By John Mayaki,

What the story of Gideon Obhakhan teaches is that he is an intelligent man who has come very far from a humble background.

He holds his convictions strongly, his loyalty is unwavering, and he speaks his truth, without mincing words, always. It is just who he is.

But it is not all he is. Often, brilliant minds, in their usual devotion to intellectual matters, are only regarded in that light of academic or scholarly reputation.

For Gideon Obhakhan, one man temperate but radical at the same time, there is equally a warmth and humanness to him that has, in course of his life, seen him behave uniquely and received as such.

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Two things demonstrate this dynamic character distribution of Gideon Obhakhan.

His appointment as Commissioner for Education in the past capped his scholarly excellence and endless charity to the people. He has never disappointed his people.

Of course, he didn’t become Education Commissioner overnight. He had gone from being a child in Ekpoma to attending the University of Benin, where he obtained his first degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering and graduated a decorated student.

Driven by a relentless curiosity for knowledge, he went ahead to study Communication Engineering at the University of Lagos for a Master’s Degree. Soon he was in Leicester, United Kingdom, pursuing enlightenment at the University of Leicester where he bagged another Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

For a resume already impressive and capable of standing toe-to-toe with any across the world, one would think this is all but Gideon Obhakan’s quest for knowledge knows no bounds or limit. He is back home, at the University of Benin, where he is drawing the curtains on yet another Master’s Degree in Political Science after obtaining a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration from the institution. He is crowning this wide-ranging intellectual odyssey with a doctorate in Comparative Politics and Development Studies.

He became the Commissioner for Education in Edo State and brought the digital touch to the education sector. Before then, he had made his mark in the private sector. For 15 years, he worked in the telecoms industry, his talent, hard work and uncommon brilliance propelled him from companies such as EMIS Telecoms and Mobitel Limited to MTN where he rose through the ranks and retired as General Manager to focus on growing private businesses in telecommunications and oil and gas sectors.

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Even though there is a great tendency for scholars and high achievers like Gideon Obhakhan to accumulate a tasteless haughty attitude to their personality, he remained simple and lowly.

It is this simplicity and meekness that made him to always stand by the truth and stand-in for his people. His donations and other financial interventions have contributed to bringing succor to the downtrodden, especially in Edo Central Senatorial District. Yet there is one admirable trait about Gideon beyond merely being brilliant and giving to society.

He understands that his great contributions and financial interventions do not absolve him from being a responsible, conscious, and concerned citizen like every other human.

This explains his participation in Edo politics.

He calls out evil leaders who are derailing, just like as he has done consistently in calling out Godwin Obaseki-led administration for its many blunders.

For Gideon Obhakan, the side he has chosen is the side of the people. In doing this, he has built a large network of people who, across societal classes, have come to love him.

Vanguard