— AS TUFACE STAGES SURPRISE PERFORMANCE
Last Sunday, 23rd, February, Senator Florence Ita Giwa celebrated her 74th birthday in a grand way. It was a double celebration as she also held the one year anniversary of her restaurant, Echoes of Calabar in Victoria Island, Lagos.
It was a lovely evening, where guests were treated to a 3 course meal alongside good music. Who do you expect to grace such event if not top notch celebrities. They were all present to honour and celebrate her day with her. City People Society Editor,
TAYO FAJORIN OYEDIJI captured the event.
IT WAS A DINNER EVENT
The venue of the event was at her restaurant , Echoes of Calabar, a lovely Calabar kitchen beautifully built and furnished which befits the status of Senator Florence Ita Giwa simply called Mama Bakassi.
The venue was in banquet setting where all decorations were simply White and Gold colours. The event started with a red carpet where guest took out time to take pictures with paparazzis. Popular MC, Hero Daniels coordinated the show.
It was a 3 course buffet where guests had sumptuous delicacies to water down their appetites, also choice cognac and champagne were provided for guests. Amongst the big men who made it were SEGUN Awolowo, Bayo Abdul, Ben Obaze, Mudi, Francis Ogboro,Guy Murray Bruce, Lanre Ogunlesi and many others.
THE LEAGUE OF OVER 60s
At the event were many friends of the Senator, who have been are friends for several decades. One thing you will notice at the party is that her friends were not just fair weather friends, but real friends, who believe in her dreams and her aspiration and this was what was evident at the party as it was attended by her real close friends.
They rallied round her and praised her for all her efforts as she remains one of the focused and hardworking women in Nigeria. Some has been her friends for over 30 and 40 years and it is still rock solid.
Some who were very visible at the party were her sister, Hajia Abba Folawiyo,, Yewande Onileere, her in-law, Evelyn Clark, Onyeka Onwenu, Chief Mrs Ireti Asemota, Sena Anthony, Ngozi Nkoloenyi and many others.
SEN ITA GIWA STILL A STUNNER AT 74
Attaining the age of 74 for Florence Ita Giwa is such a feat which she feels good about. At 74, she has aged gracefully and above all, she has fulfilled her many dreams.
She has been an inspiring icon to women fold and she has served her nation with diligence, determination and a “CAN DO” spirit especially for the Bakassi Children.
The woman who has depth and plenty of essence is a woman of substance and calibre. she is indeed in a good place at 74. She looks good, she is fit, dresses well and looks very elegant. She is a role model to many and according to her’’ As a role model, I tend to favor styles that flatter the female figure while at the same time maintaining the dignity of womanhood”.
She was spotted wearing a beautiful multicolor silk dress with a red shoe to go with. Many were already preparing for her 75th as the gist in the mouth of guests is how they will turn up big in the next one year for her 75th birthday, which promises to be a grand one.
DO YOU KNOW SEN.FLORENCE ITA GIWA IS LOVER OF HER FRIENDS?
It will interest you to know that Senator Ita Giwa is a woman of many parts. The event was where she let her hair down and showed the other interesting part of her.
She is one woman who has many friends of different ages. She gathers both the young and old together at her parties and why do they also turn up anytime she calls, because she honours them too in anything they do. She is one woman who has kept many friendships for several years and this party was no exceptional as they surrounded her as she celebrates her birthday.
MEET HER MUM WHO INFLUENCED HER GROWING UP YEARS
At the lobby of the restaurant where the party took place, amidst the 4 pictures hung on the wall is that of Mama Bakassi mum’s picture. Senator Florence Ita Giwa growing up years was a beautiful one. She had a privileged upbringing.
Her mother is Beatrice Bassey Ita, a renowned journalist who used to work with her typewriter back in the days. She learnt a lot from her very energetic mother. From her mum, she learnt the art of style, looking good while not losing focus from her mama. Her father, Chief Bassey Ita was a policeman, Civil Servant who turned a traditional ruler in Atabong Bakassi, so by circumstances of her birth, she is a princess of the Efik Kingdom.
Her mum wanted her to be a journalist but she followed her passion and became a Nurse. Upon completion of her raining as Nurse, she practiced for a while both in Nigeria and London and later turned a Pharmaceutical Representative for Beecham-Sandoz Pharmaceuticals before establishing her own pharmaceutical and medical equipments outlets both in Calabar and Lagos. She later ventured into Oil Ltd before joining the board of the prestigious Waltersmith Petroman and later ventured into Politics.
ABOUT THE NEW YOUNG BILLIONAIRE FROM THE EAST
At the party was a new money bag from the east who strolled into the venue in a very gallant way. As he made his entrance into the venue, many eyes turned in his favour to behold the young man of style who wore just a white shirt and tan coloured trouser with a matching cap.
He rode into the venue in his newly customized Rolls Royce and immediately he came in, he was ushered by the association of Ohaneze group from the east. He was immediately recognized and was taken to sit at the VIP lounge. We gathered that his name is Ifeanyi Ckhukwu and he is the new chip on the block,money wise.
ADAEZE YOBO PARTIED WITHOUT HUSBAND,JOSEPH
At the event was former Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo wife, Adaeze who stormed the venue of the party mid way. She dazzled in a short black dress. Her husband was conspicuously missing from the event.She is senator Florence Ita Giwa’s daughters friend, Kokoeka.
ITA GIWA’S DAUGHTER, KOKO WAS WITH HUSBAND
Just like her mother, she looked very elegant in a multicoloured knee length dress, while her husband looked dapper in a black shirt and trouser. She made a beautiful statement with her outfit and many could not but give her a second stare look. She is a chip off her mother’s shoulders and without a doubt, Koko is following the family tradition of fashion and style. She was also sighted with her friends, like Adaeze Yobo, wife of international football star, Joseph Yobo and some of her husband’s friends.
WHY SEN ITA GIWA LOVES RED COLOUR
Do we need to tell you that Mama Bakassi, Sen Florence Ita Giwa, is stylish? She is one of the style matriarchs of our time. She stormed her birthday party in a red based multicolored dress, which did justice to her lovely shape and also showed off her beautiful glowing skin. She matched it up with a beautiful designer, all- stoned red shoes and she looked effortlessly pretty and younger than her age.
If you are familiar with her dress sense, you will notice, she is a red colour addict and she does not have apologies for it. It is only a fashionable person who can pull well a red monotone outfit and still be on point. Recall, she wore Red dress at her 70th birthday, she also wore red jumpsuit at her 72nd birthday in her palatial mansion at Banana Island and at the latest birthday, she also glowed in a red jump suit.
She truly knows how to carry this colour. She also rocked a red colour jump suit for her 73rd birthday when she newly opened her restaurant.The significance of red is synonymous to her nature. It stands for power, passion, desire, love, energy and strength and more. These are many of Senator Ita Giwas attributes.
It was, indeed, her day and Senator Florence Ita Giwa showed the stuff she is made of as the lady of many parts, highly loved and cherished by friends, family member and business associates. She was everyone’s delight at the birthday dinner. She was the cynosure of all eyes as all guests kept staring at her ageless beauty.
NKIRU ANUMUDU-A NAME SYNONYMOUS WITH STYLE
The most stylish woman of all time, Nkiru Anumudu, is one society woman, who has set the pace in the fashion industry with her off the peg and limited edition of international and foremost designers all over the world. She does not step out in same outfits for events and she goes for the expensive limited editions from runways.
Beautiful Nkiru was at the party and she looked like she is in her 40s when she stunned in a lovely dress,designer shoes and glasses.She is one woman everyone looks forward to her style.Give it to the tall, beautiful and the better half of one of naijas rich men, Pa Willy Anumudu, she caught everyone’s attention.
BETWEEN SISI ABAH AND ITA GIWA
If you know these 2 society women well, you will know they are extremely close. Sen Ita Giwa’s sojourn in the social world has brought forth many friends who have become like family members to her, one of such is ageless beauty, Hajia Abba Folawiyo, fondly called Sisi Abah the pretty wife of Baba Adinni of Nigeria, the Late Wahab Folawiyo.
At her birthday, many friends rallied round her and most of them have been her friends for so many years. One of them is Hajia Abba Folawiyo. Unknown to many, Hajia Abba Folawiyo’s friendship with Senator Florence Ita Giwa has gone beyond being societal one and has also passed just-attending parties together.
