By Lontong Ibrahim
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has appointed King Sunny Ade as an Ambassador of the National Re-Orientation Programme, ‘Change Begins With Me.’
A statement by the Special Assistant to the Minister, Segun Adeyemi, noted that King Sunny Ade was described by the Minister as an icon and a trail blazer, who has reigned in the music industry for over 50 years without blemish.
Announcing the appointment in Abuja on Monday when he received the Juju Maestro on a courtesy visit to his office, the Minister said, “We are looking for people like you, King Sunny Ade, that the younger ones can look up to.
“It’s not just that you have been around for fifty years but you have been around for fifty years without any single stain on your part and that is very hard.
“Most people like you would have had one issue or the other that today their integrity would be at stake. Your integrity is as strong if not stronger than when you started. So it would be a pleasure if you can accept to be our Ambassador of the “Change Begins with Me.
”I want the younger ones to look at you and see that you can actually get to the top without cutting corners. That is exactly what you have done. You have never cut corners and you have gotten to the top.”
Lai Mohammed said after performing music for fifty years, the energy, dexterity and the passion exuded by King Sunny Ade have remained amazing and a source of inspiration for the younger artists.
While commending Ade for promoting the juju music genre to an enviable height, the minister reiterated the commitment of the current administration to the development of the entertainment industry because of its vast potential in generating employment and creating wealth.
While accepting the offer to serve as an Ambassador of the “Change Begins With Me” Campaign, Ade pledged to partner with the federal ministry of Information and Culture to move the nation forward.
He thanked the Minister for the uncommon passion he has shown to the entertainment industry, especially in organizing the artists to achieve their potentials and contribute to nation-building.
“You don’t need to say much. This is what I love to do and it has been in me. We are ready to do that officially throughout the whole world,” he said.
