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speak in tongue. At that time, I never knew what that meant nor did I know it would one day become what it is today. " Speaking in tongues has been since then but not as laughable as it has become today. I became so popular in the church that if I did not sing on a Sunday, many people would bombard me with questions. Later, I joined the choir where I began to write songs.

Songs on vinyl
“I never had the ambition of recording because it did not have meaning to me. But in 1985 at Good Shepherd Church, Ring Road, Ibadan, I did a song Sioni Ilu Ayo, Jerusalem Ilu Ogo. When I sang the song in the church, it touched multitudes and I was also spiritually overwhelmed.

“What followed this were prophecies from different places that I would make a record out of the song and I would also work for God. These had no meaning to me. I was told to go and release an album but my finances were hardly adequate. But prophecies continued that the song would win souls and go places just as my name too would also go places. Still, this had no meaning to me.

“In 1986/87, God began to manifest Himself to me in dreams. I would find myself in a big gathering like the stadium where people would be watching me on TV. That did not convince me still because I felt I was not cut out for such controversial future. I was not impressed by such inclinations because of the controversies some female musicians were involved in then.

“But in 1988, the Lord said I just must do it. I had to discuss with my family and we changed our minds to proceed with the recording of my first album, using Sioni Ilu Ogo as the principal track. I composed songs like Ope ye Jesu Olore 3x Baba ma se o, Olore. After these compositions, I was faced with the financial challenge of releasing the song. My husband, who was then the Editor of Sunday Sketch knew some musicians, one of whom King Sunny Ade, (KSA) incidentally enough, is a native of my town. We thought that for these reasons he should be of help.

“Having listened to the album, KSA commended me for my voice and the message. He promised to back me up with his band and introduce me to Mut Muksons, a prominent music promoter, to release the album. But as a busy man, he said he wouldn't be able to predict his movement. Immediately we left him, I warned my husband that it would be indecent for me to be looking for KSA all over Lagos. So my husband went to Ebenezer Obey who said I should see him.

“One thing impressed me about Ebenezer Obey, on the day I was to see him, I met the Entertainment Editor of Sketch at Osodi, Lagos. He told me he was coming from Obey's office and that Obey, who was to travel that day was in his office waiting for me. I had thought many musicians are not organised but Obey is different. When I met him, he was impressed by Sioni Ilu Ayo, which he said was going to be a hit. He then took me to his studio where we recorded the album with his band backing me. If you listen to the album, his Inter Reformers melody is distinct in the album.

“After the recording, I heard nothing from Obey. It bothered me so much and when I approached him, he said he was watching the market so as to know the apposite time to release. This was unclear to me. I felt angry at a stage and I went to him to return my tape. But Obey is a gentleman to the core. He pacified me that the market has to be observed before any release could be made.

“Later in 1989, the album was released on his Decross label. When it was released, I never believed what came after. Many people came to sketch to harass my husband. Impressed was the Oni of Ife who then single-handedly sponsored the video complement. The most expensive video then cost N5, 000.

Inspiration behind Mo Gbo Ipe Olorun (Divine Call)
“Most of my songs come to me in dreams. The instruction to release the Divine Call album came when I was dozing in the car along Lagos-Ibadan Express Road. God further instructed me to search the Bible on those He called to higher duties. That was how I added the bit on Abraham and Noah. The Lesson in the album is that people should hearken to the voice of God.

Gospel music now and then
“Technologically, we have improved, but our lyrics and creativity are at their lowest. Most people are doing the same thing. The language and lyrics are no longer strong and spiritual. On many occasions I have been called to talk to our people on what they sing but I know I have to be careful so as not to be seen as discouraging them or being envious.

“There are some gospel lyrics that are good arsenals of abuse in polygamous homes. Such songs would help you abuse your rival thoroughly. It would help you cast spells on your rivals. I have heard an album with lyrics “may my enemy suffer dysentery and inability to urinate. May he remain incurable by the most potent drug”. This is most unrepresentative of what gospel music should be.

As full time musician
“I had planned to retire immediately my first album was released. But when the information got to Prophet Obadare, he called me to ask if it was true. Was I being harassed in the office? I told him that though my salary was not sufficient and I was not getting any query, the job was so demanding that I had no time for the gospel again.

“Moreover, as the Principal Personnel Officer in charge of discipline in the ministry, I was very uncomfortable with my habit of getting to office at 9.00am on account of the gospel, when I should be there by 7.30. am

" However, the prophet counselled me to hold on. Coupled with this was that my bosses, Permanent Secretary, Commissioner, etc, were happy with me. They encouraged me to stay on. But in 1998, having put on certain number of years, I could not cope again, so I retired.

Does gospel music put food on your table?
“I bless God for His provisions. I always counsel these young musicians that they must be adequate in all they do because your personality, attitude, professionalism, dressing, etc will dictate the way you are treated. People remunerate you according to your standard.

“I am contented with what I get and how I'm treated. I am neither a businesswoman nor do I think I can go into business in a country like ours. Because a businesswoman must know how to lie, be full of tricks, etc, do things that are against the Bible. This is why those who say gospel music does not put food on their table resort to singing commercial gospel songs or entertainment lyrics, so that it can go to the hands of non-believers and make money.

