The feud between Grammy Award-winning singer, Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy and Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, has had many dimensions, and one of the more interesting ones is the dollar rain it has caused for some people, who were not even involved in the dispute.
Apparently in a bid to spite Chief Priest, Burna had stated that he would bestow $30,000 on Bethel Okechukwu, a phone repairer who claimed to be Chief Priest’s brother. In the thick of their online spat, Burna had reposted a video of Bethel alleging that Chief Priest was his brother, yet he was working as a phone repairer at the popular Alaba International Market in Lagos.
Fulfilling his promise, Burna shelled out $30,000 to the alleged brother. In a video that went viral online, Bethel could be heard thanking Burna Boy for helping him escape poverty. He also called on Nigerians to join him in celebrating the singer’s generosity, saying, “God is real, Odogwu #burnaboygram, God has used you to pull me out from poverty. I will be forever grateful. Please, people, help me thank him for me”.
Responding, Burna said he was only interested in his success, and that he would be happy if he made good use of the money given to him.
In a swift response, Chief Priest denied any relationship with Bethel. He wrote on social media, “Alleged brother! Skit makers f**kin oppressors. Dem don kneel am down, you go still bend am down because the pain must reach everybody, but my own be say no alert oh no cash, oh I wan just dey sure say my village boy collect for real. Na still my glorious glory. Make una show workings; na musician you fit even give am verse”.
In a similar vein, Burna promised to change the life of Chief Priest’s alleged Kenyan baby mother, simply identified as Hellen. In a post about her on social media, Burna commented that he would relocate her to Nigeria and give her a job, among other things. He wrote, “We will relocate you to Nigeria, shelter you, put your son in school, and give you a job. Also, by the grace of God, @burnaboyfootballacademy will build him into a football star”.
For some years, Hellen had maintained that she had a baby boy for Chief Priest following an intimate encounter in Lagos. However, Chief Priest refused to budge, insisting that the child was not his.
In her latest interview, she stated that she was living in abject poverty and needed help.
Though the meeting between Hellen and Burna Boy has not been held, to keep his promise, he would also dole some dollars her way.
