My church will grow bigger if I become President----Pastor Kris Okotie

Pastor Kris Okotie

Pastor Kris Okotie, a law graduate of University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) founded the Household of God Church in 1987 after hitting the airwaves with his rare musical talent.

Okotie, born on June 16, 1959, has once again declared his intention to slug it out with other prominent Nigerians who are warming up to take control of Aso Rock next year. A member of Fresh Democratic Party (FRESH), the man of God said he has all it takes to govern the country and take it to the Promised Land.

In this interview with REPORTER, Michael Jegede, in Lagos, Okotie insisted that Nigerians must rise up to the challenge of doing away with the government of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2011 general elections. He equally dwells on other pertinent issues of national interest.

Why exactly do you want to become the president of this country?

Well, I have said this many times and I will like to say it once again. Ours is a divine mandate deriving from God’s desire to answer the prayers of the oppressed masses of this nation, who have cried out in pains, in agony and their cry have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabath like we see in the scripture and He has come down to deliver. Every system of oppression, every agency that violates man’s freedom and incapacitates and incarcerates him has always been dismantled by the instrumentality of the almighty God, and Nigeria will not be an exception. So that is part of the reasons outside of the love of the country and the fact that I identify with my people and their suffering and the marginalisation that has been going on for so many years.

The present democratic dispensation came into being in 1999, over 11 years ago. Do you feel that the people have not benefited much from democracy that you want to come out and make a difference?

Definitely! The whole system was hijacked by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and because they are like a business conglomerate that has incapacitated the Nigerian people and disenfranchise them, it has become needful for those who are progressives, who believe in the Nigerian experiment to come out and salvage our nation. What is worth doing is worth doing well. I believe that posterity will judge us harshly if we forsake Nigeria at this time of her greatest need. That is why I believe that Reverend Kris Okotie should come out to vanguard a process of redemption that is inevitable in the politics of our nation.

What has the PDP not done that you feel you will do under whatever platform you emerge as the president of the country?

The PDP hasn’t done anything. Outside of the years of Olusegun Obasanjo, particularly in his last term, the PDP has done nothing. I believe that the Obasanjo leadership set the pace, such that if subsequent government had built upon what he had established, there would have been hope for this nation. But because you have a group of people who do not have any ideological connectivity and a disjointed assemblage of men and women with antithetical political philosophy, they have shown themselves to be incapable of ensuring continuity. And since their common denominator is just to amass wealth, which is why you have seen that it is just business as usual. Grab as much as you can is their philosophy. And that is why we cannot even begin to say that they have anything because really nothing has happened. The development of our nation has stagnated. We have been working, perambulating in the wilderness of retrogression. There has been no cohesion, no inspiration. To my mind, it has been a journey in futility.

Would I be correct to say that you are giving some level of credit to the Obasanjo administration, which has been widely condemned by the generality of Nigerians?

I believe that General Olusegun Obasanjo set the pace in the war against corruption and he had a blueprint, economic blueprint that if (late President Umaru) Yar’Adua had accepted, he would have set Nigeria on the right path. But because the politics of the PDP is fragmented and polarised, they do not see themselves as a cohesive unit. There are too many fragments within the PDP and as such when Yar’Adua took over, rather then building on the foundation of Obasanjo, with all due respect, he resorted to vindictive purposelessness and the dismantling of structures that have been there to see Nigeria to the next level.

You are contesting on the platform of FRESH; what is the strength of the party at the moment?

We cannot compare to the PDP. There is no doubt about that because PDP is a behemoth. It is a gargantuan body. It is leviathan compared to us. But the thing about the Fresh Democratic Party is that it presents a platform for the articulation of the grievances of the people. We ventilate their need and so we believe that even though we do not have the structures compared to PDP, our greatest advantage is the discontent and the disenchantment of the Nigerian people as far as the present administration is concerned. And so we believe that as a foundation, we can actually bring a new government in place because the Nigerian people are with us.

Since you are talking about becoming president, have you really done a wider consultation and do you not think that it is important to ensure that you carry your campaign to all parts of the country, instead of limiting yourself to Lagos and Abuja?

I have done a wider consultation. I have been to the six geopolitical zones. I have met various groups of Nigerians who are concerned about the present state of affairs in our nation. Whether you are in the north or in the south or in the west, our problems unite us. There is no food on the table. There is no electricity. Social infrastructure is nil. Educational system is down. Health is moribund. There is nothing going on. What we are seeing is what I call the political dramaturgy of the PDP.

At the moment do you have structure that cuts across the country?

We do. But that is not what is going to help the situation. I want to make it abundantly clear that we do not see the Fresh Democratic Party competing with the PDP. To say that is to abound a comprehensive failure. What we are saying is that the Supreme Being that is the Almighty God who governs the affairs of men, who has instituted law and order as to how men ought to be governed, and PDP has found itself wanting and the handwriting is on the wall that their time of occupation has come to an end. I believe that through the agency of the Almighty God, this oppressive machinery that has been put in place will be dismantled. And if you looked at the government of Nigeria in tandem, you will see that what I am saying is not in question. How did former President Olusegun Obasanjo become president? How did late President Yar’Adua become president? How did President Jonathan become President? They were not things that any political prognosis would have been able to capture. At the time that Obasanjo was incarcerated there is no one who had any prognosis politically that will say well, in a few months from now, a year from today this man is going to be the head of state. So, I am saying that I believe that the PDP has failed in its responsibility to govern Nigeria and Nigeria is greater than a group of men and women. And that is why I am saying that in the days ahead we are going to see a systematic dismantling of this political party.

If peradventure you become the president, what will happen to the Household of God Church?

Oh! It will be a bigger ministry. Wouldn’t you like to go to the president’s church? It will just create a wider platform, a more visible platform because in this New Testament age God expects us to operate in the church and hold secular offices as well. That is why everybody ordained Christian who is a priest today has some secular work they do. Whereas, in the Old Testament once you are a priest, your activities are restricted to temple. But there is a new priesthood, which enables us to serve in the church and hold secular offices. So, it is a very unique period in the revolution of the church. So, my emergence as the president of our great country will only enhance our ministry.

How would you react to the kidnap of some Executives members of Lagos State Council of the Nigerian Union Journalists (NUJ) in Abia State? What does it tell about the level of insecurity in the country?

Well, if you ask me, I will say it is the political ineptitude on the part of the PDP-led Federal Government. When you have people who do not understand the convolution involved in governance of a state that is as multifarious in terms of ethnicity and religion like what we have in Nigeria, this is certainly the result you are likely to get. There is no connectivity ideologically in the PDP. They are just a business conglomerate. They are only interested in the mercantile aspect of politics. They are not interested in good governance. The welfare and security of the people they claim to be governing are of no importance to them. That is why we have this sustained state of social neglect. You don’t need to study rocket science to provide security for the people. There is a disconnection between the people and the government. That is why you can have journalists at that level of authority being kidnapped and government has no answer.

What is your perception on the issue of zoning of the presidency?

It is a partisan political contraption that has no relevance to the Nigerian people because it is not in the Constitution. So, if a political party like the PDP that has been characterised by perfidy and mendacity takes upon itself extra constitutional measures within the organisation of their own party, to my mind that is their own business. I want to say that history, posterity will come together to judge what is going on in Nigeria. There are some eminent Nigerians within the PDP who ought at this point in the evolution of our nation to stand up to oppose the aberration and abnormality that we are seeing in that party. And I am hoping that when the time comes these men who have shown themselves to be such great men will come against their political party for the sake of saving this nation. This is because if these ones within the party don’t stand up against the plan of some of these PDP members, this nation is going to go under and God is going to hold them responsible. There are so many of them within the PDP. Today, they ought to be what I describe as living ancestors of our political genealogy to make sure that there is continuity in our nation. And the responsibility comes upon such men to stand now for our nation and not to be swallowed by the vortex of the confusion in PDP to stand aside and take a stand and say that we will not accept and make sure that Nigeria get a wholesome leadership in 2011 even if it is against there political party because they owe it to Nigerians. Most of them are what they are today because of this country. And they owe it to this nation.

