As a young man, he admired the grandeur and influence of politicians like the great Zik, Awolowo and the likes and that led him to study Political Science. While in the university, he was enthralled the way Gani Fawenhinmi and Femi Falana were fighting for the oppressed and so switched over to law.
Speaking with HENRY OKONKWO, the legal luminary told a story of his life. How he could have been a motor mechanic because his father was too poor to send him to secondary school and how ethnic sentiment was played up to stop him ascending to the presidency of Ikeja branch of NBA.
What was lowest point of your leadership in the Ikeja chapter of the NBA?
It was when I wanted to contest and the issue of my tribe came in. I felt sad because I believe that my tribe should not be a problem. It bothered me when I saw how some lawyers at the NBA Ikeja chapter brought a lot of sentiments. If not for God, I would not have emerged as the NBA chairman.
That opened my eyes and made me realise why our country is still backward. We need to experience change by putting the right people in positions of authority. We need people who fear God and have a vision and a desire to serve. If we have such people in governance, I’m sure we would experience change in our country. Nigeria requires change and we are blessed with human and material resources. But how do we harness these that would be beneficial to the people? China is doing very well and is almost actualizing their dreams because they have the population and they are 18
has the population also but why then are we not maximizing our potentials? Why is it that we cannot put all these together to get the best for the country for the good of all? It tells you that something is fundamentally wrong.maximizing their population. Our country
It is our leadership, and I believe that once we get it right with our leadership, we’ll see that everything would begin to fall into place.
What was the highest point of your tenure?
I am excited about our Bar Centre that is near completion now. Former governor Tinubu gave the land to us over 10 years ago and since then, we were unable to complete the Bar Centre. I pledged during my campaign that if elected, I would raise enough money to complete our Bar Centre. I was elected; I was able to rise about N26 million for the building. The project is at the roofing stage now and I left enough money to complete it.
Within the few times we were in charge, I raised over N80million for the branch, through my leadership and the people who love the branch. Again we accounted for every kobo we spent. Even when I travel for meetings, I personally finance my flights without taking money from the coffers of the NBA, in order not to abuse our position, and to set examples on how things should be done as a leader.
I think if our leaders could just shun greed and the abuse of office, there would be enough money to feed the people, provide infrastructure and the people would be happy.
With the experience you acquired leading the NBA, would you aspire for party politics soon?
The kind of money involved is something you have to think carefully before you dabble into it. Our people have been impoverished by the political elites. So coming with your ideas of how you intend to change Nigeria without meeting their issue of ‘infrastructure of the stomach’, they won’t listen to you. Hence if you want to go in for any elective position, you must have millions of naira because everywhere you go for campaign you are expected to share money to people. Our society has thrown away vital values like morality and integrity.
But another route to come into politics is to start with getting an appointment to serve in a government. Again, one has to be very careful about the individual giving the appointment because some government appointments can tarnish your reputation. I know I can never serve in any wicked government. I would rather remain in the legal practice to working for a government that is anti-people. I want to be remembered like Gani Fawehinmi. I want my name to remain intact; so that when I live this world I would be remembered as a man of integrity.
I have a strong desire to serve and if I’m given any opportunity to work in government, I’m sure I would do it with the best of my ability. We need the right men in key places in this country but sadly the system would not want someone that would come and effect change. They would rather enthrone a mediocre that would not outshine them. That is why we have too much mediocrity in our system today.
Were you born with a silver spoon?
My father was so poor that he concluded that I would not go to secondary school because he could not afford the money. So, he wanted me to learn mechanic at Lagos. When I rounded off my primary school education in 1977, my result was so good that the headmaster personally appealed to my father not to waste my talent. The headmaster urged my father to allow me enroll for admission to secondary school instead of taking me to Lagos to be a mechanic.
I managed to sit for common entrance and I did very well. I got posted to Ariam Secondary School, which was one the best schools in Ikwuano, Abia State. But my father said that I couldn’t go to the secondary school because he cannot afford the fees. Hence my mother now had to sell my result for N10. Then, it was very big money. The guy that bought my result bore my name in school until his third year in school when he now changed to his personal name.
Then I came to Lagos to actualise my father’s plan of learning the skill of mechanics. I was in Lagos when Dunlop advertised for mechanic training, so my father asked one of my uncles, Reuben Agwu to take me to the place. When we got there I applied and filled the form but they requested for my First School Leaving Certificate, which was left at the village. Hence my father sent somebody to collect the certificate from my mother. But unfortunately the bus the man boarded broke down at Ore, and he was delayed. He was supposed to come back on Sunday and the interview was to take place on Monday. But the man came into Lagos on Monday and by the time he brought the certificate, the test has taken place and I could not write it with the rest. That is how I missed being a mechanic.
So my father out of sheer anger and reluctance registered me in a nearby commercial school. But after two years, my father said he didn’t have money to continue. It was my sister who took over paying my school fees. But at a point I decided to get a job.
