The former Chief Judge of Enugu state, Late Hon. Justice Innocent Azubike Umezulike, whose years of administrations, is yet to be equalled in the Eastern part of Nigeria, fits into the Nostradamus shoes of great predictors, whose foresight in the ethics, candour, and practice codes of the Judiciary system has today positioned him along the paths of the 16th century philosophers.
In his prediction 13 years ago, Umezulike said that a Judge or Magistrate is an exceptional and distinct public officer, who it would be ridiculous for him or her to be subjected to opprobrium and scrutiny. Given today’s judicial system, the late Hon. Justice Umezulike has become a philosopher King and Man who saw today in yesterday.
Umezulike said that “The Holy Bible requires for the office of a Judge, men who are capable, godly, honest, and above all men who hate bribes. Islam also prescribes that nothing should shift a Judge from the path of rectitude. It is the recognition of these awe-inspiring functions that lawyers and, or litigants bow before us and refer to us (Judges) as ‘My Lord’, ‘Your Worship’ and ‘Your Honour.’ We are not therefore expected to defile this sacred trust. They must in the discharge of their sacred functions be guided by the norms and ethics of their profession. A Judge or Magistrate or Khadi is expected, first and foremost, to be a gentleman. And if he knows a little law in addition, so much the better.”
In his paper, Judicial Ethics and Accountability, delivered on December 1, 2010, at the National Judicial Institute (NJI’s) National Workshop for courts in Nigeria, Justice Umezulike ascribed the cause of Nigeria’s inability to adhere to codes of conduct, indiscipline, discard of ethics and values to vain glories capable undermining a nation and her people.
These malfeasances, Umezulike argued, brought about corruption in Nigeria which alarmed former President Shehu Shagari in 1983 and made him establish a National Ethical Re-orientation and Code of Conduct which later failed, woefully!
Umezulike envisaged that the judicial Code of Conduct would not be impactful, unless reinforced by general societal code of ethics and standards, noting that Code of Conduct is usually intended to restore merit, honesty, integrity, patriotism, and hard work.
Among the codes of conduct crucial to a Judge, Magistrate or a Khadi is comportment which Umezulike said controls and orders the behaviour of a judicial officer. According to him, once a person becomes a judge or magistrate or Customary Court Judge, many things that seem convenient would evidently, no longer be right, such as eating and drinking of alcohol in roadside, eating houses; reckless driving on roads; writing of newspaper articles in matters unrelated to development of law, or appearance in public in dirty and casual dresses.
On the issue of corruption, Justice Umezulike stated that there was a general state of anomie in Nigeria, where social norms and value support systems have virtually broken down and no restraining value or instincts against corruption in Nigeria; but said that Judicial officers by their role in society must rise above these common heads because they perform some of the functions of God on earth.
“They must, like the British King, be incapable of doing wrong, incapable of thinking wrong and incapable of doing improper things such as accepting bribes. In a Judge should no folly or weakness be found. Once justice becomes pricey, the public would lose interest in the entire Judicial and Justice system. Then society would return to the original atavistic state of nature. Judges must constitute themselves, collectively and individually as anti-corruption crusaders. And this must begin from our individual courts,” Umezulike charged.
Honourable Justice Professor Innocent Azubike Umezulike, OFR, FCIArb, FIIAN (1953 – 2018) understood the demands of the authority bestowed on such a custodian of law and upheld the virtues of justice administration until the nature call.
From testimonies of those he crossed paths with in his 64 years sojourn, Justice Umezulike was an intellectual giant and probably Africa’s most prolific writer in land law, whose brain is not lost but dwells in his 23 books.
As a Professor of Land and Property law, his students found his authority in Conveyancing and Adverse Possession as a stamp of knowledge. It did not take time for the Nigerian government to award him Order of the Federal Republic (OFR). The Chartered Institute of Arbitrator also awarded him a Fellow (FCIArb), due to his legal exploits.
Apart from being the Chief Judge of Enugu State for over 13 years, Hon. Justice I.A. Umezulike would be remembered for receiving over 100 distinguished Legal Honours and Awards for excellence in service. He was in the National Committee for the Unification of Criminal Laws of Northern and Southern Nigeria; Secretary Ministerial Committee for the Revision of the Land Use Act; National Leader, Nigerian Delegation to African legal consultative Assembly held in Kampala, Uganda.
The Quintessential Jurisperitus as a father would be missed by his family which he stood for like an Iroko tree. He lived for the family, loved beyond words that his children pray to fill the wide vacuum his exit has created.
Justice Professor Innocent Umezulike passed on in June 2018, laid to rest on September 28, 2018, at his country home, Mgbidi, Enugu state after a valedictory court session at the Enugu State High Court Auditorium.
Pursuant to His Lordships ideals, a foundation – Hon Justice Innocent Umezulike Foundation was established in his memoriam, committed to the development of a more progressive society through education of children and adults.
The Foundation engages in activities of building a progressive nation by positively investing into education of children, youths and adults. It has carried out many successful projects such as: the Innocent Project that provides indigent children with school materials, National Law debate competition, mentorship and internship programs, Law essay competitions, Sepsis awareness competitions, national debate competitions, several humanitarian projects, national moot court competition and scholarship programs.
