Posted by Written by Ogbonna Amadi on
What is the use of the Order Of the Niger Awards (OON) bestowed on me by government, if it can't be translated into cash? And where are all those Nigerians who I thought were my friends? Where are all those Governors who gave me red carpet treatment when I sang at their parties?
What is the use of the Order Of the Niger Awards (OON) bestowed on me by government, if it can't be translated into cash? And where are all those Nigerians who I thought were my friends?
Where are all those Governors who gave me red carpet treatment when I sang at their parties?
Those were the questions of lamentation from ailing Evangelist Sonny Okosuns moment before he boarded his flight back to America from where he hopes to go to India to seek help for the strange ailment that has reduced the once vibrant singer to a mere bags of bones.
He spoke to Entertainment Editor, Ogbonna Amadi at the international wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport moment before his flight was announced.
How are you doing?
I'm doing good, I bless God, he is good, he is the sovereign God.
How are you feeling?
I feel under aged, I feel thirty.
How true is it that you are going to India to seek medical help?
That is very true. As soon as I get back to America, I will leave for India where I hope to seek further medical assistance for my failing health. Although I'm feeling okay already, I don't want to take chances, for its taken my faith in God and the efforts of doctors in America to have gotten me this far.
The last time we spoke over the phone, you said God has been the one taking care of your medical expenses, so who did God send this time to help.
I give praises to God Almighty who brought a man in the person of an Indian, called Patrick Fernandez into my life. This man who God showed to me in Port Harcourt volunteered to take care of all my medical expenses in a hospital in Bombay, India.
Mr Fernandez's gesture brought tears to my eyes and I asked. What is the use of the Order Of the Niger Awards (OON) bestowed on me by government, if it can't be translated into cash? And where are all those Nigerians who I thought were my friends? Where are all those Governors who gave me red carpet treatment when I sang at their parties?
What happens to your congregation now that you have finally relocated to America?
I've not relocated to America. I'm only there because I'm still under medication. As for the Church, nobody owns the Church and neither is the Church mine. The Church belongs to God and any body who says it's my church is a liar. That shows that whether I'm there or not, God is in control. Since I left, the Church has remained intact.
You have been here for about three to four days now, have you been to your church?
I have sent a message.
You were in the studio the last time recording new songs, so when is the album going to be ready?
Well, I'm getting a good recording label to release it
In Nigeria or abroad?
Both in Nigeria and abroad. I'm going to release it immediately after the new year.
Why would you want to use another recording label after all, you have Ivory Music?
I'm no longer with Ivory Music.
But I thought you were at one time a director of the company?
Well, I'm not a director and I'm not feeling like a director. I don't want anything. I know God is in control of everything Ido. I don't want to talk about Ivory Music.
What about your works there?
Well, my works are there. I never had any contract with Ivory so what ever jobs I gave to them I gave out of interest because I didn't want to move from one place to another.
Is the album Songs of Praise one of those you recorded outside contract.?
No, I was on contract when I did Songs of Praise.
What happened to your royalties, are they still coming?
The royalties are not coming.
They stopped paying you?
I don't know why.
When was the last time they paid you your royalties?
I can't remember that.
Your Songs of Praise album is still selling and you have never bothered to go and find out why they stopped paying you?
There are people who pretend to be God's people but God has a way of sorting them out. There is no way you can hide away from God. What I mean is that there is no way you can hide away from the truth.
Jesus Christ told Pilate saying I come for the truth and Pilate asked him what is the truth he didn't answer that question because Pilate was looking at the truth. The earth could not hold the truth and so on the third day he bursted the earth and came out that's how the truth is, you can not bury the truth.
You don't talk of politics any more?
Yes. I'm not in politics any more, I'm now in Christ. My body is dead but now I'm alive in Christ so I don't talk of things that do not hold spiritual life.
Any regret?
I don't regret anything I did. I know I did it at the time God wanted me to do it...
It must be very expensive medically taking care of your bills, how have you been surviving?
God is my survival and he has been taking good care of me and that is why I say from everlasting to everlasting God is God. When you are honest and righteous and you are in Christ, the Holy spirit will direct you in every thing you do.
So it's a miracle that I'm living today and I have no regret in anything I'd done in the past. God is taking care of me, he is a wonderful father.
You got nothing from supporting people but you got so much from being the real musician that you are?
Yes I worked hard to be a musician and at my age I'm still performing and recording.
Let's get to your personal health ,what has the doctor been able to tell you that is exactly the problem with your health?
Well, I had an infection in my colon but it's clearing up . You know I'm very strong. Anybody who has this kind of infection do not move, walk or talk and you are on the bed until you are okay. As you can see I'm all over the place praising God. In the book of Isaiah chapter 38 it says,
To God the death can not celebrate and if you die, you go down into the pit. Only the living can praise him and that is why I'm standing today.
So God is not going to let me die but I shall live to declare the works of the lord. So if I'm going to declare the works of the lord he will not let me die(Psalm 118)
In all your life as a musician, what would you say is the high point of your achievement?
They are so many things to talk about. I did not go to school but I have three doctorate degrees. I don't belong to any society but I have five chieftaincy titles. I did not go to bible school, but I have a church that I preach and sing the gospel all over the place. So I am a great achiever, God has lifted me.
He told me in Isaiah 60 that I'm going to make you an Eternal Excellency, the joy of many generations and I am standing on the authority of that word.
He also told me in the book of Joshua that where ever I step on I will posses the land for Christ. God said in Numbers 14;28 Exactly what I hear you say I will do so what ever I say comes to past.
Looking back, what would you say gave you the greatest joy, in terms of what you have achieved?
It depends. God has been taking care of me since my childhood till now and it's a great joy. There is nothing I lack. I have large family.
I'm not a bastard because my mother gave birth to me. I was not thrown to the motherless baby home because God opened ways for me to know that, in all the things that I'm doing in my life and in show business. I may not be the best in Nigeria and in the world., I have not had any disappointment.
I was able to tour Nigeria twenty six times ,no accidents, no death, nothing. No evil happened to me until now.
I have done about thirty three albums which is a wonderful thing I don't know how many musicians have achieved that and I have performed with other big artist in the world including Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Eric Donaldson and so many of them.