Abuja: Veteran showbiz maestro Charles Oputa, popularly known as CharlyBoy, says he has no regrets about ‘walking his path,’ including his involvement in activism, as he turns 75.
The all-time social activist stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
The Septuagenarian initially aspired to become a priest and left the seminary after one year.
Oputa said he was the complete opposite of what his late father represented because he was eager to chart his path.
According to the Areafada, as CharlyBoy is fondly called by his admirers, he opted for music and embraced the streets, dashing his father’s high hopes for him.
He said that while his father was a legal luminary, he rebelled against parental interference in his career path, determined to fight for the oppressed, a decision he paid dearly for but never regretted.
CharlyBoy recounted how he rejected the plum job at Mobil Oil and Gas that was for him by his influential father on his return from the US after his studies.
He said
He said, rejecting that job triggered anger and a beef that lingered between father and son for years.
“I only wanted to break out of my father’s shadow.
“I have no regret whatsoever, as life’s experiences have built me into a stronger and fulfilled man,” he said.
CharlyBoy said he has no regrets because even if something bad happened, there was a lesson to be learned from it.
“I came from a perfect home; my father wasn’t wealthy, though he wasn’t poor. He just lived according to his means, on his salary.
“I thank God for my upbringing; I thank God for all the moral codes handed down by my father, which have made me understand the essence of life itself.
“I am not a money man; I am not all about money; I am simple, humble, and contented above everything; these are the qualities handed down by my father.
“Today is my birthday, and I just thank God that he still kept me alive. I have no regrets looking back at my journey.
“I am spending my birthday on my bed. I am not going anywhere, and there will be no party, but I will be taking phone calls and all the messages coming and just chilling,” said Charly Boy.
The maverick activist said plans were underway to unveil his memoir, “999,” an intriguing story about his life’s journey so far.
He said the book was a tell-all tale about how he fought personal wars, rebelled against and disowned his parents, and married four times before he turned 36.
NAN reports that Charles Oputa, born June 19, 1950, is the son of Chukwudifu Oputa, a renowned former Supreme Court Justice.
He is a foremost singer-songwriter, television presenter, actor, and producer known for his alternative lifestyle, political views, and media productions.
He was the host of the popular “The Charly Boy Show,” a judge for the talent hunt show “Nigeria Idol” in 2011, and a former president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria.
He has been married to Diane, an African-American singer and former fashion designer, for over 40 years and has children.
The “Areafada” is known as an advocate of the masses as he has fought for the rights of ordinary Nigerians and had, on several occasions, been tortured by security operatives for standing up to authorities.
In the mid-nineties, CharlyBoy fought for the rights of military pensioners during the Detachable military dispensation by marching to the defence headquarters in Abuja to demand payment of their pension arrears.
In 2017, Charly Boy led the ‘Our Mumu Don Do’ movement and participated in a daily sit-out protest alongside other activists.
The movement was to call on President Muhammadu Buhari then to resume office or resign after the President had spent over 60 days outside the country on a health visit to the UK.