L-R: Patrick Harry Doyle (PHD) at New York’s JFK this morning. With him are Chief Tony Okoroji and his son, Tony Okoroji Jnr.
Ace broadcaster, actor, film producer and showman, Mr. Patrick Harry Doyle (PHD), today, Friday March 3 2023 landed at New York’s JFK Airport from Lagos for tomorrow’s 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.
Mr. Patrick Doyle will tomorrow, Saturday, March 4, 2023, join several distinguished Nigerians from every part of the United States and beyond who will gather at the impressive Leonard’s Palazzo, the prime venue at the North Shore of Great Neck, Long Island, New York City, for the grand celebration of the 80th birthday of the Nigerian teacher, author, journalist, remarkable intellectual, creative personality and retired professor of English, the evergreen Lolo Dorothy Chinaka Akujuo.
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, tomorrow, at Leonard’s Palazzo.
Mr. Patrick Doyle who is the Supervising Producer of “My Birthright”, will be one of the stars of Nollywood who will be in New York for the International Premiere of the movie. He will also be a major contributor to the production team at the show.
Showbiz impresario, Chief Tony Okoroji, celebrated former President of PMAN and current chairman of COSON, Nigeria’s biggest copyright collective management organization, who is superintending the event, was on hand at JFK to welcome Mr. Doyle to the United States. Chief Okoroji, himself arrived JFK two days ago and was picked up at the airport by his son, Tony Okoroji Jnr, the Dallas based Business Analyst at Bank of America who is in New York for the big show. Father and son have since met several times with operatives at Leonard’s Palazzo where they inspected every facility and asked questions on every detail on the oncoming occasion.
Chief Tony Okoroji, the master of unforgettable shows has said “tomorrow, the Tiffany & Crystal Hall of Leonard’s Palazzo, at some point, will be a luxurious banquet hall with thousands of glittering chandeliers. 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 with strobe lights for the full enjoyment of all guests. The famous DJ Judah will be in action manning the wheels of steel. 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”.
On arrival, Patrick Doyle said, “I am happy to be in the big Apple for a big show. I am ready to roll with the best of New York. I bring the experience of many years on the showbiz lane to celebrate Lolo Dorothy Akujuo, an outstanding international Nigerian woman”.
The master chef at Leonardo’s Palazzo, has since brought together the unique ingredients to bake the Special Red Velvet cake which will be munched by all the distinguished guests at the banquet.
A copy of 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, etc. with iconic photos, will be handed to every guest at the special event.
There is no question that gorgeous fashion will be on display tomorrow at the banquet. Friends, family and colleagues of Lolo Dorothy Akujuo, have by now dry-cleaned their favorite attires. Some have ordered new outfits ready to walk the red carpet in style and take sensational photographs at Leonard’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 Leonard’s Palazzo as she touches down from Atlanta.
There is certainty that they will come from all over America. They will come from Connecticut and Massachusetts. They will come from Texas, Chicago and California. An entire contingent is storming New York today from Baltimore Maryland for tomorrow’s show. Among this contingent is the Chairman of the event, the debonaire, Chief Gabriel Iyere and his dear wife and of course, there will be 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 declared that he is storming New York with a show that will be “gbamistic!”.
