Olorogun Barrister Kenneth Gbagi, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Delta state has been campaigning in churches across Delta state. In this interview with the Emerald News crew, AUSTIN OYIBODE (Editor) and DORCAS IZAH (Staff Writer) at Oginibo, his country home, the outspoken guber candidate revealed why he campaigns more in churches across the state.
Excerpt:
You have visited a lot of churches in the course of your campaign, what is your interest in the church?
First and foremost, I do not have any other fear in this world, except the fear of God. When I wanted to start this move into politics, realizing that I had made some mistakes, I invited one Catholic, one Pentecostal, one Anglican, they came here and I had lunch with them. Thereafter, I broke the news that I was going to run for governorship three years ago. We finished eating and they went about their prayer work.
The men of God including the person of Arch Bishop Agbakara, a man whom I have so much respect for, swung into action and what I saw weeks later was 105 pastors who came into my house quietly and they all prayed for me. Bishop Emobo, Bishop Arawaren, Bishop Agbakara to name a few were in my house. They were 105 that came three years ago. Since that day that Bishop Emuobo led the prayer till date it has been miracle upon miracle, God has shown his hands in me.
When many see me going to church, they laugh at me, saying “he’s always going to church, what is he doing in church? Delta state is a 93% Christian state, so everybody goes to church. I was raised in the CAC by my father, even though I’m a Catholic, and that’s all that I believe, that’s all the power I know, that’s all I was brought up with. I don’t know any other thing in life.
I hear that people who are contesting today are going to take people’s lives, going to diabolical houses, it doesn’t bother me. I don’t care. I don’t believe in it. The question is if I didn’t believe in any of those things and I am where I am today at this age and time with this massive success I’ll be an idiot to think of anything else other than God. That’s where my power lies, that’s where my strength is.
For instance, you have heard that when we went to these churches to pray, more specifically PFN and CPFN, the other two candidates of PDP and APC refused to kneel down on the altar to confirm what they had said. But when it got to my turn, I went to that altar to kneel down and pray.
The question is who has the fear of God in their heart. Because with the fear of God you can hardly want to do anything wrong. What I see that has bedeviled Delta state is that people do not have the fear of God. People do not believe that death comes and that we will not carry all these empires, vehicles, clothes anywhere.
That is why right from my childhood as I get into the limelight of progression, all the money that have come up or crossed my path, I have used it to invest for the upliftment of mankind.
Take my first major project in life (Deco Road Mall). When I built that mall, people thought I was not normal, but someone must show the light. Look at it today, Deco Road Mall is a beehive of activity. Every day not less than 3000 people pass through Deco Road Mall. In a whole week millions of people pass through that place, having a source of livelihood. And it all has a multiplier effect. The father is trading there, it affects the mother, it affects the child.
That was my first major project and when I saw the effects, the prayers, and the success ratio, I decided to expand to PTI. When I saw that Warri was a kangaroo city, as it was fast running into, I built the Cinema, a hotel and a factory. Now, what percentage of all of these do I eat? It will interest you that I’m not interested.
All I care about is the turnaround of society. I have the belief that it would be meaningless if you live your life and just go without putting down your footprint. If this room we are in is the only thing I have in my life, among millions of Nigerians, then I believe that God has blessed me and he is biased in my favour. Not to talk of the fact that I own this house, the estate and the other properties in the world. I sleep a very happy man without blemish.
What has been your experience from the sheer number of people you see in the congregations you have visited?
I am used to it because I grew up in the church. I’m used to fasting in church and bazaar. I’m used to conventions, so it’s about getting more involved. The church is the only thing I have. Christianity is the only thing I have, the fear of God is the only thing I have. So, I am happy whenever I’m going into the church, there is so much joy in my heart because I don’t go to the nightclubs or any kind of parties, I don’t socialize, I don’t drink. All that gives me joy is getting involved in the things of God.
From all the stories we have seen, you have had a lot of endorsements from these churches, what does that portend to you?
You see, what God has said about me will happen, nobody on earth can change it. I tell people this story but it looks funny. Everyone knows that when I say anything, I mean them. I don’t know how to pretend.
I have made up my mind that if it turns round to the turn of central, I was going to contest the governorship. What I had done was to assess everyone that could possibly be governor in Delta state and I benchmarked them against myself, my achievements in life and what I stood for. I came out to do politics the same way it is done in America with all transparently.
So, from day one I was very mindful of the fact that I was going to go into leadership of this country. I’m not going to stop by just being a governor, I’m going to go further. I was certain about the fact that I was going to be governor because right from my primary school days I have always been ahead of my class. From then in my cutting edge days, I realized that I would work so hard.
Even in my university days there was only one guy who beat me up very silly. And till date I still have goose pimples when I remember him ( William). He didn’t have much, but he was beating me in every exam. And I wanted to find out what was special about him. Other than that, I beat all the Americans, Britons, Pakistanis and all the Philippines that went to school with me.
There is what is called self-assessment. In all the churches we have gone to, where I speak for hours, you would never see me holding a paper, I spoke extempore. In my education, we were taught that you should be able to address the United Nations without a book. So, when you see me talking, it’s because the brain is there. That’s why I am ahead of my peers.
I have asked everyone who wants to govern Delta to come for a debate but they are afraid. If they truly know that they are worth ruling Delta, let them come and tell Deltans. But none of them will want to face me in a debate. This is because they have nothing to offer. We are all above 50 years, but what have they done for anyone to see as their contribution to the state called Delta.
Whatever opportunity that has come their way, they have ferried the money to Dubai, Ghana and other countries as stolen money. They cannot put it back into the economy as you see me doing, building malls, hotels, petrol stations and other properties because if they dare it, EFCC will pick them up.
What I’m saying is that I am extremely happy with where I am today. What I ask you as a dogged journalist, is that you should insist that they challenge Gbagi for a debate and tell Deltans what you have to offer.
