Ajoke Olufokunbi is a  professional nurse and at the same time a gospel musician. She started singing  when she was nine years old and sees music as a means of healing people. In this interview with Tunde Ayanda, she speaks on where she draws her inspiration among other issues. Excerpt:

Why music as a practising nurse?
MUSIC  came before nursing. I started music as early as when I was  nine years old I started singing in my church choir, but then, it didn’t occur to me that I would later go into singing. But as God would have it, I found myself in the singing ministry. I can say it's a calling and not an interest. Actually, I like singing, but I didn’t come into it because of the gain.  I preferred singing in the church.  I didn’t know how this came about, I only remembered that when I was young and when carrying out household chores, I would be singing. It was later that I started composing songs myself but  not until when God started ministering to me. Anytime I sang in church, people would be asking questions about me and that was how things started taking shape in a gradual form to where I’m now today.

I started singing at nine while I went into nursing when I was 18 years old. It was at the fellowship I was attending, Christian Nursing Fellowship(CNF), where I was made the lead singer in the choir, that was in my first year in school and I later became the choir leader. In my second year and later, I now began to realise that there was a reason God brought me there because what we were doing then was called Healing Through Worship. Even when  working I hum and later I discovered that some patients just liked it and they always wanted me to be around them.

I thank God because He made me to understand the assignment He has given me. I hope to heal with music. As a nurse I’ve seen a lot and God has been helping people through the music I sing.

How do you juggle your nursing career with music, is one not affecting the other?
It has been wonderful anyway, though it is also challenging. As a nurse, we run shifts and we also have units and the head of ones unit need to be carried along in whatever one  is doing. Another thing is that we have rosters that  necessitate working on a shift for two weeks or a month and you are expected to write reports whenever you want to be off. Whenever I’m going for ministrations, I always have two weeks for notification, so it is either I am released or not.

I always tell people who want me at their functions that my honouring their invitation  depends on  my schedule at work.

You compose your songs, where does the inspiration comes from?
It comes from God, through the scriptures and prayers. Most of the time when I read the scriptures, whenever any of the verses strike  me I know that  God wants me to do a song from it, the song will just be flowing and it is also like this when I’m praying. Inspiration also comes from the prayer points. Another source is the word of God.

Can we relate your choice of singing gospel music to your background?
I could remember a fateful day when I came back from school, my dad called me and gave me an hymn book. As  an Anglican by birth, he gave me the hymn book and took me on his bike to a lady who was a chorister  in our church then and I can say that this was how the journey into the music field started.

I have been in the choir since I was  nine till date and l remain a chorister and I’ve been in various singing groups. It is not that I don’t listen to secular music, in fact, I have favourites among them.

For someone who has been singing since nine,  how has it been? Can you say you are fulfilled as a gospel musician?
The aim of my music is to heal through it, sing healing to the word. When we talk about healing, we are not talking about physical disability or impairment, but about every aspect of one’s life, there are some careers that are sick, there are some families that are sick, there are a lot of people with ailments and the mission is to sing healing which comes from Christ, that’s my major interest and I will say that  I am fulfilled doing that.

How far have you gone, what are you working on at present?
I have an album titled Wait on God. We are also working on a concert taking place very soon, a major event that will feature many prominent gospel artistes. The Wait on God album is a six-track album with tracks on praises, prayer and encouragement.

Do you have people you look up to in the music industry?
My father gave me the urge to sing and I am grateful to him, he gave me the push. I am also appreciative of our  organist, Mr Gbenga Omolewa of St Stephen's Cathedral, Ondo who moulded my singing talent. He is my role model, who incidentally is a banker now. Another thing is that I like good music, I buy CDS like no man’s business. I like 9ice and I think he is my favourite in the secular section.

With regards to gospel music these days, we seem not to be able to differentiate it from club songs, some of the songs do not target only the people in the church. What do you think is responsible for this?
That’s why I said I don’t have anyone who influences me musically. I buy CDS, listen to them and draw whatever I want from them. Some gospel musicians copy fuji music, I don’t oppose this, but when they now go to the extreme by interpreting it, I feel uncomfortable. This is not normal and that’s why I said I don’t have favourites, I just buy and listen with due respect to them. My inspiration is from God because  gospel music is now corrupted.

There are several things about life and what is considered reality that is changing with the times and one of it is the concept of the capacities of the two sexes. What is your take on the idea that a woman is the weaker sex and are therefore restricted to some careers?
While I agree as a Christian that the woman is the weaker vessel because the Bible says so, the reality is that when you have a job to do, God gives the commensurate amount of grace that is needed to enable you accomplish that task. As long as you are being directed to take up that task, your gender will become irrelevant in that context. He will make a way for you such that you will not fail.

Whether in the spiritual or secular fields, there are several women who have achieved great success in their fields despite their gender. An example in the Bible is Deborah and don’t forget the achievements of the likes of Margaret Thatcher of Great Britain who became distinguished even during a time when her country was at war in the Fucklands Island. Even now on the world scene, great women are doing great things.

In my case, even things that I had never thought I could achieve, God has granted me grace to achieve them, like this music ministry for an example.

Women seem to be having a great challenge with getting spouses these days. Why are single ladies finding it difficult to get husbands even when they have
good qualifications and good careers or career prospects?
The truth is that there is always a man for every woman and vice versa. Sometimes it takes a while for this to be realised but whatever happens, one should learn to be patient.

A sister of mine had such an experience but today, she is happily married, to the best. If single ladies can wait on God and ensure they keep themselves well, God will grant their requests at the right time. All they need to do is be patient and not be pushed to take a decision they are not persuaded of just so as to belong or to please their complaining parents.