That Evangelist Ebenezer Obey is a musical godfather to the late Fuji music pacesetter, Dr Sikiru Ayinde Barrister needs no revalidation. In Barrister’s lifetime, Obey was there for him, come rain, come shine.
When Barrister ran into turbulent weather, especially in his legal matter with the late publicist, Mr Olabisi Ajala, in the early 80s, Obey it was who piloted Barrister to have escaped the awaiting tragedy.
After the passing of Barrister on December 16, 2010, in the UK, Obey still stands firmly in defence of all that connect with him and his legacies. On June 18, he rose to the occasion again when he threw open doors of his Ikeja GRA residence to representatives of Barrister fans club and Barrister family members.
At the gathering was another loyal ally of Barrister, Otunba Adisa Osiefa, who has also shown commitment to the memory of the late recipient of the Member of the Federal Republic, a national honour he received from the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2006.
Obey expressed appreciation to the dedication which his guests had demonstrated over his musical godson he met in the 60s while he was a budding Ajiwere singer on the streets of Mushin, Lagos. With hindsight, he told the relaxing guests that God sent Barrister to the world to fulfil a certain purpose, and he lived and left according to the script of his destiny.
“God had created in Barrister what would make him a famous figure to be known all over the world just as God has also designed our meeting to hold today, Wednesday 18th June, 2025. There is nothing we can do without His knowledge. I give glory to God for making this meeting a reality,” he said.
Obey praised the founder of the Oludasile Fuji group, Otunba Olatokunbo Okunola, for what he called his relentless efforts in his activism on Barrister’s legacy.
Leaders of the delegates, President and Secretary- General of Barrister Fans, Alhaji Olaide Olawumi and AgbaAkin Ademola Adesigbin, unanimously applauded Obey for his inspiring words and for being a symbol of integrity in the age when the dead are quickly forgotten in their graveyards.
“What Baba Obey is doing is rare. He shows that genuinely he loved Alhaji Barrister. We thank him and also extend the same to Baba Adisa Osiefa. He has always been there for us when it matters most,” Olawumi noted.
On behalf of the global fans, Adesigbin presented a special award to Obey and sought his blessings to declare open the third edition of the Barrister Festival holding in February 2026 in Nigeria and the US.
“We are very glad that Baba is performing this role. It is a sign that we are going to record another unique and successful “BarryFest” next year. We thank Baba Osiefa too for being our dearest father to whom we run whenever need arises,” Adesigbin said.
Published June 21, 2025
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