•CJN, Obi,Ibori,Oborevwori, Fayemi, others in attendance
By Stanley Onyekwere
There was outpouring of eulogies as tributes from eminent politicians, technocrats and entrepreneurs, for one of their own, late Barrister Kenneth Gbagi, in Abuja.
In their tributes, some friends and associates, who spoke, described the deceased as an honest, detribalised and dogged gentleman, whose presence would will be greatly missed by his family, community, state and the country at large.
They also described Gbagi’s demise as a huge loss to Urhobo nation and the nation considering his contribution in politics, governance and the private sector.
Top among those who attended a well attended Night of Tributes in honour of late Gbagi, who died on May 4, 2024, include the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Labour Party Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi in 2023 general elections, representative of Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, former Governor James Ibori of Delta, former Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, former Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachukwu.
Others were the former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung and SDP National Chairman, Mr Shehu Gabam, just to mention a few friends and associates.
For Oborevwori, who was represented at the event by his Chief of Staff, Johnson Erijo, late Gbagi was a patriot and an illustrious son of the Urhobo nation.
He added that the late astute industrialist and legal luminary was a pathfinder, a conscientious public servant and a politician of refute.
In the same vein, former Gov. Fayemi, said: “Kenneth, as I call him, was a dependable and dogged politician.
“Once he calls you a friend. Then be rest assured that he will fight your battle for you.
“He was instrumental to the establishment of a federal university and a federal college in Ekiti while I was the governor, and I will never forget him for that.”
On his part, former minister, Ibe Kachukwu, Gbagi was God fearing, bold and goal getter.
He said: “He lived for just 62 years but had achieved what would have taken him 100 years to achieve.”
Gbagi, who hails from Oginibu in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta, was born on Sept. 22, 1961. He was married to Justice Sybil Gbagi and father to nine successful children.
Recall that the Gbagi’s family had announced his demise, after brief illness. He was 62 years old.
Until his demise, he was one of the founding members of the People Democratic Party in Delta and was a governorship aspirant for the 1999 and 2007 PDP gubernatorial primary elections.
He also served as a minister of state, education in 2010 where he supervised and midwifed the creation of 13 federal universities and eight Federal Government Colleges.
Equally, he was also the governorship candidate under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) during the 2023 election in Delta state.
