Category: Glamour

CHIEF Edwin Chukwunenye Igbokwe, the husband of the late Nigerian Lady of Songs, Christy Essien-Igbokwe, has remarried. The traditional and white wedding held during the Easter break in Anambra State. The bride, it was gathered, is in her 40s and has never been married. Igbokwe had once said he would remarry if the spirit of his late wife permits. A source, however, squealed that none of his children attended the wedding.

WHEN the beautiful daughter of the Oyo State Governor, Bisola Kola Daisi, announced her plan to open a stop shoe store, Florence H on the Island, many did not expect less from the mother of two. Having known she frolicked with the superstars of Hollywood before coming to Nigeria from her US base, the Musa Yar’Adua location of the store has been paying host to those who have flair for good shoes.

YOU have become one of the celebrated African motivational speakers in UK at what point did the breakthrough came?

I would start by saying that it is not by my power or by my might but it is by His grace. One of my long terms goals is to become a global brand in the personal development industry. And God made it possible in September 2008 when one of my products, a CD titled, You Got the Power was sent to 180 countries. I became the very first African motivational speaker, trainer and coach in Europe to achieve this feat and this enabled me to become a global brand in the personal development and business building industry.

The best thing that happened to me was growing up, as they say, on the other side of the tracks, without the privilege of wealthy parents. Anything I wanted, I had to hustle for. Far from a drawback, this was a definite advantage for me.

Can you share how much was your first professional fee?

I do not like to talk about my professional fee in print. What I can say is that at the moment I offer people and organisations a first class service of a business class and I am one of the highest paid Black motivational speakers in Europe.

At what point did you decide to relocate abroad?

I made up my mind in December 1994 after the death of my late brother, Wale Olomu, and then moved in 1996. For two years, I was going to and fro, but I decided to stay permanently in 1998 when I got an admission to study Business Information Systems at the University of East London. I saw that as an opportunity to develop myself and seek more challenges in life. I thank God that I am doing that at the moment. I think the writer and mountain climber, James Ullman, summed it all up when he said something like, ‘Challenge is the core and mainspring of all human action. If there’s an ocean, we cross it. If there’s a disease, we cure it. If there’s a wrong, we right it. If there’s a record, we break it. And if there’s a mountain, we climb it.’ Also Jim Rohn, once said, “The big challenge is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming. You cannot believe what it does to the human spirit to maximise your potential and stretch yourself to the limit.”

When I arrived London in 1996, after my brother’s death, I was shocked to discover that someone had already stolen my birth certificate and used it to obtain his National Insurance card, credit card, and even opened a bank account. The crook was discovered to have purportedly married too. Everywhere I went, I was told somebody was bearing my name. At one stage, the authorities did not know who the real Dayo Olomu was.

What would you say is your key to success?

Firstly, the grace of God, followed by strategic thinking, goal setting, self belief, and action planning backed with a strong desire for success, determination, discipline, persistence, perseverance, focus and self-development . My childhood instilled in me grit, desire, determinations drive, dedication and the discipline to succeed against all odds.

When I was barely eight years old, I lost my father. After that, life was a struggle. And my mother, a widow now deceased, sold all her personal belongings to raise and send me and my late brother, Wale Olomu, to school. At age 10, I started hawking cold drinks and biscuits on the streets of Lagos to complement my late mother’s efforts.

To breakthrough in the entertainment industry in Nigeria, I went to an album lunch that I was not invited. Today, that boy who hawked on the streets of Lagos, who gate-crashed an album launch on the way to making a name in showbiz, has become a man, feet firmly on the way to his dream, propelled by a mother’s grueling determination and his faith in God.

Being a man about town then, how was it easy it for you settling down?

To correct that impression, I am not a man about town. It is the kind of work that I do that puts me in the public domain and limelight. So settling down for me was very easy and I have looked forward to it since I was 25

How and where did you meet your wife, Sade, whom you called goddess?

I meet her when I was doing my A’ Level at An-war Islam College, Agege, Lagos, Nigeria. She was my high school love and we are blessed with wonderful children. Nothing complements and balances up a man’s life like the beauty of having a good companion. Research has proven that those who are happy at home are more productive and less stressful at work. I discover that developing a better relationship with your spouse can help you develop a better life and business. I love my family dearly, because what would it profit a man who gains the whole world and looses his family. For me, private victory precedes public victory.

