Music producer, OJB Jezreel dies of kidney failure

Nigerian’s entertainment industry has again lost one of its own. Just when the industry was recovering from the shock of the news of deaths of Olumuyiwa Adeyemi Adenuga well known as Nomoreloss and actress, Henrietta Kosoko, wife of Lagos prince and actor, Jide Kosoko, the demise of frontline music producer and singer, Babatunde Okungbowa popularly known as OJB Jezreel, was disclosed online yesterday.

It was gathered that he died of kidney failure yesterday morning at the age of 49, after being kept on a N35,000 daily dialysis for two weeks by family following a relapse. A source close the singer who confirmed that he went into coma before he died at Isolo General Hospital, Lagos where his body was deposited at the morgue.

The Bretete, If E No Be God O singer in 2013 had a successful kidney transplant in India, after his long standing friend, Nomoreloss helped raise funds and first wife, Mabel, donated one of her kidneys to him. He was said to be preparing for his 50th birthday next month.

He is survived by three wives (Mabel, June ‘Ama’, Korede) and many children. OJB Jezreel had in an interview on Sunday, June 12 with NET’s Adedayo Showemimo, as part of his plans for a grand celebration of his 50th birthday. He talked about how he helped shape the Nigerian music industry, his health, his family and more.

He said: “Turning 50 was something I used to look at as an age that is very far away, but here it is today. It just makes you see that the people that took the responsibility of fathering your generation at that time have done their part and it is our turn to take over from them and take care of the next generation. That is what I see; a lot of responsibilities, because now it is obvious that people will actually look up to you.

On his plans for life after 50, he remarked: “I hear most people turn 50 and say things like I will get closer to God; so I always wonder. Really, you don’t have to hit the age of 50 before you should get close to God. What if you don’t live up to 50?

“For me, there is really nothing that will change. Like I said earlier, the only thing is the fact that you can’t be found competing with anyone. You should be more of the advisory person, you should let people know that there is a ladder to climb and there is more to what they see. One minute you are at the top, the next minute it’s somebody else, and a lot of people have not been able to manage such situations. I just believe that 50, gives you an opportunity to be more constructive with your life. Some say life begins at 40, for some of us I think life actually begins at 50.”

On rumours about his death, OJB Jezreel explained: “Most people say when they carry such news about you it means the person will have long life but me I don’t know about that one. The truth is, people feel there is a trend and they expect things to always follow that trend; so when it doesn’t happen, after three years he dies, people get shocked and such news always flies. So when I hear such news I never get bothered, but sometimes, because we are all human it gets to me and I get scared, and when I have a little headache or stomach pain I begin to get extra worried but then it’s all good.”