Ernest Ojukwu

Professor Ernest Maduabuchi Ojukwu is the immediate past Deputy Director-General and Head of Campus of the Nigerian Law School, Augustine Nnamani Campus, Agbani Enugu.  

Professor Ernest Ojukwu was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria at the Supreme Court of Nigeria following his appointment on 12 July 2014 by the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee, LPPC. He is a Partner at the Law Firm of OFY Lawyers and a Professor of Law at Madonna University.

In this interview with The Authority Newspapers earlier this year he explained what self recognition means and its wrong use by lawyers and the unlearned.

Do the provisions of the 1999 Consti­tution supersede the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015?
Yes it does where there is conflict. The Constitution prevails against any other law where there is conflict.

Sir on the issue of bail, can bail be granted on ‘Self-Recognition’?
Recently, I read newspapers and listened to TV broadcasts which an­nounced that certain defendants on criminal charges were granted bail on ‘self-recognition.’ Almost all our Na­tional newspapers said the same thing in the case of bail for former Minister Abba Moro. I took this casually since I know that non-lawyers tend to corrupt “lawyer language” sometimes. However, I became alarmed when I heard some lawyers grant some of those bizarre ex­planatory TV interviews right out of court, and the lawyers actually used the word or phrase ‘self-recognition.’

This I put on inquiry and embarked on interviewing lawyers myself on their understanding of the phrase, ‘bail on self-recognition.’ Over 55% of lawyers I interviewed actually thought that the phrase ‘self-recognition’ meant ‘self-rec­ognisance’. Three young lawyers actually told me that they were taught ‘self –rec­ognition’ at the Nigerian Law School by the teachers and that it was in fact in the text books they used. I then proceeded to research the text books being used at the Nigerian Law School. I found that none of the three text books used the phrase ‘self-recognition.’ Two actually used the phrase ‘self-recognisance’ while one mentioned the word ‘recognisance’ only once. I put a call to four teachers at the Nigerian Law School and six teach­ers at different Law Faculties. Six out of the nine teachers thought that the word/phrase ‘self-recognition’ meant ‘self-recognizance.’ So I concluded that our students have actually been taught “self-recognition.”

Otherwise, how come all the newspa­pers used the same phrase ‘self-recogni­tion?’ I have not looked at any judge’s re­cords to know if any has used this phrase but I have seen lawyers (older lawyers at the bar inclusive) grant their stepping-out-of-court interviews on TV and they used the phrase ‘self-recognition.’ So I concluded that our lawyers are to blame for this ignorance; this misinformation, and misuse of language!

The Administration of Justice Act uses the word ‘recognizance.’ The Criminal Procedure Act uses the word ‘recog­nizance.’ ‘Recognition’ and ‘Recogni­sance’ are two English words meaning totally different things. The word ‘rec­ognition’ does not mean ‘recognisance’. ‘Recognition’ means “the act of remem­bering who somebody is when you see them, or of identifying what something is.” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dic­tionary). The word ‘recognisance’ is “a promise by somebody who is accused of a crime to appear in court on a par­ticular date”(Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary). Black’s Law Dictionary calls ‘recognisance’ “a bond or obliga­tion, made in court by which a person promises to perform some act or observe some condition, such as to appear when called…”

Though the origin of ‘recogni­sance’ is the old French word “recon­naissance” which earlier derived from ‘reconnaitre’ (recognise), for many cen­turies the English word ‘recognisance’ has been translated as “engagement” in French and ‘personal recognisance’ as ‘caution personnelle’.
The word ‘self-recognition’ is used in the medical dictionary in two forms. One defines the word itself as “the pro­cess by which the immune system of an organism distinguishes between the body’s own chemicals, cells, and tis­sues and those of foreign organisms or agents”. The other medical usage is asso­ciated with the “mirror self-recognition test (MSR). The word or phrase ‘self-recognisance’ is even broken English. The correct English phrase is ‘own rec­ognisance’ or ‘personal recognisance.’

