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Lanre Odukoya ike fine works of literature, Africa has handed down some dogmas from generation to generation and the one about twins is one even modernity may not be able to eradicate. Modern science explains that twins originate from the same zygote and develop into two embryos. In West Africa for instance, there’s hardly any race without a generational set of beliefs on twins - to some families, having twins is a blessing while to others, it awfully spells a doom. Twins had unique roles in many West African cultures in the stoneage era, a period spanning the first millennium up till the 19th century. The Igbo-speaking people of southeast Nigeria, for example, feared the birth of twins. But in sharp contrast, their Yoruba counterparts in southwest Nigeria praised the birth of twins. The Yoruba statue of twins (called Ibeji) at the University of Missouri’s Museum of Art and Archaeology sheds light on the fortune of having special children.

But for Mary Mitchell Slessor (2 December 1848 – 13 January 1915), a Scottish missionary to Nigeria who stopped the killing of twins among the Efik (from the southeastern part of Nigeria), many lives would have been thwarted. Her work and strong personality allowed her to be trusted and accepted by the locals while spreading Christianity, protecting native children and promoting women's rights. This explains why it was almost impossible to find old twins from the eastern part of Nigeria in the early twenties. But for Mary Slessor’s intervention, there probably won’t be one of Africa’s greatest pop duo, Paul and Peter Okoye of the PSquare fame today.

Although there are the likes of Paul Abagworo, who believes, “Igbos did not kill twins. Just a small section in the Arochukwu area killed twins.

Killing of twins did not happen from Umuahia to Agbor or Nsukka,” the Slessor account rested the claim and Paul Okoye had finally put the controversy to rest.

So after providence had fought and won that battle for the twin entertainers who hail from Ifite Dunnu community of God for them to reach where they are now."

Their elder sister, Lilian, a make-up artist and in Anambra but who were born in Jos on November 18, 1981, more trials surfaced for owner of a fashion store, boasted about her broththem to scale from exuberant teenage years ers: “My brothers were powerful when young, to responsible adulthood. The twins hail we are not surprised of their greatness because from the family of eight, six boys and two when they gave birth to them, things began to work for my parents. They established a bakery girls.

Further checks would later reveal that un- for making bread and named it after them as like Peter who hardly ever fell sick between ‘Twins bread’ located at Jenta Adamu here in the PSquare twins, Paul was the weaker of Jos. Immediately they gave birth to them, blessthe twins. That explains their parents’ inad- ings began to flow in the family, we are proud vertent preference for the boy whose health of them, and I pray for God to continue to bless was of more concern those days in Jos, the them for us." capital of Plateau State. They grew up in a From trading in bread to owning a bakery, the suburb of Jos north called Apata (mostly story would later read like a fairy tale. The bakery populated by Igbos living in the famous Tin is moribund after their dad’s death but plans are city). Their late dad, Moses Okoye, traded in underway to jerk it back to life.

Not many are aware that the PSquare dream bread while their mum was also involved in one form of petty trading or the other. Their began at St. Murumba Secondary School, a small mother, late Mrs. Josephine Okoye, passed Catholic school in Jos, Nigeria. Peter and Paul on in July 2012 after succumbing to a highly joined their school music and drama club where malignant cardiac ailment. Two years after, they began singing, dancing, and mimicking they lost their dad, specifically on November songs by MC Hammer, Bobby Brown and the late American music superstar, Michael Jackson.

25, 2014.

Yakubu Adamu, a resident of Apata who They later formed an cappella quartet called knew them, said: “When Peter and Paul "MMMPP" (comprising the first letters of M were small, nobody knew they would be Clef a.k.a. Itemoh, Michael, Melvin, Peter and popularly like they are now. Sincerely when Paul). Drawing inspiration from their music idol, they were growing up, we used to see them Michael Jackson, to whom they dedicated the like other children but God has taken them song, “Personally,” they began break dancing to a star position and I believe it’s the will and later formed the group known as "Smooth

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

24 DECEMBER 2016

OF DOGMAS AND PSQUARE’S RETURN FROM MACABRE DANCE • Onyeka Onwenu speaks on 'Bank Alert' • Former neighbour recalls their time in Jos

Onyeka Onwenu

Jude Okoye

Criminals" in 1997.

