•25 Years After City People Reported About Them
From Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, City People covered the entire South-South and southeast regions, ensuring that stories that brought the best of lifestyle news were covered and written by Emeka AMAEFULA (+234(0) 8111813069). He brought to the fore events and people in that area including movers and shakers of socio-political and economic spheres.
He reported on the doyens in the banking, business, workplace through one-on-one interviews that wao our readers from the lowest cadre in the society to the political class and middle-level Income earners. Not left out were Port Harcourt celebrities from the owner of Bootleggers Nite Club, Isobo Jack, now a politician and a former Commissioner in Rivers State during Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s last two months in office now the leader of ISO-JAC Organization a political pressure group in Rivers State. Amaefula wrote about Ms Gift Uwane, alias Muma Gee, and her unique music of Ekpeye traditional infusion. She later got married to Mr. Eke, a Nollywood actor, from Ngor Okpuala in Imo State.
We reported on Vonbel Boutique, CEO, the late Mrs. Joy Ejiofor and her fashionable lifestyle and how she dressed up big babes in the garden city.
Mrs. Ruth Ubani, CEO of D’Best Fabrics, too. Where is she now? One lady that brought modern Fashion Designing to Port Harcourt, Ms Irene Igbe CEO of Natives Envogue, made our cover severally. She has now relocated to England. Mrs. Gladys Hart was also on the cover of City People, Mrs. Daba Williams also graced our pages.
Chief Barrister Charles Obule Member of Board SPDC Lagos and NNPC and BoT Obasanjo Solidarity Forum-OSF, Rivers State Chapter, was mentioned as pretty looking. The late Mrs. Hajiya Oruambo, a staunch member of OSF appeared on the Cover of City People in the early days of our colour print edition. The amiable politician and delectable lady of substance, Mrs. Toru Ofili, a former Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development during Governor Peter Odili’s era took most pages of the City People. She is now a Special Adviser on Sustainable Development. Speaker Rivers State House of Assembly Rt. Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, got specific reportage in the early days of City People, until when he emerged the Governor of Rivers state on 25th October, 2007. In 2008, he graced the City People Award of Excellence ceremony along with other South-South States Governors including South-East Theodore Ahamefula Orji, where a former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu was also honored that year.
Rt. Honorable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is now Minister of Transportation in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. Two sisters took the entertainment industry by storm. The story of Ms. Grace Mbata and her sibling, establishing NIGHT BOX, which later changed the name to Barracuda Lounge. They got mentioned in City People. Hajiya Mcmbiwe of NDDC during the Onyema Ugochukwu administration graced our cover with a report on her scintillating gait and style.
Other celebrities with entrepreneurial skills such as her royal Majesty Barrister Queen Josephine Diete-Spiff then founder of Marine Base Micro Finance Bank, which later changed the name to Titare Micro Fiancé bank, but has now gone into extinction. The First Lady of Rivers State from 2007 to 2016, Mrs. Judith Amaechi, founder of Empowerment Sustainable Initiatives—ESI got much mentioning in our publication. Today, she is in Abuja, supporting her 3-male grown-up children and her husband. She has an interest in running the Cold Room Food preservative business and the provision of ornament to high-profile clientele. Amaka Rea Chief Executive Officer CEO of Arena Couture, 72 Woji Road GRA Phase 2, enjoyed much reportage and enjoyed a burst of our gists. Not forgetting delectable Toby JUG CEO, Mrs. Sotonye Fulton, who has been known for her entertainment services where expatriates unwind each night after a hard day’s work in the Garden City.
Alpine Body Physique CEO, Mrs. Joyce Jayesiegbe, the Delta State-born celebrity, enjoyed it all as her body-building outfit located along Woji Road GRA Phase 2 was severally reported. Again, Mrs. Josephine Dixon CEO of Bougainvillea Hotel, situated along Sani Abacha Road, Port Harcourt, whose husband, British-born Colin Dixon, was General Manager of Rock Cement Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt. The firm later became Eagle Cement, Port Harcourt. Ace comedian, Julius D’Genus Agwu, was not missed as he had his music- comedy genre of entertainment, reported by City People.
