President Muhammadu Buhari has praised gospel music maestro, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey, who will be 75-years-old on Monday.
Femi Adesina, the president’s special adviser on media and publicity, on Sunday, said Buhari’s congratulatory message was contained in a letter addressed to the celebrant.
In the letter, Buhari said: “Please accept my congratulations, and that of teeming Nigerians, on this occasion of your 75th birthday anniversary.”
“Chief Commander Ebenezer Fabiyi Obey is a household name in Nigeria, and even beyond. You have through music flown the flag of our country proudly in many nations of the world, and you are a veritable ambassador of our motherland.”
The President said Nigerians rejoiced with the septuagenarian at the auspicious moment while praying that God would grant him more years of service to the nation, and humanity.
Obey has released over 100 albums and the ones yet to be released are uncountable.
The popular musician lost his wife of more than four and half decades, Lady Juliana, a frontline businesswoman and poultry farmer, aged 67, at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, in August 2011.
While celebrating his 74th birthday in 2016, Obey was quoted as saying that, “I never knew I could attain this age, but I have committed everything about me into the hands of God.
“There are certain things in life I don’t bother myself about; because I know God is in control of my life. “My coming to the earth has been fulfilled and the time I will go back is in the hands of God,” he had said.
Obey an Egba man, was born on April 3, 1942 and named Ebenezer Remilekun Aremu Olasupo Obey-Fabiyi in Idogo, Nigeria.
His musical prowess earned him a nickname the “Chief Commander”, is a Nigerian jùjú musician.
He began his professional career in the mid-1950s after moving to Lagos.
After learning the ropes in the band of Fatai Rolling-Dollar, he formed a band called The International Brothers in 1964, playing highlife–jùjú fusion.
The band later metamorphosed into Inter-Reformers in the early-1970s, with a long list of Juju album hits on the West African Decca musical label.
He later transformed into gospel music, devoting his life to Christianity.
King Sunny Ade (KSA) is billed to perform at Obey’s birthday celebration on Monday.
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