Popular Nigerian artiste, Naira Marley has been in the news for the wrong reasons in recent times; from his controversial defense of “G-boys” to his insulting response to popular dance crooner, Kaffy who slammed his song “Soapy”.
In a post few months back, Marley defended “yahoo boys’” craft, stating that the act is a payback to those who once enslaved the black race, after which he was arrested and detained by the EFCC.
All these and more is what led to a statement by Fela Kuti’s protégé, Dede Mabiaku, who cleared the air on the artiste’s identity as pertains similarity to that of his mentor, afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
Mabiaku addressed Nigerians who compared Marley to Fela just because they share similarities in their career lives – both of them having spent time in jail.
According to him, Fela was a martyr and should not be compared to a fraudster.
He said: “I heard a lot of people comparing that young man to Abami Eda, Anikulapo Kuti. Why are you trivializing the essence of your martyrs? Why are you bringing down Abami eda, Fela Anikulapo Kuti? Why are you rubbishing the essence of him in this corridor of nothingness that is not supposed to be an issue? The boy, was he right in doing what he did?
“Ask yourselves. Somebody wen dey edutain, because, in everything he did, his tortures were based on wanting to enlighten the people, wake up the minds of the people for the development of the society the right way round, with regards for our culture and traditions.
“The typical African culture and tradition teaches you not to steal or do tricks to rip off the next man of what is duly his. They are talking of reparation. In reparation, you come out, stand up and say “this is what my rights are. You denied me my rights and I want them back and by law and by rights, I’m going to fight for it.” And you duly stand and fight for it. Not sneak through the computer to carry people money and their own wealth and the rest of it and do the 419 and the yahoo and come and relate yourself as the same with Baba,” he said. We should be careful the kind of things we say lest the future holds us to account.”
He went on to advice Naira Marley, urging him not to be deceived by colleagues who boost him morally, likening him to the legend.
Watch him speak below:
