Nigerian Gospel Singer Reveals Why He Rejected £24m Record Deal

Gospel artist Panam Percy Paul recently disclosed that he rejected a highly lucrative recording contract that might have transformed his professional trajectory back in 1995.

During a conversation with Pastor Emmanuel Iren, the musician recounted being presented with a three-year agreement valued at £24 million.

Nevertheless, he explained that the offer included a stipulation that fundamentally clashed with his Christian principles.

Reflecting on the incident, Paul disclosed that the record company asked him to restrict how often he references the name “Jesus” in his music.

The artist mentioned that the label’s executive also recommended substituting phrases such as “Righteous One” or “Greatest Lover” instead of using Jesus.

He reminisced: “1995, I was at the peak of ministry, and success in the industry, I was offered 24 million pounds for a three year contract. 1995, 24 million pounds was equivalent to 7 billion naira. The catch was ‘can you reduce the number of times you call the name Jesus in your songs?’. And there is more where this came from. and one of them said to me, ‘you actually don’t need to mention the name Jesus. You can call him other names like Righteous one, Greatest Lover.’ I was shocked, so I told them, you can keep the money, while I keep the name.

“Today, the extreme is that music ministry has now become music industry. Where the industry now dictates to the ministers what to do, how to sing and when to sing. For example, it was the marketers in Alaba that encouraged the musicians to add tongues to their songs.”

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli