Abia buries legal icon, Hon. Justice Justice Akuma
It was all emotions last weekend as the body of the legal icon, Hon. Justice Lawrence Mecha Akuma, was being commuted to mother earth in his Ohafia country home.
His demise came as a shock not only to Abia State government, members of the bar and bench as well as his Ohafia community and people of Abia State and beyond as testimonies of his life and times in the bar was being recounted.
Speaking during valedictory court session in honour of the late sage, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, who spoke through his Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Chief Umeh Kalu (SAN), said Abia State Judiciary has had great Jurists of remarkable repute in over two decades, including the late luminary while in service in the state, remarking that the late Justice Akuma’s over 28 years career service in the bar has not only shared in that legacy of the state, but has helped in shaping Abia State and Nigerian jurisprudence as propounded by the courts.
He urged the bereaved family, associates and members of the bar especially, Abia State Judiciary to take solace in God and improve on the legacies he left behind.
In her remarks, the Chief Judge of the state, Hon. Justice Theresa Uzokwe, described the late Justice as an accomplished legal practitioner of the official bar, eminent jurist, revered traditional ruler of his community and elder statesman who served Abia State Judiciary and his community meritoriously until his demise.
Justice Uzokwe, who described her late professional colleague as Master of all trades, urged the immediate family and members of the legal profession and Abia State Judiciary not to weep like those who have no hope but should imitate his good qualities and accomplish the task ahead.
Meanwhile, branch chairmen of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) from Aba, Umuahia, Isiala Ngwa, Ohafia and Ukwa, Barristers Ken .C. Nwakamma; A.C. Okoroafor (Esq); Chief Ugwuzor Agomuo; Udo Uduma (Esq) and Munachiso Eze Nwosuegbe (Esq) respectively extolled the virtues of the late Justice Lawrence Akuma whose sudden demise, they said has created vacuum in Abia State Judiciary and Nigeria as a whole.
According to NBA branch chairmen in the state, the late Justice was a father-to-all whom they derived knowledge and wisdom from while regretting the pains his death has caused members of the bar in the state but consoled by the fact that he had actually paid his dues for future generations.