The Black’s Law Dictionary has clearly defined the phrase ‘personal recogni­sance’ as “the release of a defendant in a criminal case in which the court takes the defendant’s word that he or she will appear for a scheduled matter or when told to appear. This type of release dis­penses with the necessity of the person’s posting money or having a surety sign a bond with the court.” Our courts can grant bail on ‘own recognisance’ or ‘per­sonal recognisance’ (not self-recogni­sance). Our courts cannot grant bail on “self-recognition”

Professor Ernest Maduabuchi Ojukwu, a man, close associates call different names, “Ernest“, “Teacher“, “Prof.”, “the father of clinical legal education in Nigeria“, and the Gbaonwa-Gbaonwa Agbaonelu, of Ahaba Imenyi, Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State, was born on September 23, 1960 and hails from Ahaba Imenyi in Isuikwuato Local Government of Abia State in South East Nigeria. He attended the Methodist College Uzuakoli and Government College Umuahia. He also attended Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife where he received the Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws Degrees in 1983 and 1987 respectively.

Professor Ojukwu is the immediate past Deputy Director-General and Head of Campus of the Nigerian Law School, Augustine Nnamani Campus, Agbani Enugu. Before his appointment at the Nigerian Law School, he was Associate Professor and Dean Faculty of Law, Abia State University, Uturu from 1995-2001. He is also the President of the Network of University Legal Aid Institutions (NULAI Nigeria), the platform through which he has continued to achieve his dreams of promoting clinical legal & justice education and reform of legal education in Nigeria. He is Partner at the Law Firm of OFY Lawyers and Professor of Law at Madonna University.

Professor Ojukwu began his career in 1985 when he simultaneously joined the services of Abia State University as an Assistant Lecturer and began to practice Law in the chambers of Chief G. N. Atulomah. In 1988, he left to establish with his friends, a Law firm named Eleuthera Chambers. He rose to the position of Dean of the Faculty of Law in Abia State University where he served from 1995-2001.

Professor Ojukwu has also been a very active member of the Nigerian Bar Association, with a tremendous record of service at the local, regional and national levels, and has at one time or the other held the following positions:

Chairman NBA Aba Branch 1997 – 1999; Secretary NBA Aba branch 1992-93; Chairman NBA Law Reform Committee 2003 to 2004; Chairman NBA Academic Forum 2006 to 2010 & 2012-2014; Chairman NBA Editorial Committee 2006-2008; Chairman NBA Legal Education Committee 2006-2008; Chairman NBA Strategic Plan Working Group 2012; Project Director NBA Institute of Continuing Legal Education (Set up the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and commenced the MCLE as the Pioneer Director) 2006 to 2010; and 2012- 2014; Alternate Chairman 2003 NBA Annual Conference Planning Committee; Alternate Chairman/Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board Nigerian Bar Journal, October 2002 to 2004; Alternate Chairman NBA Summit on the future of legal education in Nigeria 2006; Member NBA Special National Committee on Abuse of Executive, Legislative and Judicial powers, 1998 to 2000; Member, Joint working committee of the NBA & CLEAN on continuing legal education for practicing members of the legal profession August 1999 to 2000; Sole Member, NBA Standing Sub Committee to investigate complaints against legal practitioners October 1999;  Member NBA Legal Education Committee, 2002 to 2004; Member Steering Committee of HURILAWS-NBA National Action Plan for justice sector reform in Nigeria, 2002; Member 2002 NBA Annual Conference Planning Committee; Member NBA Practicing fee, stamp and seal committee, Jan 2003 to 2004; Member NBA Committee on the state of the NBA, March 2005; Member NBA Special Committee on the Review of the Rules of Professional Conduct 2006/07; Member NBA Working Group on the Review of the Legal Practitioners’ Act and Council of Legal Education Act, 2011; and Pioneer Chairman/Founder NBA Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) 2004-2011.

He has also been member of many other NBA Committees since 1999 and in the various positions he held and committees he served, he has exciting achievements to present.

As Chairman of NBA Law Reform Committee he produced a new Legal Practitioners Act in 2004 under President Wole Olanipekun, SAN.

In 2006, the NBA under President Olisa Agbakoba SAN requested an amendment in place of a completely new Act and Professor Ojukwu submitted an amended Legal Practitioners Act which then was submitted to the National Assembly.

In 2011, the NBA under President JB Daudu SAN set up a new Committee to draft a new Legal Practitioners Act. Professor Ojukwuproduced a new draft for the Committee and that draft is currently pending before the National Assembly today.