Jonathan has assured that he is going to do everything possible to give Nigerians a free and fair election in 2011. Do you believe his words?

With all due respect to the President, who is also my kinsman because we come from the same zone. To my mind that is just political rhetoric. He does not even have the capacity nor does he understand the convolution and complexity. He just came in. He was excluded from the active duty of the member of the cabinet, while Yar’Adua was in charge. So, I think he needs time to study the mess that is in government before making such statement. Because, to my mind, it is absolutely impossible within the period of time that is left for him to organise things in such a way that we can truly have free and fair elections and all of the laudable things they are suggesting that they can do. It is impossible and time will prove it. Mightier men than him who have been in position of authority have not been able to achieve what he is aiming at. I still believe that if President Olusegun Obasanjo couldn’t do some of these things, there is hardly anyone from within the PDP who can do any of those things.

The northerners seem to be bent on ensuring that power remains in the north till 2015. Do you see northerners voting for you in the next election?

Yes, I do.

What gives you that conviction?

I am convinced the north will vote for me because I know they know who Reverend Kris Okotie is. I virtually grew up before them. In 1981, I became a recording artiste. There were lots and lots of our friends and brothers in the north who embraced my music. And they know my worth as well. In the past 30 years or so I have been in the limelight and they have observed me. I am very sure that if you go up north and ask them about me and they will tell you what they think about Reverend Okotie. One thing about the north is that they are more transparent in terms of honesty more than some of us here in the south because here we are more diplomatic. You ask a question, they will rigmarole and they will never say yes or no. But up there, you are more likely to find a yes, when it is a yes and a no, when it is a no. So, I believe that if you place Reverend Kris Okotie beside Jonathan and ask people of integrity that of these two men, which one will prefer to take, I am absolutely confident that a greater majority will say Reverend Kris Okotie because they know me well. If I say yes, it is yes and if I say no it is no, and I have no score to settle with anybody. I am doing this basically because I love this country and because the Lord has asked me to do it. So, it is sacrifice on my part. That is why I have never joined the PDP. If I was looking for political power, I would have joined them. But because I will not compromise philosophy and my understanding of governance, I have stayed outside of that political party.

A number of prominent Nigerians like Atiku Abubakar and Orji Uzor Kalu who left PDP and became major critics of the party have returned. What does it tell about the kind of politics we practice in Nigeria? Do you think the Nigerian electorate can trust the words of those in the political class anymore?

It is difficult to say because of the present arrangement. I will say that those of them who want to help Nigeria, who desire to see Nigeria become great will have to go back to the PDP because that is the only way they can assess what is going on in that party. Because if the progressives within the PDP exit the PDP, what you are going to have is something that will be so inimical to our existence that Nigeria will fizzle out in no time. But I think that if they are going to resist certain aberrations within the PDP, then they are better strengthened being members of the party than being outside of the party. It depends on why they are going back there. But I think that with the crisis that is before Nigeria today, all who have connection to the PDP should get back there. That is my thinking, so that they can help to stop Nigeria from plunging from the edge of the precipice. If that is the strategy, then it makes sense. It does make sense because you can’t fight the party outside of the party. It is always better to be within the party. So, I am expecting that some of these progressives who are back in the party will garner enough influence to say no to the enthronement of a new colonialist propensity that we have seen within the PDP. I am hoping that these men and women who are within the party can bring forth a renaissance in our nation so that in 2011, it will be a war within the party for the survival of our nation. That is how I see it.

What would be your candid advice to the Nigerian youths in terms of political violence and thuggery as we approach the 2011 general elections?

