How I rejected N7bn offer to remove ‘Jesus’ from my songs – Panam Percy Paul

Veteran gospel singer Dr. Panam Percy Paul has revealed that he once rejected a lucrative international record deal because it required him to compromise his faith.

Speaking in an interview with Pastor Emmanuel Iren, the renowned musician recounted how, in 1995, he was offered a three-year contract worth £24 million—equivalent to approximately ₦7 billion at the time.

However, the deal came with a major condition: he was asked to limit the number of times he mentioned the name “Jesus” in his songs.

“The catch was, ‘Can you reduce the number of times you call the name Jesus in your songs?’ And there is more where this came from. One of them even suggested, ‘You actually don’t need to mention the name Jesus. You can call Him other names like Righteous One or Greatest Lover,’” he recalled.

Shocked by the proposal, Paul immediately turned down the offer, stating that no amount of money could make him change his message.

“I was at the peak of ministry and success in the industry. I was offered £24 million for a three-year contract. Back in 1995, that was equivalent to ₦7 billion. I told them, ‘You can keep the money, while I keep the name.’”

The gospel icon also expressed concern over how the music industry has shifted from ministry to commercialization, with record labels and marketers now dictating how artists produce their music.

“Today, the extreme is that music ministry has now become a music industry, where the industry dictates to ministers what to do, how to sing, and when to sing. For example, it was the marketers in Alaba that encouraged musicians to add tongues to their songs,” he noted.