Governor of Delta State, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori on Friday led political associates and dignitaries from all walks of life in bidding farewell to late Chief Kenneth Gbagi, erstwhile Minister of State for Education whose remains were laid to rest in his Oginibo, Ughievwen Kingdom country home, in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta.
Gbagi, the Delta State Governorship candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general elections died on Saturday, May 4, 2024 at the age of 62 years.
Dignitaries in attendance at Oginibo for the interment ceremony included; Senator Ede Dafinone representing Delta Central Senatorial District; Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Emomotimi Guwor; SDP Presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo; Chief Judge of Delta State, Hon. Justice Theresa Diai; Delta State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ekeme Ohwovoriole (SAN); immediate past Senator representing Delta South, Senator James Manager; and former President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick.
Others comprised the Deputy Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Arthur Akpowowo; member representing Ughelli South in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Festus Utuana; former Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Alexander Ogomudia (retd.); former Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr. Solomon Dalung; Senator Ugochukwu Uba from Anambra State; Mr. Mustapha Alfa, SDP Governorship candidate in Nasarawa State; Prince Temienor Oghenekevwe, SDP candidate for Ughelli South Constituency in the 2023 elections to the Delta State House of Assembly; in 2023; Olorogun Austin Emafuku, President General of Udu Kingdom, and the Delta Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Comrade Reuben Izeze, among others.
In his homily during the funeral service, the Catholic Bishop of Warri Diocese, Most Rev. Anthony Ovayero Ehwerido, represented by the Very Revd. Fr. Ambrose Oghenejode Abaka, said the late Chief Kenneth Gbagi was a generous man who helped people within and outside the country in difficult times of their lives.
Revd. Fr. Abaka said the news of Chief Gbagi’s death came as a rude shock to many people, adding that he was an erudite scholar of immense repute.
He disclosed that the deceased was a servant leader in the authority of Christ, saying; “we are gathered here as a family in communion with God to seek God’s grace and mercy on his soul.”
The Catholic priest harped on the need for peace and unity among the people in the Niger Delta so as to advance sustainable socioeconomic growth and development in the region.
“We need unity in the Niger Delta to advance sustainable development in the region. Before now, Burutu port was working but today, Burutu and Warri ports are no longer working.
“Crude oil are extracted from the Niger Delta but most oil companies have their offices in Lagos. We need unity to reposition the region,” he said.
According to the Catholic priest, “without unity, no meaningful development could be achieved”.
A top political aide to Gbagi, Prince Temienor Oghenekevwe, in a tribute vowed to consolidate on the legacy of the deceased politician.
Oghenekevwe, SDP candidate for Ughelli South Constituency in the 2023 elections to the Delta State House of Assembly said, “Chief Gbagi was successful in all aspects of life. His legacies will sustain in Delta and across the country at large. But more importantly, we want to build on the good foundation he has laid in politics”.
He spoke further, “Gbagi lived a life of integrity, and was a firm pillar of support for the party till his death. He was a father, mentor and great leader who left the most valuable asset of good name.
“We worked with him while he was in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Governorship aspirant but could not get to candidacy of PDP and he was frustrated out of the party, those were were his very challenging moment.
“What we appreciate about him was his persistence and strong determination. He left PDP few days to the party’s primary election and worn the governorship candidate ticket of our great Party (SDP) in the March 2023 governorship elections. After the elections he fought so gallantly for what he believed.
“In all, he never resorted to any form of illegality, he was firm and relied so much on the instrument law. Politically, Gbagi was successful he made history in all ramifications of life before his departure.
“Gbagi appreciate and associate with people of integrity, credibility and accountability and that was a critical factor leading to his emergence as a leader in the Delta political terrain which also restored people’s trust and confidence in leadership”.