Olorogun Barrister Kenneth Gbagi, the Delta state governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party SDP has given reasons why Governor Okowa cannot be Nigeria’s vice president. He spoke with AUSTIN OYIBODE and DORCAS IZAH, both of Emerald News.
Excerpts
What’s your reaction to the quantum of debt Delta state is owing which the governor is definitely going to leave for the next governor to inherit?
I have advised all the banks in Nigeria not to give another loan to us. There’s no point because the loans they have given to us cannot be seen on ground. The reason is we are obligated as a government to pay them back. So, they should stop giving Delta loans.
Number two, I want to say that once you destroy corruption in governance, people will be wealthier, the church will be better, Delta state will be greater and development will turn around. It will look like a tsunami. By so doing, you have destroyed a cankerworm that is eating up our economy.
If you recall, the Obasanjo regime went for debt cancellation. The Obasanjo regime cleared all the debts Nigeria ever owed. Until these people came and began owing debts everywhere. I will clear all the debts but I will never borrow money. Because I know what to do to make money.
The governor of the state is going for vice presidency of Nigeria, and he is contesting with somebody from the North, what hope do you think he has?
Okowa cannot be a vice president in Nigeria and the reason is simple. I will not vote for Okowa just as he will not vote for me. But the fact here is this, deceit is deceit.
I told Okowa if you recall, January of last year, I said Okowa should go and be president if he wants and I told him not once or twice not to lie with God’s name.
We agreed and I bear evidence to the fact that as a former minister in Nigeria, one Muslim Northerner will rule then one Christian Southerner will rule. That is why we brought Johnathan to power.
Johnathan was from the South and a Christian.
When Johnathan finished, there was an election and Mohammadu Buhari came in. Buhari is a Muslim Fulani from the North. So the question is there was a meeting. You can go back and research on it, The meeting was hosted by Okowa
.
In the meeting Okowa read the communique that presidency remain in the South. He hosted the first southern meeting. A man who is called a governor, his television speech and everything at that meeting is still alive for everybody to go back to.
Thereafter, he went to Enugu the same thing happened, he went to Lagos, the same thing happened. Now Christians will have to convert themselves to Muslims if they allow back to back Muslim rule. If it happens, then we are finished. I will never go to church again or believe in Christianity agai
We all agreed this is the time of a Southern Christian to rule Nigeria. Our brothers in the North should rise up and speak the truth. And in my small arrangement, there’s only two people that qualified, Prince Adewole Adebayo of the SDP from Ondo state and Peter Obi, a Catholic like me from Anambra state.
We cannot have a Muslim/Muslim back to back rule in Nigeria. The destruction, the evil will be inevitable. I know of course there’s this chatter of the Muslim that if a country enjoys continuous Muslim rule for 10 years, then it becomes a Muslim country.
Every Christian that is worth his onions should do any and everything to ensure that such thing does not hold because it is our turn.
Now hear this. Whatever monies they’re going to bring to you is your money. Eat the money, it is stolen money, and vote the right parties. Vote Gbagi for Delta state governor, vote Adebayo for Nigeria and the alternative, vote Peter Obi.
I hear a lot of funny things. I think with the advent of social media, mad men and normal people are no longer distinguished. I see a lot of bill boards, that nauseate me. Some are written “there will be hope” what is the hope in Delta?
Delta has become the greatest debtor in the history of Nigeria for the first time.
If a man can destroy Delta like this, what hope does he have for the nation? What is he going to bring about? In a country where Professor Yemi Osibanjo, a First class material and SAN was not able to make any impact as a vice president, what can Okowa do?
The vice president is the servant of the president So, I don’t know where he thinks he’s coming from.
We need a southerner, we need the peace of Nigeria, we need a Christian.
We need to keep the resources of this country flying. We don’t want to go into strife, we don’t want to go into war.
The country is in a state of comatose, we want to move out in speed. When I was a minister, we were the fastest growing economy in the whole of Africa, the second fastest growing economy in the world. We are looking for a situation to go back to that atmosphere.