National Issues
Ahead Of New Legal Year Mass In Ibadan -By Adewale Kupoluyi
It is worthy of mention that as a paper presenter and resource person, he had delivered papers on some topical issues of law and practice in the administration of justice. To signify the importance attached to the event, the NACL National President, Edward Ogar, in his goodwill message had affirmed that “NACL Ibadan is very dear to us and we are proud of your services”.
All is set to host the National Association of Catholic Lawyers (NACL), Archdiocese of Ibadan, New Legal Year Thanksgiving Mass on Sunday, October 8, 2023, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Oke-Padre, Ibadan, Oyo State, beginning at 9am, which would have as the chief celebrant, His Grace, Most Rev. (Dr.) Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin, Catholic Archbishop of Ibadan.
The new year legal mass is organised to officially mark the commencement of activities in the courts, reawaken the commitment of legal practitioners, judges, and those saddled with the task of administration of justice. The Ibadan Branch of NACL is dedicated to promoting justice and upholding the rule of law in Nigeria by bringing together Catholic lawyers from across the country to work towards a just and equitable society while the programme aims to inspire these individuals to discharge their duties effectively without bias.
According to the President of NACL, Archdiocese of Ibadan, Michael Agbolade and the Chairman, Planning Committee, Dr. Adewale Kupoluyi, the chairman of this year’s occasion is Mr. Ayo Akinyemi, a consummate media practitioner of almost 50 years, biographer, and public affairs analyst; while the guest speaker is Chimezie Victor C. Ihekweazu, SAN, FCArb, FBR, an alumnus of the University of Calabar, Rivers State University, Nigerian Law School, and University of Lagos. The organisers informed that the thanksgiving mass would be followed by public lecture, and thereafter, the conferment of the award of Patron of the Association on Hon. Justice Peter Ige, a retired judge of the Court of Appeal.
The title of the public lecture is, ‘Effective Justice Delivery: Pathway to Economic Development in Nigeria’, which is to be delivered by Ihekweazu. The guest speaker was appointed a Notary Public in 2001, having served in the Capital Market Committee of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Member-American Society of International Law, Capital Market Solicitors Association of Nigeria, Construction and Infrastructure Chamber of Nigeria (CICN), Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN), and member, International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Professionals (INSOL International).
The planning committee added that the guest speaker had served with the Federal Ministry of Industries, Trade and Investment Committee on Reform of Investment Laws and Policies, stating that Ihekweazu is Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators, Fellow; Vice President, Council Member and Chair of Legislative Committee of BRIPAN, Chair of BRIPAN Membership Directory Committee and member ICAN Insolvency Training Faculty, BRIPAN Training Committee and the training faculty of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators. The guest speaker was Lead Facilitator and Coordinator of the 2022 BRIPAN Insolvency Training for Senior Management Staff of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on Insolvency Framework and Processes.
The Learned Silk was an Adjunct Assessor at the Nigerian Law School, had published and presented works, advised as well as represented corporations in insolvency aside from being a part-time lecturer with the Enugu State University of Technology Business School and Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria. Ihekweazu was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2019, and has held different insolvency offices as Receiver, Receiver/Manager, Turn-around Manager, Liquidator, Consultant to Administrator, and member of Committee of Inspection as well as Consultants to Insolvency Office holders. The planning committee further informed that the choice of the SAN for this year was as a result of his rich work experience, having served as a member of the Nigerian Bar Association Human Rights Committee and Anti-Corruption Commission, and an active member of the Nigerian Bar Association, Lagos Branch, where he served variously in its Constitution Review Committee, Law Week Planning Committee, Ethics, Compliance and Dispute Resolution Committee, among other committees.
To strengthen the NACL in the realisation of its mandate, the planning committee revealed that retired judge of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Peter Ige (JCA), would be invested as a Patron of the association by Archbishop Abegunrin. Justice Ige is a versatile and talented jurist with impeccable and stellar track records. After completing his mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, as a State Counsel in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Alausa, Lagos State from 1985 to 1986, His Lordship resumed to his post at the High Court of Lagos State in August 1986 and was promoted to the post of Higher Registrar and departmentally transferred to the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, as a State Counsel in 1986.
Justice Ige left the Ministry of Justice in September 1987, when he was employed as legal practitioner by Messrs Kusamotu Olojo & Co and later, Shinkafi, Kusamotu Olojo & Co, from September 1987 to February 1992, before establishing his legal practice of P. Olabisi Ige & Co, Ojeronke Chambers, in Lagos State. His Lordship was appointed into the Oyo State Judiciary, as a High Court Judge in 2001, and served at national and state assignments in various election petition tribunals in states across the country. Furthermore, the judge was appointed at various times as a member of some committees in the High Court of Oyo State before his elevation to the Court of Appeal in October 2012, and served at the Ilorin, Jos, Owerri and Abuja divisions of the court. The respected jurist was equally a member, Election Petition Review Tribunal Manual Committee; and member, Court of Appeal Rules Advisory Committee. In 2019, Justice Ige was privileged to be a member of the Presidential Election Petition Court.
It is worthy of mention that as a paper presenter and resource person, he had delivered papers on some topical issues of law and practice in the administration of justice. To signify the importance attached to the event, the NACL National President, Edward Ogar, in his goodwill message had affirmed that “NACL Ibadan is very dear to us and we are proud of your services”. Ogar stated further that “even in the midst of the prevalent corruption and other socio-economic challenges of life, and the ‘tsunamic’ erosion of morality and ethical values within the legal sector of our beloved country, Nigeria. Some of you have been exemplary in this regard”. The National President, therefore, urged Catholic lawyers to continue to use their “good offices to work for the enthronement of justice and the rule of, not only in the hallowed chamber of the Temple of Justice, but beyond this, in every facet of our national, socio-economic and political life”.
No doubt and in a matters of days, legal practitioners, media executives, as well as dignitaries from the church and state expected to converge on Ibadan. They include the Catholic Bishop of Oyo Diocese, Most. Rev. (Dr.) Emmanuel Badejo; Maronite Eparchy of the Annunciation. West and Central Africa, Ibadan, Most Rev. (Dr.) Simon T. Faddoul; NACL National President; NACL Ibadan Archdiocesan Chaplain, Very Rev. (Fr.) Joachim Akee; Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ibadan Branch, Mrs. Folasade Aladeniyi; Oyo State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Iyabo Yerima; and Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, amongst others, hoping that at the end of this memorable day, key stakeholders and personnel of the legal system would be better united and committed towards enhancing the administration of justice in our dear nation.
Dr. Kupoluyi is the Chairman, NACL Planning Committee
