The children of Mrs. Oluwayemisi Ajayi, the widow of Dr. Tosin Ajayi of First Foundation Medical Engineering Co. Ltd, have come out to debunk the false stories making the rounds on social media that, on the 7th of September 2021, the Federal High Court, Lagos, awarded Helen Prest, a mistress of the Late Dr. Tosin Ajayi, 50% of the estate of Dr. Tosin Ajayi.
According to the first child of Mrs. Oluwayemisi Ajayi, Mrs. Olutomi Deru (Nee Ajayi), “the order, which was strangely granted in the absence of the company and our Mum, only granted Helen Prest and her daughter permission to institute their main action and restrained our Mum from running the company pending the determination of the main suit.”
She said the orders were temporary orders and that the court did not make any order granting Helen Prest any share in the estate of their Dad contrary to the blatantly false and sensational stories being circulated in the social media.
According to her, “the court did not rule on any of the claims they are making in their main suit and they are not even claiming 50% of our Dad’s estate in their main suit. So, the social media reports are bizarre and at odds with the court’s order that one can only conclude that the reports were either sponsored by Helen Prest or issued by her supporters for mischievous purposes.”
The third child of Mrs. Oluwayemisi Ajayi, Mrs. Omolade Soetan (Nee Ajayi) also narrated that the orders were fraudulently obtained as no hearing notice was served on our Mum or the company or their lawyers, Kunle Adegoke & Co. “The court had previously granted certain interim orders (also in the absence of the Defendants) on 5th August 2021 and our lawyers had earlier filed an application to set aside those interim orders and the application was pending before the Court when the court made its September 7 order which is still pending before the court.
Helen Prest and her lawyers exhibited the highest level of desperation by pretending to have served our Mum with a hearing notice whereas they never did. They obtained the orders of the court fraudulently and our lawyers are taking the appropriate steps in this regard” she added.
Mrs. Omolade Soetan further stated that, just a few days before the court’s September 7 order, the Plaintiffs had served a counter-affidavit against the application filed by our mother to set aside the August 5 interim orders obtained by Helen Prest, which were based on the same information as the September 7 order. “So, it was abundantly clear that the Defendants would not miss an opportunity to be heard on any other orders that the Plaintiffs were seeking. The Plaintiffs have become so desperate that they do not mind to win the matter fair or foul,” she said.
Mrs. Deru went on to say “regardless of whether there was any evidence of the service of a hearing notice before the court, it is quite puzzling that the judge would disregard our mother’s application to set aside its earlier orders that was before it and went on to hear the Plaintiffs’ application without giving the Defendants another opportunity to appear before the court.”
When asked if she and her siblings were ready to accommodate Helen Prest’s daughter, Tomisin, in the estate of their father, Mrs. Deru said that that has always been the case.
According to her, even though their Dad never introduced Tomisin to any member of the family as his daughter, they chose from the outset to accept her as their Dad’s daughter in good faith. “In fact, shortly after our Dad’s funeral, we wrote to Tomisin to join as an administratrix in our application to obtain Letters of Administration for our Dad’s estate, but Tomisin turned down the offer preferring to go it alone. We later discovered that Tomisin and her Mum had shamelessly filed for Letters of Administration several months before our Dad’s funeral,”.
According to Mrs. Soetan, many things that Helen Prest has done since their Dad’s passing, has shown to them that her plan is to get not only a share of the estate for herself, notwithstanding that she was just a mistress, but to get more than half if not the entire estate to herself and her daughter.
Speaking about Helen Prest, Mrs. Deru said “the truth is that she’s a woman that aggressively pursues a public perception of grace and class, but she has shown us that all of that is just a huge façade – in reality, she is a shameless and classless woman.
She wants a recognition that our Dad refused to legally grant her during his lifetime.
Now, we know why our Dad consistently refused to do so,” she added. “Our Dad was known to fight many land disputes all the way to the Supreme Court, and we’re ready to go the length with this case – all the way to the Supreme Court. This is just the beginning. Justice will prevail in the end,” she concluded.
She further narrated that their mother, Mrs. Oluwayemisi Ajayi, remained the legal wife of her father till death as the couple never divorced and that the funny narratives being spurn by Helen Prest are just meant to cover the fact that she only engaged in an illicit relationship with their father which produced Tomisin. She concluded that such a relationship, would never make Helen Prest a wife or a beneficiary of their father’s estate.
The matter before Justice Ringim has been transferred to the Administrative Judge for re-assignment and no date has been fixed for further hearing.
The Group Chief Executive, Oando Group, Mr. Adewale Tinubu, CON, has felicitated the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, on his 80th birthday.
The oil mogul, in a message made available today, Thursday September 14, 2023 congratulated the revered and respected monarch, who is also the Chairman of Oando Group, on the milestone.
Tinubu wrote: “I felicitate the Chairman of Oando, His Royal Majesty, the Alake of Egbaland, on his landmark 80th birthday.
Kabiyesi, your leadership and wisdom have been a beacon of inspiration to us all, and we, who have been privileged to know and work with you, have been positively impacted by you.
“80 years is truly a blessing from God, and I wish you good health, and many more years of impactful leadership.
“May your reign be blessed with continued success and your legacy forever etched in history. Kabiyesi o.”
‘’Of all the gifts that life has to offer, a loving mother is the greatest of them all’’ so says a popular quote.
To say that Oando boss, Wale Tinubu and his siblings were blessed with a loving mother is like stating the obvious, their mother, Chief (Mrs.) Bintu-Fatima Tinubu, the Iyalode of Lagos is a one a million whose love and care has guide them to who they are today.
Her love is sweeter than flower of love.
To appreciate the loving, selfless and hardworking mother, her children Wale, Shola, Iyabo, Kunle, Jide and Olu yesterday gathered the world when the celebrated the woman as she clocked 80 in a blaze of glory.
For the children, the attainment of the ripe age of 80 is worth celebrating, particularly in a country, where death is so cheap.
It was a great moment for the Edo State-born businesswoman as her families, friends and business associates gathered to share her gladsome moment with her.
The birthday party is no doubt would be described as a blowout, lively, sparkling, fun, exciting, and enjoyable, it is simply the best so far in the year 2023.
Trust the Tinubus, they are detribalised Nigerians whose circle of friends cuts across the various Nigerian tribes that they has built over the years.
They showcased their hospitality side as they hosted Who- is-who in high society, including captains of industry, monarchs, politicians, socialites and celebrities, yesterday Sunday, July 2nd 2023 at the Grand Ballroom, Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
It was indeed a night for the high-networth, high profile and highflying eminent personalities.
It was obvious that they have a commanding sense of hospitality. It was upscale and finest in all ramifications.
From the catering to the ushering, no stone was left unturned. Ushers were brought in to perform different tasks; from assigning seats to guests to taking their meal requests and even ensuring that the place was immaculate and clean.
The hall was colourfully decorated with balloons and other aesthetic materials to give it a regal look. The foods were incredibly rich, flavoursome and magically moreish.
Premium and top-quality drinks only meant for the elites flowed like an endless river. Indeed, the gaily guests had no reason to complain as everything was well taken care of.
There was no dull moment as Vintage Band was there to serenade the gaily dressed guests.
The party go to its peak with the King of Juju music, King Sunny Ade that proved that he is still on top of his game as he livened up the atmosphere with his world class beat while guests danced until their legs could no longer carry them.
Some of the guests at the birthday bash include, the governor of Lagos; Babajide Sanwoolu with his wife, Ibijoke Sanwoolu, Ogun State governor; Dapo Abiodun, Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak, Senator Gbenga Daniel with his wife, Yeye Funke Daniel Senator Ibikunle Amosun with his wife, Funsho Amosun, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, Tony Elumelu, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Hajia Bola Shagaya, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki with his wife, Toyin Saraki, Babagana Kingigbe, Folly Coker, Wale Edun, Mo Abudu, Founder and Coordinator of Tinubu Support Group; Hon. Aminu Suleiman, Segun Awolowo, Hajia Abbah Folawiyo, Yomi Awobokun, Among several other eminent personalities.
From midnight, even as Jubril Adewale Tinubu, CON, Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc, chose to put his mobile phone on silent mode, its screen flashed continuously and aroused him from his beautiful sleep, as it was bombarded with calls and text messages from family members, friends , business associates et al.
Interestingly, the undisguised expressions of love by his loved ones from that dead of night and through the rest of the day have become like an annual ritual of sorts that they perform whenever the oil guru marks his birthday.
On his part, the University of Liverpool- trained lawyer has so much to thank God for, as he turned 56 today, Monday, June 26.
A reliable source told us that Tinubu, who began his career with his family law firm, K.O. Tinubu and Co., in 1990 and later co-founded Ocean and Oil Group in 1994, is celebrating the birthday surrounded by his family at his residence in London.
Also, the occasion affords Tinubu, fondly called The King of African Oil, to thanked God for the rare grace to have lived an eventful life thus far and for another great opportunity to reflective on his earthly sojourn so far, and pray for greater blessings in the coming years.
It was also gathered that he would use the occasion to put smiles on the faces of the needy around him in his characteristic magnanimity and sense of fellow-feeling.
This may not be surprising to those who know him too well, as he had used the occasions of his birthday in the past to act as the Angel of hope to the disadvantaged members of the society.
Just like his name, Jubril, he has been an angel to many whose paths have crossed with his on many occasions. He has lent support and been a shoulder to lean on for numerous less-privileged and the poor. He is indeed a bellwether in the acts of generosity to others. He sees sharing love with them as a sacred devotion.
The man who today is Africa’s pride in oil and gas is usually driven by an abiding quest to change the lives of his people for the better.