Encomium
On Saturday, March 18, 2017, Ayojinmi Balogun, son of Juju Queen, Ayo Balogun solemnised his marriage to his heartthrob, Jennifer Nwaiwu amid pomp and ceremony. The very colourful nuptials held at Glitz Event Centre, Lekki, Lagos attracted eminent personalities from far and near.
ENCOMIUM Weekly had an interview with the elated groom’s mother when we visited her in her Ilupeju, Lagos office a couple of days back, and she spoke excitedly on the wedding, joy of being a grandmother and 60th birthday coming up in December this year…
On Saturday, February 18, 2017, your son Ayojimni (Pappy) got married to his heartthrob, Jennifer. How do you feel as a mother?
I feel very happy and grateful to God Almighty. As a parent, your dream is that your son or daughter gets married one day and that happening to me, I feel very grateful to God.
Your son’s marriage came when you’re almost 60, how d you also feel about that?
I believe in the saying that God’s time is the best, it’s not planned. But when my son told me that it’s time for him to get married, I couldn’t tell him to wait for my 60th birthday or even wait for anything. So, I believe that it’s God’s time and there is nothing anybody can do about that. I see the whole thing as double blessing and it deserves double celebration. In fact, I can’t even tell you how happy I am about it.
How would you describe the day in your life?
It’s such a wonderful and memorable day in my life. Everything went so well even more than planned. God took absolute control. It’s a very beautiful day, no rain or any hindrance at all. Everything went smoothly.
How is Pappy now and what does he do for living?
Pappy is a music promoter. He now owns a studio. He also rents out equipment. He is 28 now.
We believe your son might have told you a little about how he met his wife, Jennifer. What can you say about their love story?
I really can’t tell the love story of another person, but one thing led to another. Actually, the lady had a baby for him while she was still in school. She had to wait till she finished her education. Then, they both realized they needed to solemnize their relationship.
So, that’s why everything was delayed till February this year?
Yes, exactly.
How old is their baby now?
My granddaughter will be two years in a few months.
How does it feel being a grandmother?
It feels good. It’s a very wonderful thing. You seeing your child having his or her own baby too, and your status changes from being a mother to a grandmother. It’s just a thing of joy. Everybody has to experience it to be able to know how it feels.
What do you wish them as a mother?
I wish them a very blissful married life, I wish them joy and all the good things of life. Also, I wish them long life so that they will be able to see their own children, grand children and great grand children.
What’s your advice for them?
My advice for them is that they should be exercising patience with each other because we all know that marriage is not a bed of roses. There will be ups and downs. During the down moment, they need to exercise patience and then be very prayerful. They should make themselves friends because the way you respect your spouse makes the journey smoother. So, I wish them well and all the success in their marriage.
You will be 60 this year, is there any preparation ahead for that?
Let me say, I still have time. It’s not almost. It’s still in December. It’s many months away. But I think I am getting ready for it because so many people have started planning my birthday for me. I am looking forward to it. That’s what I would say now.
But you still don’t look the age, what’s the secret?
Yes, I don’t look my age. And looks atimes can be deceptive. But by my calculation, I know that I am turning 60 soon. But it’s a good thing when you’re ageing gracefully. I can only say I thank God for that. The secret is that I don’t allow anything to weigh me down. We all have our low moments one way or the other but I refuse to allow my low moments to actually weigh me down. So, I try to make myself happy by engaging in church activities and all that. And going by my profession, it’s something that gives me joy all the time. You’re all the time in one show or the other. So, all are moments of joy. They help in making one look youthful.
How much did the wedding gulp?
Seriously, I’ve not even sat down to calculate how much we spent on the wedding. But whatever they told me this is what’s next to be done, I would just do it, because it’s a beautiful thing. It’s a thing of joy. To be honest, I have not even sat down to do the calculation.
But it gulped a lot of money?
Definitely, it did. I will say here, surely, weddings are not cheap. So, a lot of money equally went into the wedding and we thank God everything went well.
