City People Celebrates 2 Close Friends @ 70

• The Story Of AYOSAMO & BUKKY AKINTOBI

A few days ago 2 popular celebrity women celebrated their birthday. They clocked 70. Both Ayo Samo & Bukky Akintobi are close friends. They are infact best friends.

Ayodeji Aderonke Motolani Samo and Olubukunola Akintobi celebrated together.

Let’s tell you their story. Ayodeji was born on the 22nd of April, 1953 in Lagos to Ezekiel Adewunmi Bolaji Adenuga from Omu Ijebu, Ogun State and Helen Taiwo Olajumoke Ganzallo from Lagos Island, Lagos State.

She began her primary education at the Christ Church Cathedral Primary School, Lagos Island from 1959 -1965 and went on to complete her secondary school education at the Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, Ijebu Ode from 1966 -1970. She attended Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo for her high school education from 1972 – 1973, after which she begun an internship with the University of Ibadan Library between 1974 and 1976. In 1977, she gained admission into the University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo University) and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree (B.A.) in English Language. She completed her national youth service in Lagos between 1982 and 1983.

Ayodeji began her professional career with the Lagos State Teaching Service as a college teacher from 1984 to 1987. In 1987 she joined the Lagos State Civil Service where she worked in various Ministries in the state as a Research Officer in the Ministry of Information and later as Head, Press and Public Relations Officer in the Ministries of Education, Finance, Justice, Agriculture, Physical Planning, Science and Technology. She retired as a Director, Press and Public Relations in the year 2013 at the age of 60 and following 26 years of meritorious service to the state. While in service she attended various management and leadership courses both locally and internationally.

Ayodeji is married to Engr. Babasola Adekunle Sarno, her husband of over four decades and the union has been blessed with children – Adeleke (Adedoyin) and Adesope (Adegboyega). She is a proud and doting Grandmother to Aderiyike, Adenola, Aderinsola and Adekitan. Retirement cannot be boring for Ayodeji as she has been blessed with good health and is actively involved in the day to day running of her Fish Farming and Processing business. She is also an active member of the Ladies Christian League (her Church Society), the Lekki Scheme 2 Residents’ Association and her old school Alumni.

How about Olubukunola Akintobi (nee Oyesiku-Taylor)? She was born on a Wednesday afternoon in April in Lagos, Nigeria. The second of 7 children, and the first girl, she went to Anglican Girls’ Grammar School Ijebu-Ode, later moving to the UK to study at Waltham Forest College and at Middlesex University (although she did like popping into Lagos or Paris on weekends to party!).

She worked as a model and as a flight attendant for Nigerian Airways & British Caledonian Airways, before rising through the ranks over a 21-year period at British Airways, closing the chapter of her corporate ascent as the Marketing Manager for West Africa and Angola. She then transitioned into entrepreneurship, ultimately building a successful boutique travel agency called Bravo Alpha Travels, which she still runs today. Bukky has a wonderful sense of humor, enjoys a good glass of red wine, and loves word games, music and TV shows, especially on TLC. She can occasionally be found rocking the dance floor at social outings with “My Star” – her birthday mate Ayo Samo, with whom she first crossed paths at AGGS in Form 2.

She is an active member of the Ladies Christian League society at her church, Archbishop Vining Memorial Cathedral, honors God by giving of her time and treasure to the church and to others, and is the ‘Olori Ebi’of her family clan, Onoyungbo Descendants Union aka “ODU”.  Married to musician/producer extraordinaire Laolu Akintobi since 1981, she’s also a phenomenal mom to Mayowa (and her husband tekan), Lamide and Oreoluwa, and is lovingly called “Nana B” by her granddaughters Dara and Yeni. Bukky is also a loving sister, cousin, auntie, godmother and friend to many.

She is very loved and we thank God for 70 years of her life. The road hasn’t always been easy, and despite challenges and tough times, God has seen fit to bless her with lots of laughter, good health, a great family and a tribe that loves her immensely.

Happy Birthday to both of them.