Musicians ,Fans In War Of Words Over OJB Illness

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.

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, 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.’’