Promoters dictating lyrics to gospel musicians
“At my level, no promoter dare dictate to me what to sing about. But the habit of dictating to musician what to sing was engendered by some government radio stations here in Nigeria.

The Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) based in Ibadan began this trend by banning the playing of gospel music on air except on Sundays through a circular pasted on their notice board. That is why you hear only Fuji music 24 hours. Please quote me on this.

“Some of us gospel musicians in Ibadan then approached the authorities of BCOS on this, after all BCOS was set up with taxpayers' money. If they must limit gospel songs to Sundays, then Fuji music, which is Islamic in orientation should also be limited to Fridays.

"When the gospel musicians couldn't get satisfactory answer from BCOS, they proceeded to the Deputy Governor who queried BCOS authorities. They denied ever banning gospel music, having removed the circular from their board. But unknown to them, the circular had gotten to our hands. They almost got away with this because eighty percent of BCOS staff are Muslims.

“So this banning has made some promoters to advise gospel musicians to remove Jesus and use God because God is generally and more acceptable since the paternity of Jesus as the Son of God is repugnant to Muslims!

Training in gospel music
“I will say God trained me. I use my natural voice and talent. My gift is divine. When I was to start, I did not look at anybody as a mentor. I never played any old songs. Before I knew Christ perfectly well, I appreciated the works of Miriam Makeba, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, etc. I observed the secular artistes a lot.

“But from what I see today, honesty and creativity, which we had then, are in short supply. I will advocate training for these new acts. They need to attend a lot of seminars on how to go about gospel music. Secular musicians could use any vulgar language to describe God or anybody but it will be odd to use his language in gospel songs. These young ones need a lot of counselling, re-orientation, training, etc.

Citadel Evangelical Ministry
“I minister mainly in songs. Gospel music is the most powerful medium in bringing people together. If your church has good equipment, good instrumentalists, and good singers, people will troop to your church. Abroad, people work throughout the week but once they found out that so so gospel musician is around, they are ready to wait till evening.

Churches often depend on gospel musicians to gather members but it has being said that many of these churches and pastors do not show proper appreciation in terms of honorarium.
“This is a valid observation. I will speak on what obtains both in Nigeria and Overseas. In Nigeria, our people like free things. When I started out, they'll bring a letter of invitation, some of which I obliged. Honestly, I'm always given honorarium, but in most cases, they are not sufficient to pay a quarter of the instrumentalists I took there.

“Those days some of them receive N200, N300. These days, instrumentalists ask for thousands before they come on stage with you, and the churches want full band. Things have changed from what it was then but as I earlier said, the manifestation of your standard and your personality dictate how you are treated.

“Abroad, things are better because they will always give honorarium. They will look at your standard and how you spiritually impact the congregation. Not that alone, they allow you to sell your tapes, CDs and put you in good hotel. The treatment is super abroad.

“One of the problems we face is that some people we regard as spiritual mentors or fathers in the church don't often take into consideration our schedules. Often, they call us at the last minute to minister in songs and you find us cancelling prior engagements to satisfy these personalities and on many occasions you don't care to take honorarium from them because they are your spiritual fathers.

“Even when they want to give, they give peanuts like N5000. How do you pay your band members? What about transport say from Ibadan to Akure? It's tough. It got to a stage in year 2002 that I told God that I wouldn't be running the ministry on charity or using money gotten from elsewhere to finance ministrations in churches.

Churches must be ready to pay for at least the transport of the band members or else, I won't have

anything to do with such invitations. But thank God today those things are changing especially amongst the Pentecostal churches who are showing great understanding. They are not doing badly.

What is your greatest challenge today?
“I want to settle down and do other things. The challenge here is the numerous trips I make abroad to spread the gospel through music. Meanwhile sitting in one place can't spread the gospel.

“My challenge now is to build a church for the Lord. He has been telling me this 10-15 years ago. So many prophecies had come that I have been ignoring the instructions of the Lord. Another is to build an excellent music school. I hope to do these things quickly but my challenge is I scarcely stay in Nigeria these days.

“Other challenges include getting people so support you when God gives you a mission to fulfil. However, I am coping with this challenge through the assistance I receive from my husband. There are further challenges from the children.

They ask for things you cannot afford because they hear your name here and there and see you travelling always. They ask you for money always, because so many people mill around them, calling them children of the wealthy.

" I always tell them that, we are only rich in the Lord. They should not compare themselves with the children of a former governor who were their classmates. I always told them that once you are in government, you don't spend your money again, but government money. So they should not compare our family with the governor's family. These are the challenges.

So many music ministers pray to travel abroad even for once, but here you are wanting to stay back. How richly blessed are you?

“I should say I am one of the luckiest amongst my peers in gospel music today. I have travelled to many parts of the world that now, I am tired of travelling. But I should say that only those who have not gone there always regard travelling as too special. Or may be, I should say that at the level I am now, there is nothing special about it. As a matter of fact, when I settle down, I want to go there once in a while.

“However, I acknowledge the fact that this is my time and I have to make the best use of it. Those who have not been there think we go there to pack dollars and pounds. It is not like that. The cold weather abroad is dangerous to my health. It gives me arthritis.

Travelling abroad never meant anything to me, because I did not plan to become a singer. My experience is that Nigeria is still the best place for us in all areas: weather, environment, e.t.c.