Portrait of Tony Elumelu’s Girls…

•Fatherhood according to a billionaire dad

Neither cord nor cable can so forcibly draw, or hold so fast, as love has done in the family of a top businessman, Tony Onyeamachi Elumelu. Interestingly, the gaiety was the most outstanding feature at the last UBA CEO Awards nite recently. Tony was there with his wife, Awele and their beautiful five daughters.

It’s often said, Tony was made for Awele. To Awele, it probably feels like she had him ordered and delivered to her, to be worshipped and revered. On this note, it may be said that Tony is Awele’s idol. And this is where it gets interesting; Tony also considers Awele a boon from God. The Chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) treasures Awele like a priceless heirloom – this explains his predilection to flaunt her like a sapphire-studded wristwatch or button hole bouquet to the world.

Having borne him five girls, it was her heartfelt wish to bear one of Africa’s most powerful banking moguls a son. Not that the Elumelus considered their girls lesser humans, it simply felt inappropriate for their lineage to be without a male scion, if you ask Awele. Tony however, was reportedly satisfied with his girls. To him, they meant the world thus he never shied away from treating them to the best perks his affluence could afford.

But while the Elumelus appreciated their girls as the best gifts heaven could accord them, two wonderful cherubs arrived in their household bearing gifts of life and indescribable joy last year. Yes, after five beautiful girls, Awele eventually bore Tony a pair of twin handsome boys. Two infant idols in his towering image. It’s delightful to see her glow with pride and contentment over her latest feat. Tony has been particularly commended for exhibiting enviable maturity and tact. While so many other men would have taken mistresses outside wedlock and subjected their wives to emotional and physical torture for failing to bear them sons, Tony lovingly and dutifully stood by his wife.

Ill-bliss for TeeBillz…Will he settle with Tiwa or reconnect with mother of his love child?
•Tiwa Savage’s estranged husband faces a hard choice between her and older mistress
The greatest love stories show a strain of madness and chaos. The pain, the mechanical beating of the heart; even the vast emptiness that besiege the parties’ souls are part of the process. Had anyone bothered to inquire from her, the world would know that when Tunji Balogun a.k.a TeeBillz, married Tiwa Savage, all was far from peaceful with their union.

Beneath the glamour of their fairy tale wedding, chaos abounded in their romance. Findings revealed that TeeBillz, the estranged husband and former manager of music diva, Tiwa, did not tell her that he had a lovechild with plastic surgeon, until the musician was head over heels in love with him. The disclosure about the love child, a daughter, only came when Tiwa was neck deep in their relationship as both prepared for their nuptials which eventually held in Lagos in November 2013 and Dubai in April 2014.

But rather than back out of the union, Tiwa, 35, chose to keep faith in their love – sources close to her revealed that she was also wary of causing a public scandal by pulling out of the marriage at the 11th hour. Thus even though she was completely weighed down by extreme anxiety and sadness, she married her 37-year old lover, TeeBillz hoping things would miraculously change in their best interests. But things only worsened between the duo as they have gone their separate ways following a very scandalous spat that played out on the social media.

TeeBillz who is now the father of four children ( two – Olabisi and Gaetano – from his dalliance with his United Kingdom based lover, one with the plastic surgeon and Jamil with Tiwa) faces the burden of either reconciling with his wife, Tiwa, or reconnecting with the mother of his lovechild.

The quintessential magnate…Remarkable exploits and philanthropy of Gilbert Chagoury at 70
•Their Eko Atlantic masterpiece and other marvelous initiatives
Many a billionaire believes that doing good to the needy is akin to throwing water in the Atlantic or fetching spring water with a basket. But it takes a man of unquantifiable means and humanity to shoulder the pains of the needy. At this, Gilbert Chagoury is remarkably excellent. The founder of the Chagoury Group, an international business empire, feels strongly that in a world where there is so much to be done, there can be no end to positive humanitarian gestures.

Gilbert believes that all our doings without charity are worth nothing thus his interminable gestures at ameliorating the miseries of the underprivileged across societal divides. There is no gainsaying Gilbert is a detribalised human. The business magnate whose stakes cuts across various industries and countries considers himself first and foremost, a citizen of humanity. He hardly exploits his ethnic roots or national affiliation for profit. Today, Gilbert, with his brother and partner Ronald Chagoury, are overseeing one of the most ambitious land-reclamation projects ever attempted: Eko Atlantic. Eko Atlantic, a 10 million square meters city is rising out of the ocean, changing the face of Africa.

