In this interview, Chief Munir Balogun, the father of popular afrobeat star, Ayo Balogun, aka Wizkid, tells Punch correspondent, AYOOLA OLASUPO the motivation for the family’s generosity, his counsel to his son when attacked by Davido’s fans, among others
You are trending online for doling out cash to the people in your former community in Surulere, Lagos. Your son said you go there often to give money to people. Why do you do this?
We lived in Somade many years back and we have our house now at Tafawa Balewa. I don’t go to Somade anymore. I only visit Small London in Surulere, and that is where my brother, who is the father of the Surulere Local Government chairman resides. I normally go there to see him and we sit down together and talk. I don’t go to Somade at all and it’s been many years since we left the place.
But you still observe your prayers at Oluwaseyi Mosque which is in that neighbourhood even when you’re no longer there. Why do you do that?
You know our house is in Tafawa Balewa and it is closer to that mosque. I’ve lived in that area before but I have left the place. My daughter is still there and everything is there. So why should I leave the area? I don’t give it to anybody and we don’t rent it out so that is why I’m constantly there and I also told you that my brother is in Small London.
In a post on Twitter, Wizkid said your generosity is also a motivation for his giving back to the people of his childhood community. What can you say to that?
That is the truth because one has to give back to his community. There is no need to force anybody before doing that. Children will always do whatever they see their fathers doing. Some people have more than enough money but to spend just a kobo for the people out of the money will be very difficult for them. That is not the case in our family and that is what I will tell you about that. We are ready to assist with whatever we have; we give it out. We are a kind of family that does not like when people are suffering, especially when someone says he or she has not eaten since morning. I don’t like hearing that because that alone always moves me a lot so I will have to give such a person some money at least to eat. That is our nature and that is why we always treat people well. Even when things were not as rosy as now, we were still doing the little we had then. So, that is the only thing I see there. I’m a Muslim and that is what my religion teaches us and one has to learn how to give out to people.
Now that Wizkid is big and famous, do you still advise him on certain things?
We talk very often. We talk regularly and he is not far from me at all. He is someone that is very close to his family and he doesn’t joke with his family at all. If I have anything to discuss, I call him and he does that too. In fact, he is not far from the family at all; he sees family as number one.
Wizkid and Davido have always been having banter for some time now. What do you think about the entire situation?
Yes, I’ve read it. I saw it on Facebook or Instagram and I read what everybody was saying.
What is your view about the situation and have you advised Wizkid about it?
I have done that and I told my son that he shouldn’t look or listen to whatever the boys who are supporters of Davido are saying. The supporters are only looking for what they will say to collect money and all of that. They are just looking for what they are going to eat and I told him not to pay much attention to them. I’ve told my son to take things easy with them and overlook whatever they say because I don’t blame them.
You lost your wife recently. What do you miss about her?
You know we were husband and wife and I do not have any other wife. When such a thing happens you should know what will be on the mind of the husband or wife as the case may be. What we know is that man proposes, but God disposes. We cannot blame God.
How has the family been coping with the loss?
We are coping with the situation and we just leave everything to God.
Punch