King Wadada narrates ordeal with Majek Fashek

…says the rainmaker is bewitched
Many know about the sad tales of the pangolo sound curator, Majekodunmi Fasheke, but only a few know the detailed travails and bizarre conditions himself and his protégé, King Wadada, had to put up with in order to survive the trying times. In this exclusive interview with EDIALE KINGSLEY and ALI SAMUEL, King Wadada spills the beans.

About a fight between them
I never had a fight with Majek Fashek. Permit me to go down history lane so you can properly understand the total issue. I have always had a unique love for Majek. I came to Lagos nine years ago with one basic mission. That mission was to meet my mentor and subject myself to his tutelage. Fortunately for me, he came to Lagos that time. He was always traveling in and out the country. When he was around he lodged in a hotel. So nine years ago, when I came to Lagos, a brother of mine took me to him, where he was lodged at Travel Inn (very close to Water Parks on Toyin Street). And behold…that was how I met him for the first time. When I saw him, that track of his “Let The Righteous Take Over” watered my memory because that was the song that triggered my desire to meet him so that he could train me.
More on meeting his hero
When we met, we exchanged contacts and I treated him well before he travelled back. I awkwardly gave him a little amount of money. He travelled out again and came back four years later. He contacted me and that marked the beginning of a solid relationship. It was later I got to realize that he does not have a home here in Nigeria. Not even a family or anybody to receive him anytime he got to the country. So God just used me for him then (I became father, mother, wife, daughter, son and a friend to him).
When his situation got really bad
In 2010, I had a concert to headline. It was Calabar carnival which I was supposed to be paid N3million. Just then, a friend brought Majek to me in a taxi. He abandoned him and a taxi at my place. This was when Majek started having his problem. He had no money with him so I inherited that taxi bill. From there I took him straight to a woman called Ahjiah. That was a sacrifice for me, that was a woman who planned to support my music but alas, bringing Majek to her changed everything.
We stayed in her place for more than a week during that period of fuel subsidy. We were eating and being catered for there. At times my wife brings us food too. Majek nearly died that period, he was seriously sick, he managed to eat but kept smoking cigarette on empty stomach. I was worried. By this time, we had both forgotten about promoting or signing me. We had an emergency and that was Majek. That woman took care of Majek for months. When he was getting better she signed him. They had a two year contract, which yielded an album and a music video. But Majek’s heath deteriorated and so they couldn’t release or promote the works. That job is still pending and the contract already elapsed.
And the relationship with Aljiha crashed
Aljiha was a kind woman married to a Rtd. Major General. Her love for music attracted a lot of musicians to her and they all stayed with her in the home. This didn’t go well with the husband; he came home one day and chased everybody from the house, including Majek. I wasn’t there then, so I got a call from him…I knew he was in trouble. That had become a trend. Whenever I saw his call…I knew there was a problem. I got out of my house and headed straight to Aljiha’s place, only to see him and his load outside, so I packed the load inside the car and he asked me to take him to a place which I did.
Thereafter, he called one of his friends to come and pick him there and I went my way.
Black Rise took over
From that moment he completely left Aljiha and became connected to one of his friends called Black Rise, a former band member and they both lodged in one local hotel called Rasta Man Hotel where they paid N500 per day at Ojodu, Berger. The guy gave him a room there and they were running things on their own but anytime he needs me I rush down to them and play my own part, until last year December, we met in Portharcourt Carnival where we both played.
After which I travelled back to Edo state again during the recent campaign, while I was campaigning for a senatorial seat runner then, my phone rang and it was Majek in the middle of the night which he has never done before, I answered the call. This time he was in another fresh problem, he was asked to evacuate the Rasta Man hotel. Apparently, he was involved with a married woman (knowingly or unknowingly) and the husband upon realizing came to vent his anger and created a scene that didn’t go well with the owners of the hotel. And moreover, the hotel people said he was disturbing their customer by ringing his bell in the night, so they asked him and his friend to leave.
