By Ogbonna Amadi, Entertainment Editor
Ghetto soldier, Daddy Showkey’s story could in every way be compared to that of Tony Montana’s, (played by Al Pacino) the lead character in the famous Italian Mafia movie, Scarface.

Daddy Showkey

From a rough neighbourhood in Sicily, Rome, Tony came to America in search of the dream and took the streets by storm. On the streets, drugs, fight for territorial control and women ruled his life. And in a record time, he was right up there. But soon, things began to happen.

And just like Tony Montana, Daddy Showkey was everything a mother would not want her son to be.
In   part- one of this  interview he granted this writer last week, Showkey told the story of how his grandmother saved him from being killed as a robber.

This was how he put it;

“The week Dr Obiefuna Nwankwo, the Chief Executive of Felin Records  sent for me was the day I and my twelve friends wanted to go and do something sinister. The twelve of them died that night    I’d have been the thirteenth person. I did not join them in the sinister that would have had me killed . The fact that I didn’t die that day, tells you that I’m not only a gifted child but I’m also a lucky one.

Because if my grandmother Ejiata had not  prevented  me from joining that gang , I would  not be here today.    And if not for my grand mother’s intervention, I wouldn’t have become Showkey. And Chief Raymond Dokpesi would not have given me an award. That’s why I named my first son Raymond after Chief Raymond Dokpesi”.

And in this concluding part of the interview, he shared the story of how he lost millions to a spinal cord injury that almost cut short his music career.  Call him a cat with nine lives, you may not be far from the truth. We serve you Daddy Showkey uncensored.
Enjoy it.

What happened to Showkey? You seemed to have disappeared…
I didn’t  disappear. I  had a car accident that took me away from Nigeria and off the scene for a year and eight months. But since I returned, I’ve been working at getting myself back into the system.

The last album released on Ojez Records seems not to have done well. What happened?

First of all, that album was not promoted because I was not around.  There was no time to promote it because that was when I had the accident, and I was out of the country. Even when I shot one of the videos, I was in Italy receiving treatment.

That accident affected the album and I couldn’t promote it. But the album was really good.  I must be honest with you. The album contained songs that had people asking me whether they were new or old songs.   There was no publicity to help  the album because I was not around.

You mean the album was actually in the market?

Yes it was.

But most of us were not aware…

Well, the problem was because I wasn’t around as a result of my accident.  Even my accident was not publicised ,you understand. I almost lost my spinal cord.

You have always talked about this accident. Where and when did it happen?

I went to play on the lsland, where  Dr. Amos Adamu had a party after his CAF award ceremony here in Nigeria. And immediately we finished playing in the morning, they booked a hotel for me but I could not sleep there that night because I needed to be somewhere in the morning. First, I headed to Olu Maintain’s birthday and thereafter, I dropped my dancers.

And you were driving?

Yes, I was driving.

Were you were drunk?

I wouldn’t say I was drunk.

What brand of car was that?

A Camry 2007 model.

The black Camry?

Yes. So, on my way down to Ikoy, we took the Third Mainland Bridge, and on the axis between Ojota and the road that leads to Ikosi, I saw this wastebin truck that was at the centre of the road. Initially, I thought the vehicle was moving and before I knew it, I ran into the vehicle and my car somersaulted.

…Nobody died?

Somebody inside the car died that day. But I don’t want to talk about it because I have settled that matter. I was the first to come out of the car and when we got down, we couldn’t find the wastebin truck and that was when I started shouting for help.

What happened. The vehicle moved on?

I don’t know but I didn’t see the vehicle move.

The vehicle revised?

So, after I brought the injured out of the vehicle, we found a cab that took us to the house and the rest to the hospital. When I got home, I told them that I was okay and that nothing happened to me. I was asked to go in and rest.

But when I got up from sleep that afternoon, I found out that I could not move my body. I called out to my brother and told him that, “I can’t move my body. I cannot feel my head and my hands.” That was when they knew that my spine had failed.  So, I took my passport and left for London.

