Celebrating our first class law graduate

Can I have your attention please?

I want to tell you about one man.

His name is Gabriel Doc Nwodo. In the Faculty of Law, ESUT, some call him brainbox , lord of law, lord denning, obilade, Ben Nwabueze, and names of most of the greatest legal scholars that have every lived!

Yes! He deserves all the praise and adoration because he has proven to be one man who not only knows the law, but knows it very well.

When I entered the faculty in first year, I asked around with regards to who the academic giants were and all fingers were pointed towards his direction! I just had to associate myself with him and I thank God I did because the man Gab has been both a mentor, guardian and friend J

 He is very well known for his oratory prowess, excellent command of English and a master in the moot court as I can still vividly recall the time we went for a moot court competition at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. The organizer, Sir B.E.I Nwofor SAN, after the competition remarked that he spoke like someone that has been in the bar for more than 10 years!

He is a man that has proven himself to be one of the most principled men I have ever met in my life.

Today, the man am telling you about was AWARDED FIRST CLASS HONORS DEGREE IN LAW BY THE BOARD OF THE FACULTY OF LAW, ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ENUGU.

He is the second person and the first guy to be ever awarded a First Class Honors by the Faculty of Law
ESUT since it's inception!

This is a great feat worthy of celebration and even the devil will testify that he deserves it!

Gab, you are a source of inspiration and a motivation to those of us in the faculty and we’ll do our best to live up to the standard which you have set in the Faculty.

Please, without much ado, let us celebrate Gabriel Doc Nwodo!!!

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All lawyers and prospective lawyers should read this

I am amazed when I see lawyers quarrel in court.
You have been briefed and paid professional fees,
you have a good reason to defend the cause of
your client, I agree. However in doing that always
bear in mind that with respect to clients, they
match the proverbial "soldier go soldier come,
barrack still dey". The case is for the client.
Lawyers are colleagues your adversary may be on
same side with you in a different case.
You will understand the thick skin nature of these
clients you are ready to die for when you fall sick
or pass on, they will quickly come to carry their
files and brief another lawyer. They won't even
pity you or ask after your family, to them they
are doing you a "favour" with the fees they paid
you. I have seen this fate befall some lawyers!
So my dear colleague before you lose your artery
for that your client just know a lawyer next door is
waiting should any misfortune hit you! Stop
creating unnecessary enmity with your colleagues,
no client deserves that!

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Recovery of damages awarded

A wrong has been committed. The aggrieved party
seeks redress in court and then gets a verdict. The
damages are subsequently awarded in his favour
against the defendants which could be natural
persons or juristic persons/legal institutions. The
difficult challenge is getting the money from the
bank for damages awarded against institutions let's
say the police. Most often when the accounts are
garnished and the banks are asked to show cause,
their response is to the effect that either the
money belonging to the said institution is
completely in reds or grossly insufficient to satisfy
the judgment sum. In reality these averments as
to financial states are lies, when you are privileged
to liase with an "insider" who works in the bank you
will be told the truth as opposed to what the
lengthy paragraphs of the counter affidavits are
saying!
How do you beat this logjam? How do you get the
judgment sum in the face of the highlighted
difficulties? What are the strategies?

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Yet another victory for Women in the fight for gender equality

A FEMALE CHILD HAS RIGHT TO INHERIT
FATHER’S PROPERTY IN IGBOLAND
— SUPREME COURT
, 10th July, 2015
The Supreme Court has voided the Igbo law and custom, which forbid a female from inheriting her
late father’s estate, on the grounds that it is discriminatory and conflicts with the provision of the constitution.
The court held that the practice conflicted with sections 42(1)(a) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution.
The judgment was on the appeal marked:
SC.224/2004 filed by Mrs. Lois Chituru Ukeje, wife of the late Lazarus Ogbonna Ukeje, and their son,
Enyinnaya Lazarus Ukeje against Mrs. Cladys Ada Ukeje, the deceased’s daughter.
Cladys had sued the deceased’s wife and son before the Lagos High Court, claiming to be one of
the deceased’s children and sought to be included among those to administer their deceased’s
father’s estate.
The trial court found that she was a daughter to the deceased and that she was qualified to benefit
from the estate of their father who died intestate in Lagos in 1981.
The Court of Appeal, Lagos to which Mrs. Lois Ukeje and Enyinnaya Ukeje appealed, upheld the decision
of the trail court, prompting them to appeal to the Supreme Court.
In its judgment last Friday, the Supreme Court held that the Court of Appeal, Lagos was right to
have voided the Igbo native law and custom that disinherit female children.
Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, who read the lead judgment, held that:
"no matter the circumstances of the birth of a female child,such a child is entitled to an inheritance from her late father’s estate.
Consequently, the Igbo customary law, which disentitles a female child from partaking in the sharing of her deceased father’s estate is a
breach of Sections 42(1) and (2) of the Constitution, a fundamental rights provision guaranteed to every Nigerian.
The said discriminatory customary law is void as it conflicts with Sections 42(1) and (2) of the Constitution. In the light of all that I have been
saying, the appeal is dismissed. In the spirit of reconciliation, parties to bear their own costs,”
Justice Rhodes-Vivour said.
Justices Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, Claral Bata Ogunbiyi, Kumai Bayang Aka’ahs and John
Inyang Okoro, who were part of the panel that heard the appeal, agreed with the lead judgment.
—credit: CHILD RIGHTS AWARENESS CREATION
ORGANISATION

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