Conviction Tracks Portable on the song ‘Kuku do Ritual’

Controversial singer Habeeb Okikiola, aka Portable, has often been in the news, mostly for all the wrong reasons due to his antics on and off the stage. Due to his controversial statements, he has been invited for questioning by the police on several occasions.

However, it doesn’t seem like the singer has any plans to shy away from controversy. One of his latest songs titled ‘Kuku do Ritual’ has been widely criticized for its negative message of acquiring wealth by any means, including doing money rituals. Given rising cases of ritual killings and other forms of moral decadence in the country, industry stakeholders have declared that the singer should be called to order.

The Muslim Rights Concern condemned the song and called for security services to investigate the song and the singer.

A statement from the organization read in part: “Popular pop singer Habeeb Okikiola has released a new album (sic) under (sic) the title ‘Kuku Do Ritual’, in which part of the lyrics say: ‘Kuku do ritual. If you do ritual, you will die. If you don’t do a ritual, you die. Kukudo ritual’.

“We find this song disgusting, odious and blatant. It is a brutal attack on Nigerian and African values. Portable’s latest issue has reduced human life to the level of ordinary ants that can be trampled under human feet without scruple and without consequence.

“This song has the ability to influence our youth in a negative way. It is also capable of destroying the future of youth. Something urgently needs to be done.”

Meanwhile, an entertainment lawyer, Femi Njoku, noted that while artists should be able to express their creativity as they see fit, if music is detrimental to societal growth and progress, it is only right that it be regulated. He told our correspondent: “I am very much in favor of not restricting anyone’s creative freedom, as long as whatever they are doing is not illegal.

“However, if music promotes vices that are detrimental to societal growth and progress, it is only right that some agency in charge, such as NBC, regulates the content played on our airwaves. We are in a time when there are a lot of ritual murders and other crimes that are certainly helped by certain things, such as the music people listen to.”

For his part, a music aficionado, Emmanuel Daraloye, stated that artists should be careful about the message they convey in their music, especially as afrobeats now enjoy worldwide attention. He said: “As for the negative message, I think maybe Portable is just speaking its truth, which is also the reality of many frustrated Nigerians. Art never originated in a vacuum; it is always a reflection of the reality of the people. To the outside world, however, songs like this shine a light on the situation in the country. A song like this can define their view of the country, and they can become wary of Nigeria after listening to this song.

However, the president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria Pretty Okafor noted that although the singer was a member of the association, it did not have the power to penalize a musician for their songs.