From fry pan to fire
Then the friend ask that they should both go to Epe where his brother built house but Majek refused to go to Epe, saying that he was going to lose all his contact if he should move to Epe so he called me. Meanwhile when Majek left Ahjiah place I was taking him from one place to another and till date I am still owing a lot of hotels and taxi drivers because of him, sometimes we spent days, weeks and months, if we pay them at the first stay they will not even bother to come and disturb us to pay like they do to ordinary person because of our stardom power. My wife was always involved, bringing food to us in the hotel.
Guerilla approach to get accommodation
Sometimes I devised a means of organizing concert in any hotel we lodged so that we can generate money just for him to have accommodation and times the hotel managers may just be contented to live us for one month and sometimes two months but the moment the time is very close to elapse I will quickly device another means again just to get him accommodated in another hotel. There is a hotel called MyCrib Hotel that I am balancing 21000Naira as I speak to you and many are still calling me because of Majek. The story of quarrel between I and Majek is not true but we only argued. I am a star and he is also a star, although he has a bigger star status that I do. So I have our names to protect.
Not mad, just jinxed
I will tell you that Majek is not mad. He isn’t insane. The problem is that whenever he takes a little quantity of alcohol he goes gaga. I would like to think an enemy did something spiritual using voodoo to condemn him to such habit. Just a little drink, he loses his guard. Either a colleague of his, a family friend or any other person must have cast a spell on him. I believe that it is not ordinary, it’s a curse. Knowing these vices exist, I have had to play the chief whip with him. The matter is so bad that he wouldn’t mind launching his fingers at these your interns’ breasts in such a manner that’s not proper.
The boy of the father
I have sacrificed a lot for Majek. Initially, I went to him so that I can learn from him but I ended up being “the boy of the father”. But I take all as my fate. To have him in good shape…you have to play the strict one in your dealings with him. As a friend, I cut him off from handling money. If there is any money for him…I controlled it. Once you allow him to handle money…you can’t control his lust for hard drinks. One of such strategy I imply is to go out with him. When he wants two bottles of stout, I get him one, dilute it without his knowledge, with water and share it into another bottle.
That was how I rehabilitated him. And this is the secret to his seemingly calmness whenever he was with me. That is why we could go and make some money…while we were together (his contacts calls him and mine calls me and things were fine). Majek isn’t that individual you can leave alone for 3mins now. 3mins is enough for him to dabble in a serious problem. Being a household name, such shameful stories go viral fast. For that reason, I stay with him in hotels at the expense of my family.
Victor came along
This is what we have been facing. No family or friends want to see him, the least they would do is to just put N5000 into his account and once he takes that money and I allow him to spend it the way he likes then he will misbehave. So, anytime I notice there is money on him I remove it and that helps him to manage it wisely and everything is fine.
Everything was fine until recently we met in a Bob Marley Day event, held on 11th, April 2015. After the show, he called one of his friends, Victor who is equally a drug addict. They started keeping company. But he allowed Majek to play the lead role…and that itself was the big mistake. So Majek started having money and started drinking more.
Rehabilitating Majek
The last I heard about him is that his billionaire friend, Mr Ayiri Emami from Warri, came to pick him up for rehabilitation. I pray it works. God will take control and make the rehabilitation to be successful.
On the beggarly status of Majek
I can’t say Majek is poor because all his families are base abroad, in fact his first son is 32years of age and he’s doing well over there. However, maybe because of the bewitchment I talked about the family are completely cut off from him. There was a time I was calling his wife but I got no response. It appears none of his family wants to see him. At a point in time I took Majek to CMCM church in Akiode bus-stop before Grammar School bus-stop at Ojodu and the man of God ask me that what is Majek’s problem? Then I told him that he needs a home, shelter and that his sickness needs to be properly taken care off because he had nobody to run to and the pastor told his congregation to raise money for him. People started coming out to donate, even children. They were able to raise N1.6m. I don’t know how that money went. He was given just N100, 000. Then later I heard that, Ahjiah went to the same church to collect N700, 000 from the money.