Apparently, to show that the state was proud of his feats in the music industry, the government flung open its landmark events centre, the Glory Land Cultural Centre in the State Capital, Yenagoa, for a night of unadulterated entertainment tagged, Timaya's Homecoming.

It also flung open the state's treasury to make the party a resounding success.

E-Punch sources revealed that the budget for the party was pegged at a princely N55m and the State government seemed too pleased to shell out that much in support of the career of a son of the soil.

Featuring some of the finer crops of Nigeria's contemporary entertainers like Dr. Sid, Terry G, MI, Kefee, Flavour, I Go Die, Gandoki, Faze and Duncan Mighty among many others, the album release party veiled as a homecoming celebration was described as a very expensive affair by those who were there.

Being an illustrious son from a generous state comes with many perks. If you are in doubt ask dancehall star, Timaya. On Wednesday, July 28, the self-styled Egberipapa 1 of Bayelsa was treated to a homecoming party like no other by Governor Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa State. A few weeks before then, Timaya had released his fourth album, De-Rebirth.

The budget, we learnt, went into catering for the artistes' welfare and performance fees, the least of whom we gathered collected about N1.5m.

According to one of the artistes on parade, "We were very well taken care of by the state government. I didn't know that Timaya is so loved in his state."

Asked how much he was paid, the hip hop act declined comment, saying it was in the range of what he normally gets during peak periods like December and Easter.

At such periods, artistes in his category get between N2m and N3m because of competing demand for their services.

Adducing reasons for the event, Timaya's manager, Prince Oluzor, told E-Punch, "Timaya has never performed at a big show in Bayelsa and the state government decided to put together a homecoming party for him.

It was an all-night event and there were different artistes from Lagos to support one of their own." He said further that there was another album release party funded by Timaya and managers of E-Lounge, a hospitality outfit in Abuja. "So, no meanings should be read into the Yenagoa event," he said.

Loud and full of braggadocios, Enetimi Odom, as he is known to his kith and kin was a former back-up singer with Eedris Abdulkareem before fame and fortune took permanent residence in his abode.

Since 2007 when he released his debut album, Dem Mama Soldier, followed by two other equally successful albums, the 34-year-old singer has bade bye to poverty, lounging and rolling instead with those in the corridors of fortune and power.