Chief Tony Okoroji (L) and son, Tony Okoroji Jr. on the former’s arrival at New York
This Saturday, March 4, 2023, distinguished Nigerians from every parts of the United States and beyond, will gather at the impressive Leonardo’s Palazzo, the prime venue at the North Shore of Long Island, New York City, for the grand celebration of the 80th birthdate of Lolo Dorothy Chinaka Akujuo.
The elaborate arrangement for the celebration of the Nigerian teacher, author, journalist, unstoppable intellectual, creative personality and retired professor of English, will finally at this venue unfold fully.
The big birthday banquet to celebrate the outstanding 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”.
Showbiz impresario, Chief Tony Okoroji, celebrated former President of PMAN and current chairman of COSON, Nigeria’s biggest copyright collective management organisation, who is superintending the event, has just touched down at JFK International Airport in New York. He was picked up at the airport by his son, Tony Okoroji Jnr, the Dallas-based Business Analyst at Bank of America.
Straight from the airport, father and son, drove to Leonardo’s Palazzo where they inspected every facility and asked questions on every detail of the up-coming occasion.
Said Okoroji, master of unforgettable shows and a solid supporter of the “Obidient” movement in Nigeria, who refused to leave Nigeria until the February 25 presidential elections had taken place: “On Saturday, the Leonardo’s Palazzo venue, at some point, will be a luxurious banquet hall.
“At another point, it will be transformed into a cinema hall for the premier of “My Birthright”. Seamlessly, it will become an active and no-holds-bared dancing hall for the full enjoyment of all guests. It will all be done in style and will, be a celebration of not just the great Lolo Dorothy Akujuo but a celebration of the many outstanding Nigerian women doing fantastic things across the world.
“Many had expressed fears whether I will be in enough good health to make it to New York. It is true that I was driven straight from my hospital bed in Lagos to the airport. I am a man who drives on a full tank of faith. I am very grateful to my doctor and friend, Dr. Moses Jatto, his wife, Josephine, and his angels at Care Life Hospital with whom I have spent most of December, January and February. They did everything to make sure I could travel. By the grace of the Almighty, I am here, and I am ready for the show”.
Ace broadcaster, actor, film producer and showman, Mr. Patrick Harry Doyle, who is the Supervising Producer of “My Birthright”, is expected to arrive New York’s JFK from Lagos on Friday, a day before the Birthdate bash and international premier. He will be a major contributor to the production team at the show.
The master chef at Leonardo’s Palazzo, has brought together the unique ingredients to bake the Special Red Velvet cake which will be munched by all the distinguished guests at the banquet.
The 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 timeless lady herself, her husband, children, siblings, friends, professional colleagues, church members among others, with iconic photos, is ready and every guest at the special event will go home with a copy.
As Saturday, March 4 draws closer, there is no gain saying that gorgeous fashion will be on display at the banquet. Friends, family and colleagues of Lolo Dorothy Akujuo, are by now dry-cleaning their favorite attires or, in the alternative, have ordered new outfits 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 no-nonsense fashion, has asked everyone to look out for her at Leonardo’s Palazzo as she touches down from Atlanta.
They will come from all over America. They will come from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Chicago and California. An entire contingent will storm New York from Baltimore Maryland. Among this contingent will be the Chairman of the event, the debonaire-looking, Chief Gabriel Iyere, and of course, the irrepressible “Baltimore Boys”.
A.J. Warrior, the look-alike son of the great Sir (Dr) Warrior Obinna, the treasured Igbo philosopher singer of the Oriental Brothers fame, who will be performing at the birthday bash, has repeatedly said that he is storming New York with a show that will be “gbamistic!”.
