My hubby connived with my sister to win my heart – Zion

Born into a polygamous home but raised up in a different backgrounds, Destiny Chiamaka Uga, a.k.a, Zion, is a typical example of someone who is committed to realising her dream in life despite her background. In this interview with OPEOLUWANI AKINTAYO, Zion talks about how she fought so hard to keep her dream alive as well as how she met her husband.
Excerpt:
What was growing up like for you?
I’m from a polygamous home and we’re eight in number from my mother’s side. And polygamous home being what it is, it affected us financially.
Most of us couldn’t go to school, because we allowed our younger ones go to school because our parents weren’t so rich.
So I ended up living with my aunties in different homes. And that’s why I have different characters because I lived with different people and I can adapt to different situations. Like my first aunty that I lived with, she trained me into a reserved person so I grew up a private person.
You said you grew up to become an introvert, why did you choose music?
It all started when I was still with the first family I lived with. They were Catholics and I used to go to Church with them.
I became a lay reader and later joined the choir because I love singing, a trait I inherited from my mum. And whenever I sang in the Church, people usually loved it and would encourage me, telling me that I should take it to a higher level.

•Zion

So, whenever there was a big programme in Church, I’d be invited to sing and that’s how everything started. Inside of me, I was convinced that I was destined to sing and touch lives with my songs.
When I was in my early twenties, I joined the Zoe Ministry. I started attending the Church’s programmes that included crusades and conventions where I’d be asked to sing.
On this particular day I’d never forget, we travelled for a convention at Ogwashi Ukwu. And during the service, the pastor just singled me out from the crowd and asked me to come to the altar. When I got to him, he told me that he had a message for me.
That I’m called to sing and that I should go ahead and train myself in music so that I could start ministering. At that moment, I felt the anointing strongly on me.
And what did you do about the prophesy?
I was sad because I had nobody, who amongst my different relations who understood my calling. I was scared because I didn’t know what to do.
After a while, I came to Lagos on my own and stayed with a friend because I didn’t want to stay with my step brothers. But I visited them from time to time.

Soon I joined the movie industry and was often given Waka pass roles. I did couple of movie like Karisika, Assignment, Child Of Destiny and others but it wasn’t paying off.
I left the industry and was advised to join a dance group which I did. We were taught different cultural dances and we would entertain at occasions.
So, hy are you coming out now?
Because I think it’s time. God has been patient with me. And since I’m matured enough, I realised I couldn’t sit and do nothing about my calling.
Do you have an album?
Yes, I do. I titled the album using my stage name, Zion. I’m through with the audio and I’m working on the video. I have five promotional tracks like Zion, I Know Who I Am, Mo Ti Seun Rere, Ome Wo Mu Mma, Jehovah and Instrumental.
When is the album dropping ?
Hopefully, it will drop next month by the grace of God.
Are you doing anything to train yourself?
Yes, I’ve enrolled in a music school. I had to register in a music school because I just don’t want to be a singer but a musician. I want to know everything that relates to music, I want to write my songs, play the instruments and teach music.
How did you meet your husband?
After the dancing group, I got a job with a telecommunication company as a Sales Representative. When I joined the company, I was trained for one months. I met my husband while travelling to Enugu by air. I sat next to him in the plane and we got talking.
He asked for my number but I didn’t oblige him. When our plane landed and I waited to be picked by my sister, he came right behind me to collect my number.
Thereafter, he went behind me again to see my family and disclosed to them his intention.
Initially, I never wanted to settle down because I wanted to achieve something substantial for myself before going into marriage.
But he mounted pressure on me to marry him. I never met a man like him, he was so stubborn about what he wanted. On many occasions, I’d quarrel with him to see if he’d leave me alone but it only got worse.
He became more persistent. To show how serious he was, he went to see my family without my knowing and with the connivance of my sister.
One day, my sister invited me over to her place and started giving me Bible quotations.
She lied that she dreamt that a man had asked for my hand in marriage but I refused. She told me how the whole family was angry and disowned me for refusing. By this time, my family members were already in love with him, not for his money but for the way he portrayed himself to them.
Well, I finally accepted his proposal.
Were you a born-again when both of you met?
Yes I was newly born again. I was still a growing Christian and was being careful. So I told God that if he’s truly my husband, nothing should stop it. It took a while for me to be convinced because there were days he’d call me and I’d shout on him to stop calling me.
But one day, I woke up in the morning and I had that feeling of conviction to go ahead with it. And immediately I made that decision, he called from his base in Germany and said he dreamt that we wedded and that he’s not going to stop until he marries me. And at the end of the day, everything went well.
So are you planning to join him in Germany soon?
Yes. In fact, I’d have joined him long ago but the thought of starting life afresh in another country bothered me so much that I really want to take my time to work on my calling before going over.
Are you not scared that things might go wrong with you here and him over there?
I’m not scared because I trust him. He’s taught me to trust and to believe that everything will be fine. We talk on phone and he comes home too.
Now that you’ve decided to start music fully do you have any challenges?
I thank God for blessing me with the most wonderful man on earth. He’s been very supportive.