MY NEW ALBUM IS PRODUCED BY A TEN-TIME GRAMMY AWARDS WINNING PRODUCER

- SAMMIE OKPOSO

Call him the special one of the Nigerian gospel music genre and you won’t be making a mistake. Sammie Okposo is arguably the most successful gospel artiste from this part of the world in terms of general acceptance, awards and brand endorsements. He has been on the pay list of one of West Africa’s largest Telecoms Company, Glo, for years. He has won several awards in Nigeria and beyond. Sammie Okposo is Nigeria’s Kirk Franklin, he has pushed down walls to reach many people non Christians inclusive and that is his legacy. In this interview with PAS OBI, Sammie Okposo opens up on his forthcoming international album, the entertainment industry and the Boko Haram menace. Enjoy the excerpts:

Sammie Okposo where have you been

Where have I been? Well I have been working, getting my album ready and performing. I was also touring. I toured outside Nigeria twice last year, in October and December. My tours outside Africa are called Out Of Africa, it’s all about the redefinition of gospel music out of Africa, and the concept is geared towards exporting Nigerian gospel music outside Africa. So far I have done the concert in South Africa, London and America. Very soon we will take it to Canada and other parts of Europe. We came back and I have been working on my album, I have been working very hard because of the deal I have with TMG Records. TMG Records is based in Oklahoma, USA. There is a lot of pressure on me to make sure that the work comes out tight, I also had to employ the services of a ten-time Grammy Awards winning gospel producer based in America, Kelvin Bond. Kelvin Bond has produced everybody and anybody that has a name in American gospel music genre, Yolanda Adams, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond name it. Now the album is ready and we are ready to unveil it on the 3^rd of August 2012 at the Shell Hall of Muson Centre, the concert will feature multiple awards winning gospel artiste Deitrick Haddon and A list gospel artistes and Comedians; the album is coming six years after my last album, No More Drama. The album will offer 26 solid tracks. God is about to make a statement because this is the first time a Nigerian artiste is getting a proper distribution network in main stream American market. I mean proper distribution network, we have heard a lot about people saying they have record label abroad but they have nothing to show for it, TMG is taking care of the American/Caribbean market while my company, Zamar Entertainment is taking care of the African market. After God makes His statement, I will make my own statement. This is the redefinition of music out of Africa. This is what I have been called to do; I am ready to dole it out. My fans have been fantastic! I have been getting countless mails. I have been releasing some singles on radio and TV, they go out to get the album and they can’t find it, I want to apologize to them and also tell them to get ready, come this August, the album, The Statement, will be available.

Let’s talk about the contract, when the album is released are you going to be allowed to reside in Nigeria or are you relocating like others

Of course I am going to be here in Nigeria. It’s their headache to distribute; all I am to do am doing now by producing. I am about to send them the master and send them the credit then they package and distribute. After the album is out, there will be of course a promotional tour of the United States and I will be travelling to do that. Whenever I am needed I will travel but it doesn’t change my base, I am not about to relocate to America. I am still here.

Now that you are about to take gospel music to the next level with a contract that provides the best of distribution network in America and the Caribbean, how are you going to tackle piracy in Nigeria?

Piracy, I have said over and over again is not something the artistes are going to just over come over night by themselves. If you take a look at any country that has a proper distribution network for music and movies, you will see that the government of that country is strongly involved. The government of that country is making money from the industry because they play their part. We can agonize, cry all we want, we cannot stop the pirates unless the government comes in because we cannot fight the pirates but the government can, unless the government rises up and says enough is enough there  is nothing we can do about it. It is a pity that the government of Nigeria does not even know how much it can make from the Nigerian entertainment industry. If they can just come in, do feasibility study on the kind of money they can make, they will be shock to know that they can make more money in entertainment than from Crude Oil. They need to come in, bring in their professional hands, put in structures and we are good to go. This is what I was saying they should have done first before throwing in the money President Jonathan threw in. People were shouting, O they have given us money and I said listen, how do you give people money to go and work in an industry that does not have any structure, how are they going to pay back that money? I take N20 million and do a movie in an industry that I cannot even control the sales of the movie, everything will become bad loan! Everybody will be in debt! What they should have done is take a chunk of that money and put structures in place first. How can we achieve that? Look at the countries that have done it, ask questions, how did you people do it; come in and help us to put structures in place for our industry. When there is structure, when there is proper distribution then the industry can grow and it’s only the government that can do that.