Number one, any young man who allows himself to be used by an unscrupulous politician is foolish because the only use they have for that person is within an election period after which they don’t even care whether he exists or not. So, I just hope that they have learnt a lesson from that. But basically, there are three areas. I call them the tripartite coalition of evil responsible for the state of politics in our nation. The first will be mysticism. Then you have elitism. And then you have Satanism. This is what I call the tripartite coalition of evil responsible for the state of politics in Nigeria. Now, mysticism derives from the situation where some people have built a mischief around them that without them nothing can happen and have created an impression in the minds of Nigerian people that if they do not go along with a political party or an individual that person is doomed to fail. These ones must be demystified, just like we are seeing in Edo State. Elitism, the elite, these are the ones who have arrogated for themselves a natural representation for the people. They feel that they represent the Nigerian people. So, they decide what direction, which party, who is going to be governor even though they are not democratically elected. These ones have to be made to realise that elitism is a medieval concept and has no place in the 21st century democracy. The third one is what I call Satanism and that is where it comes to violence. These are the ones who foment trouble. Once they recognise that their wishes are not being met, they create a state of emergency, just like that person that used to be in Ibadan. These men will take ballot boxes in their hands. The police can’t arrest them. Nobody can talk to them because if you do there will be violence. So, these are the adversaries. That is why I call it Satanism. And until they are made to understand that nobody is above the law, and that they must subject themselves to the Constitution of this nation, there will continue to be breakdown of law and order. And so once we can eradicate mysticism, elitism and Satanism, we have a better atmosphere that will be conducive for election, and even free and fair election.

As a man of God, what do you foresee for the 2011 general elections?

This is what I see. I see God, Almighty God stepping in, what we popularly know as Divine intervention. I see God and God alone stepping in to salvage the Nigerian state. I see the weakness of the Nigerian people that they are unable to fight against the political party known as the PDP that held them in slavery and political captivity. That has marginalised, impoverished them, repressed and suppressed them. And I see God responding to the cry of the weak, and coming down to salvage the Nigerian people, to save them from this kind of draconian leadership of the PDP. In 2011, I believe that there will be an implosion within the PDP that it will be so fragmented and polarised and bulcanised that it will not survive thereafter. And that out of this hardships will rise a new Nigeria. The political cynicism, the reawakening and reminiscence of the Nigerian people so that we can become what have been created to be as a great nation amongst the comity of nations so that Nigeria can take her rightful place. With people like me in the vanguard of this process, I believe there is a great day ahead for Nigeria.






Story by Michael Jegede

Why I took-on Reuben Abati–Banky W

If you call him the new sensation ,you may not be wrong. Call him the newest success story in entertainment in Nigeria, you won’t be wrong either. Banky Wright has definitely made an impression on the Nigerian entertainment scene. You know what ladies?

The multi-talented Industrial Engineer and showbiz maestro is available and sizzling. Read all about it in this interview he granted Samuel Olatunji. Excerpts:

I’m sure you must have heard this. That Banky W just came like that and “blew people’s minds” like that. Is that correct?
I think the truth of the matter is, there are very rare instances in this business , when you see somebody that is successful and describe him as an upstart. What a lot of people don’t know is that , I have actually been in music professionally since 2002 and this is 2010.

So it has taken me 8 to 10 years to get to where I am now . Like anything, you have to pay your dues, you have to go through your rough times. The thing about my kind of music, is you have to do it for the love of it for many years before you’re successful. Yes , some people in Nigeria probably knew when I moved back home, but the fact is, I’ve been working on it for a very long time. If I didn’t put in all those years , I wouldn’t be where I am now. But I thank God.

How was it when you came to Nigeria?
It was okay. I was studying Industrial Engineering in the United States. It was while I was in the university that I started to record for the purpose of releasing an album. It just kind of grew from that point slowly but surely . We thank God and we thank the fans because without God and the fans, we won’t be where we are today.
I learnt Dele Momodu said once, when he saw you perform, that you have to leave that place and come to Nigeria.

