By Ezekiel Kagbala
A prominent investor and owner of Delta’s biggest shopping mall, Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi on Thursday 21st, March 2024, visited traders and shop owners at the popular Robinson Gbagi chopping mall in Deco Road, Warri South Local Govt Area of Delta State to empathize with tenants whose shops were gutted by fire recently.
Gbagi whose visit was celebrated on arrival at the most populated shopping center in the state, noted that his purpose of visiting is to ascertain the cause and level of damage and offer assistance to ameliorate their loss.
Gbagi, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the March 18, 2023 election in the State, was accomplished by the deputy governorship candidate, Chief Mrs. Rosemary Oshilim, and a host of others. First of all, he thanked God that no life was lost during the inferno and consoled the victims.
Fortunately, Gbagi donated the sum of N500,000 to the most affected person whose shop was burnt, as an immediate intervention to cushion the effect of the inferno.
He therefore directed the Chairman of the chopping mall, Comrade Daniel Akintoye to expedite action to change the roofs of all the buildings at the mall with new ones and as well restore stable electricity to all.
Mr. and Mrs. Wisdom Ekuruemu were filled with joy as they did not expect the gesture. Receiving the cash gifts, Wisdom Ekuruemu was filled with tears of joy that he could not express fully his words of appreciation but thanked Gbagi for the timely intervention.
Mr. Wisdom, while narrating the situation, said; “I was out of town when I heard that my shop was on fire and I received several calls from different persons, including a Hausa man who is a tricycle operator called to inform me that my shop was on fire, there was nothing I could do”.
Speaking at the mall, Gbagi said, “I came to console you. I know how you are feeling, you cannot burn your shop deliberately, I am happy that a lot of people have built their houses and shops while doing business here, yet they are comfortable remaining here in Deco Road plaza for the good fortunes”
“Anyone who wanted to loot that day must have been so disappointed over the proactive and quick measures we deployed, fire service was on the ground to put off the fire while security operatives were available to prevent looting.
No casualties and no fatalities were recorded. We are grateful to God about that.”
Earlier, the chairman of the mall, Comrade Daniel Akintoye thanked Gbagi and his entourage for coming to empathize with them, stating that thousands of youths earn their living by doing business at the mall, “Robinson Plaza is the shell and Chevron of Delta youths”.
Earlier before Gbagi arrived at the plaza, some of the traders were afraid that Gbagi was coming to blame and evict them from the mall as a result of the fire outbreak. However, upon his arrival he changed the narrative for good, doling out cash for the most affected victim to get back to business.
It was gathered that four shops were affected and only one suffered severe damage.