Did you go to any hospital here in Nigeria?

Yes, first of all. We went to Rena hospital. They called all these Ijaw people to come and massage my back. I said, No, this is not what I needed. So, I went to London for check up.

You walked?

No. One of my friends that came along helped and took me to London.

You were carried?

Yes, I was carried.  So, we went to a hospital in London. And from that hospital, I was directed to a hospital in Germany. My younger brother took me there.  In that hospital, they called Chinese doctors and they started treating me by acupuncture, and after three months, I started moving my legs and my hands little by little.

Nobody came to see you…?

First of all,  they did not know not until I came back.

And when you came back…?

When I returned, I heard that this musician has died; that one has died and I now said, ‘Oh God! Had it been that I do not have properties, I may have joined them. I sold a lot of my properties then.

That means you must have lost a lot.

I lost over N70 million. I sold a lot of my properties to pay for the operation.  I sold some of my buses, my land and my stocks too.

How long were you there?

About a year and eight months. I came back in February.  When I came back,  I could not withstand what was going on. So many people were dying here in Lagos. So, I ran to Delta State.  And when I went to Delta, I ran to my brothers, good people in Delta State, like Chief Okirika. and the people at  DESOPADEC.

I explained to them what happened to me and they gave me some money, very serious money. I used the opportunity to visit our governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan to thank him for what he has done for me.  I’m still grateful for what his administration did for me sometime ago. They covered my shame.

Have you played any shows since your return?
I have not been playing shows because of my back. The doctors actually advised me not to dance. But I went to dance and that was when my back began to ache again.

Nobody helped when the accident happened?

When it happened, I went abroad and I thought people knew. It was after I’d  returned that I found out that nobody knew I had an accident. I was getting annoyed because I thought if I was arrested for drugs, they would know. Even when my wife went for the opening of Star Quest with Bola (my PA). I was calling to know if anyone asked after me while in the hospital.

Maybe they didn’t know…

I’d say they knew because Bola was there to represent me.

How have you been surviving? Are there other businesses you are involved in…?

I have other businesses right from time that I do, apart from music. The accident affected all my businesses. Right now, I’m trying to get back into business, trying to let people know that I’m back. Most people believed that I live abroad.

But I’ve never lived abroad. I only go abroad for shows. It was because of my accident that I stayed for a year and eight months. Ordinarily, I don’t stay abroad for more than two months.

So, how was the family coping without the head of the house…?

That’s why I was annoyed with so many of my musician friends. The only friends that were concerned about my family are my Ajegunle friends. That’s why nowadays I don’t go to events organised by my colleagues. I only go to Ajegunle.

Unless it’s a show I’m playing, I don’t appear at events because I’ve found out that they (musicians) don’t care about themselves and it shouldn’t be so.

I have a group of friends here in Nigeria. They are business men. At a point, one of them had a problem and all his friends raised money for his business. Today, he is richer than most of his friends but he’s still helping others. That’s how it should be. I thank God that I’m back and God is doing it little by little.

How come you didn’t sell this house you’re in…?

I didn’t sell any of my buildings. I sold my land in Lekki and I don’t pray to sell any of my buildings.
This is quite massive…

I’ve spent close to N89m on this house but right now I don’t have that kind of cash.

And it’s still not finished…?

We’re still doing it. I like better thing.  If I go big man house, anything I see there, I go put am for my own house. But  I’m going to finish it by the grace of God.

How long have you been building?

I started building about five years ago.

The last time we talked, you said some people took money from you but did not deliver…
Some of the workers took N2m, N600, 000, N1.8m, N4m and they didn’t do anything.

And what did you do to them?

Nothing o. Wetin I go do now? Na God give me. I thank God you were here when one of them called to beg that he was ready to come and do what he ought to have done  two years ago.

Are you planning to have a studio here?

Yes. I have a studio, a gym, a massive swimming pool, which I still need money to clear. You mount and discharge after use. It comes with a basement too.