Kennis Music vice-president and multiple award-winning gospel act Kenny Saint Best is going into politics in the 2015 general elections. KSB is now a card carrying member of the APC and will be running for a spot in the Lagos State House of Assembly. KSB in this interview with ORUKPE NELSON spoke on her growing up years and her interest in politics and other sundry issues…

You’ve been in the entertainment industry for over 17 years. How did it all start?

It started when I got back from the UK where I got the gift of music. God told me that we will be exporting music. So it was a goal I had and I didn’t know it was going to start from me.  I told my brother, Keke, that I wanted to do music and he agreed. By the time we finished with my recording, I told him, it would be a good idea to float a recording company.  That was how we started Kennis Music.  Keke being on the radio hyped it all. God gave him music as a natural gift and he still uses it to promote people till today.  It is his calling to make people superstars.  We started with my music but we didn’t know that it was a revolution. It was what gave the boom to Nigerian music industry as we know it today.

Apart from music, what other role did you play in Kennis Music label?

I was the vice president in charge of the production of the artistes, development of the talent and artistry development. I also doubled as the HR and publicist, but Baba Keke was the financier, he was the money behind the music label.

Kennis Music brought to limelight great stars like Tuface and others. How does that make you feel seeing the artistes you brought up become superstars today?

It gives a successful feeling, that you are part of a thing that has benefited humanity.  It was not a selfish move. I kind of appreciate my spirit which teams towards the development of other people.  If we have done it before successfully, then it encourages me to do it all the time.  It is gives me a ‘CAN DO’ spirit; that nobody else have done it before does not mean that I cannot attempt it.  So it’s the area of human productivity that’s really pulling me into public service, and that’s why I need to get on a platform to get the job done.

How was growing up in the Ogungbe family?

I am from Ogun State. My mum is from Epe, Lagos. Now that you asked, I could say it was all about hard work. My mum was a hard worker.  My sister, Moji Dokpesi, is a hard worker as well.  My mum passed on exactly a year ago. It is a taboo in my family to be caught not having anything to do. Being part of a hard working family gives that feeling that you cannot fail because you come from a family that does not believe in failure.  We motivate and encourage others to achieve their dream. When we see someone, even if it is just a raw talent, we start to see a superstar.  We believe what anybody needs is just a little encouragement to make it in life.

So what prompted you to go into politics?

My eyes are opened to the area of youth, socio-economic development. I am going into politics to create a positive change as well as impact on the constituents. My eyes see the plight of women, single parents, the aged and disabled and how they still struggle it out with male counterparts. It is my first nature to see how I could come in and help savage the situation.

When elected, what are you hoping to achieve?

I want to be a lawmaker in the Lagos State Assembly.  When the laws are there, it is easier for the executive arm to put them to work. If the constitutions are not there to back a particular bill, to become a law, it can be overlooked.  That is why I see that the youth’s ministry should stand on its own so that it can look into the problems of the Nigerian youths. Lagos is the New York of every Nigerian youth because we believe that if you can come to Lagos, then you can make it.  There are a lot of success stories of how people who were nothing became something in Lagos. The youth’s ministry need not to be attached to the sports ministry.  It needs to stand on its own to meet the challenges and what can make the Nigerian youths thrive. That is the first bill I want to create. The second one is to institutionalise the entertainment industry. They are not getting the necessary attention and support from the government. The Nigerian government said we have recorded a boost in our GDP; kudos to the entertainment industry. So I want to work with the state government to give the entertainment industry a ministry. It should stand on its own, get an allocation from the state. Lagos wants to build a film village, it will need somebody from the entertainment industry to back it up and push it into reality. The third one is that there are not enough women in government. Women are chairmen of boards, professionals in various fields, but not too much in government. Take for instance, in the State House of Assembly, 40 constituencies, there are just seven women. So there are 33 men against seven women. So who is going to plead the cause of the women in the state? I am a single parent and I know the plight of single parenting. I know the plight of disabled women who are parents too. There are women who are bread winners in their homes today, nobody is speaking for them. Lastly my fourth agenda is transparency in government. It is time to shed off the brand of corruption in Nigeria. In fact, we can actually change it. If we started queuing at bus stops, it was someone that actually started it. We can change it and the change starts now.

Some people are of the view that only ‘expired’ entertainers are going into politics for quick money. What’s your opinion on it?

That is total blackmail and a cheap one at that. There are successful entertainers in politics today. Onyeka Onwenu is in politics and she has not expired in her music profession. She is holding a big position in Abuja today and doing a good job. She didn’t start politics today. She started way back when she wanted to be a local government chairman in her state and she was well dealt with then. I am talking about something like 10 years ago. If she didn’t make that move then, how could she have been able to get to the top where she is now? We are basically public servants; I see politics as public service as well. Entertainers are the best because you knew them well even before they came into politics. Unlike these ones who are there now, you didn’t know them well or their background.  You don’t even know if they were broke before they went in. That is why they go there and loot the treasury. You just don’t blackmail or say we are not fit to exercise our human rights. We have the right to vote and to be voted for.  It is open to everybody unless if you have a criminal record that will screen you out. We, the entertainers. have seen what is wrong in the system; we have sung about it and acted it out. Fela sang it and even floated a political party at one point in time because he was a political satirist. Allow us to do it. If we do it and fail, then that is when you can say they came to eat money.

Which of the constituency are you vying for and what do you intend to do for the area if elected?

I want to go in to the House of Assembly as a legislator representing Ikeja Constituency 1 under the All Progressive Congress, APC. I see that Ikeja is over commercialised. There are also not enough immediate health care services. Everybody goes to the teaching hospital, which is now for the whole Lagosicans. So we need to have our own general hospital and primary health centre for each ward, a proper hospital close to the people. We need to also upgrade the primary schools. There are a lot of private schools in Ikeja but when you see some children coming from public schools you will immediately know. Also, there are no sports facilities, theatres for the youths in Ikeja. There are no artistic things to engage the Ikeja youths; no centres they can go to for recreation. It is only private owned places. There are still lands to put things in place where talents can be discovered for young people. This will help take sex workers off the streets.  There are lot of sex workers in Ikeja. In fact, Ikeja is the hub of sex workers in Lagos. It is like Sodom and Gomorrah. So these young people need help.

How do your family see you coming into politics?

They were scared. Keke, said, ‘Are there money bags that have told you to come and run for office? Don’t let them fool you. Don’t go and use your money o! Don’t come to me for money, o!’ Then my sister was just shouting and asking if politics was my calling. I ran away and stayed away from them for a while. I am a kind person who, when you say do not to try out a thing, that is when I want to go into it. I am alive when I take risks.  So the fact that they expressed fear spurred me on. The fact is, if you are not part of the change agents now, you will never make your voice count. I want to be part of the change agents.  But somehow, they just caught the spirit and they know I thrive at things that no one has done before and have made a success of it. Kennis Music was like an experiment. We started it because I was the one that said let us start it. So they decided to support me and not discourage. They see that people are accepting me and they have now thrown their support wholeheartedly and network for me with the help of my media friends. Also, I have my church fasting and praying for me to win.

Who are your mentors in politics?

My immediate mentor is the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ademorin Kuye; Abike Dabiri-Erewa; Hon Idowu Obasa, former chairman of Onigbongbo Local Government, Chief Ebenezer Akinbolade and few others I will rather shield their names.

How has your failed marriage affected your political ambition?

I would rather not talk about it. All I can say is that God made me a parent and gave me two wonderful children to be their mother.  He gave me wings to fly even when I thought the wings had been clipped. Then I found out that if my wings are clipped, I was the one that clipped it and I still have the power to stretch the wings and fly high at any time.

Are you open for marriage again?

Yes I am.

Describe your style?

My style is modern, fun, edgy and flexible and it adapts to new fashion though not all anyway. My style is very vibrant. It’s youthful too, very colourful and above all fabulous.

What is your passion?

I have two passions. One is God. I am a pursuer of God.  You know some people fear God, but for me, I love God. And whatever you love, you keep running after. The beauty about God is that the more you run after him the more He shows you another side of Him that is wonderful. God is my greatest passion while my second greatest passion is to inspire people. I love human beings. I love to motivate people, counsel and be the resources that they need to add to their lives for them to become great person they want to be. I like to cook. I have a cooking company. I like happiness and joy. So even if I encounter sadness and anguish, I take it as my stance to help somebody else who may fall into the same situation. I will be there to tell them that they can fall but they can get up again. So my two passions are God and humanity.

What’s your beauty routine?

My one beauty routine is to live a life of forgiveness. It rejuvenates me.  You frown less and there is no place for bitterness. Bitterness is what allows other bad things to come in. So I don’t have a place for bitterness and regrets in my life. I eat well but I am an exercise freak.  I do facials when I remember. I also have a scripture that keeps me young. I stand in front of the mirror and I speak the scripture which says that my youth is being renewed like that of an eagle and then I sing. It rejuvenates and revitalises me and I just glow. Lastly, I sing and dance.

What accessories do you like the most?

I am a bag freak. I have bags filling my house all the time.  When am going out, I can have like three bags in the car and I always change them by moving things from one bag to the other.  These days, I do a lot of flowing gowns that are simple and elegant. Then also I love sunglasses a lot.

You have changed your name over time in the course of your career. Why the need for the re-branding?

When one name is not working for me, I move to the next name. This is because I want the best to start to work. It is a re-brand of the mind and when I feel that the name is slowing me down, I simply change it.  I only changed from Ogungbe to Brown because of marital status, even right now in politics, I am back to Ogungbe. I am KSB Ogunbe. I still retain Kenny Saint. So I keep changing the B. What is constant is the Kenny Saint. So whenever I feel the last B is not working as it should, I simply upgrade. Tony Okoroji calls me Kenny Saint Beautiful; it is still KSB.