In addition to the Legal Practitioners Act, Professor Ojukwu also submitted to the Bar draft bills on Legal Education and Legal Services Commission. This is also presently before the National Assembly.

Professor Ojukwu is currently a member of the recently inaugurated NBA LEGAL PROFESSION REGULATION REVIEW COMMITTEE and the Chairman of its sub-committee- THE FUTURE OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION.

Professor Ojukwu has published extensively. He is co-author of “Introduction to Civil Procedure”, a quality and leading material on Civil Litigation for Law School Students in Nigeria as well Legal Practitioners, Editor-in-Chief of the “African Journal of Clinical Legal Education and Access to Justice“, “Abia State University Law Journal” (1995-2000), Nigerian Law and Practice Journal (2006-2013), & Editor-In-Chief “Nigerian Bar Journal” (2002-2004 & 2006-2008). He is also a leading vanguard in pioneering the development of clinical legal education in Nigeria and is the President of the Network of University Legal Aid Institutions (NULAI Nigeria) which serves to promote clinical legal education and reform of legal education in Nigeria.

He is Principal Co-Author of the following clinical Legal Education books: “Clinical Legal Education: Curriculum Lessons & Materials”, Handbook on Prison Pre-Trial Detainee Law Clinic”, “Manual on Prison Pre-Trial Detainee Law Clinic”, “Impact Assessment of Clinical Legal Education in Nigeria”, “Externship Students Handbook”, and “Externship Handbook for Supervisors”. He is the National Representative of Nigeria in the Brown-Morsten International Client Consultation Competition.

Professor Ojukwu was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the highest professional rank available for legal practitioners in Nigeria in 2014. He was sworn in on Monday 22nd September 2014, by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar.

Professor Ojukwu interest as a scholar includes the subjects of Continuing Legal Education, Civil Litigation and Access to Justice.

He drafted the Nigerian Bar Association CLE Rules and set up the Institute of Continuing Legal education in 2007. He has also continued to play a very active role in the professional activities of the Nigerian Bar Association where he once served as the Chairman, Aba Branch of the Association, Chair of the Law Reform Committee, the Academic Forum and Legal Education Committee.

Professor Ojukwu has conducted many training programmes and workshops for the practicing lawyers, law teachers and law students. He has attended and presented papers at several International conferences on legal education such as the Global Alliance for Justice

Education (GAJE)  conferences at Cordoba Argentina 2006, Philippines 2008, Valencia Spain 2011 and New Delhi India 2013; speaker at the IBA’s (International Bar Association)  conference at Chicago 2006 and Boston 2013; the Journal of Clinical Legal Education (IJCLE) conference Perth Australia 2009 and Griffiths 2013; Externship 6 Conference Boston 2012; Harvard Law School Global Legal Education Forum 2012; and Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Clinical Legal Education Conference Puerto Rico 2013.

Professor Ojukwu is a humble, unassuming, distinguished living legend and icon of the legal profession. He represents many things to many people-both friends and foe, within and outside Nigeria, but everyone agrees that he is a teacher, mentor, renowned advocate, great thinker, eminent scholar, administrator, and everything hard work and integrity personified.

Professor Ojukwu is married to Hon Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court and the marriage is blessed with five children.

It is a great privilege, honor and pleasure for me to welcome our distinguished Military Administrator, His Excellency, Col. Moses Fasanya, distinguished Jurists, and Legal Practitioners, Statesman, and all other distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen from our State and beyond to this maiden workshop on Law Reform organized by the Nigerian Bar Association, Aba Branch.
The theme of this workshop is ‘’Towards More Meaningful Legislation and Predictable Litigation’’. From our theme, two issues have been chosen for discussion today. One concerns the nation as a whole – that is, ‘’Litigation on Land after Sadiku’s Case’’, while the other focuses mainly on our state, that is, ‘’Some Legislation in Abia State; Set-Back to Administration of Justice and Rule of Law’’.
The first topic was chosen to give us an opportunity to make suggestions for the reform of the Land Use decree in view of the recent pronouncements of the Supreme Court on the application of the Land Use Decree. As we all know, life depends on land and if the laws on land are uncertain, so will our life remain uncertain.
The second topic was chosen due to the peculiar circumstances of our state.
As it is known, Abia state Laws have its traditional/historical link with the old Imo state, the formal East Central State and the defunct Eastern Region, and the commonest feature of the legal history of these entities is that no significant attempt or more fairly, no attempt was made to revive and reform their laws.
Abia State inherited those antiquated, backward, primitive and meaningless laws from her ‘’Parents’’ and no attempt has been made up till today to revive and reform these laws. The laws applicable in Abia State can be categorized as follows:

