I wanted the story to really sink before I write this.
I don't even know where to start from ,when I saw the post by my sister Funmi Davies Farodoye Facebook wall I thought it was a joke but I knew it wasn't Funmi is not the type of person that throws such jokes I've known her for over 20 years and she is not the type.
Till date I can't recollect where I met MC Lunchung for the first time but it must have been while I was at Sony Music Nigeria as an A&R Manager.
Then he was unknown ,but I saw the potential in him,he has practically done everything on earth just like most of us,but I think the break for him came when Funmi featured him regularly on her daily breakfast show on MITV.
We meet once in a while and he'll always tell me I am one of his mentor ,one day I asked him the meaning of mentor ,and in usual characteristic manner he told me (Oga CKN ,Mentor na the person wey dey show younger ones the way) and we laughed over it.
All the while I knew him ,there was no dull moment .There is no single entertainment personality in Nigeria (I stand to be corrected ) that speaks as many Nigerian languages like him.He probably speaks over twenty fluently and I am not joking (You can check it out on YouTube).
But let's fast forward ,my last encounter with him was at the last SILVERBIRD MAN of the Year Award in Lagos ,few weeks back.
He saw me as I was coming in and came straight to me,mentor,mentor ,mentor he was shouting ,we embraced and shook hands.
Bros,I don dey look for you for weeks o,I lost your number, can I have it (I asked him how many times he'll be collecting my number ) in his usual characteristics again ,his answer wasn't surprising to me,bros like say you bless me with this kind phone wey dey your hand ,I no go ever misplace or lose it because this my palasa dey fall my hand.
I gave him my number again,and then he got serious ,bros ,I need your assistance, he said .
Wetin happen I asked him,he then narrated his ordeal ,my mum just died Bros, her body is still in the mortuary, I wan bury am but things too tight ,it's not been easy raising fund for that ,abeg anything wey you fit do for me just help him.
I promise to send him my widow's mite reminding him that I am now a student not worker ,he laughed and said I trust you baby lawyer.
I also told him that God will grant him the resources to accomplish the burial.
As the Silverbird show commenced ,at the entrance we were given a card each which we were were told is a coupon for a raffle draw ,I didn't pay much attention to it.
At every interval of the show ,some numbers will be reeled out and winners given instant cash.
At the 3rd break ,numbers were called and to my surprise ,I saw MC Lunchung rushing to the podium with his ticket,it was crosschecked and it was accurate.
He was handed a bunch of crispy naira notes courtesy baba Ijebu.
Straight from the stage he came and met me to show me the money ,it was N500,000 cash (can you believe that ).
I repeated my earlier message to him that God will bless him the more and that his mum's burial will be successful.
That was the last time we spoke or saw.
He went for the burial and on his way back to Lagos died in a car accident .
He was the only son of his mother .
I am still in shock by the turnout of event but God knows best.
May God continue to bless your soul my brother.
The rest of the journey is now left for those of us still alive.
His friends led by Osam are putting up this show in his honor ,try to attend if you're not too busy..Amb CKN