You can count the days on the fingers of your hands! Every patriotic Nigerian is dedicating the coming days to praying for a peaceful Presidential and National Assembly Elections in Nigeria this week and the beginning of the transformation of our dear country into the nation of our dreams.
Exactly 7 days after, on Saturday, March 4, 2023, distinguished Nigerians from every part of the United States will gather at the prestigious Leonardo’s Palazzo, the choice venue at the North Shore of Long Island, New York City, for the grand celebration of the 80th birthday of the Nigerian teacher, author, journalist, unstoppable intellectual, creative personality and retired professor of English, the amazing Lolo Dorothy Chinaka Akujuo.
Red cake for Akujuo’s birthday bash
The big birthday banquet to celebrate the remarkable lady who retired from the City University of New York, will also feature the international Premiere of the epic movie, “My Birthright”, a story of the big clash of traditional Igbo culture faced with emerging European values in the 1960s. This story told by the amazing Lolo Dorothy Akujuo, has been shot in living colour by a new wiz boy of the Nigerian movie industry, 27 years old, Damola Akapo. Guests at the grand birthday event will have the privilege of being the first to watch “My Birthright” which will be shown on the big screen, for the first time, on March 4 at Leonardo’s Palazzo.
The show is also expected to bring the cream of Nollywood to New York for the International Premiere of “My Birthright”. Expected at Leonardo’s Palazzo are two of the best-known divas in the history of the Silver Screen in Nigeria, Stella Damasus who will touch down from Atlanta and Regina Askia-Williams, one of Nigeria’s most enchanting actresses of all times and a former “Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria”, who will arrive from New Jersey.
Ace broadcaster, actor and film producer, Mr. Patrick Harry Doyle, who is the Supervising Producer of “My Birthright”, is preparing to arrive New York from Lagos for the Birthday bash and international premier.
A master chef at Leonardo’s Palazzo, is set to bake a Special Red Velvet cake which will be munched by all the distinguished guests at the banquet.
An all gloss, super embossed and foiled magazine, “80 YEARS YOUNG!”, chronicling the life and times of the amazing Lolo Dorothy Akujuo , with stories told by the evergreen lady herself, her husband, children, siblings, friends, professional colleagues, church members, etc. and iconic photos, is being published simultaneously in Lagos and New York.
As March 4 draws near, there is no question that exquisite fashion will be on display at the banquet. Friends, family and colleagues of Lolo Dorothy Akujuo, are dry-cleaning their favorite outfits or getting new ones ready to walk the red carpet in style and take sensational photographs at Leonardo’s Palazzo. One of Nigeria’s best-known fashionistas, the irrepressible Just Meg, who lit up Lagos for several years, with her alluring and provocative fashion has asked everyone to look out for her at Leonardo’s Palazzo as she touches down from Atlanta.
A.J. Warrior, the look-alike son of the great Sir (Dr) Warrior Obinna, the treasured Igbo philosopher singer of the Oriental Brothers fame, will be performing at the birthday bash. He has once again, repeated his promise that the New York show will be “gbamistic!”.
All the ’t’s are presently being crossed and the ‘i‘s being dotted both in Lagos and New York for the big show. Superintending the arrangements is Chief Tony Okoroji, the master of unforgettable shows, the only man ever, with stunning lights and intriguing sounds, was dropped from the high roof of the National Theatre in Lagos onto to the stage, at a historic edition of the iconic Nigerian Music Awards. He was the one invited by the Nigerian Government to Abuja to produce “Night of the Melting Pot” the world-class show in reception of the OPEC oil ministers from around the world at the only time Nigeria has hosted the ministers.
It might be no secret that Okoroji who has been received at the State House by different Nigerian leaders including President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Ibrahim Babangida, for his contributions to national development has had health challenges for several months.
Says Dr Moses Jatto, his personal doctor, “the man is an enigma. He is irrepressible. Even on his hospital bed under serious medication, he is working flat out: Almost every five minutes, he is on the phone, discussing with his colleagues at COSON where he is Chairman, his personnel at TOPS where he is CEO and all the people in Lagos and New York working on Lolo Dorothy Akujuo’s birthday grand event. He has told me that every aspect of the event in New York must go according to plan as he loves Lolo Dorothy Akujuo from head to toe. He told me that the great Prof is not only his elder sister, but his teacher in Primary school and has practically been his mother for many years.
“Have you noticed that for the period that he has been on a sick bed, he has not missed writing any edition of his weekly column, Saturday Breakfast with Tony Okoroji? His laptop is always at his bed side. 24 hours after serious surgery, he was back working on his laptop. The man is passionate, very passionate about the success of the Nigerian nation. All of us at Care Life Hospital are doing everything we can to make sure that by the grace of God, this incredible Nigerian is stable enough to be in New York for the big birthday event and his required medical follow-up intervention”.
