•Opens A New Restaurant In LAGOS
Popularly called Mama Bakassi, Senator Florence Ita Giwa is known for always staging a classy birthday. She celebrates it every year. A few weeks back, she turned 73, though there was a low key celebration in Calabar with her family members, children and close friends, but she played host to a galaxy of celebrities penultimate Sunday, March 3rd, 2019, to a superlative shindig on Victoria Island. It was also a double joy for her as she marked her birthday with the opening of her pet dream, a luxury restaurant, on Victoria Island called Echoes of Calabar. City People’s Society Editor, TAYO FAJORIN OYEDIJI, captured the beautiful moments of the elegant celeb, called Mama Bakassi.
SENATOR FLORENCE ITA GIWA GLOWS AT 73
It takes someone who is fashionable to still be stylish at over 70. This is one of the attributes of Sen Florence Ita Giwa. She is very fashionable, knows what complements her figure, she knows how to combine her outfits and still wear high heels almost every time at events. She also has a good body to go with it, glowing agelessly and fit as a fiddle at over 70. She still has this carriage whenever she walks into any party and you can be sure she is always among the best dressed. At 73, life has been good to her, she is, indeed, an extremely lucky woman.
AFRICAS RICHEST WOMAN, FOLORUNSHO ALAKIJA LAUNCHES RESTAURANT
The CEO of Rose of Sharon Foundation, who is the richest woman in Africa, Folorunsho Alakija, was at the party. She was not at the party as only a friend to the celebrant, but she was saddled with the responsibility of the chief launcher of the iconic Calabar Restaurant. The opening of the restaurant started with words of encouragement from the launcher. She lauded the celebrator achievement, prayed and finally cut the tape to declare the restaurant open and guests followed her in to take a tour of the facilities and what the restaurant is all about.
WHY SEN ITA GIWA LOVES RED COLOUR
Do we need to tell you that Mama Bakassi, Sen Florence Ita Giwa, is stylish? She is one of the style matriarchs of our time. She stormed her birthday party in a red outfit, precisely a jump suit, which did justice to her lovely physique and also showed off her beautiful glowing skin. She matched it up with a beautiful designer, all- stoned red shoes and she looked effortlessly pretty and younger than her age. She matched it up with a coral and gold jewellery. If you are familiar with her dress sense, you will notice, she is a red colour addict and she does not have apologies for it. It is only a fashionable person who can pull well a red monotone outfit and still be on point. Recall, she wore Red dress at her 70th birthday, she also wore red jumpsuit at her 72nd birthday in her palatial mansion on Banana Island and at the latest birthday, she also glowed in a red jump suit. She truly knows how to carry this colour. The significance of red is synonymous to her nature. It stands for power, passion, desire, love, energy and strength and more. These are many of Senator Ita Giwas attributes. It was, indeed, her day and Senator Florence Ita Giwa showed the stuff she is made of as the lady of many parts, highly loved and cherished by friends, family member and business associates. She was everyone’s delight at the birthday dinner. She was the cynosure of all eyes as all guests kept staring at her ageless beauty.
AT THE OPENING PROPER
The 2-in-1 event started with an entertainment of guests by live music, light refreshment and as soon as the opening kicked off and many guests were already having a feel of the day almost immediately they took their seats. At the entrance, they were also treated to traditional cultural music and dance by members of the celebrator’s Efik Band. The light music paved way for different networking between top celebrities and also dinning and winning between family members and close friends. Later, all guests were treated to taste the sumptuous meal of different delicacies of calabar foods.
MEET HER CLOSE FRIENDS OF OVER 40 YEARS
At the event were many of Sen.Ita Giwa’s close friends who are over 70 and also in high places. They are among the society matriarchs we have in town and they call the shots wherever they go. Among her close friends with who she party together were Hajia Abba Folawiyo, who she said plays a mother figure to her, Chief Mrs. Ireti Asemota, the pretty wife of Sunny Motors Boss, Sunny Asemota, Africas richest woman, Folorunsho Alakija and Co.
THE RICH MEN’S CLUB WERE NOT LEFT OUT
There is no table you look at and you would not see a celebrity man who is rich and wealthy.The men came to the party in full force and from their arrival in their exotic cars to their attire, you would surely be convinced that they are money bags. Sighted were Ineh Mic Motors boss, Mike Inegbese, Globe Motors Boss, Pa Willy Anumudu and many South East rich men, who were many in number.
CHECK OUT THE STYLISH CELEB WOMEN WHO DAZZLED AT THE PARTY
Sighted at the classy party were retinue of stylish celeb women, who all came to celebrate with the celebrator. Give it to Nigerian women, they all dazzled in their lovely outfits.The dress code for the party was casual elegance and many of them did not disappoint with their choice of casuals. They looked their best and strutted the red carpet with their nice dresses. At the party were Hajia Abba Folawiyo,Nkiru Anumudu, Ireti Asemota, Eunice Efole, Ngozi Nkoloenyi, Data Okorodudu, Funmi Ajila Ladipo, Mary Inegbese, ebony Live TV boss, Mo Abudu, ThisDay Style Editor, Ruth Osime, Zenith Bank big babe, Bukky Latunji, NPA GM, Nana Yakubu, LamiTumaka, Oando Director, Chief mrsSena Anthony, Ngozi Nwosu, Ndidi Obioha, FumiAjila Ladipo, Sola Adedoyin-Alao, Shola Shobowale among others too numerous to mention.
