•By Giving It Up For Arch DADA MARQUIS, Her Friends Burial
Penultimate Sunday, February, Senator Florence Ita Giwa turned 77 and she looked good for it. She is one woman who is always well celebrated on her birthdays. Many people most especially her friends trooped to social media to celebrate her in various ways.
Senator Florence Ita Giwa that we know is used to always celebrate her birthdays but this particular one was an exception. She did not celebrate her birthday, her birthday coincides with her close friend, Architect Dada Marquis one year memorial burial party, so she gave up her day to celebrate the life and times of her very good friend.
The venue for the burial party of Arch. Dada Marquis was at the Harbour point event centre, Victoria Island and the party had in attendance most of her friends who are her age mates and also those who are younger with the ones older than her. It was an assemblage of many friends whom have been together for over 40 years.
The colour code for the party was purple and there was Ankara Aso Ebi picked for the party. Many women and other guests who attended looked good in the choice Ankara. This was the outfit that Senator Florence Ita Giwa also wore for the day. She looked so regal in her outfit which she sewn into a dress, accessorised with silver embellishments and matched it with diamond jewelry. It was her birthday so she looked good still despite she is attending her friends burial party.
One magnanimous thing that happened at the party was that after a few minutes that she got to the venue, she was recognized and this just came as a surprise to her when the children of her late friend, presented her with a birthday cake and rendered a happy birthday song for her. The children thanked her and celebrated her for being a good friend to their late mother and also to show their appreciation to her for allowing them celebrate their late mum on same day as her birthday.
This gesture came as a surprise to Senator Florence Ita Giwa as she wowed in joy, also many of the guests at the party all stood up to sing for her and wish her happy birthday.
She was later called to the stage to render her goodwill message to the family, In her remarks, she mentioned her closeness with her friend, late Dada Marquis, appreciated her children and her friends who all came out to celebrate her life and times. She also appreciated everyone for celebrating her on her birthday. She was also one of the few women who spoke in the documentary of late Dada Marquis. She acknowledged her late friends impact through her career in Nigeria and also how they have been very close for many years. She also mentioned that it was not something big for her to give up her birthday for the memorial party because she shares a very close bond with the deceased and also to. In her words,
“I am very happy about today, I am so very touched. Today, February 19th is my birthday and which also falls on my friends one year memorial party. I wouldn’t mind to give up this day for my friend. I and Dada are very close and I respect her a lot. I thank God for the life that Dada lived. She raised many boys who are successful in their careers. It is not easy to be a career woman and also raise boys. She is a woman who combines her career with motherhood, it was not easy but she is very selfless. As a young girl coming to Lagos, I look up to Dada, I wanted to be like her, she was very hardworking and finds time to enjoy herself. After enjoying herself, she goes back to her work. To her children, Gbolahun and your siblings, may God bless you for what you have done for your mum today and may God bless you for celebrating her, may your children celebrate you, you will live old enough for your children to celebrate you.
I use this opportunity to appreciate all her friends that are here today. The women that I have known all my life.It is not easy for women to be in their 80s or approaching 80s and they are still together. I want to thank all of you that are here, my small mummy, Hajia Abba Folawiyo, Mrs Onibudo, Segun Oki, Shade Balogun, Sir K and his amazing wife, Duro, Mrs Grace Osime , Princess Yewande Onileere, the list is so long, pardon me, by the grace of God, this women has remained with their beauty and lovely personality for many years, I pray God keep us alive and in good health. We will surely age but the beauty of aging is to age well in health. Thank you everyone. May the Lord bless you”.
Her short but beautiful remark got her a resounding applaud from the audience and afterwards there was a photo session with her.
It was a lovely gathering where guest were treated to a sumptuous meals alongside good music. Who do you expect to grace such event if not top notch celebrities, they were all present to honour and celebrate with the Marquis and Onibuche families.
Senator Florence Ita Giwa must have shared a very close friendship with her friend, Dada Marquis as this was evident at the party. Despite giving up her birthday celebrations for her friend, she stood with the family and also made some special delicacies for the party. Her Calabar kitchen was brought to life at the party and guests experienced a taste of different delicacies.
Attaining the age of 77 for Senator Florence Ita Giwa is such a feat which she feels good about. At 77, 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 all 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 caliber. she is indeed in a good place at age 77. 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 really looking very good at the party. She also pulled together her many friends to attend the memorial party. 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 to celebrate the life and times of late Dada Marquis.
One woman whom she also has so much respect for and accorded her accordingly at the party and who is also very close to the late Dada Marquis as well was Hajia Abba Folawiyo. They sat together at the party.
The late Dada Marquis was one woman whom many loved especially her friends. She is a detailed career woman whom many look up to as attested by Senator Florence Ita Giwa. For her memorial party, a memorial website was created in memory of her, fondly called MMD, Margaret Maria Dada Marquis died at the age of 78 years, she was born on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1944, and passed away on February 19, 2022 in faraway Dubai where she has been before she passed on..
Dada Marquis was a dear mother and grandmother with a zest for life. She was a woman of many great parts – a dotting grandmother, beloved sister and friend, mentor, supporter, reputable professional, sport enthusiast and philanthropist.
She was greatly admired for notable contributions to the Architectural landscape of Nigeria and was celebrated as the first female Architect of Lagos State. She believed in the younger generation and supported hundreds through her foundation, the Dada Marquis Foundation. She is from the Marquis family of Ita Adao Marquis family of Lafiaji, Lagos. She was married to the late Dr Basil Onibuche who is a prominent Lagos politician in his time.
Sighted at the classy party were retinue of stylish celebrity women, who all came to celebrate the life and times of late Dada Marquis.. Give it to Nigerian women, they all dazzled in their lovely outfits.The dress code for the party was purple Ankara Aso-Ebi and many of them did not disappoint with their choice of styles. They looked their best and strutted the hall with their nice dresses. At the party were Hajia Abba Folawiyo, Barrister Shade Balogun, HRH Yewande Onileere, Mrs Duro Osinubi, Mrs Grace Osime, Chief Mrs Joko Oni, Mrs Folashade Marquis Adenuga, Erelu Olusola Obada, Chief Mrs Tolu Akande, Mrs Onibudo, Chief Mrs Bisi Olatilo, among others too numerous to mention.
-TAYO OYEDIJI
(08111811219)
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