Singer Timi Dakolo has reacted to fresh allegations made by Pastor Femi Lazarus about the alleged exorbitant demands of a gospel singer invited to minister at a church event.
During a recent sermon, the pastor displayed what he claimed was an invoice from a gospel artiste, stating that the singer required a $10,000 honorarium with a non-refundable 50% deposit, a first-class flight ticket and accommodations in an executive suite.
The invoice also allegedly stipulated that the singer would be accompanied by a minimum of 40 people, all of whom would return the day after the event, with their expenses covered by the church.
Pastor Lazarus criticised the demands, stating, “Those who know God know He’s not with ministers like this. Many charlatans don’t bill big pastors; they use them for endorsements. You can’t demand such things without growing.”
Reacting to the claims on Instagram on Monday, Timi Dakolo dismissed the authenticity of the invoice and urged Nigerians not to be gullible.
“Nigerians, you should not believe everything you see. Nobody has a 40-man crew in Nigeria. Name the artist in order to justify capping,” he wrote with a laughing emoji.
This is not the first time Dakolo has challenged Apostle Lazarus’ stance on paying gospel singers for their work.
Earlier in March, the ‘Great Nation’ singer expressed frustration over the debate, arguing that gospel musicians should not be expected to minister for free.
“This gaslighting has to stop. Gospel ministers want good things too; they are not beggars. The best architects are called upon to build big churches, and large sums of money are disbursed for promoting big programs. No one should diminish another person’s ministry. Ministry needs music, and music needs ministry,” he previously wrote.
The issue of payment for gospel singers has sparked reactions from other notable figures in the industry.
Nathaniel Bassey, Tope Alabi and Eben have spoken about the need for proper compensation, while others, including Sonnie Badu and Frank Edwards, have emphasised that ministry and business should be balanced in gospel music.
