayStar Christain Centre, inarguably one of the biggest ministry in Nigeria and by extension Africa.

Ever since the establishment of the ministry, they have been growing from grace to grace, raising giants, and mentoring leaders.

To make the ministry easy, Sam Adeyemi takes charge of the Church while Nike is out on the street winning souls to the kingdom and also blessing many women via her Real Women Foundation.

Society Rendezvous gathered that; the duo are not within the shores of Nigeria. They were in Atlanta, USA, to visit their children when the pandemic broke out.

They celebrated the anniversary with their immediate family and few friends and also prayed to God for continuous love and fruitfulness in their marriage.