Popular gospel artist shares his coming-to-Jesus story

Okposo’s Origin story

Like most, the singer was born into a religious family. As a young boy, he had a Christian upbringing.

Describing his childhood, Okposo says, “I was born in church but I had my fair share of experimenting as a youth. My father was an elder in church while my mother was a deaconess; so I went to church every Sunday. I was part of the Sunday school and junior church.”

From Jesus to the world and back

Despite this upbringing, the singer still went out to experience the things of the world as a young adult.

During his experimental stage, he moved around with people who turned out to be highway robbers.

“I did not do any of the crazy stuff like drugs but I was generally stubborn and I moved with the wrong set of people who almost lured me into a wrong environment. I have been around guys who ended up becoming highway robbers,” he says.

The singer continues, “My mother would tell me that she did not like the guys I moved with. When we got out of school, one day I turned on the television only to see that those my friends were wanted by law enforcement agents who later caught up with some of them and they are dead. It made me ask myself, what if I had followed those guys? I would probably have been dead by now.”

His parents' reaction to his music career

Eventually, Okposo returned home to his parents, who were happy to see him but not as glad to hear about his decision to pursue music.

In his words, “When I returned home, my parents were very glad because they had been praying for me. They were happy because they did not have to identify my body if anything had gone wrong. However, they were not very happy that I ventured into music because my father wanted me to be an accountant."

“Twenty years ago, you could not tell your parents you wanted to be a musician. Of all the awards I have received in my life, the biggest would be when my father looked at me and told me he was proud of me before he died.”

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Okposo’s lesson

Having had this interesting life, the singer shares his story so that others can learn from it and do better than he did.

“I share some of these stories so that people would know that everything about me is real. I did not just appear. I have seen it all.

“I got out of line and thought I could take care of myself. I was a youth who wanted to experiment and that is what happens to young men who want to know everything."

“I have stayed in Ajegunle, I have lived in the jungle and I have shared a room with about eight other people. I tell people who look at me and think I have always been like this.

“I have made some wrong decisions; I had been in wrong places at the wrong time. So my being alive today is by the grace of God. I tell people that the best way to live life is to listen to those that are ahead of you. This would enable you to avoid some mistakes," he advises.

Despite his past, Okposo is now one of Nigeria’s most respected gospel singers.