Why did you finally settle for her?

Well, the major reason I married her was because of her strength of character. Before I married my wife, I wrote down the qualities and the profile of the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I wanted a lady who is God-fearing and a good Christian. I wanted a lady who has good home-training with strong moral values. I wanted a lady who is a good cook; because “the way to a man heart is through his stomach.” I wanted a lady who is a good communicator, who is affectionate, a positive thinker, emotionally secure and self-motivated. I wanted a lady with a strong sense of being rooted in her. I wanted a lady who is beautiful both outwardly and inwardly. I wanted a lady with whom I can share an emotional bond with, a lady with good moral and spiritual values, who is a blessing to womanhood. A lady who is always trying to improve her mind, body and soul and who is willing to work hard for things she wants.

All these I found in my lovely wife. She is one of my greatest gifts from God. I call her goddess.

What has been the strong force in the union considering the alarming rate of divorce abroad?

Respect for one another, accepting your spouse for who they are, understanding, shared values, common interest, giving each other space sometimes, supporting each other’s goals, forgiveness and above all, communications which my wife is good at.

Do you quarrel at all?

We disagree on issues sometimes but very rarely.

You recently participated in a marathon to build a hospital at a Lagos suburb. Are you also involved in charity? Please kindly shed more light on this?

Yes I am involved in about five charities and Wish for Africa is one of them. Wish for Africa is a registered charity in UK. They are trying to raise fund to build a purpose-built medical centre in Alagbado, Lagos, Nigeria and funds are desperately needed to complete this project that will give local people good quality healthcare that otherwise these people cannot afford. Running the Fleet Half Marathon for Wish for Africa is my contribution to achieving this dream. The entire amount raised has been handed over to the charity founded by Dr. Femi Olaleye. Apart from Wish for Africa, I also support Heart of Gold in Nigeria and Leukaemia Research in UK, and Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation in South Africa and Desmond Tutu Foundation in UK.

You are the publisher of M&M magazine. We have not seen the magazine for a while now, what has been happening to it?

It has been sold few years ago. My focus now is Dayo Olomu as a Motivational Speaker, Executive Coach, Author, Trainer and Human Resources Development Expert.

Best and worst moments in life

One of my best moments was when one of my products was received in 180 countries on 9th of September 2008. As a motivational speaker, it was a big honour and breakthrough. It lunched me as a global brand in the industry. The worst moments were the deaths of my late brother on 22nd December 2004 and the death of my mother died on 31 August 2009. They were the two people I was closed to when I was growing up.

 

What is the greatest lesson life has taught you?

The greatest lesson I have learnt from my experience is that to be successful you must have strong faith and a vision that drives you. You must have a strong desire to succeed and back that desire with action. You must have absolute believe in yourself, know that you have what it takes to be successful and when setbacks or tragedies occur, never, ever give up; instead see them as opportunities for growth because success thrives on adversity.

How do you feel with the standing ovation before and after your talk?

Today is one of the happiest days of my as a motivational speaker. When I spoke at Harrow 3 months ago I was giving a standing ovation after my talk, to be giving a standing ovation before and after my talk is a humbling expressing and I feel appreciated and valued.

Fear is a big issue for a lot of people. How can one conquer fear?

Fear is the very natural and normal response to the challenges we face in life. Fear tells us that there is something we must be cautious about. It puts us on alert and tells us there is something we must be prepared for. We face so many fears in life: fear of change, fear of the unknown and fear of rejection, amongst others. But the single greatest obstacle to success in adult life is fear of failure. One of the best ways to conquer fear is to face it. If we face fears and worries we ‘step up’, but when we run away from it we ‘step off’ from the race of life. Action cures fear. You have to feel the fear and do it anyway. To conquer the fear of poverty I went into multiple disciplines to have multiple streams of income and to conquer fear of public speaking I joined Toastmasters. The things we want most are often the things we most fear to approach. Still often we have to feel the fear and do it anyway

 

SOCIETY lady, Princess Toyin Atobatele, surely has her hands in many pies. The University of Ibadan (UI), graduate of Political Science, is a beautician, clothier, events management expert, and is not about resting on her oars. Recently, she delved into fast-food business named Wendy Place, which is now home to the high and mighty. She was said to have always nursed the desire to own an eatery. Wendy’s Place, said a close source to her, is a dream come true.