•City People Wrote About Them 25 Years Ago
City People is 25. That is no longer news. The magazine was established in November 1996. And it has since grown in leaps and bounds to become the number one celebrity magazine in Nigeria and the only surviving soft-sell magazine.
To celebrate this milestone achievement, however, the Management of City People has decided to make it a whole year celebration. Since January this year, it has been from one program to the other, marking the 25th anniversary.
We are reminiscing on the past activities that have really shaped the success of the magazine over the years. The other day, some society matriarchs were celebrated at an elaborate reception in Lagos.
In Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State, however, there were some society women City People wrote about years back. Those who dominated pages of the magazine in those days. These celebrity women also dominated the social scene, as well as other sectors of the society. They were in their 40s and 50s.
The question now is, where are these society women now? We can tell you that many of these matriarchs are still very much around, kicking and ageing gracefully, while some have passed away. These are set of women who dominated the corporate, business, social and political scenes in Ibadan. Even in politics, some of them were and still top players. A good number of them are fashion enthusiasts too. They dominated the social scene like a colossus. Below, DARE ADENIRAN reveals those women.
Let’s start from Alhaja Aminat Abiodun, the late Iyalode of Ibadanland. She was one of the most influential women around back then. She commanded a lot of respect in both social and traditional circles. She was rich and fashionable. She died three years ago at the age of 94. What about the foremost educationist and founder of Omolewa Nursery and Primary School, Chief (Mrs) Gladys Aduke Vaughan? She was the Otun-Iyalode of Ibadanland. She died in 2014, at 93. Another woman of substance City People wrote about years back was Alhaja Betty Oluwo. She was one of the biggest fabrics merchants dominating Gbagi market. She died some years back too. She is Ibadan’s foremost fashion designer and BKK Ultimo boss, Alhaji Bashir Kuti’s aunty.
Also in that category was the late London-based businesswoman, Mrs. Bola Amole. She was the rich Ibadan woman behind the popular BIMS African Food and the elder sister of the former Senate Leader and the current senator representing Oyo Central, Senator Teslim Folarin, Alhaja Jelilat Folarin. She was a prominent businesswoman shuttling between UK and Nigeria.
Another woman of substance we wrote about is Chief (Mrs) Mojisola Ladipo MON, MNI, the former Registrar, University of Ibadan. She is the first female to serve in that capacity in U.I, and the first female to preside at the Committee of Registrars of Nigerian Universities (CORNU). She is an administrator per excellence. She is still kicking and enjoying her retirement at over 70. She is also in the Iyalode of Ibadan line.
Chief (Mrs) Bolanle Awe, a retired professor of Oral History from the University of Ibadan also falls into this category of society matriarch. She is now 88. Chief Folanke Solanke, a Nigerian lawyer, administrator, and social critic is also in that league. She is the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Some of those who rocked the social scene back then and are still very much around include the wife of late Ibadan strong politician, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, Alhaja Bose, the South West Zonal Women Leader of PDP; Chief (Mrs.) Olarenwaju Otiti-Adedeji and the former first lady of Oyo State and the Agbaakin Iyalode of Ibadaland, Chief (Mrs) Yinka Ladoja. They rocked and are still rocking both social and political scenes. In fact, the ever-stylish Yinka Ladoja is one of the most powerful women in the present dispensation in the state. Let’s also tell you about Chief (Mrs) Ronke Thomas, the former Lady Captain of Ibadan Golf Club. She is now a grandmother in her 60s but still as beautiful as ever. What about Justice Iyabo Yerima? She is a high court justice in Oyo State. She is one of the respected women in Ibadan.
Talk of stylish, fashionable women who have been dominating Ibadan social and business circles, you must mention the likes of Mrs. Ronke Olunloyo (wife of the former old Oyo governor, Dr. Omololu Olunloyo); top fabrics merchant, Mrs Jade Qudus; Chief (Mrs) Lizzy Afonja; Chief (Mrs) Tokunbo Alabi, wife of PR guru and the Ekarun Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oloye Lekan Alabi; Chief (Mrs) Sunmbo Famuyibo; Mrs Folake Akanni, Libragold Travel & Tours boss and the wife former senator who represented Oyo South, Senator Soji Akanni; Alhaja Bola Ologburo, popular fabrics merchant and the wife of Quickborn Construction boss, Alhaji Tunde Ologburo; Chief (Mrs) Tina Ogundoyin, the elegant mother of Oyo Assembly Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin; Mrs Funmi Robert, London-based fabrics merchant, Yeye Banke Adetoro; Mrs Bisi Kuti, wife of the popular fashion designer, Bashir Kuti and Mrs Sade Fawole.
One of the Ibadan society women who has been on the scene for a long time and maintains her position (though she has slowed down a little bit) is Chief (Mrs) Hannah Afolabi. She is the wife of the late former Minister of Internal Affairs, Chief Sunday Afolabi. She has since upped her educational level and now a member of the Governing Body of the Premier University, U.I.
Also on the list of the outstanding women, we wrote about years back and still doing very well in society are Mrs Sade Arowolo; Ambassador Ibironke Adefowope, a former Ambassador to the nations of Zambia and Malawi.
Mrs Bolanle Condi; the wife of former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, Mrs Biodun Arapaja and Mrs Ronke Abiola, Byrite Boutique boss. Not forgetting Folake Olunloyo-Oshinowo, a former Federal honourable; Mrs Nenneth Sonubi, wife of Casa Lucio Events Centre boss, Asiwaju Ganiyu Sonubi (Gaso); the beautiful former first lady of Oyo State, Chief (Mrs) Kemi Alao-Akala; Mrs Funke Akinola, wife of the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta, Alhaji Dawud Akinoka (D-Damak); Alhaja Molade Fijabi; Chief (Mrs) Bose One; the wife of former CPS to Lam Adesina, Hon. Kehinde Olaosebikan, Omolara Olaosebikan and Mrs Kemi Jayeioba, a commissioner under former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala.
There are also some women who got social attention as a result of their husbands status in society, thereby constantly featured in City People back then. The wife of a prominent engineer during former governor Alao-Akala’s era, Mrs Idara Amodu; Mrs Bose Arokodare, wife of defunct Cotton’s Club and a former Federal honourable from Ekiti, Yemi Arokodare; Mrs Oyindamola Ige; Mrs Bimpe Oye, wife of a prominent World Bank contractor, Femi Oye and Mrs Nike Adeleke, the wife of Banik boss, Prince Adebayo Adeleke (now commissioner in Osun State) all fall into this category. Dominating the corporate world then were the likes of Funmi Omitowoju; Mrs Tokunbo Durosaro; the then Zonal Manager of NTA Ibadan Network Centre, Mrs. Vicky Olumudi.
Other society women we can’t forget in hurry are Alhaja Adeleke, a retired civil servant in Oyo State Civil Service Commission, who rose to the very peak of her career as Permanent Secretary and later moved on to become Head of Service; Mrs Tairat Adeyemi, S.A to former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala; Mrs Tawa Muraina; Mrs Wunmi Bibilari; Chief (Mrs) Kudi Kassim, wife of the Ijebu-born fabrics merchant, Chief Lanre Kassim (Sokas); Mrs Funke Adetuberu; Chief (Mrs) Dupe Adeleke-Sanni; Mrs Yinka Babatope-Oyedele and
Fatimat Raji Rasaki, the wife of a former military governor, Brigadier General Raji Alagba Rasaki (Rtd). Mrs Rasaki is also a former senator who represented Ekiti Central Senatorial District.
-Dare Adeniran
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