ITA GIWA’S DAUGHTER KOKO AND HUSBAND DAZZLE
Kokoeka is the beautiful daughter of Sen Florence Ita Giwa, and we can’t forget in a hurry the superlative wedding her mum staged for her a few years back, which was the talk of the town. The same was repeated at her mum’s birthday when she turned 70 as she was the cynosure of all eyes. The party though not too loud, but classy was also another time where Koko stood behind her mum and made sure everyone was all catered for. She dazzled in a lovely bandage tulle dress which fitted her well. She was in
NDIDI OBIOHA- THE MOST STYLISH EVENT PLANNER
Call her the word ‘Style’ and you will simply be stating the obvious. Big-time event planner and stylist Ndidi Obioha’s name readily comes to mind in the event planning sector. She has always been the beautiful brain behind any of Sen Florence Ita Giwa’s events and she plans them so well. She has handled over 100 high profiled jobs and still counting. She was also at the party dressed in a bandage flowered dress matched with a lovely black high heels shoes. She is one of the younger friends-turned-sisters of Senator Florence Ita Giwa. They are very close. She studied International Relations at Obafemi Awolowo University, the ex banker had a stints at an advertising agency, and also the telecom sector before she set up her event planning outfit, Enthyst Events. She is also the brain behind an A-Z fashion outfit, enthyst fashion clinic.
BETWEEN HAJIA SISI FOLAWIYO AND ITA GIWA
Ifyou know these 2 society women well, you will know they are extremely close. Sen Ita Giwa’s sojourn in the social world has brought forth many friends who have become like family members to her, one of such is ageless beauty, Hajia Abba Folawiyo, the pretty wife of Baba Adinni of Nigeria. the Late Wahab Folawiyo. At her birthday, many friends rallied round her and most of them have been her friends for so many years. One of them is Hajia Abba Folawiyo. Unknown to many, Hajia Abba Folawiyo’s friendship with Senator Florence Ita Giwa has gave beyond being societal one and has also passed just-attending parties together. Infact it was at Senator Florence’s birthday that she took everyone down memory lane how her friendship with Hajia Folawiyo has passed ordinary friendship, but has become a family thing. At her 70th birthday a few years back, she revealed her closeness to Hajia Folawiyo when she wanted to present her with her award. She said, Hajia Abba Folawiyo is one of the people she holds in high esteem and will forever be grateful to her for the motherly role she has played in her life for over 30 years. She also said whenever she calls on her for anything at any minute or hour of the day or even 2am, she does not hesitate to respond to her calls. She also emphasised that sometimes she leaves her children with her and she takes good care of them whenever she has any cause to travel. She does like a grandmother to all her children and she has never complained for once’’.
NKIRU ANUMUDU SCORES HIGH POINTS IN STYLE
The most stylish woman of all time, Nkiru Anumudu, is one society woman, who has set the pace in the fashion industry with her off the peg and limited edition of international and foremost designers all over the world. She does not step out in same outfits for events and she goes for the expensive limited editions from runways. Beautiful Nkiru was at the party and she looked like she is in her 30s when she stunned in a short red bag colour-designed black dress, paired with a customised bag-inspired glasses and also an expensive bag inspired hair fascinator with a lovely black heels. Give it to the tall, beautiful and the better half of one of naijas rich men, Pa Willy Anumudu, she caught everyone’s attention.
STAR ACTRESS, INI EDO, SPOTTED IN A YELLOW NUMBER
She is very close to Sen Ita Giwa and this was evident as she normally attends any event Mama Bakassi stages. Star actress, Ini Edo, put up a satin yellow dress for the event which readily sat well on her. She enjoyed herself with her friends at the party.
KING OF COMEDY — ALI BABA, HONOURS ITA GIWA
The anchor for the day was Patrick Doyle, Give it to the man, who is a professional in his field, he delivered his lines very well and co-ordinated all the events programme accordingly, but Ali Baba stormed the party mid-way and many guests reckoned with him. Whether he anchors any event or not, his presence at parties tells you how well connected he is. He did not go without literally cracking the ribs of some of the guests.
OBA ORILE IGBON AND WIFE WERE THERE
The Oba of Olugbon of OrileIgbon in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Oba Francis Alao, was at the birthday party. Not only was he there alone, he was spotted with his beautiful Oloori, Sola Adeoti now Sola Alao. Let’s quickly tell you that the new Kabiyesi’s Oloori is the first daughter of Doyin Group of companies’ chairman, Chief Samuel Adedoyin. She was the CEO of the defunct City Express Bank where she held sway and a pastor in the Redeemed Church of God.
INSIDE ECHOES OF CALABAR RESTAURANT
The lovely ambience of the newly opened restaurant was out of this world and guests were treated to much fun at the launch of Echoes of Calabar restaurant, which senator Ita Giwa termed as her other passion which is food. Echoes of Calabar is a 3-in-1 restaurant, the outside area is a court yard where there is a live band, a Pan African style court yard. The ground floor is called the Echoes of Calabar where incredible calabar dishes will be served. Upstairs is called the fusion, where you can have your private space and enjoy your evening with exotic wines and also light meals.
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