He has been flown abroad twice for brain surgery and his tale marriage to his heartthrob, McClinton, at Saint Paul’s Anglican Church Port Harcourt, was published by City People, Mrs. Mercy Oscar Igbokwe, a tall, pretty-looking and smart babe, was featured in City People as the magazine covered her traditional marriage ceremony at her father’s Country Home at Uratta in Owerri Imo state on 26th of December, 2006. She left Port Harcourt for Abuja Federal Capital Territory where her husband, Chief Oscar Igbokwe Nkwerre, Imo State-born business mogul, now resides.
Mrs. Inema Sunrise Dawn Dumo-Lulu-Briggs, the wife of Port Harcourt big boy and heir apparent, Chief Barrister Dumo Lulu-Briggs, Chairman of Platform Petroleum Nigeria Ltd, an indigenous crude Oil & Gas, firm engaged in exploration and exploitation of local content. Inema Sunrise Dawn Lulu-Briggs, a mother of 3 grown-up pretty daughters, resides in London where Angel, her daughter, is a top model in the London Catwalk industry.
Prince Nnamdi Wokekoro now late, Ikwerre First son as he was called in his lifetime, enjoyed was City People’s reportage in his sojourn in several political offices. First as Mayor of Port Harcourt and later as Chairman of Rivers State Environmental Sanitation and Waste Management Agency now Rivers State Waste Management Agency-RIWAMA. He was appointed Chairman Rivers State Local Government Service Commission by former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. He died on the 12th of December, 2017, at Kelsey Harrison Hospital 11, Emenike Street Mile One, Diobu, Port Harcourt and buried in 2019 two years after.
EDNA IZONBODO, this tall elegant beautiful Izon-born Port Harcourt celebrity big babe, enjoyed her days in the University of Jos, Plateau State, where she had the best of the social circuit of the cool breezy highland. At Port Harcourt, Edna Izonbodo occupied a large space and was visible to all as a celebrity lady of repute. She has not been much around in the Garden City. Ms Lolo Philip, tall ebony beauty, a former Caterer at Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007 and beyond. This Kalabari babe literally set the social circuit on fire whenever she showed up at any party. Mrs. Kemi Ihomvbre-Uwaga, you know this Esan, Edo State-born former Port Harcourt-based Make-Up Artist, introduced a Make-Up studio in Port Harcourt early in the 2000s with her Skincare beauty products shop at Abuloma Road. Today, she and her Umuahia, Abia State-born husband are residing in the United Kingdom-UK.
JOI YIMEBE NUNIEH, this female Lawyer has been the Principal of Saka Chambers and better known as Esther of Ogoniland having secured the freedom of Ogoni sons who were wrongfully detained by the Military regime. She rode on her success with the fame of her Second Republic father, Senator Cyrus Nunieh, now late. She once got married to Mr. John Yowika of Ogoni and she gave birth to 3-daughters for her first husband and later Nigeria’s most successful Lawyer, Femi Okunnu after she had divorced her first love. Ms. Joi Yimebe Nunieh was appointed acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, having earlier held an appointment as National Coordinator of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Projector, HYPREP.
ALLWELL IHENACHO ONYESOH is a smart, tall and brilliant Creative Writing Lecturer at Rivers State College of Basic School, SBs now Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic Rumuola Road, Port Harcourt. Chief Allwell Henacho Onyesoh is a well-respected Rivers State politician and a former two terms Commissioner for Education and later Commissioner for Sports, during former Governor Peter Odili’s administration. He is popularly addressed as Political Octopus in the South-South region, having been Honoured by City People magazine as the Best South-South Grassroots Politician in December 2017.
KENNETH BIE KOBANI, City People reported on this egalitarian United Kingdom-trained Law graduate, whose father, Chief Edward Kobani, was a statesman who was murdered in cold blood. He was among the popular Ogoni-4 in the 1990s. KK, as he is addressed by his admirers as a two-term Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, later Commissioner for Finance. Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Republic of Nigeria 2014 to 2015 was later appointed Secretary to Rivers State Government–SSG from 2015 to 2019. Now, he is into mechanized farming in Bodo city of Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State. He is married to an Imo State-born big babe and both are like sesame twins, always together.
