Dr. Paul Nwokocha, an international gospel artiste based in Port Harcourt is one of the most consistent artistes in Africa. He started the trade since 1984 and today he has over 66 albums to his credit. In this interview with ORUKPE NELSON, he spoke on the ritual accusation against him over nine years and other sundry issues.
How did you start doing gospel music?
I started my singing in 1984 with the Assemblies of God Church. As the bible says that “the path of the righteous man is like a shining light”, from there I keep shining. Right now, I worship with Winners Chapel Church, where I am propagating the gospel of God through song and the spirit of the Lord is helping me.
Why did you leave Assemblies of God Church where you started your music career to Winners Chapel church?
I love the way they worship God in Winners Chapel church, and Assembles of God church too has the order of Pentecostal that is okay by me. I don’t have problem with Assembles of God, I still attend the church anytime I am opportune to worship with them.
You are known as Aba boy, how did you come about the name?
Lols…I started my musical career in Aba and established a lot before leaving for Port Harcourt for greener pastures. Maybe tomorrow or someday, I will get a better greener pasture than Port Harcourt.
What has been the inspiration behind your music?
When you don’t call yourself but called by God. God will surely take you to the place where He wants you to be, so I know that, it is a calling from above; so God has been be supplying my inspiration.
Most people said that you are not accessible, what is your opinion on that?
I think when you go close to someone; you will know the person more. I can’t describe the kind of human being that I am, but it is left for you to judge by yourself when you come closer.
Do you see yourself doing another kind of song apart from gospel music some day?
No! Any song I will sing must be gospel song because any day I deviate from gospel song, God may kill me because He was the one that called me for this ministration. Again as a child of God and I am an evangelist.
Do you see yourself owning a church?
Yes, because many men of God have prophesied that God wants me to step into a higher ground of ministration. But I still want God to confirm it to me, because I would not want the situation whereby I called myself into God’s ministry. So, I want God to give me direction as I’m looking up to heaven to see a sign of confirmation.
Have you been approached by any big company for an endorsement?
Majority of those endorsements in this country goes to secular musicians. So, I am still waiting for the signs of sons of Zion, any time they approach me.
Some Christians were not comfortable when they saw you dinning with the politicians during the election campaigns. What do you have to say about it?
I played for two governorship candidates during their election campaigns, but whatever you do, you must first of all praise God. So, the politicians know me as someone who praises God; that is why they invited me to sing for them. If you call me in any event, as far is the gathering of the children of God, I will go and I will sing according to the direction of the Holy Spirit. If you listen to my songs very well, you will know that all the words of my songs praise God; that is all I do.
Your recent videos are more of entertaining than inspiring song, even ladies on trousers were dancing what seen to be worldly dance. What is your view?
It wasn’t my fault actually, rather it was the director that directs the video. I know you are talking about the video of‘Lion of Judah’; in fact, after that video, I had to get another director. You know if you are not the one handling your thing, there is always a mistake. I am not in the business of entertaining the world but in the business of inspiring the world with word of God through song.
Tell us about your new album
The new video named ‘Breakthrough Unlimited’. Also, I have two new ones that came out, which is ‘Be Wise’. Be Wise is about people that don’t have focus in life. When they see people progressing they think that the person has done something extra ordinary to get to that point.
You were once accused of being a ritualist. What led to such accusation to gospel singer and can you clear the air?
I was accused of be a ritualist, in the year 2006. I was said to have killed my whole family including my parents and I buried them inside my house. Even, if I want to sing, that I will disappear into pawpaw fruit so that my voice will be sweet like pawpaw. Unfortunately for them, all my family members, they accused me of using for ritual are still alive till today. I have five boys; in fact since the Lord started blessing me, I have never encountered any child loss, because the gift of God adds no sorrow.
Something must have led to that accusation?
When I started in 1984, nobody knows me. When I was working towards the direction of God; nobody saw me, I had my albums in a company that was embezzling my money, nobody knew about me. But when God made it possible for me to work on my own and make gain through a certain album called “Nkwa Praise”. The album sold up to eight million copies; and I used my profit to build a three- story building. That was what surprised people because back then we were so poor that even the poor people called us poor. The ritual accusation started because I invited colleagues and friends to come and celebrate with me when my wife gave birth to a baby boy. They came and saw my house, but couldn’t believe that it was only my song that God used to bless me to build house. They said no music can give somebody such amount of money to build a house like that. They conspired with one popular evil man in Aba called Utu, to kill me. When I came back from South Africa and I got to Lagos, a friend called me and advised me not to go to Aba, that the people are going to stone me to death. I told him that clear conscience fears no guilt, so I came back to Aba to clear every doubt they had about me.
Were you afraid to go to Aba to clear the air?
When I got to Aba, friends and relations were advising me to hide or run away. I had to insist on going to the man’s house, when I got to the Utu’s house. The man said that he doesn’t know me and I had to introduce myself; still he doesn’t know me. When I wanted to leave his house, he called me back and said that I should give him money for him to clear my name from the accusation, and I told him that I will go to the media stations to vindicate myself, so he said since I don’t want to give him anything , I should expect his trouble. I said to myself, is this not the man people said that he has repented and he exposed people. To my greatest surprise, one of the Ezes in that communities in that area summoned me to his place, I went and he told me that I am going to see the same man, Utu with him. I went with the youths of Aba and I never knew it was all arranged to kill me there.
Why do they want to kill you and did you report the case to the police?
Later, I learnt that the move to eliminate me was sponsored by colleague who paid N1.5million to kill me. We went there with multitude of people and met Utu’s men too. So, the Utu’s men held me and were taking me to the backyard of the house. I overheard a boy behind me saying, if Brother Paul enters that place, he will not come out alive. When I heard that, I lifted my hands and said God you know my hands are clean. Suddenly, the president of the youths, who knows their plan, told Utu not to touch me. That was how I was left free, even in the presence of everybody; the youth president said Utu collected money from a man and wanted to kill an innocent soul. People there were surprised and said they should allow me to go home, that was how God vindicated me. So, later on; I raised my song “Akamdi’ocha” where I narrated the story.
How has piracy affected you as a gospel artiste?
Talking about piracy seriously, I have lost more than half of what I have today. If only the federal government of Nigeria will help by tackling this issue it will be better for the singers. I pray a solution is proffered very soon.