Stepping out with my wife shields me — Sammie Okposo

The Okposos

Award-winning gospel crooner, Sammie Okposo, and his wife, Ozioma, relive the strengths of their four-year-old union

How long have you been married?

Sammie: This our fourth year and it has been interesting.

How did you both meet?

Sammie: I met my wife at a concert in London when I went to for a music ministration at KICC.  After the event, people brought their CDs for me to sign. To make it fast because it was a long queue, I only looked up briefly to say ‘thank you’ after I signed each CD. But there was this particular hand that brought a CD, the hand looked too good to be true and before I signed, I looked up to see the owner of the hand. She was with her elder sister who invited her for the programme. My wife used to attend Winners Chapel and was just a guest at the concert.  I said, ‘hello’ but because there were people waiting on the queue, I could not say more. 

There and then, I knew this was the woman I wanted to marry. I checked to make sure there was no ring on my hand. I did not even know how I was going to see her again because I was booked to leave London the following day. I committed everything to God. Later that evening, a friend invited me to an exhibition which, coincidentally, was hosted by Ozioma’s elder sister. Then, I ran into her again. 

We just started chatting and we connected. It was then I got to that point where I wanted to be married. I got her email and we exchanged several messages. By God’s orchestration, I began to get a lot of invitations to London and it was always another opportunity to see her. On the minimum, I was in London at least twice in a month.

Ozioma: Meeting Sammie at that time was more spiritual than physical attraction. It was a pleasure to meet this guy whose music had always been a blessing. I didn’t even think I was going to see him again until my sister, who, had a business agenda, invited him to come and watch an exhibition. Then, we became friends, fell in love and eventually, we got married.

How long was your courtship?

Sammie: We dated for a minimum of two and a half years and it was a very quiet one. She was in London and I was in Nigeria and that helped. I did not say anything to anybody because I wanted to nurture it and make it work. Until we were ready to be married, I was determined not to go public.

Did she give you a hard time?

Sammie: She neither fell into my arms nor was she star-struck. My wife knows what she wants and she ensured she got to that place where she was comfortable with me and not because of what I do or who I am. She is not married to Sammie Okposo, the celebrity.

You step out often with your wife…

Sammie: Without sounding vain, I have a beautiful wife and I should flaunt it. Most of these events hold during the weekends and it will be hard for me not to take my wife along with me.  She works too and is also very busy. Going out together is another opportunity to spend time with each other. If we are not at events, you will catch us at the cinema or by ourselves having fun somewhere. It is a good thing for any celebrity to be a family man, especially if you are married. Stepping out with my wife is also a form of shield for me, bearing in mind the kind of society we live in.

What qualities attracted you to each other?

Ozioma: Sammie is a man after God’s heart. He serves God as if that is the only thing he was born to do, even when he is down, he picks himself up and keeps serving and  keeps praising.  He is very diligent with his work.

Sammie: My wife is very calm. She understands my job. The fact that it exposes me to females or the fear of me straying away never arises. Ozioma is peaceful and all of these help me relax. I will attribute all of these to her orientation and upbringing. She supports me in all I do and is a prayer warrior. My wife will pray any issue away.

Do you have a joint account?

Sammie: We don’t have a joint account yet but we have started working on what we would call a family account. She will be the sole signatory because she runs the home. Also, what if I have to travel and there is an emergency?  That does not mean I can’t give her my bank card if she requests for it.

How did you propose to her?

Sammie: I did not do all the razzmatazz. I neither went down on my knees nor gave her a ring in one fancy restaurant. Our relationship was a natural progression and before we knew what was happening we began to meet each other’s families. I kept asking her to marry me and when she saw that I was adamant with my request, she asked me to demonstrate my seriousness by going to inform her family about my intentions and that I did.

How do you handle his celebrity status?

Ozioma: When I said yes, I already knew I would be getting married to two men, Mr Samuel Uyi Okposo, the gentleman and Sammie Okposo, the celebrity.  I live with the former at home and live with the latter outside.  I’ve learnt by the grace and strength of God to manage this like a mother who has twins with two extreme individual differences, you cannot assume they should like or dislike the same things because they are twins. Being able to recognise which twin is standing before you at any time is wisdom.

How were you able to convince her to relocate to Nigeria with you?

Sammie: Since she has good home training, it was not a difficult thing to decide. We just gave it time for her to round off her work, education and put everything in order in the United Kingdom, after which she packed her bags and came down to Nigeria.

How do you resolve your differences?

Sammie: I am not going to tell you that we don’t quarrel. We work it out and it never blows out of proportion. My wife never gets upset with me to the point that when I get back, she won’t welcome me or serve me my food. She will do all that and look for a very good time to table the issue. Neither will I neglect my role as a man in the house because I am upset with my wife. We have told ourselves that issues will always come up but it is how we deal with it that is important.

Ozioma: I pray about it, though he is very quick to apologise. I also make him a recipe, ofe onugbu or okro with prawns.

Most people describe the first few years of marriage as tough. What was your own experience?

Sammie: It was a bit challenging. Bringing my wife into my crazy world of entertainment was a process. Initially, she did not understand why I could not work during the day and would not be coming home because I had to do a night session. Also, the kind of hours we spend on location seemed strange to her. As time went by, she began to understand because I deliberately took her with me. I also made sure we always went in one car. She will have no choice but to stick with me till I am done.

How romantic are you towards each other?

Ozioma: He is trying

Sammie: My wife is very romantic but clingy. We engage in public display of affection and I don’t have a problem with that.

How do you celebrate special occasions like your anniversary and birthdays?

Sammie: On her first birthday as my wife, I sponsored her on an all-expense paid trip to Dubai with her best friend. It was a surprise. Prior to that, whenever she tried discussing her birthday with me, I would either dismiss it or quickly move on to another topic and she thought I was not interested. I had her friend, who was my ally, in putting this together. 

She invited Ozioma to Ghana on a trip. When they got to the airport, her friend checked in and presented her with a boarding pass that read Dubai. It was then that her friend announced to her it was a surprise trip from me! I had her friend present her an envelope containing dollars. 

My wife started crying and called me on phone not knowing she was in for more surprises. When they got to Dubai, a limousine picked them up at the airport and on getting to the hotel; the staff welcomed her with a birthday song and cake.

What are   your pet names for each other?

Sammie: I am not going to disclose that. It is for both of us while  at home.

Ozioma: I call him Babes. Sounds common but it sure does sound like his name to me now.