By Abubakar D. Sani, Esq
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To say that life begins at forty, might be something of a cliché;
However, this is not the case with the Law School Class of ’81;
In case you wonder if this is not mere hype, just listen to their case;
In the end, I bet for them you will loudly applaud
Exactly forty years ago;
They left the school, starry-eyed and full of hope;
Since then, they have set the pace;
And, emerged, today, bestriding the stage
A most auspicious and illustrious gathering;
Their achievements are simply unparalleled in history;
Name it: from the Bar to the Bench;
The List will simply leave you breathless
Seven Justices of the Supreme Court;
Including the Incumbent Chief Justice;
Two Justices of the Court of Appeal;
And four at the Federal High Court
Also included are 9 State Chief Judges;
Two Presidents of Customary Courts of Appeal;
And, thirty-odd State High Court Judges;
They also boast of, at least, 16 ‘Silks’
A member of the last group deserves special mention;
Chief Mike Ozekhome, the famous human rights activist;
He has been the Group’s sole driving force;
Having birthed it on the 19th day of December, 2018
He single-handedly masterminded the Group’s reunion;
And, spared no cost to see it to fruition;
Particularly, his busy law practice;
Which suffered to actualize their pioneer reunion in October, 2019
Happily, it was a roaring success;
Thanks to the able assistance of Edith Unuigbe;
A kindred spirit, who shared Chief’s passion for the project;
Together, they labored for the Group’s sake
It is no exaggeration to say that –
Chief Ozekhome has been like a colossus;
As his impact has been felt beyond the Inner Bar;
He has represented his Class well and held the forte
Few Lawyers before or since his Call –
Have spoken truth to power so fearlessly;
Chief Ozekhome remains a thorn in the side of oppressors;
He is unique within the entire Bar for his erudition and oratory
Indeed, arguably because of him, the ’81 set is the envy of others;
If only they had a similar mobilizer!
If only they had an orator in his mould!
If only they had someone as erudite in their fold!
So, as they mark two score years post call –
Here’s toasting them individually – one and all;
You have every reason to be proud and beat your chests;
Your achievements cannot be swept under the carpet
To whoever said life begins at forty –
In your case, it is more – it is a time of celebration;
You have distinguished yourselves, individually and collectively;
Your names will be remembered long after you are gone
You inherited a banner without stain;
And you handed it over in an even better state;
You are a veritable oasis of excellence;
In a profession increasingly facing a crisis of confidence
Not for you any of those sordid tales of misconduct;
Nor has any of you being involved in anything else untoward;
This is more than can be said of some Classes;
Where such misbehavior is prevalent – alarmingly
Accordingly, if there will ever be a Legal Hall of Fame –
The Class of ’81 should take pride of place;
Hands-down, without doubt, they take the cake;
What else is there to say, except: ‘Hurray!’
Abubakar D. Sani, Esq.,
27th November, 2021
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