Cleft specialist, Pastor James Abayomi, went through the thick and thin of music making with late Afrobeat Marverick, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, for 10years before he turned his back on him. In this close-up with our Contributing Editor, IFECHI OKOH, he opens up on his memorable stay with the legend, how he fell in love with hemp, hot drinks and why he had to walk out on the band unceremoniously without a second thought. Savour it!

Why did you suddenly bow to God’s wish?

Once it is the wish of God for anyone to serve Him, the person becomes instantly helpless. So he will do God’s bidding as quickly as possible without actually knowing it; under the strict control of the power of the Almighty God. Remember the case of Jonah who initially refused to go to Nineveh to deliver God’s message. In his desperate bid to escape, he was swallowed by a waiting Whale and was taken straight to Nineveh, in a dream circumstance, only to realise suddenly where he was. It was under that frightening situation that he had to deliver God’s message quickly. This is a simple demonstration that God's will must come to pass, no matter the circumstance which He is not interested to negotiate with the messenger. I don't want to try God and, as a result, suffer same fate with Jonah.

May we know why you took to hemp smoking and ogogoro drinking as a musician for years?

Large percentage of music followers know that good number of musicians smoke and drink. It could be hemp, hot drink or ordinary cigarettes. Most of the musicians into such unwholesome practices, smoke hemp and drink mostly, hot and ogogoro. During my own time, I smoked hemp and drank hot, not ogogoro. All I can say about hemp smoking and drinking hot or even ogogoro is that none can transform anybody to something else, unless the person concerned wants to be. Any person who has wanted to commit a predetermined crime of any nature, does so easily, only to feign acting under the influence of hemp, hot or ogogoro. I know this and I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt because I was once neck-deep in those vices.

What is the psychological effect of dropping these anti-social social habits?

The truth here is that they are not easy to drop completely because of human nature. However, those of us who are already in the Lord as vineyard workers may not have been able to drop out of these vices successfully, if not through the strong influence of God. All I do today is to take red wine occasionally. I know that most of those who are also into my former kind of vices, but are yet to be born again, may be taking red wine too occasionally, just as I do.

What are the attendant effects of dumping hemp and hot drinks?

I remember vividly that when I became a born again Christian years back, I met a friend who was living in Ilasamaja area of Lagos State then. He was actually yet to know that I have become a born-again Christian and, as a result, dumped those social vices we used to enjoy anytime we were together back in the days. When he noticed that I was cold to his offering me a stick of hemp and a shot of hot as usual, he reacted sharply by maintaining that he did not understand my new stance, and as a result, advised me quickly to go back fast to my igbo and hot drinking days because wey you dey fire them in those days, I understand you far better then than how you dey do now.

When you were neck deep in Indian hemp smoking habit, did the Police ever catch you one day with it?

Not quite! However, I was almost caught with it one day in Kano when Afrika 70 band went to play there. It all started when a colleague who was a hard hemp addict and I were given a hotel room where we stayed. As habitual smokers, we had our different wraps with us. But something told us to hide them to avoid a sudden Police swoop, in case they came into our room for their routine checks and bumped into these illegal wraps. What would be our fate if they came in and discover these wraps? To avoid such happening, we quickly hid the wraps well well somewhere in our bed. Could you believe that they eventually came and searched out the wraps following serious searching of our room? We almost fainted when it happened. We were arrested and charged to court. Our only saving grace through God was our lawyer, late Kanmi Ishola Osobu, who told the court that it was those who used the room last that left the controversial wraps.

Why did you take a sudden and inevitable walk away from the band, after spending 10 solid years with Fela?

Beneath late Fela’s global standing and respect, were his lack of organization and management. Disturbingly, he did not know this, hence such weakness combined well to rock him to his bottom from time to time. Imagine Fela who had messed-up himself with Decca West Africa, took us all, as band members, to Berlin Music Festival against their contractual agreement. There, his face-off with Decca West Africa boomeranged as the organizers insisted on the terms of not coming with the number of band members agreed. It was an obvious fallout. He couldn’t believe it when they asked him to pay for the extra personnel he came with. He was confused, but managed to pay for them. This harsh face-off dug obvious deep hole in his pocket. He didn’t really find it funny. So when it was time for all to return to Nigeria, six dodged and remained there. On our return, he ordered that we, the remaining persons, should reapply. I couldn't believe it. I was so miffed and disappointed. Me reapply after 10years? For what? I refused. That was how I took an inevitable walk from Fela and the band in 1979.

How was the relationship between you and Fela before he died in 1997?

Relationship? I must confess that there was no kind of relationship because I faced my business squarely. As a result, there was no time to look for him because I was damn busy with ways to boost my business so that it will boom as expected. When I heard of his death, I humbly did all humanly possible to be at the Tafawa Balewa Square, where they laid him in state. After that day, I have to mind my business till date. Since I became a worker in the vineyard of our Lord, I have not been going out at nights. Going out at nights for what? A popular Yoruba proverb maintains that a well brought up child does not go out at midnight.

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