It was a glamorous event filled with feelings of nostalgia as a group of friends, the GAARELS celebrated the mother of one of their own, Helen Asinyeofori Owen Banigo, who turned 98 years recently.

The event, which took place a fortnight ago at her abode in Port Harcourt, had in attendance some distinguished personalities and other well-meaning individuals who graced the occasion to felicitate with the nonagenarian.

Mrs. Banigo is the wife of late Owen Banigo, father of late Chief Gogo Owen Banigo, demised husband of the Senator representing Rivers West Senatorial District and immediate past Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Dr Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, and his siblings, one of whom is Emmanuel Opuada Banigo, the E in GAARELS.  

The GAARELS is an acronym couched by a group of friends for themselves using one of either their first or surnames: Grant Green, Alfred Allison, Akwe Maxwell, Richard Hart, Emmanuel Banigo (Late), Lawrence Pepple, and S for Friends.

According to them, they took out the time to celebrate Mama Banigo while she is alive so that she can feel the love they have for her, stating that the love is aroused by her keen interest in her late son, Emmanuel Opuada Owen, and his friends.

Speaking during the event, a member of the group and a former Directing Staff of the Institute of Security Studies (ISS), Abuja, Lawrence Pepple noted that the celebrant made her home open to them as young men while caring for them like her own biological children.

He informed that the GAARELS was formed from their youthful days as they grew up together and continued after the death of Emmanuel Opuada Owen.

“Let me just talk about the one who has passed on, my dear brother and friend, the one who is Emmanuel. You can imagine people who can even share their pant. If they had intended to wear it and you come back to say ‘this your pant I wan wear am ooo. Okay you wan wear am. OK na’.”

“That is the kind of people that came from the womb of this woman; and if you know Port Harcourt township, 153 Victoria Street, it’s a one room apartment but in those days it has all the trappings that you will see in a duplex today.”

“Even the owner of the house would perch on the ground if you came earlier than him, that’s the kind of woman and you wouldn’t have come carelessly, it is because of who she is that is why she was able to raise this kind of children.”

“So, for me I am very emotional about today, because we may not know when next we would gather for her by the grace of God as Jesus tarries but I am hoping and praying that we will tell her to her face that she lived a very, very, worthy life. She impacted on every one of us in ways that we can never imagine.”

On his part, a former Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area in Rivers State, Edward Pepple advised youths to focus on building strategic and sustainable relationships with the future in mind. 

He traced the origin of their relationship with Mrs. Banigo to her late son, Emmanuel Opuada Owen Banigo, informing that the celebrant, whom he fondly called “Mama”, took special interest in the friends of her son, particularly his close friends called the GAARELS.

He described his relationship with Mama’s son and the GAARELS as strategic, built with the future in mind, pointing out that such relationships can be sustained and outlive the existence of those who initiated it and extend to their families.

“We looked at ourselves as people who would sit with our friends even at 70, but, unfortunately, Mama’s son passed on, so we continued.”

“We still have him as part of us in our memory. So, we try to do those things he would do if he was alive. We built the relationship for the future.”

The celebrant’s only surviving son, Melvin Banigo described her as a disciplinarian, pointing out that her diligent care, concern and tutelage made him what he is today, thanking the GAARELS for standing by his family long after his younger brother passed on.

“I am the remaining son of Mama, we are three in number, unfortunately, I lost my younger and elder brother, so ordinarily I was not supposed to take this position. It’s for my elder brother who passed away two years now.”

“I grew up under a mother that is a very strict disciplinarian. I attribute whatever I am today to growing up under Mama. She has been there for me all the time even in my lowest period in life. When I lost several of my confidants she was there, trying to encourage me just like a friend.”

“My mum has meant so much to me and she still means so much to me up till now. She has been of great courage to me, and I just want to thank God Almighty, despite all that we have gone through as family, that God has still kept her still strong up till today, I appreciate God for the life of my mum and I wish she stays longer, much longer than these, to the glory of God.” 

“I appreciate everybody that has taken time out to come celebrate with us on this very occasion of her 98th birthday. I actually wasn’t expecting this kind of elaborate ceremony. We had some little arrangement for her on her birthday but my late younger brother’s friends decided otherwise.

“I actually want to also use this opportunity to thank them because whatever you are seeing here so far is all because of them. I want to appreciate them; I want to say thank you very much. They have been there all these while for my mum.”

“Despite the fact that my younger brother died years ago, they never left this family alone. They’ve been there for us, always, in cash, in kind, in words of advice, all the time. Yeah, I am very proud because of their contribution, their concern for this family.”  

In an interview with Kristina Reports, the celebrant’s daughter, Irene Banigo recalled the beautiful memories she had with her mother, recalling her show of affection on her and her siblings, commending the GAARELS for their loyalty to her late brother and support to her mother.

“It’s been awesome, it’s been wonderful. in fact, it’s been everything beautiful. My mother, right from when I knew her, has always been a sweetheart. She is my confidant, she’s somebody I can talk to no matter what it is, I can talk to her whether good or bad, even when I’m not doing it right she will tell me. My mother is just wonderful”.

