ADDRESS BY DR. T. C. OSANAKPO, SAN ON BEHALF OF THE BODY OF SENIOR ADVOCATES OF NIGERIA AT THE VALEDICTORY COURT SESSION IN HONOUR OF HON. JUSTICE ZAINAB ADAMU BULKACHUWA, CFR, PRESIDENT COURT OF APPEAL, ON FRIDAY, 7TH FEBRUARY 2020.

Advert

ADDRESS BY DR. T. C. OSANAKPO, SAN ON BEHALF OF THE BODY OF SENIOR ADVOCATES OF NIGERIA AT THE VALEDICTORY COURT SESSION IN HONOUR OF HON. JUSTICE ZAINAB ADAMU BULKACHUWA, CFR, PRESIDENT COURT OF APPEAL, ON FRIDAY, 7TH FEBRUARY 2020.

PROTOCOL

It is indeed a privilege and honour to be invited to deliver the valedictory speech on behalf of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Port Harcourt Chapter in honour of Honourable Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, CFR, President Court of Appeal, who will bow out from her exalted position on attainment of the mandatory age of 70 years by the 6thof March 2020.

The President of the Court of Appeal was born into the family of Alhaji and Hajiya Abubakar Gidado El-Nafaty of Gombe State. She commenced her primary school education in 1957 as a girl child and obtained her first school leaving certificate in 1963.  Thereafter she proceeded for her secondary school education at Queen Elizabeth School, Ilorin where she obtained her West African School Certificate in 1968. In a bid to obtain higher education, she did GCE A Levels from January 1971 to June 1972 at Abdullahi Bayero College of Ahmadu Bello University Kano which provided  a pathway for her University Education, and she obtained LLB (Hons) from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1975 and was called to Bar in 1976.

Today’s Valedictory Court session in honour of my Lord marks the commencement of an end to a very distinguished judicial career that spans well over three decades. I dare say with humility that from a humble beginning as a Magistrate Grade 1 in 1980 to Chief Magistrate Grade I, Deputy Chief Registrar and Acting Chief Registrar between 1986 to 1987 at the Bauchi State Judiciary, elevated as a Judge of the High Court in 1987 and subsequently sworn in as 1/the first Chief Judge of Gombe State in 1997 and was appointed Justice of the Court of Appeal in 1998. Through the dint of hard work and grace of GOD, My Lord rose to the pinnacle of her judicial career to the coveted position of President, Court of Appeal in 2014 and indeed the first female judicial officer to occupy the exalted position of the President of the Court.

I am mindful of the fact that 70 years is the mandatory retirement age at the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. However, the question which agitates my mind at this stage is, does my Lord really look like a person that is near 70 years old. The response to the raised question is in the negative. I wish to also raise another question i.e. what is possibly responsible for this visible and rare gift of not looking near 70 years old. I submit with respect that it is both the grace and mercy of GOD. Therefore on behalf of my colleagues of the Inner Bar, we thank the Almighty GOD for the life of Your Lordship.

I wish to utilize this singular privilege to highlight that one of the cardinal principles of administration of justice as enunciated by the Supreme Court in the case of THE ADMINISTRATORS/EXECUTORS OF THE ESTATE OF GENERAL SANI ABACHA (DECEASED) V EKE-SPIFF & 3 OTHERS1“that justice may not only be seen to be done but it must be manifestly seen to be done.”Therefore the well established aphorism is that justice is to be denied to none. In other words, justice must be seen to be done at all times, so as to build and enhance the confidence of litigating parties in our Nigerian judicial system. Therefore if any litigating party raises concern of any possible denial of justice in the course of administration of justice against either a person or any of the

1. See (2009) 7 NWLR, Part 1139 P. 97 at page 128 paragraphs B-H

persons participating in the dispensation of justice in the course of adjudication is to take the path of honour to bow out honourably from further adjudication in the matter. I submit with respect that Your Lordship clearly rose to the path of honour by recusing yourself from further participation in the recent celebrated case of ATIKU ABUBAKAR & ANOR VS INEC, MUHAMMADU BUHARI &ANOR2. My Lord your judicial decision in the commended case is exemplary and worthy of emulation by both judicial officers and other persons involved in the machinery of justice at our inferior courts in the interest of justice in Nigeria.

Permit me to say that under your leadership, the Court of Appeal gave legitimacy to Card reader which is indeed in my view, a gatekeeper that would have assisted immensely towards sanitizing Nigerian electoral process for overriding public interest. I submit with humility that if the apex Court and indeed a policy Court of the land had affirmed the stance of your Court, the contemporary electoral challenges and hurdles

2. See Petition No. CA/PEPC/002/2019.

that we experience in Nigeria would have been substantially resolved or checkmated and put the Country in the right trajectory of evolving and developing sustainable electoral process that will affirmatively impact on the Nigerian democracy in the interest of the Nigerian State and her citizenry.

My Lord, you epitomize the fact that a woman can multi task. I say so respectfully because apart from your daunting judicial duties, extra judicial responsibilities you are a wife to Ambassador Adamu Bulkachuwa, mother to your children which show that you equally have a family life with attendant family obligations and duties. Your ability to combine your judicial duties all these years without blemish and attendant family obligations and duties are noble and equally worthy of emulation.

As I am about to conclude this delightful duty, I say most respectfully that Your Lordship has proven experience as a judicial officer, holder of various positions of trust at different times without blemish and also a family person. Consequently, the legal profession, judicial officers and the society at large stand to benefit from your broad experience of life for societal good, because Your Lordship indeed does not look tired from visual perspective to engage in noble works upon retirement. Therefore, I urge my Lord with utmost humility to consider establishing mentoring centre that will effectively address visible challenges of judicial officers, the legal profession, socio-legal specifics to show that the pursuit of distinguished legal career can be combined with family life without undermining the latter, because a nurtured family is the fabric or foundation of enduring society. It is equally my fervent view that a mentoring centre anchored by Your Lordship with proven judicial experience and family life will possibly help to promote core values, evolve direction and road map that are geared towards addressing honour deficit, character deficit and governance issues for the overall benefit of the Nigerian society.

Your Lordship, on behalf of my learned colleagues of the Inner Bar, I wish you the very best and Divine Mercy of GOD in retirement. Congratulations for a very inspiring and distinguished judicial career.

Thank you.

DR. T. C. OSANAKPO, SAN

-Advertisement-

Grab our latest Magazine, "Hon. Chief C.O.C Akaolisa gets justice". Get your order fast and stress free.

For more details about Newswire Law&Events Magazine, kindly reach out to us on 08039218044, 09070309355. Email: newswiremagazine@yahoo.co.uk. You will be glad you did

Do you want to be heard, your events covered, your articles published, or need to advertise your products and services on our Blog and Magazine, reach out to us at Newswire Law and Events, you will be glad you did. For more details about our services, please call: 08039218044, 09070309355. Email: newswiremagazine@yahoo.co.uk