Category: Society

Opemititi Ajayi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Butter Skin Luxury Skincare Line is currently giving her competitors in the Nigerian & international markets a run for their money. With the long list of top Lagos businesswomen and actresses as clienteles, she has proved that she is not a rookie when it comes to the business of skincare routine in Nigeria.

The Covenant University graduate has always been a skincare enthusiast during her formative years in school. She is fondly known for constantly investing money in the latest skincare products just to make sure she is glowing despite the hard weather condition in Nigeria. What she started off as a hobby is currently taking her beyond the shores of Africa cresting her name in gold.

Apart from her passion for the skincare business, the Lekki Platinum Homes boss runs a popular interior decoration outfit, Apreel Home of Interiors – a firm that has consulted for so many government agencies, estates, and hotels before delving into the banking sector. She recently launched Butter Skincare product, which is specially crafted for women of all races and colors.

It is believed in some quarters that by the first quarter of 2021, Ajayi is planning to up her business ante moving to a new permanent space which would boast of a state-of-the-art fully-equipped spa, a lounge where our customers can relax, eat, have drinks and feel home away from home.

If Tony Elumelu, the head honcho of Heirs Holding, were to pen down a memoir on his sojourn in life, apart from being a successful businessman, one of the highlights would definitely be having a beautiful and highly cerebral daughter like Tamara-Marie Ogechukwu Elumelu. Tony has taken his time to nurture his children to be respectful, outspoken, smart, cosmopolitan, fearless, and of all prayerful. In spite of his extremely tight schedules and travel itinerary/globetrotting around the world, he always creates time out of no time to play his fatherly role.

On several occasions during holidays, he has always invited his first daughter to resume office with him as an intern to learn the rudiments of finance and economics after she graduated from St. Catherine Bramley School, UK. While many feel she was too young to comprehend the ABC of the corporate world, Tony was busy mentoring his daughter young so as to assume a leadership position at a tender age shattering the archetypal notion built around the girl-child. Like the proverbial apple that does not fall far from its tree, Ogechukwu is making Elumelu a proud father with smiles on his face as she displays wizardry, uncommon brilliancy, witty and oratory prowess to the amazement of many.

At the just-concluded Generation Unlimited Sahel, a project launched by the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Amina Mohamed to mark the beginning of a new and improved way of working with Sahelian youth, driven by the Tony Elumelu Foundation and other partners, The Co-founder of LES talk Africa was the Co-host and Tony Elumelu was a keynote speaker. It was a heartwarming father-daughter moment when she introduced her father and also highlighted some important facts challenging young people in achieving their set goals and offered possible solutions to expunge them from possible issues militating against their growth.

Ogechukwu recently got admitted into the London Business School, where she would be bagging a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, a discipline that has been her choice of career path, following the footsteps of her father.

Former Group Managing Director of defunct Intercontinental Bank, Erastus Akingbola, has been bubbling with life in good health and wealth for many years. Despite being thrown off balance with occasional twists and turns he has remained unruffled. Listing the names of bankers who have recorded their names in the history of the Nigerian banking sector, the 71-year-old Akingbola will always be included.

While some of his contemporaries were idle in his hay days at the defunct bank, Akingbola remained relevant touching lives through a radio social entrepreneurship broadcast.

Celebrating his 71st birthday, the Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management, and the Chartered Institute of Bankers, London is focused still on the improvement of lives through inspiration and encouragement. Many families have emerged from the depths of despair because of Akingbola’s work on Inspiration 92.3FM, Nigeria’s first and only family radio. For all of these reasons, Akingbola is the subject of prayers at the moment. Despite staying a low profile lifestyle because of his pending case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, he was celebrated by some of his close aides and individuals.

 

 

PENULTIMATE Friday, Ilorin the capital city of Kwara State was virtually at a standstill. The ancient city brimmed with a mix of traditional, political and business elite, who were on ground to grace the turbaning of Saliu Mustapha by the emir, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, as the new Turakin Ilorin.

It was a carnival of sort for the new Turaki as well as a “personal” homecoming of sort. Years ago, his late father, Alhaji Sanni Okin, held court as the 1st Turaki of Ilorin and was installed in1963. He died just a few weeks after the new Turaki was born in 1972.

The late orator and Danmasanin Kano, Yusuf Maitama Sule, used to say, “The joy of a dying father is the presence of a worthy successor.” The new Turaki is certainly a worthy successor not by birth alone but by personal industry, enterprise and selflessness.

Turaki is a coveted title in an emirate. It is roughly the equivalent of Minister of Trade, Commerce or Industry. Holders of the title across the country have, at various times, exhibited outstanding entrepreneurial attributes.

Two such visible Nigerians who have held this title in their respective domains are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and immediate past Senate President Bukola Saraki. The notable politicians are currently holding the title of Waziri which automatically makes the holder a very senior Counselor of the emir.

Industry, enterprise and philanthropy define the 49 years life trajectory of the 4thTuraki of Ilorin, Saliu Mustapha. In this regard, he is a chip off his late father whose philanthropy is legendary.

