BY AKINSETAN AKINRELE
The fairy tale rise-to- fame of Olajumoke Orisaguna in 2016 inspired millions of Nigerians, captured the interest of international media and served as a prayer point for many who desired such overnight transformation.
Olajumoke became the modern-day Nigerian Cinderella when she accidentally strayed into a photo shoot helmed by TY Bello, a Nigerian singer/photographer, while hawking bread on Olonode Street, Yaba, Lagos.
Following her accidental encounter with the photo shoot, TY Bello and Azuka Ogujiuba, a former senior reporter with THISDAY Style, collaborated to make a model and celebrity out of Olajumoke.
Subsequently, companies rolled over themselves to favour the 30-year-old. At the end of the media blitz which included features on CNN and BBC, the bread seller got a five-year rent of a fully furnished apartment bankrolled by Sujimoto, a luxury apartment construction company. She also secured modelling contracts with e-commerce company, Payporte, and Zenith Bakery.
The interventions and series of accompanying developments saw the fortune of the bread seller take a leap – but three years down the line, things are not as rosy as expected in the life of the mother of two.
eelive can reveal that she is struggling economically and her relationship with Sunday Orisaguna, the lover for whom she has her two children, is on its way south as well.
At the moment, Olajumoke cannot boast of any concrete means of livelihood. At home, things are not easy. Sunday said life has been incredibly tough, and that help is farther from him because many people assume that Olajumoke has made it big, and that consequently, he’s also rich.
He lamented that Olajumoke and her family have refused to agree to the formalization of their relationship despite having two children together.
Although Olajumoke and her erstwhile manager, Azuka Ogujiuba, would not discuss the details of their parting of ways, both maintained that they remain friendly and accessible to one another.
Sources close to both parties, however, insist that the severance of their relationship has left the former bread seller at sea.
This suspicion was confirmed by Sunday who told eelive that “I think she was better when she was with Azuka because Azuka and TY Bello have great connections that paid Olajumoke more”.
Sunday also complained that he is often kept out of the loop of Olajumoke’s activities.
He said: “I just know her manager calls her, they go out and return late. Sometimes she returns as late as past 12am and without explanations. She doesn’t even tell me where they go and what happens.”
The former bread seller herself confirmed that things are not as promising as they were three years ago.
Although she has no job and savings, Olajumoke spoke of her desire to have a home of her own before the existing rent expires in two years and to establish a haircare business before the end of 2019.
To read more on our Big Story, click HERE.
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