Encomium
It was another day of joy and celebration for Hon. (Mrs.) Omotayo Aramide Oduntan-Oyeledun, the Deputy Whip of Lagos House of Assembly, on Monday, June 5, 2017, when she rolled out the drums for colleagues, friends, family and well wishers to mark her 60th birthday.
Though it was on a Monday and during the Ramadan, her colleagues, friends and well wishers nonetheless trouped to the Batten House, On MKO Aboila Gardens Road, CBD, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, to honour and felicitate with her.
ABOUT THE CELEBRATOR
Hon. Omotayo Aramide Oduntan-Oyeledun was born on June 5, 1957. She has a certificate and diploma in Food Hygiene and Food Handling. She came into partisan politics in 1989, but did not win her first elective post until June 1999, when she was elected into Lagos House of Assembly to represent the good people of Alimosho Constituency II.
In 2003, she was appointed Senior Special Assistant to Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Grassroots Matters. In 2011, she again won the Alimosho Constituency II seat in the Lagos House of Assembly. She was reelected to occupy the same seat for the third time in 2015. She is presently the Deputy Whip of Lagos House of Assembly.
She got married at age 19 but the marriage only lasted for five years with three children, a boy and two girls. She lost her first son and child in 1997 in a ghastly motor accident while going back to school at University of Ilorin, Ilorin.
She was involved in another relationship for 17 years but had to call it quit when the relationship was heading nowhere. She, however, found love again in Reverend Bola Oyeledun, a former broadcaster and presently a clergy with Methodist Church of Nigeria, to whom she got married to few years back.
WHEN THE HUSBAND TOOK OVER AS THE MC
Though the birthday gig was to start at 2pm, it however did not officially kick off until 5pm when the husband of the celebrator, Rev. Bola Oyeledun took the microphone to officially announce the commencement of the special occasion. Of course, he did inform the guests that the official compere for the occasion, Mr. Soni Irabor was held up in a gridlock. He certainly did a good job before Soni Irabor eventually arrived 30 minutes later.
LEST I FORGET
Prior to the celebration and gyration at The Batten House, the colleagues of the celebrator held a special parliamentary session for her before their plenary session for that Monday, June 5, 2017. Virtually all members present at the Monday session paid a glowing tributes to the birthday girl.
TRIBUTES GALORE
Other dignitaries present at the joyful occasion also paid their tributes to the birthday girl. Among such dignitaries are Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, who was ably presented by Mrs. Odeyemi, the permanent secretary in the deputy governor’s office, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the former deputy governor of Lagos State, who said their friendship dates back to 1989, when they both blaized the trail of being first set of women to join partisan politics, Hon. Joseph Bamigbose, a member of House of Representatives and the celebrator’s colleague in the 4th session of Lagos House of Assembly, Hon. Lola Akande, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and colleague of the celebrant in the 7th session of the Assembly, Hon. Mojisola Lawal-Meranda, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo, the celebrator’s colleague in 4th and 7th session of the assembly, Hon. Lanre Odesanya, Hon. Rotimi Olowo and finally the husband, Rev. Bola, who said there has been noticeable difference in his life since the celebrant came into his life. He capped his own tribute with an Everly Brothers’ song which attracted a standing ovation.
TOASTING TIME
The toast for the joyful occasion was given by the effervescent and eloquent Hon. Tunde Braimoh.
- TOLANI ABATTI
