How I Rose From Bus Conductor To Become Business Tycoon - Aigboghian
Mr. Kelvin Isesele Aigboghian is the CEO of Bossu Group of Companies, fondly known as Bossu. For him, life was not a bed of roses but through dint of hard work, determination, persistence, he has been able to groom his businesses and he is helping many Nigerians to live their dreams.
He also shares his thoughts on life, politics and all other sundry issues with SOURCE NEWS, Elvis Omoregie.
Excerpts....
May I meet you sir?
As you know, my name is Kelvin Isesele Aigboghian popularly known as Bossu. I am from Ugbokhare community Irrua Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State.
The journey of my life so far, is being ups and downs but I give thanks to God for where he has brought me. First, it was not easy while growing up as a child. If I can remember, I lost my mom at a very tender age. Life became even more difficult thereafter.
My dad was not educated. He was a banger cutter and a Palm wine tipper.
He managed to use that to send me to primary school. Then after primary school, that was the highest he could afford and not that he doesn't have the intention of taking me further, but the means wasn't there and I decided to take my destiny into my own hand.
I left the the village and went to Benin City, stayed with my big aunty, aunty Margret who was the immediate elder sister to my dad, same father and mother.
I lived with her, but while living with her with her children, we were pushing wheelbarrow at Santana Market.
We were just doing that to survive. From there, we went into car washing and we went into conductor from there, to driving.
We were driving Sapele road to Ring road, to New Benin, of which you that's doing this interview is aware of because i remember when doing conductor, I granted you an interview.
So, these were just life experience I went through. But while doing that, I was still trying to get myself education.
After everything, in 2006, I left secondary school and i also wrote my NECO Exams same year. Then, I came back, started hustling. This time around, driving from Ring road to Sapele road Agip. The day I don't have vehicle, I do conductor.
At times, I will go to car wash. That's how I was surviving till about 2010, life precisely was a whole lot of difficulty.
In 2010, I came across some good friends. Coincidentally, one of them is sitting here today. I just told them that I needed to travel out of Nigeria to go and look for daily bread. We agreed on consensus and we discussed it and that's how I started saving for the journey.
Finally, in 2014, I got my first Visa to travel to Dubai. When I got to Dubai, I was working in bakery. I started from the production center from there moved to marketing and I became sales manager and from there, I was able to communicate probably with my people back home
From there, I went into trading. In the process of trading, buying goods in Dubai and sending them to Nigeria, I came across my girlfriend who is now my wife.
My wife is a Ghanaian by citizenship. We were working in the same company while she was a cleaner, I was the sales manager. After about two years or so, we agreed on consensus again that the little we have been able to gather, we should go back to Africa to investment it.
We agreed that base on her salary was lower than mine, we chose the option that she should rather go while I remain and then she left. The option was to choose between Nigeria, Togo and Ghana.
But coming to Nigeria as at that time, we discovered that the laws and rules of engagement in Nigeria will not be favourable to us as a new comer in the business circle.
The first disadvantage I had was electricity because we were working in a bakery and you can't successfully run a bakery without constant electricity supply. That is what engineered us like okay, what do we do? Ghana has 24 hours light better than Nigeria and my wife was a Ghanaian that's how we started it up there.
In 2018, August, we were able to launch the bus bakery by the Ghana registry board. By the special grace of God, today it is now a household name as far as Adental Municipal is concerned in Accra to Kasua and even in the entire Ghana.
From there, we picked it up again. When we were able to ensure that the business is stable, we decided to go into diversification.
In the process of we diversifying our income, we chose Nigeria as an option for palm oil mill. I came back, got the land in Irrua Zugbenu then thereafter, I went into rental services, canopies and chairs and I also went into mini transportation, Ghana to Nigeria.
So basically, this is what we do for the now. And I can say God has really helped us to go this far.
In the pursuit for a better life, I think we have been able to establish ourselves in that direction and I give glory to God almighty who has made it possible. You may make your decision, if God is not in support of your decision, you may have wasted your effort.
And I had a couple of good people in my life who have always been there for me. I can't say they're advisory body to me but I see them as God sent, no matter my errors no matter what I do, they still see reasons to be with me, they still say okay, let's keep it on.
So, that is how we have been going. Now in Nigeria we now have the Bossu Rental Services and Pam Oil mill but in all, we can crowned it as Bossu Group of Companies.
Away from your business life and growing up, you seemed to have interest in politics so much. you were a supporter of PDP ? How has it been?
Yes, honestly I was a supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but I was never a member of the party. I wasn't a card carrying member of the party but I can say I used to love the party as at then and i supported them. I was like a fan just the way every fan would do for his or her club.
But along the line I decided to change my political orientation because I think what attracted (PDP) to me then was as a result of no viable options then. And as at that time. When you look at (PDP) government in Edo state I think majority of Edo people will agreed with me that the PDP government failed and as a result of that failure the (AC) governor came and later became (ACN) to (APC) when the Megger took place.
