By Victor Enengedi
The saying that all good things must someday come to an end is probably true as the upscale night club and entertainment centre, Niteshift Coliseum has shut its doors to night club activities. After about 25years, the founder and CEO of the entertainment hub, Ken-Caleb Olumese popularly known as the Guv’nor has decided to bow out of the night club business.
When NET visited the Opebi location of the club, our reporter was told that the Guv’nor, as Olumese is fondly called by his friends and admirers, had travelled out of the country for a vacation.
The manager, Moses Ogunlaja was ever ready to talk to us. Ogunlaja who has been managing the club for quite a while said that although he is not allowed to disclose the details on why the club has been shut down, but it may not be unconnected to the Guv’nor’s plan to retire from the night club business so as to spend more time with family.
Moses also said that the announcement will be made public much later. ‘When the Guv’nor returns from his vacation, we would definitely call for a press conference to announce the closure of club activities at the Coliseum. However, the edifice will still be used for hosting of events and shows’.
Edo-State born proprietor of the club who has used the club to gather a lot of influence from all calibers of people in Nigeria, once acknowledged that the time spent in the club has alienated him a little from his family. ‘There are times my children and my wife wish I retire so that I can spend more time with my grand children’ , he told this reporter two years ago during an interview.
The club which is the longest surviving night clubs in the Lagos axis had commenced operation in 1998 in a rented apartment on Opebi before it relocated to its permanent location on Salvation Road, Opebi, Ikeja in February 2, 1999.
The Coliseum operated successfully until December 18, 2003 when a mysterious fire razed the entire building. The re-designed Coliseum was formally opened on August 5, 2005 and it stands out as one of the major celebrity hangout spots in Lagos.
