Ebenezer Obey Gets Standing Ovation: I Encountered Christ Through Rent Debt

Ebenezer Obey, born 3 April 1942, is a Nigerian jùjú musician, who was nicknamed the "Chief Commander.” Obey, whose full name is Ebenezer Remilekun Aremu Olasupo Obey-Fabiyi, was born in Idogo, Ogun State, Nigeria of Egba–Yoruba ethnic background. He is of the Owu subgroup of the Egba.

His father married more than three wives; while his mother is the second wife. His elder sister, Mrs. Grace Olasunbo Akinyede (nee Fabiyi) and Obey, are into music. Obey's first contact with music was in my primary school where he was attracted to the school band by one of the members.

Eventually, he rose to become the bandleader. Subsequently, he joined the school's cultural group – the Idogo Boys and Girls Club. The club had some instruments that many members couldn't play. Highlife maestro, Adeolu Akinsanya (now late) was one of the reigning musicians and the reigning instrument was Bongos, which nobody could play in the club. However, it did not take Obey too long to master the instrument and combining it with singing. He was the youngest in the group.

He began his professional career in the mid-1950s after moving to Lagos. After tutelage under Fatai Rolling-Dollar's band, he formed a band called The International Brothers in 1964, playing highlife–jùjú fusion. The band later metamorphosed into Inter-Reformers in the early-1970s, with a long list of Juju album hits on the West African Decca musical label.

Obey began experimenting with Yoruba percussion style and expanding on the band by adding more drum kits, guitars and talking drums. Obey's musical strengths lie in weaving intricate Yoruba axioms into dance-floor compositions.

As is characteristic of Nigerian Yoruba social-circle music, the Inter-Reformers band excels in praise-singing for rich Nigerian socialites and business tycoons. Obey, however, is also renowned for Christian spiritual themes in his music and has since the early-1990s retired into Nigerian gospel music ministry.

Obey's encounter with Christ;

“I owed my property owner a 3 month's rent of 6 pounds and he gave me a 7 day-quit notice. I began to avoid him. I would return home late in the night and leave before the break of dawn.”

“One day, I found myself in a church called SIM (Sudan Interior Mission) which is known today as Evangelistic Church of West Africa (ECWA) Prior to that time I had not entered a church in 3 years.

"That day, the Pastor's sermon was on I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me. When the pastor finished his sermon, he said, “is any one of you here passing through troubles and torments? Jesus can do it and you can do it through Christ.

"He began to mention different kinds of challenges after which he asked, '”are you owing, are you a debtor?” This he repeated about five times. It was as if someone had told him about me. He later asked if anyone would like to give his life to Christ, that day, we were ten that came out.

“Subsequently, I met with the pastor and narrated my challenges to him. He prayed, counselled and eventually followed me to see the property owner who then cancelled the notice. That was how the problem was solved and that was how my rapport with Christ began.

Obey married Juliana Olaide Olufade in 1963. His wife, known as Lady Evangelist Juliana Obey-Fabiyi, died at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital on 23 August 2011, aged 67. They have several children and grandchildren.