“I know there are mothers and I know of mothers of people that are not as caring as she is. My mother, I’m not saying this because she is my biological mother. For people here to come out and honour her like this, it shows the kind of person she is. My mother will always, always, go out of her way to make sure that you are fine.”

“I’ll give an example, when I was at work, I just resigned from my appointment but she was there. She can call me ten times every day, not saying anything to me but just to know how I was faring. Sometimes the calls become irritating, very much irritating, just saying how many times she can call you on a daily basis.”

“She is a very caring mother; she does not just call her biological children, she calls everybody. As for the Gaarels, she will say call them for me let me just hear their voice. She can send her last one naira just to make you happy, even at her age, 98.”

“If I tell you when she gets her pension, she hardly used her pension for herself, she will just tell you, send you N5,000 to this one, send N10,000 to this one and this one sef they have money too, I know what it means to go through hard times, so please just give her and that gives her internal joy when she does that. So she is just a good person.”

She expressed shock towards the show of affection by the GAARELS towards her mother, disclosing that they placed the celebrant on a monthly payroll as a way of honouring her, praying for God’s blessings on them.

“I haven’t seen a thing like that, the GAARELS came here today because of my late brother and my late brother died years ago and this relationship has been there. Every day they call her up, ‘Mama, how are you doing?’ and if she says her head is aching her, they will say please take her to be hospital and they will foot the bill; every day, they will say please send your account.”

“So, the relationship has been awesome, I don’t know I just owe them every gratitude. They’ve been there from when my brother died till today. If I tell you at a point they even put her on their payroll, that’s the closeness, they put her on their payroll, every month they pay Mama this amount. They have just been there; God will bless them.”

Giving her remarks during the event, first grandchild of the celebrant, Anita Jumbo expressed her elation at celebrating her grandmother, reliving memories of how protective, affectionate and caring the celebrant was to her as a child growing up, noting that she was a devout Christian who loved God.

“I want to thank everyone of you for coming to celebrate my grand mum on the occasion of her 98th birthday. Thank you so much for coming. Thank you for putting all these together, we are so, so, grateful; we didn’t expect this. I am the first grandchild from her last son, and then I grew up with Mama at 98 Aggrey Road.”

“She was so, so, protective of me, you dare not touch me; if she catches you, you’re in trouble. She took very good care of me. She pampered me, she was the ‘granny wey dey pamper’. She ensured I ate good food, I went to a very good school, she provided a vehicle to take me to school every morning, and bring me back in the afternoon.”

“She made sure someone was there at home to take care of me, took care of me in times when I was sick. She was always there. In fact, she really spoilt me. You know she’s a disciplinarian but it didn’t get to me, it got to others but it didn’t get to me, and from Aggrey Road we went to Harold Wilson, from Harold Wilson we move to Oroworukwo and I think that was where I left her.”

“Mama is very kind, she is a very welcoming, very accommodating, gives good advice and will also admonish you when you do wrong. She’s a firm believer, she loves God very much and she never does evil does anything bad against someone. She does love people, she just loves being happy and she loves seeing people smile and happy.”

In a chat with Kristina Reports, the celebrant’s second grandchild, Ibitoru Iheanacho, showered praises on her grandmom, reminiscing how the good old days have been, describing here a “rare gem”.

“She is one of a kind, she is a rare gem, she is just there, she’s nice. Words fail me to describe her kind of person but she is the one that everybody loves to be with, everybody loves to be around her, she has her principles, she is disciplined, she says her words and that’s just how it is.”  

“She says a thing and she works towards it to accomplish it and no matter how you try, she will get you to do what’s right, the right thing to do and do it at her own pace, when she wants and however she wants it.”  

She eulogised the GAARELS for being supportive of her uncle and her family over the years, noting that they modelled what true friendship was and how time could not diminish the bond among them.

“I grew up knowing them. I was born around them and all my life I’ve been seeing them; they are very nice. They have been supportive in every aspect, they’ve been wonderful, and they are uncles to us.”

“They grew up like brothers, they did not see themselves as friends. To the best of my knowledge, while growing up they freed up as brothers, they did things together, and they stayed together. So, that bond they had, that bond right from the onset and I’m sure that bond kept going till today and even if he (Emmanuel) is not here, that bond is still there.”  

Other members of the family, GAARELS and friends joined in the avalanche of encomiums on the celebrant, referencing their personal interactions with her over the years, and praying for more years and good health for her.

Highlight of the event was special ministration by the Senior Pastor of Gospel Mission Tabernacle International, Pastor Allison Peterside, and Senior Pastor of The Prayer Tabernacle, Pastor Dominion Bristol, who both prayed for more strength in the life of the celebrant; .

There was also a live performance by Port Harcourt based stand-up comedian, Angel Attah, popularly known as Angel De-Laff, who deployed heavy doses of special jokes, songs and other varieties to entertain the guests at the event.