CELEBRATING CHIEF (DR.) GABRIEL OSAWARU IGBINEDION, CON @ 92

By:Douglas Ogbankwa Esq.

_"Greatness is not guarding yourself from the people; greatness is being accepted by the people."_

- Mike Tyson

The aphorism above aptly captures the persona of Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, CON* - the *Esama of Benin Kingdom*, the Honorary Consul of the Romanian Government to Edo and Delta States*, and the Chairman of the Okada Group of Companies

*ON LEGACY AND SERVICE

Sir Winston Churchill, former British Prime Minister, said:
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

For the Esama, giving is not just a habit, it is a vocation.
As the Holy Book reminds us: It is more blessed to give than to receive" - _Acts 20:35_.

Indeed, givers give not just because they have, but because it is in their nature to give.

Baroness Margaret Thatcher also noted: "No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he’d only had good intentions; he had money as well."

The Esama had both - the heart to care, and the means to act. He turned compassion into institutions.

ON INDUSTRY AND VISION

Albert Einstein taught us:
"The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving."

Chief Igbinedion personifies this. From humble beginnings, he built the *Okada Group of Companies - an empire spanning aviation, banking, media, hospitality, and education.

He founded *Igbinedion University, Okada Nigeria’s first private university. As Nelson Mandela said:
"Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world."
Through that university, thousands of Nigerian children have had their world changed.

ON TRADITION AND LEADERSHIP

As the Esama of Benin Kingdom, his title means _"the one who sees what the Oba does not see."_

John C. Maxwell said:
"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.

For decades, the Esama has shown the way - in business, in philanthropy, in diplomacy, and in upholding Benin culture.
He proves Chinua Achebe right: "A man who does not know where the rain began to beat him cannot say where he dried his body." The Esama never forgot where he came from.

ON DIPLOMACY AND IMPACT

As Honorary Consul of Romania, he has deepened international ties. In the words of Kofi Annan:
"Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family."

Through his institutions and investments, he has liberated families from poverty and opened doors to progress.

THE ENIGMA

What makes Chief Igbinedion an enigma? It is this rare blend:

You can be a billionaire and remain accessible.
You can command an empire and still wash the feet of the poor.
You can be a global businessman and still be deeply rooted in Benin tradition.

As Maya Angelou said:
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Millions of Nigerians will never forget how the Esama made them feel - seen, helped, and given hope.

At 92, he is a living testimony that *"wealth is not to make money, but to make people"* - _Robert Kiyosaki_.

Today we celebrate not just years, but impact. Not just age, but legacy.

Happy 92nd Birthday sir ,
May your health be sound, your wisdom abound, and your name remain in gold in the annals of Benin and Nigeria.