The Common Law and Equity of England

The introduction into England of the Common Law dates back to the 11th Century. Half of the laws applicable in Abia State are derived from the Common Law. These English customs which is what Common Law is, formulated between the 11th and 19th century still applies in Abia State even when in some cases it has become impossible to marry with our local circumstances.

Statutes of General Application in England as at 1st January, 1900

It is impossible to believe that in 1998, about 105 laws made by the English people before 1st January, 1900 and mainly between the 14th and 18th century is still applicable in Abia State. It must be noted that most of these laws are no longer law in England and so their texts are no longer printed or available on sale for the Nigerians to purchase. The current English Law textbooks deal with their current laws and not those obsolete laws made before 1st January, 1900; but in Abia State what we need are the obsolete English Law textbooks to be able to know the laws applicable in our state as only the obsolete English laws are presently relevant to us. There is no way this state of the law cannot adversely affect the administration of justice. Even the continued blanket application of English Laws made before 1900 to our state is derogatory on our conscience as a people.

Laws of Eastern Region

Another bulk of the Law applicable in Abia State is the Laws of Eastern Nigeria. Many of the laws contained in this set are obsolete, inapplicable, and inappropriate for our circumstances today. The laws of Eastern Nigeria are also out of print.

Laws Made in East Central and Imo State

Most of the laws made in the then Imo/East Central State were amendments of some of the Laws of Eastern Nigeria. There are several and numerous amendments that have made the work of today’s draftsmen very impossible because of the loss of count in identifying these sometimes conflicting amendments.

