Well, when we went to Missionary school, you just have to be baptised. So, Kessignton is my baptismal name.

One would think baptismal name would come from the Bible?

Those days we were fond of so many names and that is the name that appealed to me.

So, you picked it yourself?

Yes.

How did you come in contact with that name, sir?

We listened to news. We read papers. So, so many names came to my mind but that is my best choice.

Kessington is a place in London. Was it the sound or location that attracted you?

I like the name.

Why was your Dad dubbed ‘Owo-Iya’?

My dad was a spoilt child, over-pampered by his mother. He left school because his mother gave him a wife while he was in school. The mother also built him a house. So, he was called Owo-Iya because it was his mother’s money that was doing everything (for him.)

Does that mean you were born into wealth?

I won’t say so. Maybe you can say that to my father. I was not born with silverspoon. But my father was. I have seen bitter life. I have seen sweet life too

When were the bitter periods and what happened?

Well, when we were going to school in the primary days, we went to the river to fetch water and at times, we went to farm to bring firewood and all of that. You can’t find that these days. And of course, the sweet periods too. You can see the awards coming from left and right today. We thank God for it. I have also just been honoured by the Association of Friends as a patron. They have never had a Patron. I am the first patron. Today again, I just received a letter from my church, with the intention naming me as the Pillar of Methodist Church of Nigeria. I will become the first to be honoured with the award. So, I thank God that award is coming left and right. On Saturday, I was honoured by Alaye of Ode Remo with the chieftaincy title of Asaalu of Ode Remo. So, as you can see, I have good reasons to thank God.

While going through the bitter period as a young boy, did you ever foresee the awards coming left and right as they are now?

Of course. I am not one to lose hope. I was forever determined that it would end well. For your information, when my classmates like Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas of blessed memory and others were going to England, my parents could not afford to send me to England. I told him that by the time he came back, I would be a millionaire and it happened. That is determination.

How did you make the million sir?

As I have said, some of them went to Europe because their parents could afford it but my parents could not. So, I started working. When I started working, I was stuck with a book. I am trying to remember the title of the book now. In that book, the author said that in any business you do, you have to quit either because of sack or because of old age. And he goes on to say that in a small business of your own, even when you leave it, you will leave it to yourself. That means even when you leave it, when you die or pass on, your children can continue the business. So, that inspired me to go into private business.

So, it was the gaming business you went into?

One could say so. I started as a pools agent. Pool is game.

 When you went into the gaming business in 1963, the popular opinion then was that those who went into gambling as they call it, would either be tough boys in the neighbourhood or..

(Cuts in) For your information, what I do is not gambling. It is gaming. And I repeated it many times that gaming is the stock exchange of an ordinary man. Ordinary man cannot buy shares in UAC and others. Just name it. Their stock exchange is gaming. And for your information, I have produced thousands of millionaires not hundreds. If you look at my history, I have been in the gaming industry for quite a while. I have been in the gaming industry since the 60’s. That is not a joke.

Was there any time during the course of the gaming business that things became so tough that you felt like quitting?

There was a time that over 90 per cent of gaming companies in Nigeria packed up when one forecaster, Ubani Ubani forecasted rightly for five consecutive weeks. Over 90 per cent of the companies packed up but I refused to pack up. And again, that is determination. We had to pay winnings in installments. My company faced it. So, I have seen sweet life and I have seen bitter life.

Would it be correct to say that your love for gaming business started when you were a pools’ agent?

Of course. When I was a pools’ agent, unfortunately, majority of the agents were illiterates. So, with my little educational knowledge, I was keeping statistics, like how much sales did I make today? How much is the winning? What is the balance? And in conclusion, I discovered that if a gaming company can afford to pay winnings at the end that company will be a winner. And that was what prompted me to become a pools’ promoter.

It was when you left a pharmaceutical company, Claffin Chemicals that you became a pools’ agent, sir.

Yes, you are correct.

You must be tough to take that decision growing up. How tough were you, sir?

I was a stubborn boy.

How stubborn, sir?

If you look at my educational history, I started from Wesley Primary School in Iperu-Remo. Then, I went to  Ijero Baptist School at Ebute Metta. Then, I went to Baptist Academy.

You left Wesley in Primary 4?

Yes.

Was it as a result of rascality?

That’s a story for another day. So, my mother had to beg me and buy me a new Raleigh bicycle. You know what it means to ride a Raleigh bicycle in those days? I am talking of the 50s. And in those days, Raleigh bicycle was like Rolls Royce.

You can’t be that tough without a nickname, sir? What is it?

They called me Kessy bobo (general laughter).

Rascality could be positive…

(Cuts in) I cannot tell you everything (laughs). I have the right to give and keep some to myself.

You had a group of friends then. Are they still around now?

Many are of blessed memory. I think I just have to thank God. I will be 84 years in a few days.

So, the few ones that are around now, when you sit together reminiscing about the past, you possibly laugh about things you did then?

I still have a few around.

Can we have one act of then, that is still very memorable? Were you expelled in Primary 4?

I was never expelled. But many times, I played truancy.

That should not be enough to leave school?

My mother decided to bring me to Lagos with the hope that I would change.

Lagos would ordinarily be tougher than Iperu-Remo?

Not in those days. In those days, Lagos was so sweet.

Give us little you can remember of Iperu-Remo?

Don’t forget Iperu is a town and Lagos is a city. So, there will be a huge difference.

So, how much of Iperu did you enjoy before leaving?

Of course, I enjoyed Iperu.

Doing what?

Especially the training my mother gave me. By three or four o’clock in the morning, we would be carrying wares to the park, before coming back to sleep again, before we went to school. Almost every day, my mother would go to one market or the other. This was during the days of kaftan and the likes.

Can we call you Owo-Iya too?

I would say no, even though my mother spoilt me to a certain extent but not like that of my father.

Was your mummy using the rod?

No. She would pet me every time.