One of the news items that has raged in the last week or two on the Nigerian front has been the reactions to the write-up by Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of the Fedral Republic of Nigeria during the Obasanjo regime and an erstwhile aide of the same President. The brick and spat would also draw blood about romantic sentiments across tribal lines and the issue of manly integrity in the exercise of chivalry. A lot has been said about Femi’s ‘careless whispers’ and the damage it portends for his friends so mentioned. Some people have taken it as a battle line drawn for where his ego would not be bridled in public spectacle.
We are not truly as concerned with personal matters as much as saying that people should bridle their tongues as well so that relationships do not degenerate to battle lines drawn between inter tribal romantics.
Below is an instructive read from yemojanews as posted by Wale Onifade.
Unknown to many people, the former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-kayode and former beauty queen, Mrs Bianca Onoh were heading for the altar in the late 80’s, but the wheels of their love life was clogged by a sudden event that eventually created a gulf between the two lovebirds.
Yemojanews gathered that Bianca Odinaka Olivia Onoh, who is the sixth child of Late Chief Christian Chukwuma Onoh, the second republic governor of the of the old Anambra state, had met Femi Fani-kayode while she was studying for her A- levels in Cambridge Tutorial College. The former aviation minister was also attending the University of Cambridge for his Masters Degree programme in law. Informed sources revealed that the statuesque beauty was already a queen before he met the hunky politico. The lively, charming and boisterous Bianca had won the MISS MARTINI, a beauty pageant organized by the beverage company known as Martini Rossi, while schooling at Yorkshire in England.
The relationship between the stunner and the six-footer lover boy was described as a ‘red-hot romance’ by Nigerian students then in the U.K social circuit. Even, when Femi, whose father was the second Queen’s Counsel{Senior Advocate of Nigeria} that Nigeria will produced, was finishing his Masters programme and the gorgeous Bianca was settling down for her combined honours degree in Politics, Economics and Law at the University of Buckingham, the rhythm of their love beats was still playing on melodiously.
And as fate continued to smile on them, the lovebirds found each other in Nigeria. While Femi had finished the youth service programme, Bianca had also transferred to the University of Nigeria, Nzukka, where her father had compelled her to study law. Late Chief C.C Onoh, a lawyer and expert in land matters had genuinely and strongly guided his children into reading law. And, they grew to become visible figures in Rockonoh Law Chambers.
The duo continued their love affairs in the country. While the current Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain was sweating it out in the university, the lover boy was getting set to join his father’s law chamber. Our investigations revealed that around this time, another very pretty lady, Ms Saratu Attah had equally found a place in Femi’s heart. And, in no time, she was found to be carrying Femi Fani-kayode’s first child. The pregnancy of Saratu Attah, whose father, Alhaji Adamu Attah, was the second republic governor of Kwara state, we gathered, set the relationship between Femi and Bianca on the edge of ruins.
Sometime in 1997 at the wedding anniversary of Ide Ahaba, Chief Sonny Odogwu in Asaba, Delta state, Bianca, who was already married and equally expecting her first child then, had told a frontline celebrity journal, when she was asked about his botched marriage plans with Femi Fani-kayode that ‘it [the marriage] was not meant to be… I met FFK in London and we both dreamt of having a beautiful home, but things didn’t work our way. I know that he’s married now,’ the elegant former beauty queen had said.
The marriage plans collapsed because Femi had impregnated Saratu, who later gave birth to Folake, the first child of Femi Fani-kayode, who now holds a Masters degree in law. Bianca went on with her law programme and later joined her father, who was then reeling in agony, in his chambers. Chief C.C Onoh, who had lost his first daughter in the Emene-Enugu air crash, shortly before he became the governor of the old Anambra in October 1983, was then hit by another tragedy. His son, Christian Chukwuma Jr had allegedly shot himself after a fierce family feud.
In 1988, the former Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Diaspora Affairs, participated in another beauty pageant, Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria [MBGN] and won. The drop-dead stunner thereafter went on to clinch the Miss Africa title in Banjul, Gambia in 1989. And, in the same year, the sexy ambassador was crowned Miss Intercontinental, making her one of the two most successful beauty queens Nigeria has produced. Also, in that year 1989, the late Ikemba of Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu had gone to visit his long standing friend, late Chief Onoh at his Ugwo country home and what confronted him was an angel that couldnt be resisted. Hence, the visits, became regular. The late former old Anambra governor, oblivious of his friend’s mission was always quick to open his doors. Yemojanews impeccably gathered that before long, the charismatic and enigmatic former warlord had swept Bianca off her feet. So, a new love chapter was opened for the beauty queen.
About this time, Femi Fani-kayode had equally cemented a political relationship with the former Biafra leader, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu. The shrewd and consummate politico hosted Femi to a launch in his Villaska lodge, Ikoyi, Lagos residence, where he agreed to be the patron of the September Club, an hi-tech social-political organization established by some prominent Nigerians. Unknown to Femi, his priceless beau is now the main date of Ikemba.
When, Chief C.C Onoh got wind of the affair between his daughter and his friend, which was fully supported by his wife Caroline, all hell was let loose. The late governor severed relationship with his friend and insisted that his daughter will never marry the highly intelligent Oxford trained Biafra warlord. Before the legal luminary could comprehend what has gone amiss, his lovely daughter, Bianca had moved into the comfort arms of Chief Ojukwu. And, the Villaska lodge Lagos home of Ojukwu became her place of abode. And, for four years, Late Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu and Bianca Odinaka Onoh lived together as live-in-lovers.
And, despite the 35 year age difference between them and resistance of Chief Onoh, the loving duo took a walk down the aisle on November 12, 1994. The sixth child of C.C Onoh, Bianca and the Ikemba of Nnewi were pronounced husband and wife at Our Lady Queen of Nigerian Church in Abuja. Although, Chief Onoh barred his family members from attending, the ceremony was not devoid of pomp and pageantry, as scores of A-list celebrities came to witness the holy solemnization.
Informed sources revealed that ‘some of us are not surprised when FFK wrote a tribute to Chief Chukwuemeka Ojukwu when he died. He surely had a relationship with both Ikemba and his wife. And, I’m very sure that Bianca is one of the very few people he can’t resist. He dare not say no to her’ the source concluded. Sometime in March last year, Chief Fani-kayode had written a tribute to Chief Ojukwu titled ‘ I wish I were born Igbo’ in which he celebrated the life and times of the late statesman.