Laws made in Abia State Proper

These fall into the same category with that of East Central/Imo State. In addition, as the lecturers and lead discussants will be highlighting, some of these laws are clearly working against the administration of justice and Rule of law.
A people’s civilization has been said to be based on the degree in which justice is actually realized and no such justice or civilization can ever be realized in a state of lawlessness. A state of bad laws is a state of lawlessness; a state of unjustified laws, constitute a state of lawlessness, a state of laws contrary to the will of the people is a state of lawlessness; a state of meaningless, absurd and ambiguous law is a state of lawlessness. It is like having no law at all.
Today’s workshop is very significant in that, we have all chosen to play the role of the State, to assist the State, since Law Reform activities like workshop is normally financed, sponsored and organized by the State.
I salute you all for being part of this community developmental effort and in particular, I commend our co-sponsors namely: Mr. E. C. Duru, Chairman of the Workshop Committee; Ukpai Ukairo, Legal Practitioner; Hon. Justice Uzokwe (Mrs); His Royal Highness Eze Okosisi; The Nigerian Breweries; The Aba Textile Mills Limited and Aba South Local Government. These organizations and individuals have facilitated this workshop. We shall ever remain grateful to them.
We salute the lecturers today, Messrs C. O. Anah and Obiora Obianwu who not only agreed to play this part free but also spent their own money in printing their papers. We also salute specially Major Naingba for assisting us in making sure this workshop is a success. We greet the kindness of His Excellency in agreeing to attend this workshop even with the circumstances surrounding the short notice inviting him to this workshop and almost breaking his protocol and honoring us with his presence.
We have a duty in this workshop to discuss the laws that trouble the Administration of Justice and Rule of Law in this State and beyond.
We may want to review the problems posed by such laws like Sanitation Law/ Environmental Laws, Water Bore Hole Laws, Rent Edict.
We may want to know if these problems associated with these laws are caused by our Judges or Magistrates in their understanding and interpretation of the Laws or the lack of mental strength of our solicitors to pursue clients rights in court to its logical conclusion, or the reluctance of litigants to pursue their rights or the stiffness of the laws themselves.
Why would the State not give the citizen water yet they impose huge levies for inspection of private water bore holes. The State contract out the disposal of refuse yet these contractors would not dispose the refuse and still yet they are allowed to extort large penalties for work not done with the assistance of the Magistrates. If we must allow contractors to take up refuse disposal, then it is the duty of the State to insist that they be paid only when they do the work. They should not be allowed to reap where they did not sow.
Our guest lecturers and lead discussants are very well armed to lead the way in today’s discussion. Since we have come to equity with clean hands and have shown by this workshop our willingness to assist the State Government and its administration, we believe the State Government will reciprocate our gestures by making use of the suggestions this workshop will offer today, the first step being in setting up a taskforce for Law Reform.
But no law can have meaning if the machinery for its interpretation does not exist. Today in Abia State, the machinery for the interpretation of our laws hardly exists – that is to say, the Judiciary. We are aware that the problem of the Judiciary in the State was not created by the present administration and that if earlier governments had done their bit, we would not find ourselves in the state we are now.
We, of course, must salute His Excellency for the recent ceremonial dresses purchased for our judges, the funds released recently for the purchase of library books, and the assistance being given to the Armed Robbery Tribunal.
If His Excellency is fully and properly briefed, His Excellency will come to appreciate the alarming state of retrogress our Judiciary is in.  We truly and honestly beg His Excellency to listen to us and redress the situation. We believe His Excellency will leave a legacy behind in our state and would be the leader that transformed our primitive laws and primitive judiciary into a civilized world.
One becomes breathless each time there is an attempt to catalogue the woes of the Judiciary in the State, some of which are;
No Housing For Judges.
Some of our judges commute to their courts of sitting from unbelievable distances because they are not housed within the area of their jurisdiction, yet Government Quarters in the GRA’s in Aba and Umuahia have continued to be sold to private businessmen and individuals. We appeal to His Excellency to intervene and revoke these sales in the public interest. The two judges in Ohafia reside in Aba, one judge in Umuahia still commutes from Abakaliki in Ebonyi State, one judge in Umuahia lives in Owerri, Imo state, another in Aba lives in Owerri, Imo State, one in Osisioma lives in Ohafia. On the whole, most other judges in Abia State live in rented block of flats and apartments in high density areas of our towns – and these are Judges!!!
No Vehicles For Judges
There are about 16 High Court Judges and 4 Customary Court of Appeal Judges in the State. More than half of these judges have not been given official cars. Some who possess official cars possess dead ones. Some of them without official cars do not even own private ones too, with the result that some of our Judges commute by public transportation. Where then is their independence, and justice? How can we entrust the position of a JUDGE of God to our Judges who cannot even afford from their fuel stipend to pay N30.00 to N35.00 a liter to buy petrol which is the current though illegal pump price; how can we entrust Justice, our lives, our future to Judges who will continually depend on litigants to transport them to court, provide money for the purchase of primary things such as Court Record Books, Court Halls, Typewriters, Furniture for their Offices and so on? Meanwhile, some of the old, sometimes unserviceable equipments in the court premises like in Aba are being lost daily to thieves due to the absence of concrete fencing-around these premises.
Appointment of More Judges
While praying for the State’s assistance to re-invigorate the Judiciary, we would also wish to remind His Excellency of the need to appoint more judges, particularly now that about 3 of our judges would be retiring this year. While pushing names for such appointment, let His Excellency insist that only upright, and God fearing persons are presented, and that the Bar had made an input.
We also wish that MILAD will create an additional Armed Robbery Tribunal in Umuahia and appoint retired Judges to preside in these tribunals. This will assist the manpower needs of the normal courts.
We pray that God will give His Excellency the opportunity to be our true Law Giver and the savior of our Judicial System and Administration of Justice, for we, are drifting to a point of total breakdown which may lead to disintegration of law and order.
Because the courts do not sit and cannot function in the true spirit, litigants are more and more abandoning lawful judicial settlement and intervention to taking the law into their own hands.
The lawyers are reaching their limits. The judges have reached their limits. Take up this fight for us, for posterity sir.
To all participants, I ask you to deliberate well.

I am finally able to read the extraordinarily honest interview given by our very own Prof. Ernest Ojukwu SAN to the Thisday newspaper of today 21st April 2015.

