The duo of P-Square Peter and Paul Okoye turned 29 on Wednesday, 18 November. Instead of throwing a lavish party, they chose to celebrate with the less privileged. In the course of this, they visited the Little Saints Orphanage owned by Rev. (Mrs.) Dele George and during the visit, they donated food stuffs and other materials to the inmates. They also entertained them among other things. After the visit, P.M.Entertainment spoke with the duo about their business and love life, among other things

Q: You guys are 29 today, how do you feel?
A: We feel great, it is like growing old, we will all grow old some day. Next year, we will be 30 and can’t wait to be 30 next year.

Q: What are your plans towards your 30th birthday?
A: By then, we would have graduated from boys to men and where men are talking, we also can be part of them because we are celebrities already, but when we turn 30, we can talk more.

Q: Why did you choose an orphanage for the celebration?
A: I think it is all about flexibility, you know, we have just released another album and it is doing really well, so throwing parties and spending money will not take us anywhere. We felt like doing something different, although we have been visiting orphanages in Nigeria and any time we travel out of the country, we feel that this time, we have to do something different, celebrate with the orphans and spend everything we would have spent throwing a party on them and it has not stopped with our visit to the Little Saints Orphanage, we will be visiting others before the end of November, because a lot of people are looking up to us. So, we believe we have to be a good role model. We have a plan for Nigeria to be great and move it forward. We have a foundation called HAF, meaning Heal Africa Foundation. Nigerian problem is not only Nigerian thing but an African problem. We travel a lot and we have seen things for ourselves. What we did today is not so spectacular because we do it any time we perform at shows outside the country.

Q: Peter, you and your twin brother share a lot of things, like cars and apartment, so if you eventually get married, will you still do as you have been doing?
A: Well, music is business for us, Paul has his own life to live likewise me, but it depends, because we have always been together, so even if we have two mansions, they will be in the same compound like we are doing right now, building a twin duplex in Omole area of Lagos State, Paul is not my enemy, I will love to live with him and he will love to live with me too.

Q: But you know women can be funny?
A: When that comes, we will respect ourselves, right now, we share cars but if we eventually get married, it is going to be a different ball game entirely and if we are buying cars, it will be two, his will be white while mine will be black and other things.

Q: When are you guys getting married?
A: One day, we will get married. I want to get married but our music is taking so much of our time. Marriage will slow us down because we will be focusing more on our marital life. Right now, we are married to our music and if I get married between the ages of 32 and 33 years, it will not be a bad thing. It all depends.

Q: Are you guys planning to marry the same day?
A: Not really. We have different feelings, Paul may decide to marry in the next one or two years, while I could decide to do so in the next five years. I cannot tell him to wait.

Q: Are you scared of getting married?
A: I am not scared, but it is like I don’t want to jeopardise things. You know, I have a son already and that is like a mini family now. It is not that I cannot afford to raise a family, but one thing about marriage is that it has to be in the heart and the mind.

Q: Why are you not married to the mother of your child?
A: It all depends. The two of us are not ready for marriage and we can not force ourselves into it. It will come naturally. You don’t force yourself to what you will do and start biting your fingers after.

Q: Paul, how do you feel at 29?
A: Me, I dey fear sef. 29? I feel great, I feel cool, but I used to remember the vow I made when I was young that I will get married before 30.

Q: So what happened?
A: I think it is the music thing, my brother. Sometimes, people don’t believe that we musicians don’t have problems, but we have a lot. You know, getting married is a serious business, but right now, we are very busy and I don’t want what will distract me from my family, I mean, my wife and kids because if I am going to get married, I will love to spend more time with my family. There is a girl I have been dating for about six years now and by the grace of God, I will definitely marry her. To me, if I can date her for six years, I believe she doesn’t have a problem. God’s time is the best.

Q: Are you guys planning a joint wedding?
A: Well, I don’t see that, because my brother has a son outside wedlock. We are two different beings. I can decide to get married and he may say no, he is not ready. But if that happens, it will be great.

Q: Right now, you have own properties jointly, if you eventually get married, will you still do same?
A: P-Square are not the kind of people who go into inheritance and other things. I know when it comes to marriage, things will sort themselves out. If you look at what we are doing now, you will notice a difference. When it comes to buying properties, we don’t just buy one, like our building project in Omole, we are building two, in fact, the same thing we are doing in Port Harcourt, but in Jos, we built a family house there. But everything we are doing now is two, so there won’t be any problem in future because there will be a time that if anyone of us is buying a car, he will buy for himself; Peter Okoye, Paul Okoye, it is getting to that now.

Q: What other plans do you have when you turn 30?
A: I believe God will take care of that for me. I know by the time I attain the age of 30 years, I am getting close to getting married.

Q: Groups do split and members go solo, although you guys are twins, do you see yourself going solo in future?
A: If we decide on that, I think we will address the public, but the way I see it, I may be the first person to opt out of music, because I don’t think… I like the life of Paul more than the life of P-Square and my twin brother is more into this P-Square thing, but I love the life of Paul than that of P-Square.

Q: If you eventually opt out of music, what will you be doing?
A: Presently, I am working on a personal business apart from music.

Q: Like what?
A: So many things, but by next year, people will like seeing it materialise and you guys will start to see some businesses owned by Paul Okoye. I think what we did with the P-Square thing is like a foundation, now with P-Square, we have houses all over the place, in our village, Jos, Lekki and Port Harcourt; that is P-Square investment, next year 2010, we will create a foundation for ourselves and those are investments, but from next year, if any one sees a house he likes, no be say guy, see dis house, make we buy am, no, it is I want to buy it.

Q: How do you share your income?
A: No problem about that, the thing is, if Peter wants to buy a house worth N50 million, Paul too will pocket his own N50 million, that is what we do.

Q: What other plans does P-Square have?
A: We are planning a foundation, which will be solely by P-Square and not calling on people to come and contribute to it, but to assist the less privileged. What we did today has been on for a very long time, particularly any time we played in a particular state or country, we visit a charity home. But because today is our birthday, we decided to get the media honoured. We will be visiting charity homes throughout this month and right now, our mother is doing same in Jos on our behalf. We have sent her a package to represent us there.

The PM News

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