The passage of the first Turaki of Ilorin had paved the way for the installation of Second Republic Senate Leader and kingmaker, the late Senator Olusola Saraki. The third Turaki was former Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

Saliu is a tributary. His installation confirmed that. Among those who personally graced the occasion was Alhaji Nasiru Ado Bayero, the emir of Bichi who, incidentally, is the grandson of the 8th Emir of Ilorin, Shehu AbdulKadir Dan Shuaibu Bawa. He has an unusual ability to pull all Nigerians to him regardless of creed. In him are the ancient values of the Ilorin emirate: hospitality and accommodation.  He embodies all that is positive of his generation. His personal industry places him in the ranks of exceptional entrepreneurs.

Confident, eternally cheerful and giving, his foray into the political grazing field catapulted him to even greater national reckoning within a short time than perhaps his business enterprise. His philanthropy, however, naturally endeared him to all and sundry and from far and near.

Disarmingly humble, he is without airs. He is progressively urbane, widely travelled and roundly exposed from childhood. As such, he has a vast social and political network populated by people of different walks of life.

Turaki Saliu’s  compassion is blind to creed or class. He is at home with all manner of people.

His schooling prepared him for leadership in a pluralistic society like Nigeria and particularly his home state, Kwara. He attended the famous St. Bartholomew Primary School, Wusasa, and Zaria, in Kaduna State from whence he moved into another missionary school, St John’s College, Jos, Plateau State. He completed his secondary school education at Command Secondary School, Kaduna.

The new Turakin of Ilorin is also a product of Kaduna Polytechnic’s Department Mineral Resources Engineering.

Growing up as an orphan made him to mature early. He is the definition of “self made”. His relentless urge to better the society goaded him into politics. He is an ally of President Muhammadu Buhari and worked tirelessly to ensure his victory in the 2015 and 2019 elections.

It fell to him as the Deputy National Chairman of the Congress of Progressive Change (CPC) founded by Buhari and his allies in 2010 to lead the party into merger talks with other legacy parties like ANPP, AC, APGA and the splinter group of PDP to register the All Progressive Congress (APC) in 2014 when  the late Tony Momoh, the CPC chair, was indisposed.

Before then, he had worked, without changing course, with President Buhari in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 presidential elections on various political party platforms.

His earlier contact with politics was when he served as the publicity secretary of Dr. Ezekiel Ezeogu’s Progressive Liberation Movement (PLM) and was a member of Fawehinmi’s Progressive Action Congress (PAC)

Saliu’s steady climb in party politics nationwide has engendered debate, especially in his political party, the APC, as to why he is seen as a contender to the office of the national chairman.

His rising profile is such that a lot of stalwarts are comfortable with him. The only obstacle perhaps will be if the office is zoned to another geo-political zone.

Going for him is his unblemished integrity and character. Having held no elective legislative or executive office, he is not encumbered by any moral burden of excess baggage.

The turbaning is indeed a homecoming for Saliu Mustapha.

 

• Ali M.Ali, 1st Avenue, Gwarinpa, Abuja

Barrister Siju Iluyomade has always been at the forefront of organizing women to meet their full potentials as a nation and home builders through her annual Arise Walk for Life Programme which features women from all walks of life. The women converge under one roof to discuss salient issues that will move them forward and also gear them towards achieving their set goals. Arise Women has played a major role in contributing to the empowerment of the less privileged in Nigeria building Schools, hospitals, boreholes constructions for communities, ambulances for hospitals, skills acquisition programmes, and so many other interventions to support the government.

For this year’s Arise Women Conference, Iluyomade will be marking the 13th anniversary with a couple of women leaders who would be speaking to a large audience of different statuses, mostly virtual due to the covid-19 protocols on the involvement of women in nation-building and empowerment.

This year’s edition will hold at the Recreation Complex of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, City of David, Lagos tomorrow Saturday, October 30, 2021, with a theme: #REVIVE.

Also expected for this year’s edition is Lagos state first lady, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, Erelu Bisi Fayemi of Ekiti State, Engr. Tamunominimi Makinde of Oyo-State, Barr. Chioma Uzodinnma of Imo State and Dr. Zainab, Bagudu, of Kebbi State. Others expected include the wife of Deputy Governor of Lagos, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat, Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire among others.

 

Way from the controversy rocking her husband, Chief Ayiri Emami, in Warri over his traditional title, when Empress Emami turned 40 last week it was a spectacle occasion.

Despite wanting to celebrate her big day just with her friends and family, those around her – especially her husband – kicked against a low-profile celebration.

The Empress was surprised with a massive birthday dinner at a private location in Warri Delta State. The celebration was indeed a colorful one with a black and gold theme. Mrs. Emami also displayed her fashion acumen as she attended the dinner in a well-shaped flowing open-back black gown with white stones. The ravishing light-skinned celebrant sauntered into the venue wearing a charming smile to the admiration of her guests.

The highlight of the event came when the couple had their romantic dance with artiste W4 serenading them. The couple also displayed their dancing dexterity on the dance floor. Their daughter also performed a birthday song for her mother wishing her a long life.

