How Dame FASHOLA & I Became Friends Over 30 Yrs Ago

• Dr. SIJU ILUYOMADE Reveals A Lot

The name Dr. Siju Iluyomade opens doors anywhere you choose to leverage on it. This is because this absolutely stunning woman of substance dines with kings and Queens. She is hugely adored by thousands of women spread across the country and revered by hundreds of men of God on account of her passion and dedication to the growth of the vineyard. They adore her to no end. She is also very close to dozens of first ladies in the country. In fact, Dr. Siju is on first name basis with a lot of them. And by virtue of her close relationship with many first ladies, she is also friends with a lot of state governors who have drawn close to her owing to her engagements with their wives. And one of the former first ladies closest to her right now is the ex- First Lady of Lagos State, Dame Abimbola Fashola.

Dr. Siju Iluyomade and Dame Abimbola Fashola’s friendship goes back a long way. Incidentally, they both attended Queens College in Lagos, but were probably not of same set and so didn’t quite know each other until about thirty years ago when Dr. Siju, a trained Lawyer who runs a thriving Law firm, delved into the business of Adire making. Anyone who knows Siju will tell you she is a lover of fashion and the arts. She is an impeccable dresser. She never gets it wrong when it comes to fashion because she knows how to apply every fashion ensemble and step out looking stunning. It must be as a result of her love and passion for Arts (she is also an artist herself, she loves painting and drawing) that she fell in love with African prints like Ankara and Adire. Hence, she transformed her passion for looking good in African prints into a lucrative business, selling Adire in large volumes to fabric merchants and individuals as well. Many don’t know she has been in this business for about thirty years running and still counting. Indeed, Dr. Siju Iluyomade has her hands in many high end legitimate businesses that are doing very well. Only very few know this about her because she prefers to keep a modest profile of the business side of her life. She is a woman driven by an unquenchable desire to succeed in life. She figured Law practice alone might not bring her the sort of financial security she dreamed of, and so, running multiple streams of income seemed her best bet in attaining the sort of financial success she wanted. It was in the course of transacting her Adire business that she first met Dame Abimbola then, about thirty years ago, as a client.

A couple of weeks ago, Dr. Siju Iluyomade, who is the convener of the ARISE Women’s conference, spoke at the event and revealed her love for painting and how she and the former first Lady of Lagos State, Dame Abimbola Fashola, became very close friends. Hear her:

“The gift of Art, of painting, of colouring, was a gift from God Almighty. I am an artist. While my friends in school chose to do Home Economics, cookery, short hand and the rest, I chose Fine Arts and I was one of the best. I would paint and I would draw. I would pick textiles, making Adire fabric. Let me tell you something, through that talent, I have been making Adire for more than 30 years now, selling for profit. I used it to step up, though I am a lawyer by profession. But every gift that God gave to me, I never allowed it to lie idle. You are thinking, why s she telling us about her Adire trade, I will tell you today, I sold Adire to so many people but I couldn’t remember faces of all of the people I sold them to. But I always remember one thing – ego, give me my money. And then, my friend was announced to be First Lady of Lagos State and then, I met her when she became First Lady. And she hugged me and held me very tightly and said, are you still wearing your big earrings? I said, oh, most definitely. And she said, you’re looking at me somehow, do you remember me and I said, yes, though I was still trying to place her face. And she said I was one of your greatest Adire clients. Guess who she was? Dame Abimbola Fashola. And today, we have become sisters. So, as women, we should learn to build relationships.”

All through her tenure as the First Lady of Lagos State, Dame Abimbola Fashola and Siju Iluyomade grew very close. The former first lady has supported the ARISE Women’s conference possibly from inception. She has been one of the strongest pillars of the conference, attracting other first ladies spread across the country to the ideals and values of the women conference convened annually by the irrepressible Siju Iluyomade.

When Siju Iluyomade had a private 79th birthday celebration for her mother last year, Dame Abimbola was there. She was not just there as a guest, she was there as sister to Siju and supported her all the way. A few weeks ago, this year, when Siju’s mum turned 80 and it was a big celebration, Dame Abimbola Fashola was also there to support her friend. It was so easy to see that they both genuinely love each other and have mutual respect for each other.

When Dame Abimbola Fashola buried her mother a few months ago, July to be precise, Siju was there too to offer her support. She was very visible at the event. And when her husband, the former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola had a birthday celebration for his mother, Siju was there too and even co-ordinated the cutting of the birthday cake.

These two accomplished women of substance both have something in common, they care deeply about the well being of the average Nigerian woman out there who has no voice with which she could be heard. Together, they bring hope to the Nigerian woman and the girl child, letting them know all hope is not lost for them in a society that offers little or no attention to their well being and progress in life.

– WALE LAWAL

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