Juju maestro, King
Sunny Ade, has denied an allegation that his former guitarist, Fatoke
Abiodun, who was recently arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency, was unceremoniously retired.
Abiodun,
who was allegedly caught with 1.575kg of cocaine, had claimed he didn’t
get any severance money from KSA when he was retired in 2007 after
playing with the musician for 30 years.
Abiodun
had said he “faced the bitter side of life,” without the severance
money. As such, he had no choice but to get involved in the crime.
However,
KSA has said his former guitarist was not a member of staff of his
company but just a member of his band, who was not entitled to a
severance pay.
“I pay salaries to the members of
staff of my company. As for my band members, we share money based on
what we make at every show where we perform. I would first of all,
remove the money for taxes, equipment we used and other stuff connected
to the performance. Thereafter, the remaining money is shared among all
of us.
“Before now, I advised my band members
that we should have a common purse, where we should leave money for
welfare. But they refused and insisted that everything should be shared.
“If
he and the others had agreed to my advice then, he wouldn’t have had
any reason to say he didn’t get any severance allowance,” the musician
said.
On why he retired Abiodun, KSA says he changes his band members every three years in order to be current and follow the trend.
“But
he worked for me for 30 years. Those who have even worked for me for
two years are so well off now. How can he say he didn’t have anything
after 30 years? Are those there now complaining?
“And
to set the records straight, I didn’t sack him, he left on his own. We
came back from an international show and he told me he wanted to start
his own band and said I should assist him.
“Before
I knew what was happening, he went to Ibadan with my guitar without my
knowledge in order to start his own band. I told him to return my guitar
and when he didn’t, I had to involve the police. That was how he left,”
KSA added.
He said he had not seen Abiodun since he left his band in 2007.
“Anybody
who is involved in any crime has it in him. It is not proper for
anybody to say that it was a condition that led him to a crime. He was
among those in the high category in my band. It is surprising that he
claimed he had nothing. I have never seen or heard from him since he
left my band.
“In the 30 years he worked for me,
he never exhibited such criminal attitude. I am always concerned about
the people travelling with me. I make sure we all travel light and get
whatever we need for the performance in the country we are going.
“I
have never seen cocaine. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink and we are always
checked thoroughly at the airport here and at the airport over there,”
he said.
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