Penultimate Sunday, like a confident billionaire that he is, Tijani Babatunde Folawiyo strutted into one of the exquisite Marquees reserved for the high and mighty at the 90th birthday party of Lady Christine Doja Otedola, the mother of billionaire mogul, Femi Otedola in Odorangushin in Epe, Lagos. At the party, Folawiyo was full of life and looked nothing a bit like a man battling to save a prized property from being taken over by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON over an alleged debt.
Some weeks ago, Folawiyo had become a staple for some media platforms after reports filtered out that Justice Lewis Allagoa had made orders against him in a suit filed by the AMCON in relation to a company, Compagnie Generale de Logistique where he’s believed to have a major interest. Not oblivious of the impact such orders would have on his business as well as the reputation of the three-generational family business entrusted on him, and which he has worked hard to maintain and grow over the years, Folawiyo promptly dissociated himself from the debt and then filed an ex-parte motion before a Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking an order of stay of execution of those orders made against him in satisfaction of a judgement debt.
It is worthy of recollection that Folawiyo is the son and heir to the late businessman and philanthropist, Chief Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo, whose own father, Tijani was also a very wealthy local merchant in the colonial era. It then became imperative for Folawiyo to clear his name and deny being a debtor. And with that done, the business mogul —who clocked 62 on Tuesday April 12— is obviously back to his element, as observed at the Otedola’s party, where he was so full of life and let down his hair alongside his wealthy gang who were all together at Epe to felicitate one of their own, as Juju music legend, King Sunny Ade thrilled on the bandstand.