The life of a man who gave his best to his chosen profession, Law, was in focus on Friday at the Ceremonial Court Hall of the Court of Appeal, Asaba, where the Asaba branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), in conjunction with the PUNUKA Foundation, put together a public lecture to mark the posthumous centenary birth anniversary of late Justice Chukwunweike Idigbe.
The event, which was preceded by the commissioning of an E-Library/Resource Centre, located at the Bar Centre of the branch, attracted notable legal luminaries from within and outside the state.
In his welcome remarks, the Chairman of NBA Asaba branch, Mr Precious Nwadimuya, said the branch was pleased to be involved in the commemoration of the centenary birth anniversary of late Justice Chukwunweike Idigbe, a distinguished Nigerian Jurist, who practiced law across West Africa.
Mr Nwadimuya said the late legal icon started his career in Warri and served as a Judge in the then Eastern Region of Nigeria High Court before becoming the Chief Justice of Midwest Region from where he rose to the position of Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The Asaba NBA Chairman pointed out that during late Justice Idigbe’s tenure on the Bench, he delivered the lead judgements in several landmark cases, most of which were contained in the Law Reports and had become reference points in the determination of cases.
Mr Nwadimuya said the younger generation of Lawyers had a lot to learn from the late Jurist, explaining that he had nursed the ambition of according him due recognition for his works and contributions to the growth of legal practice in Nigeria and the opportunity beckoned when he became the Chairman of Asaba branch of the NBA.
He stated that the naming of the E-Library after late Justice Chukwunweike Idigbe was to immortalize him, while the public lecture was to reflect on his life and times as a legal practitioner par excellence and thanked the family, through the PUNUKA Foundation, for the opportunity to be part of the centenary celebration.
Earlier in his remarks, the State Chief Judge, Justice Theresa Diai, who chaired the public lecture commended NBA Asaba branch for recognizing excellence and hard work, which late Justice Idigbe exemplified, saying that the gesture was one way to draw inspiration from the older generation of Lawyers.
The CJ, who was represented by Justice Briki Okolosi, commended the branch for not only immortalizing the late Jurist, but doing so with a project very important to the system, as the E-Library named after him would help Lawyers to broaden their knowledge and engage in research works that would make the legal practice better.
Justice Diai said the proposed provision of facilities for Electronic Filing of processes by the Asaba NBA at its Bar Centre was a novel idea, complimentary to the soon to be introduced concept at the Asaba Judicial Division.
The event featured lectures by Prof Emeka Chianu and Prof Poonam Puri, as well as goodwill messages from the President of NBA, Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, represented by Steve Ononye, SAN; the State Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr Omamuzo Erebe, represented by the Director Advisory Services, Mr Eze-Owenz and a former member of the State House of Assembly, Hon (Chief) Chinwe Monu-Olarewaju, among others
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