Is that true?
I actually met a number of people prior to moving back to Nigeria including Kenny Ogungbe, 2face, Julius Agwu, and Basket Mouth. A bunch of people would come for events in the United States and because we performed in the same event , would call me afterwards and ask “what are you still doing here, you need to come to Nigeria where you should be”, but for me, it was a bit of a tough decision, because none of my immediate family lives in Nigeria. Everybody had kind of moved.

My parents live in another African country and my siblings live in the US. It was hard for me to say let me come back. You know Lagos is for the strong, Lagos is not for the weak at heart or for the unstable but in any case, I thank God for everybody, because they gave me encouragement. People were coming to me from Nigeria and saying “…you know what, guy this thing go make sense for Naija and you know we are there now”.

What did you do when you came to Nigeria? Did you do things differently?
I can’t be Terry G, I can’t be D’banj, I can’t be Psquare. On my best day, I can try. I can imitate, I can do whatever, but I still will not be as good as D’banj and guess what? D’ banj can not say you dey do me wrong, because that is me. I think the key is trying to be successful at being who you are. Even for the artists that I’ve signed-on, I look for people who are doing their own thing, who are being themselves in their genres , doing something other than just saying “oh pass me your love” is a radio hit.

It doesn’t work. So, for me, I knew from the word go that I’m an RnB artist and that is what I will always be. I rap every now and then, but you know I’m Banky W and I’m okay with who I am and I guess my fans are okay with who I am too. So that is how it has always been and that’s how it will always be. That’s part of the reason why I’m successful and I’m thankful to God and to my fans.

So what should we expect before 2010 runs-out?
2010 is almost over, so I think we will try and finish strong as a company. As EME. Actually this month, we are shooting a couple of videos from The W experience album , because the first two songs, Strong thing and Lagos party did very well and they helped the album do very well . We want to show people some other parts of the album they don’t know yet and we have some excellent and talented new artists we are working on . We are producing their albums.

We are shooting Wisky’s video this month as well and then CO’s video will follow. We just want to kind of finish the year on a very strong note by the grace of God and then we can go into 2011 and properly launch their careers. I don’t think I will do another solo album until maybe towards the end of next year, because now, I want to kind of focus on collaboration. For instance on my two new artists and help them get to where I feel they need to be and then I will come out with another solo album.

So are you still pushing “Strong thing”?
Well Strong Thing has done very well. People still love it and we thank God for that. But we are going to be shooting some other videos from the album like No be lie, Omoge you too much. We will try to do videos from some other songs that people love.

Why don’t you just pitch your tent beside somebody who already has a structure and avoid all that stress?
That’s an interesting question. The thing is , I was never satisfied with pitching my tent with just anybody . You have to share your pie with that person . I always had a vision of where I wanted myself and my company to be and I kind of felt like I can never achieve it, if I do it alone or without people of like mind or signing with another record label that was already established.

It made sense to us from day one when we started EME Records in 2002 and till now, my manager and I are also business partners. We have a vision of where we are going, but we are nowhere close to it. It is important to us to really work on our vision than to just latch-unto someone else’s vision. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s just not something right for us. I think we have made the right move, despite the fact that it is more stressful and more expensive. We’ve come a long way and I’m so grateful to God for that.

When did you move to Nigeria?
February 2008.

Two years now, and you are a multimillionaire?
You know I can’t answer that kind of question.

But you are a multimillionaire?
I receive it in Jesus name (laughs)

Is it true that when ladies see Banky W, they’re wowed?
I don’t know. Maybe you have to come to my next show and see for yourself, (laughs).I’m grateful to God for the love and attention that I get from fans. Of course it’s a plus too , because I know R and B obviously takes the ladies to some ecstatic level and it elicits some vibes from them.