I officially decided to joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) because I felt that's were I will be able to speak my mind and bring development to my community, help people around me and the ones I can't do personally so that's why I joined the APC. But thanked God i was able to project and campaign and be the first set of people who bring victory to APC in Edo Central Senatorial District that has never happened since 1999 till date.
So I was a front runner in the last Senatorial election campaigned in Edo Central every leader in that direction knows what I have done. I introduced the Bossu Movement to the APC I initiate "Unit To Unit Tour To APC" and I was happy I associated myself with a very good leader a leader who understands the pains of the people the Edo Central Senatorial leader Maj Gen. Celcil Esekhaigbe PHD Rtd, who's under his leadership I think I have been able to excel politically and I have been able to put myself in the front line.
Are you satisfied with the way things are going in the country?
Yes going forward, I will say I am not satisfied with most of the things going on in the country because the past government failed and the present government is just trying to create an enabling environment to sit properly.
I didn't want to condemn the present government right now but if I have the cause to do it, I will, even if I am a member of the APC, I will do that but at the moment, I don't have any reasons to rush into conclusion that this present government is not good because the foundation on which the government is standing is faulty since 1999 till date.
The governments have failed including the last government headed by president Muhammadu Buhari.
Coming to Edo State, I think the governor is more concerned about the next election than the next generations.
I can't imagine a governor with over 200 SSAs who practically don't have an office but just to stay on top of their phones and their Whatsapp group to copy what's pasted there to blackmail other personality in the society to get cheap political popularity.
I think the governor just needs to go so that an APC government can come in, where some of us will be able to speak to governor and tell him what the people need. I think that's why I'm fighting, I'm projecting, I'm campaigning and I'm doing everything to make sure the next governor of Edo State, is from the APC.
What is Bossu Movement all about?
I felt when I was growing up, I didn't have the necessary support to go to school, formal and informal education so when God started to put food on my table, no matter how small but can't say it is small but God has really done well for me and I also felt there's need for me to reach out to others. So, that's what brings about the Bossu Movement where we can give scholarship to the people, where we can empower people, where we can also discuss with like minds and see how we can help people to reduce the poverty rate in the society. This is basically what the Bossu Movement does.
But we relate it with party politics last year and I enrolled for about 70 students. I empowered over 100 persons with bikes. You can't do all but with the little God has blessed me with, I must use it for the people, the people Bossu Movement have been on for the past 6 years now.
What formed your decision of going into full time politics?
Not at all, it is not in the plan, is not nurtured is not even discussed and I will not do it.
You said it is not in your plan, but if you are called upon to serve any political positions, will you accept the offer?
Yes, very well. I will do that but I will not find myself contesting any elective elections. Basically during the last campaign, I told my people I will not contest for any election. You don't really need to contest an election before you can bring dividends of democracy to the people. When you call us to serve in any capacities aside contesting for election, we will do it and give you result and you will take the glory as a government and I will be happy for it but contesting an election as at today, is never in my plans.
Now, you are a full fledge member of the Apc. There is a clamour for the zoning of the next governor to the Edo Central senatorial district. And you are from there, would you support the agitation?
Yes, first and foremost, I'm a full fledged member of the APC and I'm a leader in APC.
Yes, I'm from Edo Central from Esan Central Local Government Area, the heartbeat of Edo Central and by my understanding and someone that has also travelled out of this country, I have gone to different countries. I don't believe in the sentiment that a governor must come from your family before you can get the necessary development but because of the nature of Nigeria politics, that is, it's like a cover for nepotism so you clamour for your own to be there but I do not share in that sentiment.
By and large, there's something called equity, justice and fairness. I think on the basis of equity, fairness but not on the basis of justice I take exemption for justice. The Esan people in general are qualified to be governor of this state on the basis of equity and fairness. But because I'm including justice, it will be very unfair for you to leave a capable hand, person who can do the job and you now say because you want to obey the principle of equity and fairness, you want to set aside competency for hypocrisy in the name of sentimental politics? That's why I said I don't share in that view.
Though as it's, APC doesn't have a zoning formula. In all the elections that have been contested in APC, Esan people have been contesting. So, if you seek equity, what the you do? You come with clean hands. They said Edo South supposed to produce 2016, but Esan people contested knowing full well they wanted Edo South person but they contested. So, now you can't also tell Edo South or Edo North not to also contest. So, what do you do? You lobby to make sure you have a soft landing. So, I share in that perception that's what we're currently doing.
We are talking to our people and also engaging the Edo South and North leaders to understand why power should come to Edo Central.
What is your message to the federal government?
Yes, I don't have any messages for the government now. I think after one year, I will do that.
What are your messages to the ordinary Nigerians?
The ordinary Nigerians, we are resilient people. I'm a product of the street and I will still remain a product of the street and I don't think I will by tomorrow never be a product of the street.
When I mean street, I mean I was a nobody I'm a nobody if I can do it, every Nigerian can do it. The Nigerian people need to understand one thing, we should start behaving like the Germans that understood the situation of their country but decided to stick with their leaders until they finally got the victory.