MAGNUS NGEI ABE, he represented Gokana State Constituency on the platform of All Peoples’ Party -APP – as a Minority Leader. He later switched camp to join the ruling political party in Rivers State, Peoples Democratic Party-PDP, where he took centre stage until his 2003 senatorial bid, which was not successful. In the second term of the then Governor Peter Odili, Barrister Magnus Ngei Abe, was appointed Commissioner for Information. In 2007, he was appointed Secretary to Rivers State Government-SSG-until he was elected a Senator, Rivers southeast senatorial district. Today, he is an appointed member of the Board of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation-NNPC. ANGEL MBANAJA introduced a unique beauty therapy brand in Rivers State, which boosts celebrity ladies look, chic and delectable as when Angel Mbanaja Chief Executive Officer, CEO of De Chic Beauty Home Ltd became a household name in the City of Port Harcourt and its surrounding.
IBIBA TARIAH-OMOTOSO, she is the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Home City Fabrics and now has relocated to George Sekibo Street Off Peter Odili Road Port Harcourt. This evergreen beautiful Port Harcourt big babe, elder sister of a stand-up ace comedian, Basorge Tariah Jnr., is always loved by her friends as she is President of an all ladies social organization known as Sister2Sister.
INIEBA PATRICIA OZIGBO, she is the lady boss in charge of Grapik Nigeria Ltd, a Freight Forwarding outfit that her Abba Imo State-born late husband, Honourable Chief Ikechukwu Ozigbo founded before his untimely assassination. This Kalabari lady is a philanthropist, very religious and humane in nature. PRINCE TIMOTHY NSIRIM, this former Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State Prince Timothy Nsirim, is now the Director of Rivers State Emergency Road Rehabilitation Management Agency being the son of Apiti of Rumueme Kingdom. DUNCAN MIGHTY, the freestyle music star is well known for his gifted voice as a Musician and Music producer in Nigeria. His marriage in Port Harcourt was much talked about in the city. ROSEBELLS UVIOVO, this Delta State-born Port Harcourt-based light-complexioned Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Mega Grill Fast-food and confectioneries, is the owner of Delta Bread that graces tables of many families in South-South Nigeria. Apart from being a graduate of the University of Port Harcourt, where she studied Biochemistry and proceeded to Rivers State University of Technology Nkpolu-Orowurokwo Port Harcourt, where she read Law and in 2017 studied Transnational Oil & Gas Energy Law at Master’s degree LL.M at University of Derby, the United Kingdom after her Barrister-at-Law studies at Nigerian Law School, Bwari Abuja. She is currently seeking to be a member of the New York Bar in the state of New York in the United States of America-USA.
Rosebells Uviovo is an easy going and simple lady who is a well respected Catholic and highly connected with high-profile citizens in Nigeria and others all over the globe.
MARSHALL STANLEY UWOM, in Rivers State where he hails from, Marshall Stanley Uwom was a former Deputy Speaker Rivers State House of Assembly. He served as Commissioner for Agriculture, later Commissioner for Housing and Urban development during Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi administration. He is a son of a former Nigerian Customs very Senior Officer whom the former Vice President of Nigeria Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, while in the service of Nigerian Customs was Personal Assistant to Marshal Uwom’s father. He established the Twilight Nite club at the D/Line area of Port Harcourt, which he later converted to a church being a committed member of Christ Oyakhilome’s Christ Embassy Lovers World. This Prince of Agba Royal family in Abua District is a graduate of Law LL.B from Rivers State University of Science and Technology Nkpolu-Orowurokwo as he also took a Master’s of Science degree M. Sc in Corporate Governance from Leeds Beckett University, West Yorkshire in the United Kingdom-UK. He also holds a post-graduate diploma in Petroleum and Environmental Law. This handsome Abua/Odual Local Government Area indigene is married to Ikwerre-born pretty lady.
IBINABO RAMI DINA, the coming of ITEM SALON in the GRA Phase 1 area of Port Harcourt in early 2002, changed the way of high profile ladies in the garden city approached fashion and style. This is Ibinabo Horsfall Rami Dina, who got married to a Lebanese, a former General Manager of Presidential Hotel Port Harcourt. She was stylish and pretty looking, until her death in 2020.