The important thing is for me to maintain a level head and focus on my goals, because it is very easy to get lost in the height of everything . I thank God for my family and my up-bringing. That helps me stay focused. My associates are also important.

How has 2010 been for you?
It has probably been one of my best years ever. It’s been an incredible year and I’m grateful to God for everything I’ve been able to do this year . I think it’s just going to get better by the grace of God. 2010 has been excellent.

So, why did you take on Reuben Abati?
I did that, because fundamentally I think it is important for young people to speak-up and to stand up for what they feel is right. Let your voice be heard. I think that is the way Nigeria will change. The days of just sitting-by and letting anybody do whatever they want are gone.

I think we need to, kind of, take the power back as young people. Any change that has happened in history occurred because some set of young people or young at heart stood up for themselves, for their country and for what they believed in. Of course Uncle Abati is a respected and renowned writer , but in this instance, in my opinion, he’s wrong and he was speaking on things he is not necessarily knowledgeable about.

He was contradicting himself and bringing up examples that were contradicting the point that he was trying to make. His article actually inspired me to speak. I was like, you know what, you said this but this is actually the case and I thank God that I’m not the only artist that spoke-up. Eldee also wrote something, Rooftop MCs also wrote something and young Nigerians around the world spoke-up for what we thought was right and we’ve met and we’ve discussed, so there is no beef.

I call him Uncle Reuben and he respected what I did .I think going forward is important for us to keep that mindset of if you don’t like something, say something about it. Do something; don’t just sit down and be like, oh, whatever. I felt it would be wrong for me to sit there and not say anything especially when he mentioned me and my comrades and things that we’ve worked so hard on and tried to discredit us. There is no way you can say that and we’ll not voice out.

Is it true Steve or someone else wrote your article?
(Laughs) Well, I think you should talk to Steve himself. He knows me well . I don’t think he was surprised by my article because he knows the kind of person I’m and where I come from and my background . But he didn’t write the article . Anyone who doubts my writing ability can check out my blog at www.bankyw.blogspot.com. Sometimes, I write articles about serious matters like corruption, politics and all that, like I just wrote about my househelp whom I think was born to torture me. I write too. It’s one of the things I do and I enjoy it.

So how close are you to the Chocolate boys?
I have been fortunate enough in my music journey. I’ve met people who share my values and views about life generally. I think we are quite similar. In fact we are very similar … Jesse Jagz , Ice Prince and the whole Chocolate City family … we just kind of connected a long time ago and so we have been quite cool and tight and we have done things together in business and the musical end.

I thank God that we have prospered , because we’ve influenced each other . We have challenged each other and helped each other. I think if we were not in music and we happened to meet in any other setting , probably we would have ended up being friends, so I thank God for that kind of relationship, because you need such people around you.

When will Banky W get married?
I’ve answered this question before. Honestly I don’t know. I will get married when God gives me the right woman and the resources to take care of her and our children the way I want . Marriage is one of the most important decisions you can make in your life, because your partner will be with you till the day you die.

Your spouse may make your life a living hell and you’ll have to settle for a divorce or contemplate divorce and that is just the nightmare that nobody wants to experience . I would rather take my time and not rush into making a wrong choice . I also want to make myself a better man in all aspects of life, so when the right lady comes into my life, I would be able to take that step. I’m not shy about settling down. Whenever it happens, it happens. But since I don’t have the lady now, I’m just going to focus on myself and make myself a better man.

So, when will you have the lady when good ladies abound everywhere?
Well, it’s more complex than that. Marriage is more than somebody being pretty or somebody being able to cook or somebody going to church. It’s actually the combination of so many things and also has to align with where you are in your life because everybody has what they want to become in life. But trust me, when I feel it’s the right time, I won’t think twice. I will get married, but it’s just not time yet.

Has any woman taken advantage of you?
I don’t think “take advantage” of me is the right word. I think I’ve been quite vulnerable. I’ve been in love a number of times and may be the person offended me but I think everybody has been heartbroken or gone through that kind of situation where you are not happy and it maybe that you are the person that caused it. Nobody is perfect and we all go through these things, but I think life is about these experiences.

You know some people are lucky enough to know who their wife is. She may be first girlfriend that they dated. Some of us have to go through different relationships. You break a heart and someone breaks yours in return. Most people have gone through that and my case is not different. But it makes it sweeter when you meet the right person after you might have gone all through that. You will say this is the person I’ve been waiting for all along. So I’m praying to God that will be my experience.

But why don’t guys want to marry earlier nowadays?
I don’t know about that. I can speak only for myself and like I said before, I am not opposed to it . When I feel it is the right time I will get married . You need to get to that point and I am not there yet and I think it is more important for you to wait to make the right decision than for you to rush because you want to do it. Eventually you realise after you’re married that you made the wrong decision and then you are stuck with it or you want to back-out which nobody wants to do. So I would rather do what I am doing now.

There are situations where some ladies will say to an artiste “I will get down with you at any cost”. How do you handle that? Do you just pray, run away or get down and play it safe?
Well, I think the important thing is to keep a level head and be focused. Because of the nature of our business , it is very easy to be distracted by unwanted attention of this kind. For me, yes , there are women out there who will want to get down with you at any cost as you put it, but I think the most important thing is to stay focused.

I don’t think I’m where I want to be and I don’t think my company is where I want it to be. Those are the things that I am looking at. So, as long as you stay focussed on your priorities and you surround yourself with people that help you stay focused, you will not get lost in distractions.

Let me put you on the spot .In a month, how many of your female fans want to get down with you?
I don’t know, you have to ask my female fans.

Unfortunately I don’t know them?
Then you won’t get an answer to that question.

Okay, how many of them do you get down with?
None! Zero! (Chuckles) I want to leave as a no comment.

How do you differentiate between a woman who is attracted to you because of money or fame and one who genuinely loves you?
Well, that is a question that I honestly can’t answer well, because I am still trying to figure that out. The truth of the matter is that anybody who meets me today already sees me as successful, so that is something I am still trying to figure out. When I figure that out , I will get married. It is something that I don’t know how to handle yet. I think the best situation would have been to marry somebody that I dated from when I was 18 but since I didn’t do that, you know you pray and you try to be discerning in the things you do. You pray that God guides you to the right person.

When did you start dating?
I don’t know o. When I was very young, I suppose.

I know someone who is ready to swear that you and Kel had something together?
That’s very funny. The funniest thing is that, Kel is like my baby sister. She has never been my girl. In fact you know Metal, the company that Kel and Osagie own, works for EME and we have an interest in Metal. So we’ve had a working relationship for a very long time so much so that Kel and Osagie are like my junior sisters. It’s like they can come and tell me the people they are dating, the issues they have…

You know, it’s like I am the big brother of the crew. So, I have never had anything to do with Kel. But the funny thing was that when we started we always thought people would think we had something going-on with each other, so we did a video shoot to be suggestive, but it never amounted to anything. So when we gave up on it was when the speculations started.

So who have you dated in the industry?
I have not dated anybody in the industry. I have never dated an artist or an actress.

But very soon you will…?
Do you have an actress for me?
What does the future hold for Banky W?
Hopefully great things. Hopefully much success in music and outside music. It is as God gives me grace and as fans continue to accept what I do.

Who else would you love to do a collabo with?
Well, I’m actually in the process of doing a lot more now. I am doing stuffs for Sultan, and 9ice for instance.

Give us a glimpse of what to expect from you and 9ice…?
Oh, it’s a very good song. It’s a different kind of song and I don’t think people will be expecting it but I am excited about it . I will collabo with anybody that is making great music. I love great music. I buy CDs of artists that do great music. I don’t accept CDs from people. I buy and I listen to them. If you do great music, I will love to do a collabo with you.


Story by Samuel Olatunji
Source: www.nigeriafilms.com