You have been a staunch Jonathan supporter, I’m sure you knew about the money…

No I didn’t, it came as a surprise package. I am sure that the President is the first to conjure the kind of massive support from the entertainment industry that he got during his presidential campaign since the beginning of the industry; I think he was just trying to find a way to better the industry and the Nigerian youths by making the money available. Now he has made the money available, he is thinking of other things but people need to go to him and say, Oga, thank you for this money but the best thing we need to do with this money is to put structures in place in the entertainment industry. Advisers this is where they come in, people who talk to him about what is on ground. So I was quite surprised when the President made that pronouncement. I don’t think any other president has ever made such statement. That is stage one, stage two, good structures must be put in place before this industry can fly. He needs to be advised. The practitioners that we have that are at the top needs to talk to them because some of us are still in the middle. I mean I was part of the campaign but I only saw him when it comes to making speech, I don’t have direct access to him in terms of speaking to him but with this kind of interviews, the people who can talk to him will know what we feel and take it to him and that is where it should start from, structure.

As a strong voice in the Nigerian Christian community, do you think that Christians’ retaliation against the Boko Haram bombing in the North is the way to go?

I do not think that retaliating is the way to go, as painful as it is. Yes in the bible we read that it was an eye for an eye but coming into the New Testament, the idea of an eye for an eye was abolished. I do not think you can use another wrong to right a wrong. Now don’t get me wrong, I am pained that lives are being taken. Let’s not even say Christian lives alone are taken because the life of a Christian and that of a Muslim are all human lives. My message is sheath your sword and let peace reign. If we can avoid being killed by leaving the area that are target, which is better than fighting back. As Christians we must not retaliate, let God fight for us and one day the one killing us will say these people we have been killing and they don’t retaliate don’t deserve this.

I AM QUITTING ACTING SOON- RAMSEY NOAH

I AM QUITTING ACTING SOON- RAMSEY NOAH

CALL HIM THE BAD BOY OF Nollywood and you would be just saying the obvious. This is the actor that has legally kissed the lips of most newly married Nollywood divas, Ini Edo, Stephanie Okereke, Oge Okoye, Mercy Johnson and the hottest Nollywood spinsters like Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Dominic, etc. one wonders what the husbands of the married stars feel when their friends talk about the romantic scenes done by their wives. Any ways that is the meat for another meal. This meal brings to you Ramsey Noah’s next move. Ramsey has said that he is retiring from acting for good! He said that he feels he has done his best as an actor and feels like taking up other challenges. You wonder what the new challenges are right. Ramsey Noah has declared directing his next destination. He is joining the likes of Kunle Afolayan, Jeta Amata to take Nollywood to its next level from the seat of a director. He said he wants to go behind the Camera so he can stop being the face but the brain of fantastic film works.

WHEN MIKEL OBI DASHED CLASSMATE N3 MILLION

WHEN MIKEL OBI DASHED CLASSMATE N3 MILLION

He just launched his foundation recently, The Mikel Obi Foundation. With which he intends to give back to the society that gave him so much. This is actually not the only charitable works he does; it’s only the official one. He we know is the highest paid Nigerian footballer living or dead! The 3^rd Nigerian footballer to ever win UEFA Championship trophy. Did you say he really has a lot to thank God for by giving out? Mikel Obi recently visited Jos since he is off club and national duties. Getting home, normally his child hood friends, classmates and family members gather to grab what they can but his particular occasion shocked the receiver. A class mate of Mikel’s came calling and after drinking, gisting and sharing personal experience, Mikel gave his friend a N3 Million cheque to step up in life. Now Nigeria is feeling another Kanu Nwankwo kind of player

MARRIED ACTRESSES SLEEP AROUND LIKE DOGS- SHAN GEORGE

MARRIED ACTRESSES SLEEP AROUND LIKE DOGS- SHAN GEORGE

She definitely needs no introductions. Shan George is one of those very controversial actresses in Nollywood. Shan George for some times now has not been in the main stream of happenings in Nollywood, her image has also been battered resulting from her love affairs with young lovers. This super star who got married at the tender age of 15 revealed that most married actresses in Nollywood are adulterers! In her words she says: ‘most married actresses in the industry sleep around like dogs and nobody is talking about it’. She went further to defend herself by saying that her previous marriages didn’t fail because of infidelity on her side. She said she was never caught by any of her husbands sleeping around.

I CAN’T REMARRY WITHOUT CHRISTY ESSIEN-IGBOKWE’S PERMISSION- EDWIN IGBOKWE

I CAN’T REMARRY WITHOUT CHRISTY ESSIEN-IGBOKWE’S PERMISSION- EDWIN IGBOKWE

Mr. Edwin Igbokwe is a former top staff of Punch Newspapers and husband to the late Nigerian Songstress, Christy Essien-Igbokwe, has carried on since his lovely wife passed away, PASCHAL OGE CHIKERO, spoke with him at the Christy Essien-Igbokwe Memorial Foundation about life after her death. Here are the shocking revelations.

Can you tell us how you have been able to adapt since your lovely wife, Christy Essien-Igbokwe left us?

