‘Charly Boy’ evades enquiries about owing 7 years rent
Charles Oputa, a veteran musician and one-time president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), neither confirmed nor denied he owed seven years rent arrears at his former residence in the Gbagada area of the Lagos metropolis.
Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, had tweeted about alleged harassment of his Igbo kinsmen in states of the Yoruba-speaking Southwest region.
“Almost 70 years, I have lived. I have never heard any story of my Yoruba brothers being harassed or terrorized in the eastern part of this country,” the tweet read.
Charly Boy’s claim however attracted some condemnation including a claim he maltreated his, now deceased Yoruba landlady, and racked up unpaid rents.
A Twitter user, who alleged to be a former neighbour of the singer said Charly Boy was never harassed despite living in the Gbagada area of Lagos for up to seven years without paying rent.
“We were neighbours at 1 Ajidagan Street, 2nd Pedro, Gbagada. Charly Boy pulled down our fence with his to put a 20 ft container in the rented property for a studio,” the user alleged.
“Apart from destroying the house, his Yoruba landlady died heartbroken, fighting to collect 7 yrs rent Charly boy owed.”
Another tweep said: “Gramps Charlie said the SW were unwelcoming to the Igbo people in Lagos. Whoever was old enough to know what he did in Gbagada in those days would know better.
“Who controls Aspanda, Oyingbo, Ladipo, Alaba, and some major markets in Lagos? How many markets does the SW control in SE?”
TheCable Lifestyle reported it contacted Charlie Boy for his comment on the allegation of unpaid rents.
The singer instead dismissed the claim without providing evidence to prove his innocence.
“I’m already a landlord myself. I can’t rehash a 100-years-ago story. People can say whatever they please. How can such a claim be true? Let’s talk about important things, like how Nigeria can survive its current crisis,”
“I own many houses now. They want to take me back to my poverty days just to make a point. They can continue.
“I’m more interested in how young people can wise up. Nigeria is in their hands now, not the older generation.
“We all know it’s ethnicity they look to divide us with, yet we keep playing into the hands of these failed elders,” he said.
Charly Boy has been campaigning for Peter Obi, who is his kinsman and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party. The musician who promotes avante garde art attracted public opprobrium when he released raunchy pictures of himself in 2012. One of Charly Boy’s daughter grabbed the headlines few years ago when she declared her sexuality as gay.
