BULL'S EYE BY JOSEPH EDGAR- OJB JEZEREEL: THE TRAGEDY OF BEING A CELEBRITY

JOSEPH SAMPSON EDGAR

Now as usual, I will toe the other line. I will take a minority position. For the last one or two weeks, we have been daily assailed by the travails our lovely producer has been going through with his health. I have read that he has issues with his Kidney and needs urgently the sum of N15million to get treatment. All his colleagues have been rallying around him. One, I read even drove a N15m jeep to go make her own donation. At the last count, Don Jazzy, Psquare and Iyanya have all contributed to the Fund. It is slowly but surely grinding into a platform for publicity hungry ‘celebutants.

 

Forgive me, if I as much as I try refuse to be emotional with OJB’s plight. This should not be taken personal at all.  I have nothing against the young man, I have him in my prayers on a daily basis and really wish that he would raise all the money and get his health back. He still has a lot to give to us.

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I feel like this is a shame. Shame on our ‘stars’, shame on the system that encourages flippancy, shame on people that fate and talent have given a lift above the millions who die daily from lack of meager resources to treat even the simplest of diseases and yet die unnoticed.

What is the use of releasing one album, make all the money in 6 months that the rest of us can only dream of, then squandering the money on drinks, cars and loose women and end up in penury and the slightest illness, we see appeals, begging for Funds to treat themselves.  This to me is wicked. What of the millions who are dying from dysentery, cholera and malaria. The millions, who in all their lives have never earned N50,000.00 but who have to struggle to heal themselves. Who launches appeals for them, where are the so called stars who will run to their aids, where is the media, where are the Bloggers. All these should end.

People especially our “stars’ should learn how to manage their temporary wealth, so that they do not disturb our peace when they fall on illluck, which usually comes when they are no longer reigning. From Enebeli Enebuwa, to Sam Loco and now OJB, it’s the same story. Massive talent, wealth, squandering opportunities, ill-health and now appeals for donations.  All these should end abeg.

I once sat with Tony Okoroji , the ex-president of PMAN. He now runs a collection society. I begged him to consider a Trust Fund for these artistes. A fund that would take just 5% of their incomes and manage for them so that when the music stopped, they would have something to fall back on. Na lie, the man just looked me, like say I be leper. From Charly Boy to Segun Arinze, to Fred Amata to Obi Asika to Fiberesinma all turned me down. Only Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, that visceral amazon, who saw what I was talking about and worked assiduously with me to launch the Artiste Fund, which pitiably crashed due to the infighting and shallowness of what is today's Nollywood.

Some childish Artists just spent N30m on two cars. I laugh. He sings bubble-gum music. A genre that has no longevity. In another five years, if he is lucky to reign that long, a new style will emerge and he will stop reigning and at the point the music will end. If he has not planned well, we will start seeing appeals and launching when he comes down with chicken-pox. Meanwhile, when he was reigning, he was spending money like it was running out.

Abeg, there are real people looking for this kind of attention. People who have never in their lives seen good fortune and who are dying simply because they cannot afford the salt and sugar solution needed to keep their kids alive.

A word is enough for the wise. I don talk my own.

Bull's eye is written by Joseph Sampson Edgar. Every thing written are his own words and personal opinions. 

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