By Charles Okogene
Before this writer became very close with Sonny Okosuns, he (Okosuns) had practically released all the protest/love songs that made him one of the greatest musicians that ever came out of Africa. The Ozziddi (there is a message) band founder, in short, had seen it all, as far as secular music was concerned.
It was at the beginning of the second phase of his career as a musician, gospel music, that our path crossed.
What started off the relationship was this writer’s visit to his Ogba residence with his fellow Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) students on a courtesy visit and one thing led to the other and we became so close, then later as a reporter with the defunct Evening Times.
It was right in my presence as a young entertainment reporter that he crossed over to gospel music genre that saw him release songs like ‘Songs of Praise, Great Change, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’ on the then Mr. Bode Akinyemi’s EMI with Morgan Okunnuga, now of Culturegate, as the publicist.
Together with the late Mr. Amadi Ogbonna, I became a regular face to his Yaya Abatan residence in Ogba with practically unrestricted access to every part of the building up to his bedroom he shared then, first with his late first wife, Nkechi, then his second one, Omo. Such was the closeness that Amadi and me will start the day of news hunting from his house or end it there. Our breakfast or dinner was mostly taken there almost in same plate with him. Our relationship was like that of father and sons – no wonder, we referred to him as ‘papa.’ The only thing we did not do with him was to go on musical tour with him like the likes of Azuka Jebose -Molokwu did with him. His doors were open to journalists 24/7; he was friendly, damned too friendly but was a very blunt person who says it as it is. It was in one of the brother-like chat with him that the late Maliki Showman in an attempt to get back at him during a ‘yabis’ session in the balcony of his house reminded him of how the late Sir (Dr.) Victor Uwaifo, in an attempt to curtail his (Okosuns) attempt to outshine him (Uwaifo) on stage when he was one of the Benin born musician’s instrumentalist severed the cord of his guitar to limit his movement on stage, a revelation, which Okosuns begged Showman not to reveal more in our presence because we are journalists and all of us burst into prolonged laughter. That was Okosuns for you. There was never a dull moment with him. One thing he cherished so much then was his black, three legged dog the name of, which I have forgotten now. Maybe, Abu, his younger cousin will remember.
Okosuns who was becoming the subject of all joke of all those who mocked him then following the release of Nelson Mandela from prison and the collapse of apartheid in South Africa saying that Okosuns and his likes were finished music wise, re-invented himself, delved into gospel music, made good sales with songs/albums like ‘Songs of Praise, Great Change, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’ among others before the light went off his candle leaving his very aged dad behind.
What snapped my relationship with Okosuns was a story I published in Independent Newspapers in the 2000s that he was dying of colon cancer.
Two things inspired the publication of the ‘privileged info’.
One was to douse the insinuation that was rift in the entertainment industry then that he was dying of aids following his lean stature as a result of the colon illness due to his non-admittance as it is done elsewhere, that he is down with the non infectious disease.
Second was to see if help can come his way or if he can leverage on the story to get his large network of friends and fans including President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was still presiding over the affairs of Nigeria as at that time and whom he plays for regularly at his Ibogun country home during the xmas season, to come to his rescue.
But the day the story hit town, he was wrongly counseled; naysayers urged him to go after me, to report me to my superiors at Independent Newspapers and he fell for them. Pronto! He stormed the Ogba HQ of the media house on that sunny day with more that 10 entourage made up of Abu, his cousin; to them why must Charles of all people reveal such secret. One Miss Kemi Yusufu was detailed to hear him out and do a rebuttal as James Akpadem, who was the MD of Independent Newspapers then was of the opinion that I must not show face to prevent tempers from further escalating.
That was how a beautiful relationship with him ended. And few months after he denied of cancer of whatever type, Okosuns died in America and his remains was there for months while his immediate family and few friends sourced for fund to bring the corpse down home as it is a ‘taboo’ to bury an Esan man and a chief, for that matter, which Okosuns was, abroad.
