BY BENJAMIN NJOKU
In this interview, Paschal speaks on his jungle experience, winning strategy and plans for his new-found wealth.
What was the strategy, you adopted to edge out Onyinye?
My strategy was to come to the jungle like an underdog, someone nobody would see as a threat, and yet at the end of the day, I would emerge from nowhere to clinch the prize.Obviously, it worked for me because nobody really saw me as a threat, yet I went home with the crown.
Were you surprise that you won the crown?
Definitely I wasn’t surprise. This is because if I didn’t know I was going to win, I wouldn’t have participated in the competition in the first place.
When you discovered the fortune, what actually came to your mind?
What first came to my mind was, ‘ this is it’, the moment that will make the difference in my life. I guess, I’m still living in my dreams.
Would say your relationship with Onyinye while in the jungle helped you to realise your dream?
Normally, I will say what happened in the jungle lives in the jungle.
How would you react to the fact that Onyinye laid the foundation for you discovering the treasure box?
You have to clarify what you mean.
That Onyinye was the first person to get to the point where the treasure was hidden before she later ran back and you quickly storm there?
That was a strategy I employed which I’m not ready to disclose now.
How do you intend to spend the money?
I intend to invest wisely. But I cannot start to outline the process now. I assure you guys, I will not mismanage the money.
We have seen some of the past winners going into showbiz. Are you likely to do same
Definitely, with this platform they have given to me, it’s almost impossible for me to stay out of the showbiz. I guess, I will end up in showbiz.
What is going to change about you now?
Absolutely, nothing . I will still be myself.
How do you intend to cope with the challenges associated with the crown?
I have already started handling it now. I love challenges and adventures. Of course, I will take them as they come.
If you didn’t win the crown, who else did you think would have won it?
Onyinye would have won it. There is no doubt about it.
And are you considering paying your tithe?
I’m a christian, and I will definitely pay my tithe. But don’t ask me, how much I’m going to pay because it is between me and my God.
Now that you have the money, are you also going to consider settling down?
Even though, I’m 24 years, if the right woman comes my way, why not! What would I be waiting for.
How was your growing like?
Growing up was not always fun for me. I was always a mischievous person. Most of the problems I had as a child were caused by myself. But somehow, I managed to keep my head straight.Every little thing is like an adventure for me.
What did you learn from the jungle?
For the 29 days, I spent in the jungle. I learnt more than one new thing everyday in the jungle. And from each of the individual contestant, I learnt something new from them. From Koffi Adams to Onyinye, I learnt a lot of new things.
From Koffi, I learnt how to keep my privacy, and from Ayo, I learnt how to be careful. From Patience, I learnt how not to be over confidence, I had to slow down and take my time, especially when it comes to stuff that I really can do easily.
What would you have done if you had lost the crown to Onyinye?
I would mourn for a while . Perhaps, I would have felt bad that I lost to a girl and later, life goes on. I will take it in its stride just like every other adventurer.
Going into the finals with a woman, did you feel over-confidence or compensated in a way?
Well, in a challenge as GUS 9, there is no room for complacency. When you start feeling the urgency dying down, that’s when you are not fit to forge ahead. I did not feel complacent at any point in time. As far as she was a woman who made it to the finals, I could not lose to a woman.
What would remember as your saddest moment in the jungle?
My saddest moment in the jungle was when I was left unblindfolded because of the task we did beforehand. And I had to lead a team of blindfolded warriors tied together to amend the puzzle. But because of the situation we found ourselves coupled with a lot of miscellaneous factors, we could not finish the puzzle in time.
At that point in time, I felt I lost the game because I was leading the team. So, definitely, it wasn’t the team that lost but I. I thought I could have done better at that point in time to have won the game. Well, I learnt my lessons from that experience.
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