•LAGOS Society Woman, Yeye AYO JULIUS Tells City People
Yeye Bewaji Ayo Julius is one of the Lagos society women who has dominated the Lagos social scene for over 3 decades. Many describe her as “BBBB” Big Bold, Beautiful & Blunt. She is one of the women who makes Lagos parties thick.
This society woman in her mid-50s is believed to be very blunt. She spare no cost to speak her mind always.
Few weeks ago, her first son, Seun Talabi, weds amidst pomp and pageantry. Many society women stormed the event to share in her joy. City People Assistant Society Editor, ABIOLA ORISILE, had an exclusive interview with her where she explained many lies that have being told about her. Enjoy it.
Who is Yeye Bewaji Ayo Julius?
I am Yeye Bewaji Ayo Julius. I am from Auchi in Edo State, Esa Local Government also known as “Afemai”.
My primary, secondary was in Ibadan and Benin respectively, before I went abroad.
Not many know that you are from Edo?
Yes, I was born and bred in Lagos. I grew up at Okebola and Ring Road.
Who are your parents?
My father is late Chief Momoh Julius. He was a Civil Servant. My mother was a big provision seller and she also ran a popular salon in Ibadan. Her name is Chief (Mrs) Naliat Momoh.
Are your parents Muslims?
My mum was a Muslim and my dad a Christian but my dad’s mum was a Muslim. He was an only son, so he became a Muslim.
You are one of Lagos society women… when did you come to Lagos?
I came to Lagos after my Secretariat studies at Sound & Sight, Ibadan in 1983 to work at National Supply for 6 months. I went into business which entails selling of fabrics and jewelry. I also run a big salon in Surulere called “Beauty Affairs and My Fabric Store called “Fashions Affairs Bibam Fabrics. I sold it for 15 years. I left Martins and started selling from the house. I later started contract with Government.
How many kids do you have?
I have 2 sons and I adopted a daughter. My daughter and my son both live abroad.
Who are your friends?
I have chains of them. I keep all my old friends till date. I have new friends too.
What has kept you going all this years?
It is God’s grace. I thank God for that. I have seen and conquered.
Do you have your siblings in Lagos?
Yes, I do. I used to be second to the last but now I am the last. Our last born was Sola Ilumoru, the late wife of late Alhaji Ilumoru, the real estate guru.
What has sustained you?
It is God that has sustained me.
Your son just escaped fire incidence in London which made him a hero. What were you doing at that point?
I was sleeping; it was in the midnight. I was in Port Harcourt and nobody called me until when they were okay. It happened around 1am in London but they called me around 11am in Nigeria when everything was stable. My son, daughter in-law and my grand daughter escaped safely.
Were they the only people that survived?
They were not the only, but they were the most celebrated because my son saved so many lives from the fire. He saved some of his friends and some other people in the building. That was why he was the hero that day. The wedding is a means of thanking God.
That was why you did a big party?
Yes.
What is the name of your son that got married?
His name is Oluwaseun. He is from the popular Talabi family in Ijebu-Ode.
Who picked the Aso-Ebi for your son’s wedding?
I did, because I sell fabrics, I sell jewelries and I am into hospitality business.
Do you have a hotel you manage?
Yes.
Let us talk about you generally, how do you treat your skin?
I wake up 5am in the morning and that has been my normal routine because when we were growing up, we have lots of househelp in my house, but my mother would wake you up the same time the househelp wake up.
People look at Ayo Julius and say this woman will be very harsh. What is your take on that?
That is what most people think but when you come closer, you will know she’s soft. People who don’t really know me always complain that I am too proud. My friend that are closer to me will say it’s not true, that when you are looking for a best friend, a good friend, a good listener, someone that can go out of her way to make anyone happy, it is only Ayo that can do all of that.
What does your son do?
He is a multi-media and IT expert and a Project Management expert.
What does his wife do?
She was working with an Oil company but now she is heading a A-level school in the UK. They are both doing good.
Do you see yourself taking a bold step of getting married again?
I think I am okay.
Why?
I am okay with my love life.
Do you have anybody you are seeing?
I am just okay with my love life.
How do you rest?
I wake up 5am in the morning, I do prayers, do other things and leave the house at 9am and I get home by 6pm. After 6pm I don’t go out if it is not an emergency call. You can’t see me out after 6pm.
When I go to parties, when it is 8pm or 9pm, I will leave the party, if I exceed that time then it’s one of my close friends party.
Is there anything you did when you were much younger that you can’t do again?
When I was much younger, I was keeping a lot of friends, and I can die for any friend at any time but I have adjusted a bit now.
So when you were much younger you are not always at home, you visit friends… But I don’t really visit them; most of them come to me because my house was like a Mecca. We play, we gist and have fun. Most of them would leave my house around 12pm. I am a friendly type. I check on my friends. I always want to know how far they have gone in life. I have rich friends and I also have those that are not very rich but I treat them equally and that is what everybody knows about me.
We want you to advice the youth: would you say it is good to keep friends or not?
It is good to keep friends but don’t overlook every mistakes of your friends; Don’t take everything to be a normal thing.
Which scandal have you read about yourself that you think its not true?
I have read a lot and most of these scandals are done by friends that are traitors.
Was there anyone you heard that made you wept and prayed?
I heard more than 3 that made me wept and prayed and I went naked and prayed that whoever does this will get something bad in return. I have gone through a lot from keeping friends. I have seen the good and the bad side of keeping friends but if what happened to me didn’t happen, I wouldn’t have been where I am today. It was what I had with friends that made me a strong woman today.
What do those friends feel about you when they see you?
I don’t know what they feel about me because I don’t feel anything about them, mine is to always mind my business. I will just greet them and go on my own way and God knows that I don’t have grudge against anybody; whoever is ready to greet me, I am ready to greet them. Because when you say someone is not good, you will discover that the one you think is good even worst, so you just have to manage friends.
Some people misinterprete your attitude, is it because you are a disciplinarian?
Yes, I am a disciplinarian even to my children. I am blunt. Even when 2 or 3 of my friends are quarelling, they would say let us call Ayo. She is the one that will say the truth. Someone called me about 12 years ago and said, Ayo try and be lieing, you are too straight forward. This world is not the way you are taking it; try and adjust, you are just too straight forward. Don’t always say the truth.
What comes to your mind when she said that?
I told the woman I cannot lie because my mother didn’t train me that way. My mother was also a blunt person.
When people have wrong perception about you, what comes to your mind?
As long as God sees my mind, that is the most important, so many people have wrong perception about you, you can’t satisfy everybody in life. You have some friends that know you are very good but they will blackmail you and you have some that are ready to stand by you at all times because they know you are very good.
There lots of people that you won’t wrong them but they will just be jealous; they will envy you and hate you so much without doing anything to them, even when you are very nice to them.
How old is Ayo Julius?
I am close to 60. I am in my mid 50’s
What is your advice for the female youth?
They should look before they leap and any situation you meet yourself in this world, you just have to be strong. I have seen a lot of things but people who are not close to me will not know what I have gone through; they only look at the beautiful Ayo Julius, not knowing what she is facing deep down. But in all I give glory to God.
The incident that happened made us see you from another angle; you have successful children but you don’t listen to rumours around you. Where did you learn that?
From my mother.
When did your mother die?
She died 2003.
And your dad?
My dad died 1979.
How old were you then?
I was in a teacher’s training then. I lost my brother 10 days before my son’s house got burnt, so June 2017 was a terrible month for me.
You share a very strong bond with your siblings, how many are you?
We were 7 but now 4. We are very close because my mum taught us that we must be close to one another, same thing with my step brothers and sisters because my mum trained us all.
