Some moments don’t feel staged, they just unfold beautifully, with a certain ease that money can’t buy & pedigree can’t fake.
Here I was, right in the middle of good company, standing next to the ever-sprightly Mr. Fola Ogunlesi, my “Uncle Fola” as I like to call him. A man in his late 70s who seems to have quietly negotiated a private deal with time itself.
Effortlessly youthful, impeccably composed, & carrying that distinct air of old-school elegance that never goes out of style.
As the eldest of the renowned Ogunlesi brothers, Uncle Fola, Mr. Lanre Ogunlesi & Mr. Ade Ogunlesi, he wears legacy lightly.
Mr. Ade is the husband to the formidable Nike Ogunlesi of Ruff & Tumble fame. Uncle Fola’s footprint stretches from prime Ikoyi real estate, yes, that iconic former FantasyLand Event Centre land, to a quietly thriving presence in the beauty & lifestyle space.
In other words, Uncle Fola doesn’t make noise, he makes moves.
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing both him & Mr. Lanre Ogunlesi (father to my good friend, Teni), & what stands out is not just pedigree, but poise.
There’s a certain gentility about them, warm, disarming, & refreshingly unpretentious. Oh, & let’s not ignore the obvious, they’ve both aged very handsomely.
And then, just to his left, you have the inimitable Timothy Ofoezie, Sir Tino himself of Tino Electronics. A man whose business footprint is practically a rite of passage for Island living. If your home hasn’t encountered Tino Electronics at some point, one might politely ask… are you truly set up?
All in all, it was one of those delightfully unforced gatherings, where accomplished men swapped intensity for levity, where laughter flowed easily, & where, for a few golden moments, legacy simply relaxed & had a good time.
