From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
Popular Nigerian born Fuji maestro, Agba-Akin Abobagunwa of Yorubaland, Alhaji Abass Akande, aka Obesere has denounced insinuations from some quarters that he may be nursing grudges against some of his colleagues in the Nigerian entertainment/music industry. Obesere said anyone nursing such thoughts or being fed with such rumour should perish the thought.
The Fuji crooner, who has been in the mainstream of the Nigerian entertainment industry for almost four decades now since he shot into limelight in the early 1990s with his highly successful Omo rapala album brand, said he loves everyone and would never join others to promote enemnity among musicians, particularly up coming Artistes.
The Fuji maestro spoke on other matters weaved around his soaring fame as a Fuji don and upwardly mobile career as an entertainer. Excerpts:
There is this disturbing rumour about you sir. It is that you sometimes you snub colleagues because you have been highly successful and may not want to relate with some of them. A case cited to us was your absence at the wedding of Pasuma’s daughter recently. what is your take sir?
I am not an enemy of anybody and l can never be. I was created to make people happy, forget their sorrows and be merry so how can l hate or dislike anyone?. I am a lover and promoter of every one who come my way. I do not nurse grudges against anyone, even those who offended me. I leave everything to the Almighty God. In fact, l do not remember if there is anyone who has offended me and l cannot categorically say l have offended anyone. This is true because l am always very courteous and careful with people. And l am always giving everyone his or her own regard, no matter how lowly placed or how young.
A prominent Lagosian, Alh. Milaco,
and some other eminent people lately accused me of not attending Alh. Ajibola Odetola Pasuma daughter’s wedding. And this wasn’t my own fault. It was simply for the fact that l was never invited. And because I am a very straightforward person, I immediately put a call through to Pasuma’s manager, Mr. Mattew Ididowo, to absolve myself of the allegations and the Manager confirmed that I wasn’t invited. Infact, I intentionally put the phone on speaker so that the person could hear him clearly. I’ve received several calls about this allegation which is very disturbing, but l am really grateful to God that l have been vindicated. I also like to pointedly put it on record that I’m not an enemy of progress for anyone and l will never be.
It has become a public knowledge that you have been using your own resources to drum very huge support for the presidential ambition of the national leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. You have spent on various platforms on the social media to campaign and amplify the voices of others supporting him. Why are you doing this?
Truth is that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed is the best presidential candidate for Nigeria at all times. We know his antecedents. A very good and handy example is how he had turned Lagos State from a slum into a mega city. Asiwaju is born to lead and he is a maker of men and women. There is no part of this nation that has not had very substantial number of people that Asiwaju has made.
If you know the history of Lagos some years before he became the Governor of the state, our dear Lagos was just a slum with great potentials to be a World Trade Center and a mega city. Asiwaju turned that slum into a city and he laid the foundation for the thriving economic growth and developmental strides of Lagos today.
Today, Lagos alone generates over half of what Nigeria earns in terms of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) thanks to Asiwaju. He paraded the best brains and technocrat when he was governor and even made some of them to become governors after him.
He is a technorat and a very influential and experienced politician. Some said the north didn’t like Asiwaju and l laughed heartily when l heard that because as much as l know, the north loves Asiwaju so much because he has been very good to them.
So, Asiwaju remains the best man for the job. This is why l have personally been spending my money to campaign for him on the social media and in other fora because l know that his becoming the President will make Nigeria very great and the common man to enjoy great comfort. Asiwaju is the most competent to be our President. Mind you, he has not personally spent for me to promote this agenda but I have taken it upon myself to do so because l know if he becomes the President , Nigeria will be great again.
For some time now, you have been performing more for the Yoruba Obas and other monarchs. You have been doing this more than other muscicians in the local music industry, what is the success story behind this sir?
First of all, my music is very rich in culture, particularly the Yoruba culture. That endeared the Obas to me. Also, these monarchs love my music and they love to invite me to perform for them. A music that is rich in our culture and tradition is the authentic African music. And the monarchs love originality and creativity. My music exudes these alluring features and this is why the Obas love it. I am sure even you, the journalists, also love originality in music (smiles).