Veteran and legendary music producer, OJB Jezreel in 2013 announced that his two kidneys had stopped working and needed N17m to undergo a successful transplant in India.
He said “God willing, I have like eight to ten weeks more to get the transplant done. It’s strange, I still walk around a little. I can’t eat much though. I trust God and Nigerians for their financial support”
This news shocked the music world with the understanding that OJB Jezreel has limited time to live if funds cannot be raised for the kidney transplant.
As a matter of life and death, donations started from different quarters of the country but a lot of Nigerian artistes, especially those he worked with weren’t coming out to donate.
They were reports that certain celebrities had donated towards OJB’s surgery which later turned out to be false. It was reported that pop star D’banj donated seven million Naira and Wizkid donated one million Naira but those claims were later refuted by OJB’s camp.
A lot of Nigerians wondered why so many A list artistes were not coming out to support the award winning producer. Afterwards, there was outrage on the social media which made some Nigerian celebrities to lend their hand of support to OJB Jezreel.
Some of the celebrities that donated were Julius Agwu, Ruggedman, Psquare, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Don Jazzy, Dele Momodu, Mercy Johnson, amongst others.
Rotimi Ameach, the then Governor of River State supported OJB with a sum of $100,000 which was N16m back then. It was the life booster for OJB.
In August 2013, OJB Jezreel travelled to India and had a successful kidney transplant, with his wife, Mabel as the donor of the kidney. After returning to the country, OJB Jezreel joined his colleagues in the industry to continue the music business.
However, the quest won’t last long as the Pretete crooner continued to battle kidney problems which many attributed to the complications from the kidney transplant surgery he had about two years ago.
Sources revealed that OJB had a relapse about two weeks ago and had to be placed on dialysis but situation worsened on Monday leading to his death in the early hours of Tuesday July 14, 2016.
The late music producer’s body was immediately deposited in a morgue at the General Hospital, Isolo, Lagos. He is survived by three wives, Mabel, June and Korede, and eight children.
Culled from www.erave.com
