Gladys Kanu’s Forced Modesty “B

e modest! It is the kind of pride least likely to offend,” advised Jules Renard, late French writer. In the true spirit of her advice, Gladys, the pancake-loving wife of Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, affected commendable modesty this festive period, unlike the days of old. Gladys whose uncommon collection of Ascot hats made many, particularly women, green with envy has been forced to adopt a more modest lifestyle.

After a glorious stint, spanning several decades in social circles, it seems that the irrepressible forces of nature have combined to make her slow her roll. In the days when she held sway, no party was complete without her. She and her friends held the society scene by the throes, dictating its pulse at will and never letting up in the fashion department whenever it mattered. As time went by, however, younger socialites started sprouting, giving Gladys and her ilk a good run for their fashion and socialising facility.

FOLA OGUNLESI, OMOLEWA AND BALLOONS
There are moments in history when brooding over tragedy and its’ dark shadows can be lightened by recalling great moments of the past. Such fruitless pastime has no doubt become the lot of Omolewa Ogunlesi, the wife of Fola Ogunlesi, Chairman of Fantasyland. Until recently, her outfit, Balloons, in Ikoyi, Lagos was an instant success and preferred place for Lagos high society.

It was the go-to place for exotic children items and, therefore, a convergence point of sort for many silver-spoon kids, industry titans and celebrities. Balloons undeniably blazed a trail that others found too hot and pacey to follow no doubt. However, many months down the line, nothing is heard about the place again. Business has nose-dived probably due to the economic meltdown or perhaps as a result of the conflict of interest between Fola and Omolewa. In the wake of Balloons’ downturn, speculations were rife that the owners had decided to close shop due to low patronage by its hitherto-patrons who do not find it fascinating anymore.

Others averred that Omolewa and her husband, Fola Ogunlesi, had parted ways, hence the closure. Though, information on what led to the change in fortune of Balloons is still very sketchy, when this writer visited the place last weekend, what greeted him was an environment akin to a graveyard. There was no trace of business going on at the place anymore, except the signboard detailing the services offered by the outfit. Some online media had feasted on this turn of events regarding Ogunlesi and his wife.

FOR ASCON OIL BOSS, GRACE OLOWOFOYEKU, ITS LOVE ACTUALLY.
Until recently, Grace Enenmoh Olowofoyeku, cut a perfect picture of a mournful mum, a widowed wife and heart-broken lover. Her soul was sad and her glance was glum. She sought no adventure and became impervious to the promise and fresh vistas of love and companionship. To Grace, this seemed a worthy price to pay for losing her husband and having her lover cut in his prime and yanked from her life just when she needed him most. But that was until she met Bankole Olowofoyeku.

It is now several months since Grace, the GMD of Ascon Oil, ventured out of her shell and self-exile from love and the barricades behind which she mourned and pined over the demise of her true love, her late husband, Engr. George Enenmoh, who died in a fatal plane crash. Having met Bankole, Grace has reconsidered her vow to shun all entreaties that she remarried and opened herself once again to the possibility of falling in love again. Thus, seven years after she became widowed, Grace opened up to Bankole, an accountant, whom she got married to in London. Since then, no longer for Grace are those lonely nights and lonelier days. Today, Grace has left no one in doubt that she has chanced on love and fulfillment a second time round.

AGONY OF A MOTHER… A TALE OF RASAQ OKOYA’S EX-WIFE, AJOKE OLUBANDO
Being married more than once shows a great degree of optimism over wisdom, but Ajoke Olubando had no intention of being so incorrigibly ‘optimistic.’ It is understandable, therefore, if she is no longer whining and pinning under the dark clouds of her woe. The former wife of Chief Rasaq Okoya, Ajoke Olubando, is over the moon on how successful her beautiful children have turned out to be. She is no doubt a proud mother after all. The marriage between Okoya and Ajoke crashed in 2001.

The events leading to the crash were so messy that they parted on a very bitter note. After she moved out of her matrimonial home, Ajoke relocated to Abuja, where she lived for some years. It was during this period that she met and married a Minna, Niger State- born businessman. However, after her second marriage, the society lady tried assiduously to keep a low profile life. Ajoke and her second husband lived in Abuja, where they had a beautiful home in Maitama District.

They jointly ran various business ventures, including a very massive bakery. Her husband was said to love her to bits and he also extended this feeling of love to her five children – Bimbola, Idris, Tokunbo, Sinmisola and Rasheed – as well. However, it was gathered that none of Ajoke’s five children supported her decision to marry another man. This later turned out to be a great source of concern for her. All attempts she made at making her children to accept her husband turned out to be futile. The situation took a new turn when Ajoke’s grown-up children refused to visit her in her matrimonial home whenever they came home on vacation.

Just when Ajoke was trying to come to terms with this painful reality, she got a rude shock when she learnt that her husband kept a much younger wife by the side. She reportedly felt betrayed and opted to quit the marriage. Consequently, she moved out of her matrimonial home and bought a house in one of the posh districts of Abuja. Ajoke nurses no regret about her decision, as no sacrifice is too big to be made for her children’s love and happiness. Much as she is desperate to reignite the flames of true love and romance in her heart, Ajoke is yet to chance on that proverbial knight that would come whisk her to a lifetime of bliss in shining armour. No relationship has worked out for her till date even as she never dithers from testing the waters.

GROWING CONCERN OVER GLORIA IBRU’S NEW LOOK
“I’m fat, but I’m thin inside. Has it ever struck you that there’s a thin man inside every fat man, just as they say there’s a statue inside every block of stone,” said the late British writer George Orwell. Years after his witty rhetoric, his brittle wit rings true in the world of Gloria Ibru, daughter of Oloorogun Micheal Ibru. Gloria has achieved in a few months what a number of people fight a futile battle against all their lives: weight loss. She has gone through a remarkable transformation burning off many calories in a few months, thus attesting to the fact that anything can be achieved with confidence and determination. The magic lies in her very strenuous but rewarding exercise schedule. Intense as it is, Gloria keeps going, spurred by the desire to burn off the very deadly calories that might still be lurking anywhere in her body.

In the wake of her astounding reduction in size, a lot of news have been flying around that Gloria weight lost has nothing to do with exercise but a strange illness. Have you seen Gloria lately? If yes, you would almost believe the latter assertion. However, a time also was when her band, G-Notes, was not just a toast of fun lovers, but was also the favourite of top celebrities who had penchant for brilliant live band performance. Those were the glorious days of Gloria. If what her fans and friends are saying is anything to go by, then her once popular band G-Notes is almost comatose as her musical career is careening off course.