Some frontline artistes have reacted to
angry backlash from some members of the public over their alleged
refusal to lend a helping hand to ailing music producer and artiste, OJB
Jezreel.
OJB Jezreel, who produced Tuface’s
highly successful song, African Queen, is currently battling with a
kidney-related ailment and is reported to be in need of N16 million for a
kidney transplant. The social media have been awash with various
messages in the past few days, requesting help to raise the sum needed
to get him back on his feet.
Many Nigerians received BlackBerry
Messenger broadcast messages, Facebook updates, tweets, among others, on
social media, while the hashtag, #SaveOJBJezreel was also employed to
get the campaign into the hearts of Nigerians on Twitter.
But those whose social media platforms
were flooded with several requests for help wondered why OJB Jezreel’s
colleagues in the entertainment industry, many of who seem to be in
money, based on the luxurious lifestyles they lead, could not put heads
together to foot the bill.
READ MORE AFTER THE CUT
In this wise, a handful of them who were
taken aback by the development took to the social media to express
their disappointment. For instance, a BBM message that circulated last
week states, “If Wizkid can damage a N15m Porsche Panamera car in less
than two months; if D’Banj can put on a N3m suit just for a show; if
Davido can refer to a N10m endorsement deal as chicken change; if
PSquare can buy just a property for N400m, if Don Jazzy can pop a
$1.5Million champagne for just a bottle oo - and the many others, why
can’t they put heads together and donate just $100,000 (N15m) in just 24
hours? It’s obvious there’s beef in the industry. If all these big
artistes don’t save OJB Jezreel with their money, Sango kills anyone who goes to studio to produce ‘Tribute to OJB.’’’
Reacting to the backlash, Peter of the
Nigerian R and B duo, P Square, took to his Twitter account to inform
his over 300,000 fans on the social network he was not shying away from
helping him.
He tweeted, “OJB Jezreel, you’ve got our
support and prayers. We can’t afford to lose you. Thanks peeps for also
showing love for a brother.’’
In a similar fashion, Chief Executive
Officer, Mavin Records, Don Jazzy, urges his Twitter fans never to wait
for his co-celebrities before they donate to save the life of OJB
Jezreel.
“Guys, do not wait for celebrities alone. Anything you can do also can #HelpSaveOjb. May God help us all,’’ he says.
However, the explanation of the duo of P
Square and Don Jazzy did little to placate those angry over the
apparent apathy shown by leading entertainers to OJB Jezreel’s plight.
A comment on an online forum, nairaland.com by
one, Hegelian, says, “If they can’t help one of their own, then they
have all failed. We are the ones that buy their songs, attend their
shows, pay for their endorsements, make them rich such that they flaunt
and jump about. Yet, they want us to pay for their medical bills! For wetin naaa? Very soon, we will be paying for their coffins and funerals.
“If they cannot come together and pay this meagre amount (at least many of them sing about saying molowo molowo molowo noni ahnn ahnn- I’m
rich, rich, rich and rich…), then it’s their fault not ours. We are
supposed to be the one crying for help from them and not the other way
round.’’
Another person on the forum, Daily News,
observes that many of the celebrities may be living a false life of
wealth displays since they are unable to raise what they regarded as a
‘’meagre’’ amount.
The person notes, “That means Nigerian
musical artistes have been lying and deceiving themselves with their
wealth display of recent, hmmm. So, Don Jazzy alone can’t foot this
meagre bill after posing with a multi-million naira wine?
“Tuface, Don Jazzy, P Square, Wizkid, Dbanj, and Davido alone should be able to raise N15m for this guy in two days.
“Or better still, let them organise an
urgent musical concert to raise funds for him because most ordinary
Nigerians won’t contribute from the way I see things. The musical celebs
ought to do this. This is not a great deal if truly the wealth they
usually display is real, and not a false way of deceiving
gullible-minded girls and their fans into falling for their unnecessary
show-offs, and again, if they have a brotherly heart they ought to help
him without calling for outside assistance.”
A visit to the Twitter handle of OJB
Jezreel, @ojbjiggaman, on Sunday shows that he has since been retweeting
messages of assistance which his well wishers have been circulating on
the micro-blogging service.
The last message he posted via his
Twitter handle states, “Thank you for your continuous love and support.
May God bless all of us. Amen.’’
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