A human rights activist, Zik Gbemre, gave the caution on Wednesday April 21st 2021, in a press release.
He noted that a former minister of Education and governorship hopeful, Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi, remains the most qualified and sellable aspirant with business ventures who do not have ill gotten wealth.
According to him, “Apart from Kenneth Gbagi that is into business, none of these other Governorship aspirants in Delta State have their own businesses, which they must have built over the years to have accumulated their current wealth”.
Gbemre, explained that those other aspirants allegedly made their monies with the instrumentality of government during the Chief James Onanefe Ibori’s administration, except Gbagi.
“What does that tell us, that they all got their current wealth and status through the instrument of the Delta State Government, especially under the past administration of James Ibori. But for Gbagi, he can create wealth for the state, if we are to be sincere with ourselves because he has been a business person to the core.
“Again, none of the other Governorship aspirants were known before 1999, apart from Gbagi. I remember using his hotel back then, called GK Guest House in Ekpan-Effurun near Warri, for a Shell workshop in the 90s. Gbagi is an investor, who believes in empowering the common masses by given the opportunities and platforms to do so. And that is the sort of Governor we desperately need in Delta State. Not the ones who always depend on State funds to enrich themselves.
“All of them aspiring to be governors of Delta State, what can we say has earned them the wealth, which they are now using to attract youthful population and elites in Delta State? Do they own factories, businesses before 1999? I challenge all the Delta State Governorship aspirants to produce their bank statements before 1999.
“And what it has become over the subsequent years that followed till now. It is no news that they were all irrelevant before joining the Delta State government to partake in the pilfering of the Delta State public treasury through different channels”, he alleged.
Speaking on the personality of Olorogun Gbagi, the activist said: “Regardless of what anyone may say or think, if we are to be true to ourselves, we realize that Kenneth Gbagi, to me personally, is the most qualified and suitable political candidate for the Delta State Government House seat, amongst the governorship aspirants that we currently have.
“Agreed that Gbagi is not perfect, and like any human being, he has his own shortcomings, but one thing that we cannot take away from him is the fact that Gbagi is not answerable to any person or political godfather.
“To me, that is exactly what we need in the State’s political framework which has been under the clutches of few persons since 1999 to date. We need such a person like Gbagi, with an independent mind and a tough character, as a governor, who also has the business and entrepreneurial skills background that would help to improve the economy of the State.
“The majority of the Delta State politicians are simply scared of Gbagi because you can’t control him. But why should we have a Governor that can be manipulated, controlled by few politicians and power-brokers, to please their self-centered interests that are usually detrimental to the people of Delta State?
I believe Gbagi is still the best person to replace Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in the Delta State Government House come 2023. But like I said, even though he has his shortcomings, the question is, who doesn’t?