It’s by God’s grace. I don’t know how else to put it because this is somebody I have lived with for over 30 years and for the greater part of our lives. You can imagine when there is a vacuum what do you expect? We were too close so I don’t I know how life will be without her if I am to live another 36 years without her.

I can see that you still wear your marriage ring, does it mean you don’t want to remarry

Well, remarry? I don’t know. This ring will remain there unless there is reason for it, it has to be spiritual and it has to come from her.

You are going to spiritual angle, does it mean that your marriage to her was super natural

Yes! It was because before we got married, she told me everything, how it will all happen. How many kids and their genders. She also told me exactly when she will die; she said it will be at the middle of the year. When she told me initially I took her serious because I know how powerful she is spiritually then I said God I don’t want this woman to pass away just like that. After few years it didn’t occur to me again but when it happened I remembered what she had said.

The spiritual aspect of her life, didn’t it scare you people

I have come to live with it because at a point she told me she is a spirit! And I noticed it from every aspect. I am the one saying it but people won’t believe it but I know.

She said her last birth day was going to be a big one

Big one in terms of charity, she went round, that was the discussion between her and the kids. She went round houses. She told me there wouldn’t be publicity and I said how? She said ok watch and see what will happen that day. That day November 10 was the day they said there will be strike in the morning there was strike but by noon they said the strike was over but she had already gone round to do what she wanted to do. She did so many things that if someone who did not know stay with her , the person will just get scared and run away. Most of the things she did people won’t believe.

Is this Christy Essien-Igbokwe Memorial Foundation the only thing the family is doing to immortalize her

This one the Festival of Love is totally from the Foundation people. They told me about it and I gave them my blessing. I will continue to remember her on a daily basis.

A general description of your wife

She was what people knew her as. She was a spirit! She is somebody I know nobody will replace her.

WHY I AM CONTROVERSIAL- ANITA JOSEPH

WHY I AM CONTROVERSIAL- ANITA JOSEPH She definitely is among the list of the very controversial Nollywood elites whose gorgeous looks make men run after them. They make watching Nollywood films interesting with their beauty. In this interview with PAS OBI, Anita Joseph opens up on what she has been doing and why she is a controversial figure. Enjoy What have you been up to lately? I have been working on my songs. My album is coming out pretty soon but I don’t know when but definitely before Christmas. We have heard a lot about this album, it’s taking so long why You know I do movies too. I work here and I work there. It’s not been easy. Now I am concentrating on completing my album and then start working on my movies again. You have been saying a lot about working on location, how many movies do you have in the market now I have My Prince and Princesses, I have Loyal To The Royalty, I have Cucumber, I have Enemies Of Progress, I have Lets Dance, I have Best Dancer, Touch Not My Crown, Imo On The Run, I have Festival Of Madness, I have Under My Bed, I have Open And Close….I have a lot in the market. Why is Anita Joseph Controversial? I don’t know… I put it to you that you know How do you mean I know? You are the one initiating the controversies How do you mean There is no controversy that is not emanating from what you did See I want to understand what you mean because some time people will say something some of you will go and write another. Don’t go and write anything because if I catch you (General laughter). My being controversial? Well I don’t know. May be it’s my nature. If I smile, Anita’s smile is controversial. As you see me now what I am wearing is cool but they will write, oh Anita what she wore oh this, oh that. Now I have shaved my hair…. Why did you scrape your hair? Okay I did a movie with this hair; it was a Mohawk before now I have shaved it. That is what I like, I just want to look different, I don’t like looking the way other people look and if you say you don’t like my hair then go and cut yours. You said you don’t like controversies but there are tattoos all over your body So is tattoo controversial? Well I like tattoos. Finally what is next for your musical career? I am dropping my album very soon. My single Go Gaga is doing well. So expect the album soon.
 Thanks

You welcome.

SAMSOM SIASIA'S PASTOR DIES DANA AIR CRASH

Former Super Eagle's coach, Samson Siasia, also known as Sia 1, is at the moment in grieve. Siasia whose family is a staunch member of the Utako branch of The Reedemed Evangelical Mission, TREM, Abuja, otherwise known as Vision House lost their darling Pastor and his wife in the Dana Air Plane crash! Reverend Ayodeji and Ngozi Cole left behind three lovely kids. This makes it the second time plane crash will claim the life of a servant of God.

FELA KILLED ONE MAN ,ONE WIFE!

Fela killed one man one wife,Wole Soyinka killed clean hair cut! IBB killed the power of the ballot box. Obj Killed ruling a nation once, YarAdua killed handing over power. Jo-Shocker killed fuel subsidy. Clifford Orji killed eating food. Eze Ego killed living a long and poor life. CharleyBoy and Denrele killed being sane. Tuface killed having kids from one woman. Dbanj and Don Jazzy killed long lasting partnership. Aki and Paw Paw killed growing up. Pas Obi killed foolishness! What about you?

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