With more than 25 million people expected to live and work in Lagos, Eko Atlantic will transform Lagos into Africa’s first mega-city and will become the new financial epicenter of West Africa by the year 2020. Gilbert is 70 this year according to his Wikipedia profile. Born in Nigeria in 1946 to Lebanese parents, Gilbert witnessed the end of British colonial rule of the country and the dramatic changes independence brought to Nigerian life. He paid close attention to the rapidly shifting political situation in Nigeria and learned much about how political change affects the economic and societal destiny of people and nations. Whether the billionaire businessman will throw a lavish party to mark his birthday or not, stay glue to this page.

Things Gov. Amosun would do for love…As wife clocks 50
Since his eyes held with hers and he felt love course through his veins like a hurricane, Governor Ibikunle Amosun became a string to be played by the nimble fingers of Funso, his beloved wife. Everybody knows that the Ogun state first lady makes the blood rise in Governor Amosun’s cheeks. She was the only woman compassionate enough to deem his detriments beautiful. Her innate warmth soothed his trembling bones and inspired him to success back when he was a struggling youth. Funso pampered Amosun with intricate words and affection that dulled the blows of life’s sticks and stones when he needed it most. She sang him songs of bliss on his most troubled nights and lured him to dream and live like a champion.

Today, Governor Amosun is a champ and he would spare nothing to fete and fulfill every yearning of his beloved wife and rampart through his most trying period, Funso. Thus when the latter celebrated her 50th anniversary last Monday, May 2nd, Amosun, a staunch Muslim, shunned religious politics to worship and dance in the church in appreciation of his beautiful wife.

On Sunday, May 1, Governor Amosun attended a church service to commemorate the 50th birthday of his wife, Dr. (Mrs) Olufunso Amosun. Speaking at the church service, the Ogun state governor thanked God for the life of his wife. He also joined the First Lady in cutting a birthday cake alongside family, friends and members of the Ogun State Executive Council present at the church service. In a similar manner, special prayers were held for the Ogun State First Lady, last Friday, at the Government House mosque as part of activities marking the 50th birthday anniversary. Olufunso is one of the glamorous first lady in Nigeria.

From Lagos to London…high society awaits Shina Peller’s 40th birthday
Shina Peller is full of enchanting song. Butterflies flit around his stomach and the fireflies dance in his eyes like the orbs of the eastern muse. The son of renowned magician, late Professor Abiola Peller, will be 40 in few days and he breezes through the hours like a virtuoso plucking guitar strings masterfully. To celebrate his 40th anniversary, Shina, in collaboration with his closest family and friends, is planning a high octane party in Lagos and a more glamorous one across the seas, in London, United Kingdom to be precise. Shina has every reason to celebrate and be thankful for being alive and successful in an age when the odds stacked against the average Nigerian continually prevent many from surviving their third decade on earth.

But Shina is celebrating his fourth decade and with lots of gratitude too. It would be recalled that the boss of Aquila Oil and Gas shocked several people when he shunned his father’s legacy to create one of his own. There is no gainsaying his father was a famous magician who left very big shoes behind. Shina knew early in life that it could be an arduous task filling those shoes hence he sought to carve his niche in different callings. Despite being called ‘the one with the magical hands,’ due to his inclinations for following his father’s steps, Shina has refused to tread in his father’s steps. While his late father struck fame through his magical prowess, Shina chose to seek his fortune in business. Thus, alongside his oil business, he established Quilox, a night club, bar and restaurant on Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

$115m slush fund…Bankers, oil magnates scurry like rabbits in a hutch
There is nothing stable in their world; chaos invades the halls and hallowed boardrooms of Nigeria’s biggest banks like nemesis to castle trolls. Since the $115 slush fund scandal broke out in the country’s business and social space, senior bank chiefs in the country have been scurrying like rabbits, burrowing from one hutch to the other, in search of a miraculous lifeline or shield from the reach of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The fund which was allegedly used to bribe INEC officials during the last general elections was traced to major players in the country’s oil and gas sector. Soon after the EFCC commenced investigations into the scandal, several bank chiefs and oil magnates in the country have been running helter-skelter to protect their names and cover their flanks, particularly those that were involved in one shady deal or more with former public officers that served under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

Our error! Apology to Alero Fafowora and clan
The printer’s devil was at work in our last edition where we erroneously reported that Alero’s estranged husband is no more. We goofed. The printer’s devil was at work. The former husband is still alive but he is a very quiet man who is not cut out for publicity of any kind. But they are no more together as husband and wife. We sincerely apologise to Alero and the Fafowora clan for the embarrassment the article must have caused. We hereby retract the report.