I am not in the business of praise singing Nigerian-style at all, but in 2007, in SF, USA, I read a dossier of a Nigerian senior lawyer who was, as it was described, ‘struggling to inject a dose of sanity’ into the Nigerian legal education and ethics …’ The spread was about Prof. Ernest Ojukwu of the Nigerian Law School.

The interview today was not a typical Nigerian public official, painting a false picture for an unwary public. It was an unusual candid opinion of a consummate legal luminary concerned about the disintegrating state of legal education in Nigeria. The interview and his diagnosis and his scalpel are wide-ranging! Indeed, it encapsulates the efforts and exertions of one man, who undoubtedly loves his country, his profession and petrified of its future!

I cannot help but be seduced by the Professor’s anguish and revulsion about the goings on and the debauched state of our Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)- the management, attitudes, the elections, the structure etc. The cross of our revered legal profession cannot be borne by one lonely man – the burden of years of neglect, mediocrity, mendacity and recklessness.

It would have been nice for Nigeria, for a change, to listen to such mellifluous voices as Prof. Ojukwu’s!. I was also trained in the best traditions of the American legal system. That system routinely produces world class advocates, consummate attorneys and public intellectuals. They are the types who march through lonely roads, listening to unknown mellifluous melodies from the Mozarts of the legal incandescence, for years, before their mates are aware of them.

I read and remember the exploits of names like, Clarence Darrow of Chicago, F. Lee
Bailey of Boston, Johnny Cochran of LA, Charles Gary of Oakland CA, et al.

Prof.  Ernest Ojukwu is of that ilk. And I personally appreciate his monumental efforts, immensely- efforts offered to the service of an ungrateful country.

Castro Mpenekun Ginigeme is a practising lawyer based in Abuja, FCT, Nigeria. Called to the Bar in 1984.

For those who do not understand my apparent obsession with the man, Prof Ernest Ojukwu, SAN, I will tell you why. This is a man who represents the finest virtues of hard work and a deep sense of personal integrity.
Born without any silver spoon whatsoever to parents who were teachers, Ernest Ojukwu took a decision very early in life to pursue a path of decency and greatness. He started from the very scratch. When he became a lawyer, he chose Aba as his base. This surprised many people because having graduated from Ife, the natural expectation was that he would head to Lagos, the headquarters of law practice in Nigeria. But he returned to Aba instead and within a few years, he had carved a niche for himself as a young man who has a clear path.

His tenures as Secretary and later Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Aba Branch remain till today a reference point in Bar administration. Seamlessly combining his practice with his first love, law teaching, Ernest multitasked with ease. When he was appointed Dean of Faculty of Law at Abia State University, he must have been the youngest dean in Nigeria. Judging from his current age, that appointment came when he was in his mid-30s! Yet, he discharged the assignment with the alacrity of a War General.

Those of us who passed through him while he was Dean will recall that there was an absolute zero tolerance for indiscipline and laxity. Lectures were held on time; exams were conducted religiously. There was no single incident of exam paper leakage. Laws and regulations were enforced to the letter. Ernest simply got the job done! Throughout his time as Dean, the Abia State University (ABSU) Law Faculty shone at the Law School. This is a verifiable fact!

When the Government decided to decentralize the Nigerian Law School by setting up campuses at Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Enugu, the need arose for trusted hands to run these campuses. The choice of Ernest was clear. If you want to get the job done, look for Ernest.

He ran the Enugu Campus of the Law School with his trademark creed of hard work and diligence. His presence at Enugu influenced my choice of campus. He would recall me one year after to come and do my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) there with him.
The one year I worked under him at the Law School remains my biggest and most profound learning curve. That period prepared me for the challenges of life.

Ernest has an unbelievable capacity for work. The man never gets tired. Working with him is no child’s play. Woe betides you if you are not prepared. As Deputy Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Ernest midwifed and oversaw the implementation of Clinical Legal Education, a scheme that placed more emphasis on practical training of lawyers. I was privileged to be part of the foundation of that scheme when he appointed me Project Manager of the Campus Law Clinic at the Law School.

Ernest championed and successfully pushed for the total overhaul of the Law School curriculum. Today, legal education has taken a whole new turn in Nigeria … the strategy and approach has changed … all thanks to Ernest.