I started working at Nigerite as a computer clerk and attending school at Victory Home School at Onigbongbo. I sat for JAMB in 1983 and I was admitted to study political science.
What then informed your decision to study law?
As a young boy I didn’t set out to be a lawyer, but have always admired lawyers. However, I loved the flamboyance of politicians then. Also, Zik, Awolowo and many others inspired me because I admired the way they influenced society, polices and how they fought the white men to gain political independence for us. I told myself that I would study political science so that I would also be an agent of change for my people, community and nation.
When the time for admission started, I applied to study Political Science. I was admitted into Political Science Department at the University of Nigeria Nsukka in 1983. But after two years, I started to have second thought on my decision to study Political Science. I pondered on the scarce job opportunities in the course. Also, I noticed Gani Fawehinmi as a lawyer is influencing the society more by fighting for the oppressed. I developed strong desire to be in the vanguard to fight for the oppressed and be like Gani, Falana, Aka Bashoroun and the rest. That was how I made up my mind to switch to another course that would enable me fight for the interest of the common man.
I saw the increasing injustices in the society and realized that the only way to have a voice that would be respected was to go into the legal profession. So I had to do a turn around and switched from studying Political Science to Law. And in the process, I lost two years of my time in school and started over from year one in the Law department.
I graduated in 1989 instead of 1987 because I lost two years. I graduated with second class upper. And then I came to Law School and again made second class upper in 1990. I was then called to bar in 1990. From there I went to do my NYSC in Kano, in a law firm, K.C Ugboajah and Co. Before I went for youths service, I worked a bit at the chambers of Wole Olufon and Co. Olufon is a very sound and flamboyant lawyer and I loved the fact that he is a Christian. I learnt a lot at his chambers because I did my law attachment when I was in law school at his law firm and started by working in his chambers. So I could say that I had my law stint in Wole Olufon and co. Thereafter, I started my practice here in Lagos, have been in practice since 1992. My activism started after learning from people like Fawehinmi, Falana and others.when I also rounded off my youth service, I
We agitate that our country is not well run and we can run this country much better than the way it was being administered. It is a question of being sincere. There is no rocket science about leadership. Nigeria should be made a better country for everyone but it is unfortunate that our leaders seem to be possessed. That is why immediately they come into power, it is all about their selfish interests and greedy. They no longer pay attention to the common man that they claim to lead. So I decided to speak against all these evil over the years.
What is the most memorable experience you’ve had in your law career?
One experience that I can’t forget is when a man I had a transaction with sued me. I bought a property from the man in Oregun here in Lagos. We signed all the necessary documents; even his first son and daughter were witnesses to the deal. The man gave up possession willingly. Later on he went on to get some other person to sue me over the property that I bought. It was an unforgettable experience; I was traumatized because he denied the transaction saying that he never sold any property to me. He denied his son and daughter that were witnesses to the deal, he denied the documents we all signed, and he denied his own signature. It was traumatic for me as a lawyer.
The case lasted eight years, from 2000 to 2008. I won at the High court and he is presently appealing the judgement at the Appeal court.
How would you rate the present crop of upcoming lawyers?
I am not impressed with the present crop of lawyers. I’m also not in support that lawyers should spend five years to study Law in the university. During our time it was four years. But with the increase in the number of years spent in the study of law, one would expect an improvement in the practice. But the reverse is the case; the quality of lawyers graduating from our universities is still very low. A lot of today’s lawyers cannot even speak good English, marshal out their points logically and lack dexterity in their research. If you employ most of them you have to keep training and teaching them things that they ordinarily they should have learnt at schools. May be it’s a societal problem or our diminishing educational standard.
What is your impression so far on the confab?
The recent decision to restructure Nigeria and allow local governments to be created by the states; that allows state police, and then the issue of proper devolution of power among the federating units are commendable. I believe the northern delegates would not scuttle the conference as they are threatening, because the average northerner is better off in a restructured Nigeria. It is the few elites that are enjoying the status quo. And sadly they are the ones masterminding what is going on in the confab. We would see a country that is efficiently run when we restructure Nigeria and every section is contributing its quota to national development.
But my fear about the conference is the issue of the legality, because if all the decisions reached is submitted to the House. Then it would be another wasted exercise. The decisions should be subjected to a national referendum. I have always clamoured that there should be an enacted law specifying the modalities and the outcome of the conference. If all these were not spelt out the conservatives would oppose adopting resolutions boarding on fundamental restructuring. And that is what is going on.
I believe this conference is the last bus stop for this country to redeem itself because if we fail at this conference then it is only God that would make this country to be united. This is our chance to agree, disagree and then reach a consensus for the national development. I foresee big trouble ahead if we fail at this conference.
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ONYEKACHI UBANI: I would have been a mechanic |
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