TONYE BRIGGS-ONIYIDE, you know this Kalabari celebrity lady, Honourable Mrs. Tonye Briggs-Oniyide, who got married to a Yoruba-born late General Oniyide and gave birth to a girl, who is now grown up. She is Chief Executive Officer of HAIR REPUBLIK a beauty salon that caters for high-profile ladies in Port Harcourt and its environs. Now, she is a top female politician and a member of the People’s Democratic Party and a serving Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in the administration of Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.
JOYWHITE FELIX-ONYEMACHI is a light-complexioned, vivacious lady, who is the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of JOYWHITE COSMETICS, located at No.1 Nnah Amadi Street, Market Junction Mile 4 Port Harcourt. Her skincare outfit has dominated the beauty space even while she was an undergraduate at the University of Port Harcourt. This Aba, Abia State-born Port Harcourt-based socialite is a cool headed and serious fashionista whose dress sense code is a testament to her business of making other ladies look beautiful in radiating glowing styles. IDOWU PETERS took the hair beauty space in Port Harcourt by storm having arrived early with her EL SHAMMAR Beauty Salon, located at Rumuola roundabout Port Harcourt. Being born of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State parentage, Mrs. Idowu Peters is married to Adamawa State-born retired Air Commodore Peters. She is currently in Abuja and shuttles Canada where her daughter and her husband are residing.
RUTH DAVIES IBIAMA IKANYA, this pretty-looking light-complexioned Port Harcourt celebrity babe is a head turner any day any time as she wears glowing and radiating skin that must make any lively human being take a second look at her. She makes other ladies beautiful through her handiwork of providing beauty therapy services to high profile babes in the Garden City and in Abuja where she is currently domiciled.
EBERE AKADIRI is the CEO of CATWALK’N’STYLE BOUTIQUE before she upgraded her business to JUST RELISH fast-food. Ebere Akadiri is Mbaise Imo State indigene graduate of Food Science from the Federal University of Technology Owerri, FUTO, Imo State and she is married to a Yoruba-born Engineer Bisi Akadiri. She is also an engineering graduate from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, FUTO. Bisi is on an international posting by one of the transnational Oil & Gas exploration companies to Hague, Netherland where his heartthrob, Mrs. Ebere Akadiri, is also located and doing well in the African Food mart business thus, providing African raw foodstuff.
ERIC IBINI is the CEO of HOME OPTION furniture, a Port Harcourt-based interior décor-cum-furnishing outfit that provides several house furnishing materials plus electronics for the upwardly mobile big boys and big babes, who live an exquisite lifestyle. DUMO LULU-BRIGGS is really a man of style and an accomplished businessman and politician with a growing Movement known as DLB MOVEMENT as he is the Chairman of Platform Petroleum Nigeria Ltd after he spent years as Executive Director in the family business especially at Moni Pulo Nigeria an Oil & Gas exploration and exploitation company, which had his late father, High Chief Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs, as Chairman. Chief Barrister Dumo Lulu-Briggs holds a Master’s degree in Law, LLM, from London School of Economics having obtained a first Degree in Law from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. His impressive humanitarian services to the poor and vulnerable people have no comparison as he celebrates his birthday each year with the less privileged persons especially those in Motherless babies Home, Port Harcourt, Old Peoples Home, Port Harcourt and others. His concern for empowering Nigerian Youths with skills on the Internet and other adjuncts career improvement has no limit. He is married to pretty Dawn Inema Lulu-Briggs, with four children, a boy and 3 girls.
ROSEMARY EMEKA IWEZOR is the Chief Executive Officer of ROSBINNA fashion designing outfit based in Port Harcourt as she has revolutionized the Fashion Designing business countrywide with her high-profile client base located in Abuja, Lagos and in Diaspora including Nigeria’s former First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan the late Dora Akunyili and other women of substance.
NGOZI ICHE NDU, is the wife of a former Chief Justice of Rivers State, Honourable Justice Iche Ndu, Mrs. Ngozi Iche Ndu is pretty and humble. She runs several services that provide jobs for the youth in Rivers State. IFEOMA OCJ OKOCHA is the wife of a popular Lawyer, OCJ Okocha Principal of Munachim Chambers located at Port Harcourt. Mrs. Ifeoma is a half-caste with an elegant pretty physique and she found delight in the early catering business in the Garden City, which brought styles in outdoor catering for events in the South-South region and beyond.