His life revolves around the legal profession. He is passionate about it. Of course, his wife is a Judge of the Federal High Court.

Perhaps, the most intriguing thing about him is that in spite of his impeccable credentials, he has stayed away from Nigerian politics. In his entire life, Ernest has never hobnobbed with politicians. He has never held any political appointment; he has never solicited any. The only politics he does is that of the Nigerian Bar Association. He is currently the Chairman of the NBA Academic Forum. He is also the Founder and President of NULAI Nigeria – the Network of University Legal Aid Institutions, the body that champions reforms in legal education.

On a personal note, Ernest Ojukwu as Dean fought for and ensured the participation of the ABSU Law Faculty at the All Africa Moot Court Competition held in Pretoria, South Africa and the lot fell on me to represent the faculty – an assignment I carried out with Ojukwu style alacrity.

Ernest, as Head of the Law School brought me to the Enugu Law School, ‘took the risk’ of asking an ordinary Youth Corp member to teach a law School class. I later learnt from older colleagues who experienced him as students or staff or colleagues that he loves to take risks in investing in young persons. By that action, I had the privilege of interacting with people from all over Nigeria. Those fellows are all lawyers today operating in different spheres of life and I am proud to say that there is no part of this country where I do not have friends. Not only that, he asked me to represent the Law School on the Board of the Enugu State Legal Aid Centre, an initiative of the DFID of Britain with representatives from a cross section of professional groups. As a corps member, I had the privilege of traveling across the country studying how legal aid initiatives work. I had very close interaction then with Sullivan Chime, former Enugu State Governor who was then the Attorney-General of the State, Anthony Ani, the current Attorney-General of Enugu State who was the then Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Enugu Branch, as well as Prof Joy Ezeilo, who was then Enugu State Commissioner for Women Affairs. I owe a lot to Ernest Ojukwu….a whole whole lot!
Onyebuchi Ememanka, a lawyer is Senior Special Assistant to Abia State Governor on Public Communications. He was formerly Company Secretary/Legal Adviser, Samsung Heavy Tech., Lagos

Today I want to celebrate someone who has had an unparalleled influence in my life. I gained admission into the Faculty of Law, ABSU in 2005 with the dream of graduating and joining a law firm in Aba or Umuahia (please don’t misunderstand me) to practice the regular courtroom Litigation practice. I was enjoying my regular lectures jeje when I attended the Law Dinner in the second semester of my first year. That was when I encountered him for the first time. He blew my mind and changed my worldview on many fronts. He introduced me to what he called “Law Clinics” which at that time didn’t make sense. But it piqued my interest enough for me to long for 400L when I would be qualified to be a member of the Absu LawClinic. And I did in 2009 under the leadership of Prof. Sam Erugo as Coordinator and Maureen Ify Obi Chinze as Clinic Head. In January 2010 I competed in the National Client Counselling Competition organised by Nulai Nigeria with Prof as the President. My Partner was the delectable Amalachukwu Nwazota and we won the competition and thereby earned the right to represent Nigeria and indeed Africa at the 2010 Brown Mosten International Client Counselling Competition in Hong Kong. Thanks to this platform I boarded a plane for the first time in my life. These days whenever I am on board (which is an average of 24 times a year) I always reflect on that first time and that man who God used to make it happen. I returned for the competition a few more times as a Judge and also a Coach. He invited me to Abuja (my first time) as a Speaker at an All African Conference and lodged me at the palatial Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Abuja. He gave me the opportunity to undergo my first and only internship in life with NULAI Nigeria. Just before I left university, he invited me as a resource person to address Law School students at NLS Enugu Campus. The next year when those students had become lawyers and I was undergoing my law office attachment in Abuja, I met one of them who said it didn’t make sense that I was doing attachment that year because they honestly thought I was a law lecturer the previous year when I came to address them. I know he has forgotten all these but how can I? Gentlemen permit me to reintroduce to you Prof Ernest Ojukwu SAN popularly addressed as Teacher. I am not God but he is a Law Teacher, eminent Lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him.

Orji Agwu Uka
is an Associate with the law firm of Babalakin & Co. and is based in Lagos