Nightlife Icon, Ken Calebs-Olumese Bags Lifetime Achievement Honour

FUNSHO AROGUNDADE

It was America’s one-time President, Abraham Lincoln, who once posited that “Real honours are not given to those fond of receiving from society but are reserved for those who gave their all to the people.” This age-long quote best summed the personality of nightlife icon, Ken Calebs-Olumese.

Last Sunday, the organisers of the Silverbird Man of the Year Awards decorated the Guvnor of the Nightshift Coliseum with the distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award.

At the exclusive event held at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos, Olumese was honoured for his exceptional achievements, contributions and leadership in shaping the entertainment landscape in Nigeria, nay Africa. It was a big night for the dandy old man who was obviously overwhelmed by the prestigious honour done to him by the Ben Murray Bruce-led Silverbird Group.

Olumese has logged in almost 40 years as a super nightlife entrepreneur. Indeed, the Edo State-born magnate helped to transform the Nigeria entertainment industry through his landmark showbiz endeavours and programmes to support talents, businesses and economies.

He enjoys –even as a retired nightlife mogul— going to nightclubs. As a place of work it became like a second home to him where he felt comfortable. Olumese don’t suffer fools gladly. Seeing people happy and having a good time made him happy. He is an extrovert and that helps in the entertainment industry. He is a fair but firm man who introduced strictness about who could come into his club.

Olumese’s Coliseum became a fabled success in an era of big, brassy nightclubs. The club was a favourite of classy folks, top businessmen, corporate titans, top professionals and tourists. Olumese had a reputation for breathing life into the faltering nightlife in the country by adding lush decorations and handpicked and carefully blended shows.

Great people do simple things that turn out great. To be great you must know how to dream. Olumese —who will be 80 on 27 May this year— dreams and makes his dreams come true and the Nigerian people over the decades benefited from it, hence the Lifetime Achievement Award.