Renowned legal practitioner and former Attorney-Gen­eral of the Federation and Minister of Justice during the regime of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), Chief Chike Ofodile (SAN), died on August 3. The pas­sage of the erudite lawyer, who was also the Onuwu Iyasele (Tradition­al Prime Minister) of Onitsha, is a huge loss to the nation, especially the legal profession where he left indel­ible imprints. There is no doubt that the late legal icon served his nation, the legal profession and his commu­nity distinguishably.
Ofodile’s demise has expectedly elicited eulogies from Nigerians from different walks of life. In his tribute, President Goodluck Jona­than described the death of Ofodile as a national loss. Nigeria, he said, “will remain eternally grateful for the late Ofodile’s commendable ser­vice as a member of the Federal Ex­ecutive Council and his significant contributions to the development of the legal profession in Nigeria.”
To Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), “the late Ofodile was a remarkable gentleman, whose greatness was justified by his humil­ity. I appeared with him as a junior on a number of cases and he had outstanding legal insight. The le­gal profession in Nigeria will surely miss him.” Former Anambra State Governor and Senator, Dr. Chris Ngige, has also praised the sterling qualities of the departed lawyer.
Ofodile, who served as a member of the defunct Supreme Military Council (SMC) under Buhari from 1984-1985, was born on Novem­ber 20, 1924 to the family of Ofo­dile Ezeugo of Umuobi royal fam­ily of Ogbeozala village in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The deceased attended Immanuel Church Infant School, St. Mary’s Primary School and Christ the King College (CKC), all in Onit­sha. He taught briefly at the Holy Trinity School, Onitsha in 1941 and later worked at the P&T (Post and Telegraphs) Department, Enugu, between 1944 and 1945. He thereaf­ter proceeded to Balham and Toot­ing College, London and North-Western Polytechnic, London, for further studies. He was at the Inns of Court School of Law, London, in 1959 and was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple, London, in 1959. He was equally called to the Nigerian Bar in Lagos, 1960.
When he returned to the coun­try, he worked in the chambers of Hon. Justice C. Ikpeazu as a junior member from 1959-1964, before go­ing into private legal practice from 1964 to 1983. He was elevated to the rank of a Senior Advocate of Nige­ria (SAN) as well as a Life Bencher in 1979.
In appreciation of his contribu­tions to nation-building, the Fed­eral Government conferred on him the National Honour, Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), in 2008. After working as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, and a member of the Fed­eral Executive Council (FEC) from 1984 to 1985, he returned to private legal practice.
The Obi of Onitsha conferred on him the traditional title, Onowu Iyasele of Onitsha in 2003 and he distinguished himself by serving creditably in that capacity until his death. Ofodile retired from active legal practice in 2009 after 50 years at the Bar.
The late Ofodile will be remem­bered for his numerous contribu­tions to the development of the Nigerian legal system. He was a brilliant lawyer who authored many law books. The nation should immortalise him for his contribu­tions to its development. He was a role model whose shining example is worthy of emulation by all law­yers in the country.
We commiserate with his family, his professional colleagues, Anam­bra State and the nation on the ir­reparable loss. May his soul rest in peace.

Chike Ofodile (1924-2014)