They dropped M Clef from the group afterwards as "MMMPP" later changed to "MMPP". Their artistic talent and precise dance routines soon made them household names in the city of Jos, where they performed at school functions and other occasions as they recounted in Lilian (nee Okoye) another of their hit song, “Story Story”.

Later in 1999, Peter and Paul returned to music school to develop their skills on the keyboard, drums, bass and rhythm guitar. Their works include the soundtracks for a number of films like Tobi, Mama Sunday, Moment of Bitterness and Evas River.

In the same year, they applied to the University of Abuja to study Business Administration and the Smooth Criminals disbanded when its members left to various other universities for the purpose of education. Subsequently, Peter and Paul formed their own group, variously called "Double P", "P&P", and "Da Pees" until they even-

tually settled for "PSquare".

They were to be managed later by Bayo Odusami a.k.a Howie T, a seasoned concert promoter and the CEO of Adrot Nigeria Limited.

And in 2001, "P-Square" won the "Grab Da Mic" competition, and hence, Benson & Hedges sponsored their debut album titled Last Nite which was released under Timbuk2Music imprint.

PSquare was also nominated as "Most Promising African Group" at the Kora Awards three months after the release of their debut album. They eventually won the 2003 Amen Award for "Best R&B Group".

In 2005, they released their second album, Get Squared under their own label, Square Records.

This album was marketed nationwide by TJoe Enterprises, although they were still managed

by Howie T of Adrot Nigeria Limited. The video for the second album held the #1 position on the MTV Base chart for four straight weeks.

And from that point on, their rise has been phenomenal until sometime in 2015. God forbid the beloved twin brothers would manifest signs of discord that would later sink their livelihood- a

Showbiz 19

SATURDAY TELEGRAPH

24 DECEMBER 2016

But what seemed to finally put to rest the long fight was the telecoms giant, Glo deal that was threatened. They risked losing a whopping N240million and Peter had already gone public with his demand that their elder brother and manager, Jude, should quit.

With the impasse dragging on, Jude threw in towel and the twin brothers got back to work.

The result of their come-back was the song, “Bank Alert” in which they sampled Onyeka Onwenu’s classical number, ‘Iyogogo’. The music video of “Bank Alert”, jointly directed by Clarence Peters and Jude Okoye, is a story of love and struggle with Onyeka Onwenu herself, Flavour and comic act, Mr. Ibu featuring in the video.

PSquare as toddlers

L-R: Peter, Jude and Paul in university days

career built with sweat and blood, many feared.

Their brother, Jude Okoye, who was also the brain behind many of their riveting music videos, had taken over the management of the duo from Howie T and that signalled the beginning of stories that would reshape their future.

Interestingly, Peter, 35, was the first of the Okoye brothers whose romance got to the public space. Sadly, their mother frowned at the relationship his son was having with Lola Omotayo because the lady was from the Yoruba extraction. Another reason is that she was older than him and from a super-rich family as well.

As little as that position seemed before Mrs. Okoye died, it turned out later to stir multiplier effects in the life of the brothers. Jude and Paul couldn’t also talk their brother out of the romance no matter how hard they wanted to honour their mother’s wish.

There were signs Peter was going to remain defiant, so his mother insisted they would only marry ‘over her-dead body’. And it came to pass, Peter married Lola a year and a few months after his mum passed - on November 2013 precisely. If that sparked off some bad blood, it was well guarded until things began to fall apart and the brothers couldn’t tolerate one another any longer.

Suddenly, one half of the twin brothers began to sign solo deals. Peter signed his first lone deal with Olympic Milk in November 2014 and

My brothers were powerful when young, we are not surprised of their greatness because when they gave birth to them, things began to work for my parents Glo Dance with Peter in 2015. The development aroused suspicion until the speculation that the brothers were at war was later confirmed. Peter had asked for the resignation of his brother, Jude, from PSquare management. He felt it was both unfair and highhanded for him to be asking for an equal share from the money they make from shows and other related businesses.

