Nigerian singer Timi Dakolo has spoken out against the recent accusations made by Pastor Femi Lazarus regarding the exorbitant demands of a gospel singer for a performance. Lazarus, during one of his sermons, projected what he claimed was an invoice from the unnamed artist, which included a $10,000 honorarium, a non-refundable 50% advance, and a request for a first-class flight ticket.
Pastor Lazarus, who is known for his strong stance on various issues within the Nigerian church community, used this alleged invoice to criticize the rising demands of gospel ministers. He stated, “I want the media to project an invoice for a music minister in Nigeria… It says that the minister would be accompanied by a minimum of forty people who will all return the day after the event.”
He did not stop there, further emphasizing his disapproval of the growing trend of high demands. “Those who know God, know he’s not with ministers like this. Many charlatans don’t bill big pastors, they use them for endorsement. You can’t demand for such without growing,” Lazarus added, condemning what he perceived as a lack of humility in the gospel music industry.
In response to these allegations, Timi Dakolo quickly dismissed the authenticity of the invoice in question. He took to social media, warning Nigerians not to believe everything they see, especially when it comes to such claims. “Nigerians, you should not believe everything you see. Nobody has a 40-man crew in Nigeria. Name the artist in order to justify capping,” Dakolo said, urging his followers to approach such information with skepticism.
This is not the first time Dakolo has publicly disagreed with Pastor Lazarus’ views on the compensation of gospel musicians. Earlier this month, Dakolo had expressed his frustration with the growing narrative that gospel artists should perform for free. He took to social media to argue that gospel ministers deserve to be compensated for their work, much like any other professional in the entertainment industry.
“This gaslighting has to stop,” Dakolo wrote, emphasizing that gospel ministers should not be treated as beggars. “Gospel ministers want good things too, they are not beggars. The best of architects are called upon to build big churches, large sums of money are disbursed for promoting big programs and all. No one should diminish another person’s ministry,” he continued, advocating for fair treatment of gospel musicians.