Infact it was at Senator Florence’s birthday that she took everyone down memory lane how her friendship with Hajia Folawiyo has passed ordinary friendship, but has become a family thing. At her 70th birthday a few years back, she revealed her closeness to Hajia Folawiyo when she wanted to present her with an award.
She said, Hajia Abba Folawiyo is one of the people she holds in high esteem and will forever be grateful to her for the motherly role she has played in her life for over 30 years. She also said whenever she calls on her for anything at any minute or hour of the day or even 2am, she does not hesitate to respond to her calls.
She also emphasised that sometimes she leaves her children with her and she takes good care of them whenever she has any cause to travel. She does like a grandmother to all her children and she has never complained for once’’.
INSIDE ECHOES OF CALABAR RESTAURANT
Yes ,it is a year and Echoes of Calabar has gained major prominence within the restaurant business in Lagos.The lovely ambience of the newly opened restaurant was out of this world and guests were treated to much fun at the launch of Echoes of Calabar restaurant, which Senator Ita Giwa termed as her other passion which is food.
Echoes of Calabar is a 3-in-1 restaurant, the outside area is a court yard where there is a live band, a Pan African style court yard. The ground floor is called the Echoes of Calabar where incredible calabar dishes are served. Upstairs is called the fusion, where you can have your private space and enjoy your evening with exotic wines and also light meals.
CHECK OUT THE STYLISH CELEB WOMEN WHO DAZZLED AT THE PARTY
Sighted at the classy party were a retinue of stylish celeb women, who all came to celebrate with the celebrator. Give it to them, they all dazzled in their lovely outfits.The Dress Code for the party was Casual Elegance and many of them did not disappoint.
They looked their best and strutted the red carpet with their nice dresses. At the party were Hajia Abba Folawiyo, Nkiru Anumudu, Ireti Asemota, Eunice Efole, Ngozi Nkoloenyi, Data Okorodudu, Mary Inegbese,NPA GM, Nana Yakubu,Oando, Director, Chief Mrs. Sena Anthony, Alhaja Montai Okesanjo, Yewande Onileere , Nike Makinde, Onyeka Onwenu, Pastor Mrs Agboli, the celeb twins, Muna and Nina, among others too numerous to mention.
WHAT ABOUT ONYEKA ONWENU’S NEW LOOK?
Have you seen veteran songstress, Onyeka Onwenu lately?, I bet you might not recognize her, why? She now spots a new and youthful look.She was looking very trimmed down, beautiful and if you are expecting to see that her grey hair spot logo in the front of her hair,
No, you missed, she has tinted it to slight black-purple and it really fits her. She is one woman who is loved by many and her humility is second to none as she practically knelt down to greet Hajia Abba Folawiyo. Many society women could not leave her sight as they all want to identify with her because for her good nature and also the love for her songs.
WHO WANTS TO GIVE SEN ITA GIWA HEART ATTACK?
You will be wondering who has the mind to give a whole senator Ita Giwa Heart attack when she is not at the battle front. But yes, she almost had an heart attack when Music star, Tuface Idibia gave her a shocking surprise and stored her birthday dinner.
We gathered that Tuface was away in Kenya, enroute Israel for a business show and had already told mama Bakassi he won’t be around for her birthday but Tuface cut short his trip and made a surprise appearance just to surprise her.
As he got to the venue, the MC announced there is a big surprise for Mama Bakassi and told her to come downstairs, as she made her way through the stairs, tuface sang his evergreen song, Africa Queen to receive her.she was shocked to see tuface and this threw her off balance and while embracing tuface, she said, “please don’t give me heart attack on” as she danced and enjoyed the series of songs afterwards by tuface. It was really a surprising moment for the celebrant.
PASTOR BLESSING AGBOLI STEPS OUT
Pastor Blessing Agboli is not your regular Owambe person because she chooses the events she attends. She is the pretty wife of the Senior Pastor of Victorious Army Ministry, Apostle Joseph Agboli. She is a nurse and midwife who is also a lawyer and serial entrepreneur.
When you sight her, what strikes you is her beauty and sense of style. She is very fashionable. She was at the birthday dinner and enjoyed herself with her friend of many years, Ngozi Nkoloenyi, another top Lagos society woman who just shut down Dubai few weeks ago for 5 days when she celebrated her 60th birthday.
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