Chibok schoolgirls can be rescued in 24 hours if…

Olorogun Kenneth  Gbagi, industrialist, lawyer, criminologist and former Minister of State (Education) is one of those angling to succeed Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, next year. In this interview, he adds a new twist to the race saying that there are plots by people, he describes as Biafrans, to capture the state and warns Deltans to foil the plots. He also speaks on the abducted Chibok school girls and says they could be rescued in 24 hours if the government did the needful.

By CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

KENNETH GBAGI

How do you see the inability of the security agencies to rescue the Chibok school girls three months after their abduction by Boko Haram insurgents?
The President should take a decision because that is a state of national emergency. It means we don’t have army, police, DSS and any security service. I disagreed totally with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) when he said the other day that they (Chibok girls) are our children and we are being careful. I was with a foreign ambassador recently during a marriage ceremony that I attended and I was the Chairman. The foreign ambassador said: “Kenneth, if you know what is good for you, tell your government to go and release those children before it is too late.”

As I we speak, I am already suffering. I have German moulds and machines in my factory in Warri. The German government has issued a restriction that no German citizen must enter Nigeria because of the Chibok problem. So, I have to use a cargo plane to move the machines to Germany, ordinarily they would have just told somebody here to fix the machines.

If we are fighting insurgency in Nigeria, the soldiers should also be happy to fight insurgency because it makes them to get more money. Now, soldiers are no longer in government but they are technically bringing themselves back to government. So, we must think quickly. Jonathan must issue a directive and instruction today, ‘Chief of Army Staff, give me Chibok children in 24 hours or I quit you. Whoever wants to be my Chief of Army Staff, can you give me Chibok girls?’

Let it be the criteria. We cannot be a laughing stock in the world. If they want to know the technicalities and how to do it, I am a criminologist, I would provide it. If they take instructions, we will get our children within 24 hours.

Recently, you traveled to the Ireland to receive an award, what is the significance of the award?
People in Nigeria and all over the world recognise honest people. I was given an award for leadership with particular emphasis to the advancement of girl child education in Nigeria. I don’t know that these people have a track record of what I did. The beautiful award was presented to me by the Mayor of Cork, a great woman who is fighting for girls’ education in Africa.

The district governor of Rotary in the city of Cork and everybody were there to welcome me. They said that they came because a leader in the world that exemplified Africa, hard work, transparent wealth and honesty had come to Cork. It was like a carnival and I was very happy.

A sad twist
However, there was a mild twist and provocation. On the day that I paid a courtesy visit to the Mayor of Cork, as I alighted from my car, I saw about 250 Nigerians in front of the Cork Municipal headquarters. They were all in their Biafran uniform. They were children, men, adults and elderly people.

I went to them and asked, ‘what are you doing here? You are Nigerians, what is the problem?’
A man who is the leader of the group told me, ‘you are a Biafran.’ I said, ‘no, I am a Nigerian.’ The man insisted that I (Gbagi) am not a Nigerian but a Biafran.

I asked the man, ‘what is Biafra? Why are you so stupid?’ The man had a radio on his hand; he tuned his radio and said I should ask questions.
I lost my temper and abused the man. The man said the entire Urhobo people are Biafrans. According to him, the Urhobo, Isoko, Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ukwuani are Biafrans. I had to defend Itsekiri, Urhobo and other tribes the man mentioned.

I asked the man, ‘are you saying that the Itsekiri monarch and Orodje of Okpe Kingdom are Biafrans?’ He said ‘yes,’ that they are prepared to take over Delta State that they must produce a Biafran as Delta State Governor in 2015.
I said ‘what?’ The man repeated that they must produce a Biafran Governor in Delta State. At that point, you can imagine my conduct. The exchange got out of hand and the president of Cork held me. It was very painful and the man revealed a lot of things.

He said there is a grand arrangement to take over Delta State because another state is not being created for the Igbo people and Delta State is part of Igboland. Having said so, Deltans have a date with destiny and I am not going to contest any other election except the 2015 polls. At 52, I have done my best. I believe that I have what it takes to change Delta State massively.

I am using the little resources and everything I have now to do my best. I think with the resources of government, which I am not interested in and I am not one of those who is interested in government deals.