Ag. CJN, others pay tribute to late Justice Chukwuma- Eneh
Andrew Orolua, Abuja
The acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Paul Usoro (SAN) on Thursday poured encomiums on late Justice Christopher Chukwuma- Eneh of the Supreme Court, who died on February 26.
Speaking at the valedictory Supreme Court session in honour of the late Supreme Court justice on Thursday, Justice Muhammad recalled that he was appointed to the bench of the apex court in 2007 alongside Justice Chukwuma-Eneh.
He said the late Justice Chukwuma- Eneh character content stood him out among his peers and conferred enviable status on him, adding that “behold, this was a man that had at every turn of his life, refused to be dominated by any circumstances and remain indomitable even till death.
“I can confidently cast him in the mould of the very few people in this world who are endowed with the rare wisdom of being content with the criticisms that would do them good than the praises that deceive and mislead them.”
According to him, Justice Chukwuma-Eneh was a man who wittingly deployed wisdom and intellectual prowess whenever he was confronted with any difficult issue relating to the legal profession.
He said that late jurist’s impeachable integrity and outstanding knowledge of law was brought to bear on the panel of justices of the Court of Appeal that upturned the impeachment of Sen. Rasheed Ladoja as governor of Oyo state.
Late Justice Chukwuma-Eneh was also remembered for his decision in the case of National Union of Electricity Employees against the Bureau of Public Enterprises.
His decision that the National Industrial Court of Nigeria was not a superior court of record prompted a constitutional amendment that gave birth to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria as a superior court of record.
Both the Attorney General, Ababakar Malami (SAN) and NBA President, Paul Usoro (SAN), who was represented by Igba, said Justice Chukwuma-Eneh legacies will continue to inspire their vision to transform Nigeria into a society of peace where law reigns supreme.
Late Justice Chukwuma-Eneh was appointed into the Supreme Court in 2007. He was called to bar in 1974 and elevated to the bench of old Enugu state High Court in 1989. Appointed justice of the Court of Appeal in 1999 and retired from the Supreme Court in 2014.