In line with one of the admonitions of Christ in the Bible about a candle that cannot be hidden under the bushel which is also akin to an Igbo proverb that is loosely translated as if a child washes his hands properly, he would be invited to dine with elders, astute legal personality Solomon Emeka Eze aka Mekula, has proven both statements right. The unassuming young man and his delectable wife, Ijeoma under the Diocese of Aguata, Anglican Communion recently had their kinghood investiture celebration at Cathedral church of St. John Ekwulobia, Anambra State. As a result, the lovable legal practitioner and graduate of the Imo State University will now be addressed as ‘Sir’ as his responsibility has increased in his commitment to the church and humanity.

 

 

Mike Nwogu who is known by the moniker Pretty Mike remains charming and good-looking. Blessed with an endearing persona, the nightlife connoisseur and social media influencer is one of the most talked-about personalities in Nigeria. He loves controversy to the extent that his bag of controversy never runs dry. He is a fan of making big statements anytime he walks into a public function. He is regarded as the ‘King of stunts’. While some see his stunts as show business which comes with the nature of his job, some misunderstood his personality yet he has remained unperturbed but sticking to his style.

Apart from his controversial side, he is a very cerebral, affable, and endearing personality. Those around him note that he is generous to a fault and loathes the sight of people in distress. He doesn’t love making noise with his philanthropic deeds. More reason many who have benefited from his milk of kindness will never disclose because he has warned that his philanthropic side should be kept a secret claiming all he is doing for humanity is not to be showcased to the camera or on social media.

On October 28, the nightlife and entertainment promoter celebrated his birthday. With numerous posts on social media and calls, Pretty Mike disclosed that this year’s birthday for him is an avenue to reflect and also thank his creator for sparing his life in good health and wealth. Instead of the regular high octane birthday soiree or club parties, he opted to sing and dance like the biblical David. He also reached out to the needy quietly in a bid to show appreciation to God for his mercies in his life. He received an array of birthday cakes and gifts from his close friends and associates.

There is no gainsaying that Chairman of Premier Lotto Chief Adebutu Kessington is one of the top businessmen that this country has paraded, in fact, he has invested heavily in every sector of the economy, apart from the lottery business that he is well known for.

What more can the octogenarian ask from his creator other than a long life in good health and wealth and extending his philanthropic hands to uplift humanity? Obviously, he has been granted all his heart desires which include a bubbling life, 86th birthday, successful children with a thriving business conglomerate.

Anytime Odole Oodua gives an account of how he started his sojourn in life, his story inspires all and sundry. His compelling success story further shows that being resilient, prayerful, hardworking, dogged, and truthful are qualities needed to thrive in life most especially in business. With all the storm, he was able to navigate through hard times, standing tall among his competitors.

Interestingly, the Iperu born gaming mogul on October 24 turned 86 years old. Society Rendezvous gathered that this year’s edition was celebrated without attracting attention inside his palatial mansion in Ikoyi, Lagos. He had thought of throwing a massive soiree in 2020 when he turned 85 but due to the COVID-19, he moved the celebration to 2021 when he turned 86. He had a church service with his children in attendance, the Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Chief Kehinde Martins, and a host of others. After the church service, the Balogun of Remo land treated his guests to good food and drinks.

His sojourn in Politics and life is divine. Special thanks to his creator for granting him his heart desires very early in life. For Mallam Saliu Mustapha, he is a child born with luck and grace. Despite the sheer luck, all he achieved today is through dint of hard work.

When many didn’t believe in his dreams and aspirations, the mineral resources graduate from Kaduna Polytechnic believed in himself and chased his dreams with much gusto. This led him to move astronomically politically, serving as the first national publicity secretary of the Progressive Action Congress (PAC), a now-defunct political party. He later became a member of the All Nigeria peoples Party ANPP, where he played a pivotal role in the presidential ambition of Muhammadu Buhari. In 2009, after a breakaway faction of the ANPP led by Buhari formed the Congress for Progressive Change CPC, Mustapha became the national deputy chairman of the party, one of the youngest in the country. In his capacity as the deputy chairman of the party, the Ilorin-born politician worked assiduously to ensure the party ran smoothly and produced credible candidates during elections. After many years, his party later merged to form the ruling All Progressives Congress. In 2018, he jostled to become the Governor of Kwara State under the ruling APC but was denied the opportunity to serve his people.

For his immense contribution to the development and philanthropy in Kwara state, Emir of Ilorin, Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari conferred on him the traditional title as the Turaki Ilorin. The turbaning ceremony which was initially slated for October 15, 2021, was later moved to October 22, 2021, to enhance proper planning for the mammoth crowd that attended the ceremony. The event had in attendance Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdul Razak, and other top political office holders across Nigeria. It was a moment of joy as Saliu rode on the royal horse parading around the city as the new Turaki Ilorin a title formerly occupied by Kwara State Politician Dr. Olusola Saraki before it was passed to his son former Governor of Kwara and Former Senate President Dr. Olubukola Saraki before he was elevated as the Waziri Ilorin.