The Bible says in Ezekiel chapter 18 that the iniquity of the child shall not be placed on the father, and the iniquity of the father shall not be placed on the child.
Everyone will answer for their own life. I made a post recently about people commenting on the differences in lifestyle between H. E. Prof Charles Soludo and his son Ozonna. And how people are dragging him. Someone even called on Professor Soludo to come and carry his son back to Nigeria from the United Kingdom.
Up till now, we have not heard anything criminal about Ozonna Soludo.
You may not like his looks.
You may not like his dressing.
You may not like his music.
You may expect him to wear suits like his father or traditional akwete clothing.
But that is his choice.
He is an adult.
Parents, please stop beating yourselves emotionally because of your children’s decisions. Look at Fela Kuti. He chose a very different path from his father, Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, who was a reverend and a respected school principal.
The secondary school named after the father still exists today.
Fela himself went to the Trinity College of Music in the UK. But he did not become a reverend like his father. Another member of the family, Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, became a pediatrician.
Each of them followed different paths. Look also at Charly Boy, who chose a lifestyle very different from that of his father, Chukwudifu Oputa.
Yet each person made their own kind of impact. You may ask why I am speaking like this as a pastor. The truth is that religion is a personal choice.
As long as someone is not a criminal and has not harmed others, many aspects of life remain personal choices.
So please, let us stop dragging Professor Soludo because of his son.
It is not his fault.
It is not his problem.
And according to Ozonna himself, he is simply living his life. Instead of breaking your head over Ozonna’s life, it may be wiser to think about your own life and pray about your own life. Last night my wife was watching a video. Someone was calling on His Excellency Professor Soludo, to come and carry his son back to Nigeria from the United Kingdom or wherever he is. The person in the video was saying a lot of things, most probably because the young man who used to wear an afro hairstyle has now started wearing dreadlocks.
I have also seen many comments online about him — about his sexuality, his music, his father, and his mother. I want to look at this matter from a biblical, social, and philosophical perspective.
One of the most difficult situations a father can face is when your children do not take after you. In 1 Samuel chapter 8, the Bible says that Samuel grew old and appointed his two sons, Joel and Abijah, as judges in Beersheba. Samuel was living in Ramah, but the Bible clearly states that his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside, took bribes, made dishonest gains, and perverted justice. These men were adults. For them to become judges, they would likely have been over 30 years old.
Samuel himself grew up in the midst of the dysfunctional sons of Eli, yet he did not copy them. He feared God and lived uprightly. But his own sons chose a different path.
If you read 1 Samuel chapter 12, when Samuel gave his farewell speech, it is one of the most emotional speeches in the Bible. He told the people that he had ruled them for years and that they could testify that he never took a bribe, never perverted justice, and never forcefully took anything from anyone. He even said that if anyone could point to any wrongdoing in his life, he was ready to make restitution immediately.
This was a man who truly feared God. Yet his sons still chose to behave differently.
Will you blame Samuel?
Most probably no.
That is why I do not hold Professor Charles Soludo responsible for the choices, looks, or lifestyle of his son, Ozonna Soludo. Professor Soludo and his wife raised six children. Ozonna is just one of them.
I even saw where one of their daughters got married recently. The family seems stable. Ozonna went to study contemporary music in London, and he decided to become a musician. Out of curiosity, I went to Google his music. The music was actually very clean, philosophical, and emotional. The videos were beautifully illustrated with African landscapes — savannah scenes and artistic imagery. Some people even said he could win a Grammy someday. Regarding his sexuality, he once said he is an entity.
Whatever that means, I still believe we cannot hold Professor Soludo responsible for the sexual disposition of his son. We cannot hold him responsible for his choice of career as a musician. We cannot hold him responsible for his looks or dressing. I have four children myself. Some of them do not follow my lifestyle. Some do not like certain things about me. That is their choice. If I cannot impress you, I cannot influence you. Influence often comes from impression. And if a child chooses to go in another direction, that responsibility belongs to the child. So please, do not crucify parents because of the decisions of their adult children.