And he was the first to react to the row after weeks of keeping mum, his words partly read: “So, a few hours after, Paul came to me and said if I want Jude to step down it’s not a problem, but it’ll mean that he (Paul) will go solo. The first time word got out about PSquare breaking up, a lot of people called us, senators, governors, and people like that. In fact three of

Part of the lyrics of the song reads; Ehnehn, iye eeh, iye eeh Oh no, no, no Ahh iye eeh, eeh eh eh Girl is up to you but I dey pray you say ‘I do’ Eeh eeh, Ahh iye eeh, eeh eh eh Go tell your papa eeh, say na me dey come for you Eeh eeh Iyo go to (Iyo go to) Iyo go to (Iyo go to) Kainje nai ke Bishop na ega di go “ega di go” Iyo go to (Iyo go to) Iyo go to (Iyo go to) Kainje nai ke Bishop na ifa di go “ifa di go” Ehnehn Today na today eh, and when I finish you go no say na me As you dey they delay eh, to proof my Love, you must to chop my money eeh Because my bank alert na gbagaun, my cheque he no dey bounce My mansion all na badam, baby take a look around my bank alert na gbagaun, my cheque he no dey bounce My mansion all na badam, make you take a look around Ahh iye eeh, eeh eh eh Girl is up to you but I dey pray you say ‘I do’ Eeh eeh, Ahh iye eeh, eeh eh eh Go tell your papa eeh, say na me dey come for youu Eeh eeh Peter Okoye Iyo go to (Iyo go to) Iyo go to (Iyo go to) Kainje nai ke Bishop na ega di go “ega di go” us were once in a private jet to go and see someIyo go to (Iyo go to) Iyo go to (Iyo go to) one who wanted to resolve our issues and we Kainje nai ke Bishop na ifa di go “ifa di go” didn’t speak to each other all through the flight.

Ehnehn At the end of the day, I swallowed my pride for Like play, like play eeh, the person wey one peace to reign and allowed Jude to remain as chop you run dey beg to stay eeh our manager. Truth is, I’ve not been in talking Dem say I dey craze, say which kin love be dis? terms with Paul since December 2015 and that They don’t know how I feel… was why I travelled in January because I had a lot on my mind.”

Excitedly, Onwenu remarked about the Paul would later release an emotive song in song in a telephone conversation with Satwhich he shed tears, titled ‘Call Heaven’, the urday Telegraph, “my song inspired them song revealed that they had promised their parand they sampled the lines. It’s a good thing ents that nothing in life would separate them. and a compliment. I’m glad that it’s a hit Should you want to gauge the extent of their for them.” rancour, it got so bad that they floated differWho would have known how much the ent record labels; Peter’s was P-Classic with a world loves PSquare until they returned sign-on, Papil J while Paul named his Rudeboy with “Bank Alert” which recorded an unRecordz. Before floating the labels, Peter had precedented feat of gaining Youtube views asked for their estates to be shared and had kept running into 8.9million in just three months? some distance from Paul’s family.

This rating makes them stand just next to But while this hullabaloo lasted, their wives, rave of the moment, Tekno, whose song, Lola and Anita played their games almost noise“Pana”, has garnered 13 million views allessly. Whatever they wanted their men to do though it was released a month earlier. didn’t make it to the public domain. Our inside After all the storms and unbecoming insource who craved anonymity said: “Lola has a fighting, the PSquare story doesn’t seem to great business mind and has always influenced be heading to a sad end. So it is not in conPeter to be proactive in show business. But she sonance with old superstition about twins wants the brothers to be together.” The same symbolising evil. source said that “Anita is like her husband, It's cheery to know that PSquare, the AfPaul, no matter what she thinks or plans to do, rica's biggest pop duo has survived one of she’s always discreet.” the messiest showbiz fights of 2016.