ROMMEL EMENIKE, this high chief and astute businessman is smart and handsome as he sits atop several conglomerates of businesses in the Niger Delta region. The businesses range from freight Forwarding to Communications gadgets and services in downstream Oil & Gas services. DR. NNEKA ONYA is a specially trained family medical personnel, serving at the University of Port Harcourt, Teaching Hospital Port Harcourt. She is a fashionista with her tailoring outfit NNEKA’S TOGG, with which she provides esteemed fashion dresses to upwardly mobile celebrities. Dr. Nneka Onya is married to a Rivers State politician, Dr. Reason Onya, a former Commissioner for Urban Development. She is the daughter of a Nigerian Diplomat and from an academic family. She had an early education in East Africa and Russia as a result of her Diplomat parents’ services to their fatherland Nigeria.
APOSTLE GIFT CHINYERE CHIBUZOR is the General Overseer of a Worldwide Christian movement known as Omega Power Ministries-OPM with its headquarters at Mbodo Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State. He is offering free Education and free Medical care to vulnerable people irrespective of their religious orientation. Rehabilitation of former Cultists and militants and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills have been the Apostle Gift Chinyere Chibuzor strong area. He grew from grass to grace, reaching out to people with evangelism and converting sex hawkers to Christ and providing them with free estate and skills as some of them got rehabilitated and later got married without the stigma of their past trade being prostitution.
CHARLES BULL is a graduate of Physics and material science from the University of Port Harcourt is now into Music Production and construction of film recording gadgets. Charles Bull is the son of legendary late king David Bull, leader of the Professional Seagulls dance band of Port Harcourt.
DABOTA BULL is the brilliant daughter of the late King David Bull as she is a popular banker and philanthropist. This university of Port Harcourt graduate later earned a Master’s of Business administration MBA degree from Hull University in the United Kingdom. She is now married to her heartthrob from Grand Bonny Island in Rivers State.
KHINDU BLESSING EKE-SPIFF is the lady behind the pretty interior of many homes with her HOUSEBEAUTIFUL outfit Beautiful House USA. She is the Chief Executive Officer of Skhindu Cosmetics. This Oron Akwa Ibom State-born University of Calabar Theater Arts graduate is married to Frank Eke-Spiff, Bayelsa State-born a former Staff Niger Delta Development Commission-NDDC. Now she has relocated to the United States of America USA from where she is engaged in skincare products manufacturing, using Africa raw materials.
PRINCESS KAREN IJEOMA NWANKWO is a University of Port Harcourt-trained Chemical Engineer, who is now Chief Executive Officer of a fashion designing outfit known as VOGUE REGALIA, which prepares decent clothes for Port Harcourt celebrities.
KOLA OLADAPO, this Lagos State University graduate and top businessman had much of the Port Harcourt business circuit first while managing HOME OPTION furnishing outfit and his tenacity to go into self-actualization of his dreams in property and furnishing interior decors. Kola Oladapo made a success of his great concepts in construction management.
ROSELYN OBIOHA was the second wife of the late High Chief Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs. This light-complexioned lawyer and daughter of Chief Obioha Imo State-born business mogul got divorced by the late High Chief O.B Lulu-Brigg. BOMA SUSAN BANJO is a serious-minded single lady, who is an emerging entrepreneur with her SIGNATURE COUTURE boutique, a foremost apparel dealer, who has supplied the best dresses to Garden City babes. Recently, Boma staged her business into Online food vendor with GarnetFoodHub that is supplying native pot food to her customers.
BRO FELIX OBUAH is the main man, who made PDP, what it is from 2013 to the time he moved out as Rivers State Chairman of PDP. Speculation is rife on his 2023 Rivers state governorship race.
MERCY CASTELLO, runs Casablanca Restaurant and Bar, a popular entertainment and gastronomic joint where upwardly mobile celebrities converge for relaxation each day. TONYE PRINCEWILL, the man who has shown Rivers State youths how to struggle and make life better by working hard, while they are young. Prince Tonye Princewill is also a top Rivers State politician and governorship aspirant in the past elections.
