Pastor Femi Lazarus and Timi Dakolo: Ali Baba reacts to gospel singers fee, " Spiritual manipulation"

• Ali Baba shares 3 poignant stories of religion musicians facing hardship to underline the challenges they brushwood portion serving successful section parishes
• Pastor Femi Lazarus stirs contention by criticising gospel singers for charging show fees, insisting that ministry should not beryllium a money-making task
• Timi Dakolo counters Lazarus, defending gospel artists by highlighting the nonrecreational and fiscal demands of their trade that warrant payment

The feud betwixt Pastor Femi Lazarus and Timi Dakolo has gained traction, and Nigerian comedian Ali Baba has stepped into the fray.

Pastor Lazarus, person of Light Nation Church, kicked disconnected the statement by condemning gospel singers who request outgo for religion performances.

Ali Baba, Pastor Femi Lazarus and Timi Dakolo discussing gospel singers. Photo Credit: @alibabagcfr
Source: Instagram

In a widely circulated video, helium recounted an lawsuit wherever a vocalist requested N5 million. He argued that genuine ministers should trust connected divine proviso alternatively than turning worship into a business. Timi Dakolo, a celebrated Nigerian artist, didn’t clasp backmost successful his response.

He argued that gospel music, portion a calling, is besides a assemblage requiring important investment—studio sessions, accumulation costs, and promotion isn’t cheap. Dakolo stressed that these artists person responsibilities similar feeding their families, urging pastors to halt guilt-tripping them and either wage for their services oregon instrumentality to religion choirs.

Ali Baba’s instrumentality connected churches and gospel artists

Ali Baba brought a raw, relatable twist to the saga with his Instagram station connected March 21, 2025. He shared 3 real-life stories of religion musicians to exemplify their struggles. Gbenga, a keyboardist, sought accommodation assistance from his religion aft shuttling betwixt the mainland and Victoria Island for services, lone to find his belongings dumped extracurricular aft months of waiting.

Eze, a skilled bassist, endured suspensions for gigging with a "secular" jazz band, yet quitting the religion aft his deaconess aunt warned of a last ban. Sammie’s communicative ends with his death, though details are scarce, leaving a sombre note.

Ali Baba’s caption framed these arsenic examples of endowment stifled by unpaid labour, unpaid bills, and what helium termed "well-manicured blackmail" from religion leaders. He pointed retired the irony: musicians who permission parishes to pursuit their dreams often instrumentality arsenic paid stars, invited by the aforesaid churches that erstwhile ignored their pleas.

His Instagram caption ended with,

"In the end, the ones that stayed successful the section parishes, spot the ones that launched retired connected their ain apursued the gospel ministration, became popular, accepted, paid, & invited, by the aforesaid parish that refused to adjacent springiness them tokens of particles from tithes, to ease, their choky corner"

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Reactions to Ali Baba's views astir gospel singers

@uchennaji said;

"If lone I tin stock my communicative arsenic to wherefore I walked retired astir 2decades agone aft serving astatine a prominent-elite RCCG religion successful VI. Maybe someday ...🚶🏾🚶🏾🚶🏾"

@holy_ake said;

"Where is the lie? You invitation foreigners and wage them, wherefore not amusement emotion to those that are dedicated successful your religion doing the work"

@minjoechristian said;

"I went done this nonstop experience."

@ola_bass said;

"Thissss!!!!!! If the truthful called assemblage of Christ/Pastors dey bash Artistes/Musicians/Choir well, they wouldn’t person to enactment a terms tag connected their talents. Emphasis: Treat your Musicians good 🙏🙏🙏🙏"

@loladefacetalk said;

"I saw thing akin archetypal hand, I conscionable told myself, my beloved get up and spell and marque immoderate money. No 1 volition complaint you if you don’t polish yourself and adhd immoderate value. I mean premium value."

Ali Baba shades fashionable instrumentalist implicit lavish lifestyle

Recall legit.ng reported however Ali Baba threw subtle jabs astatine a fashionable musician.

Ali Baba weighs successful connected the gospel singers vs. pastors statement involving Pastor Femi Lazarus and Timi Dakolo. Photo Credit: @alibabagcfr
Source: Instagram

He narrated however a celebrated creator dropped N1.5 cardinal connected a Maybach and bling during an overseas buying spree.

Ali Baba contrasted the lavish spending with the mundane struggles of Nigerians, raising eyebrows astir priorities.

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Source: Legit.ng