Toast to Florence Ita-Giwa at 70
The name Florence Ita-Giwa flashed across my consciousness over 30 years ago. The news of her whirlwind romance with the famous journalist Dele Giwa and their short-lived marriage had spread like bushfire in harmattan. Of course, the assassination of Dele Giwa on October 19, 1986, would amplify Florence Ita-Giwa’s name. The melodrama of Florence and Dele’s wedding would later be captured by Dele Olojede and Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo’s biography on the life and times of Dele Giwa, titled BORN TO RUN.
The description of this gorgeous lady and Calabar Princess read like fairy-tale and I looked forward to meeting her someday. I landed in Lagos in 1988 after completing my Master’s in Literature in English at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and instantly took appointment at the African Concord magazine. Months later, in February 1989, I was transferred to a new publication, Weekend Concord, and there my rendezvous with Nigerian celebrities and newsmakers began. From Weekend Concord, I resigned and joined Classique magazine, owned by May Ellen Ezekiel Mofe-Damijo, now of blessed memory, as Editor.
It was while at Classique that I got to know very well some of the movers and shakers of Nigeria. Florence Ita-Giwa had already established herself as a veritable member of that class. She had a powerful aura and exuded panache. There was no way anyone could have missed a lady who mesmerised Nigeria with her beauty and brains. We met and we became friends forever. She never stopped extolling my writing skills. Unknown to her, I had been greatly influenced by Dele Giwa who incidentally was born at number 2 Atiba Square, Ile-Ife, where I later grew up, though we never met. Aunty Florence and I were party animals by virtue of our socialite status and we met at too many functions in Lagos and London. She and her circle of friends also stopped by at my Accra home for dinner and we danced late into the night. Aunty Florence is always such a jolly good woman.
I was particularly fascinated by her political adventures and charitable spirit. She served her people of Bakassi , a peninsula between Nigeria and Cameroon, loyally. She fought hard for them to remain within the geographical boundary of Nigeria. This coupled with her adoption and sponsorship of children from that area was how she acquired the moniker of Mama Bakassi. She became a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and later Special Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo on National Assembly Matters. She handled every assignment with total dedication and competence.
Born on February 19, 1946, Senator Florence ItaGiwa turns 70 in the next few days. I’m proud and privileged to raise a toast to this ageless beauty ahead of her celebrations which starts with a reception this evening by the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN, of which I’m a patron) and a seminar to be hosted by the African Women in Leadership Organisation next Monday in Lagos.
Here’s a toast to good health and more prosperity…