I called up my friend Denrele Edun and asked for 2face’s contact. 2face’s manager Efe Omorogbe was who I reached and we had a meeting scheduled for in Lagos.
I traveled to Lagos on the first bus of that day and immediately I got there, went straight to meet with Efe who was incredibly nice to me. We agreed that for me to start trying to seek Sponsorship with the 2face brand I had to make some commitment to them and so I pledged 1m for a start.
Recall that was all I had but I was willing to stake it all because I really wanted 2face in BAYELSA desperately. We then started planning the event and after we had had a clear path I left and promised to make the 1m transfer when I get to my hotel. When I got to the hotel, Just before I made the transfer Efe reached out to me and said, if truly all you had was 1m, send 500k so you’ll have enough to do your running around. I was so happy and so we had that transaction.
Then I came back home and started trying to get people to key into the project. It was a difficult journey for me until I met my boss, Chief Samuel Ogbuku who was at that time the Chief of Staff to Governor Sylva. Note, this was around January of 2009.
We continued on this and eventually I was giving the nod to allow for a courtesy call around July of that year. I reached out to 2face and we spoke about the courtesy call in Bayelsa. He was reluctant about it initially just like every celebrity would cos they really just want to get paid to perform and that’s all.
Somehow 2face agreed and we made the trip to Bayelsa. Mind you this was now in July. He stayed longer than he was supposed to but 2face in his unmatched humility didn’t frown or complain. He just wanted to show me support which he didn’t need to.
After the courtesy call, I started another long run of chase. I hadn’t gotten any approval or assurance of an approval so I stayed in one place on this project I had given all my savings into and lived everyday of that year planning.
This continued till December of that year and one day I was talking to my boss Chief Ikoye Orutugu and I almost ran out of tears when he advised that it was the First Lady’s birthday in Abuja the next day and if I had a way of making the trip to Abuja I could beat protocol to see HE Sylva at that time to get the matter sorted… Now this is the STORY!
I wasn’t confident enough to reach out to 2face, the man had done too much already. First he owes me nothing, we weren’t even close at that time. I was the one trying to make money off his fame & celebration. He had even made a trip to BAYELSA because of me and wasn’t even paid, he even stayed an extra day & canceled his other engagements….but somehow I gathered courage and called 2face. “Hello I have a problem, that my matter for Bayelsa never still get headway, I don try baba, I don try… all my year na this project I dey plan, this is December and non headway yet but if I fit go Abuja go track the governor I dey sure say something fit come out” I said.
2face asked me “so wetin you want?”… I answered, Baba if you fit follow me go Abuja again, make we just show face, if he see your face maybe he fit approve the event for Bayelsa”… 2baba paused for a while and said… “if I follow you go this Abuja, you sure say you go get wetin you want? …. I quickly replied yes… 2baba said… Efe (his manager) book me on make I follow am go to support am’…. Ladies & Gentlemen that was it… he didn’t have to but he did…. And hey this isn’t all!
We landed in Abuja almost at the same time. My plane landed 30mins before his so I stayed back at the arrival end with no money on me and no plan whatsoever. We got in late and trust me I had no logistics plan.
When 2baba arrived I was lost in action, I quickly led the way out to the parking lot as if I had made plans for the movement. Immediately I got out I realized there were no vehicles at the park because it was already late at that time … to my far right was a rickety Peugeot car I think 404 with an old Yoruba man what was sleeping in it.
2face asked me “where the car you bring to carry us…? I was dumb. I had made no plans… he looked and said find any motor make we comot here… I looked and it was just that old car at the airport. 2baba looked at me and said make we enter dey comot here… I was the one that was even ashamed not 2baba… infact he entered the car before me… a car that was so old with no AC, infact nothing at all.
That was how we boarded that car and left for the house. No one will do this with you… I repeat no one will. I have been in Showbiz for 25 years now and I know no celebrity will stoop so low to try to make an event promoter this comfortable.
You know after this the rest is history… the event held and it was a success. 2baba came in with Annie and they were such love birds. The flew, rode and sailed all the way to Brass for the Anniversary Concert, they ate together, smoked the house jammed together, partied together and had it good together.
Those two are of the same kind. There is nothing new Annie needed to know about 2face and nothing new 2face needed to know about Annie… so while we make them our topic let’s know that it is their personal matter to hold and no one ever said Love was only sweet… there are bitter times too… there are tough times too and so let us allow them heal from their pains and respect their decisions!
I had to pen down this piece to remind me and us that 2baba has got incredible sides too apart from his amazing career that we also need to speak about!
Emma Eco
2face idibia