By Ikeugonna Eleke
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has said that the judiciary in the state can be described as the most hardworking in the country.
Soludo stated this last weekend, during a ceremony to mark the 88th Birthday of former Chief Judge of Anambra State, Retired Hon Justice Godwin Ononiba, and the public presentation of his book, ”Wisdom On The Bench: The enduring legacies of Godwin Ude Ononiba”.
Soludo, while speaking at the event, said: ‘We are here to celebrate Justice Ononiba and what he stands for. When I see people of his ilk, I remember the institution they are leaving behind for us.
‘He is a hardworking man, and I want to say that Anambra has the most hardworking judges in the country. In Anambra, we have the highest number of cases per judge in the country, and this is only after Lagos.
‘We are calling on the judiciary to continue to help us to maintain justice in the country. We will continue to celebrate Ononiba and people in their level,’ Soludo said.
Earlier, a former Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof Ilochi Okafor (SAN), who reviewed the book, also expressed happiness about the crop of young judges springing up in Anambra State, describing them as enterprising and enthusiastic at delivering result on the bench.
Okafor, an eminent Anambra based lawyer, said: ‘My Lord, Ononiba is a man of many descriptions and a true epitome of what the temple of justice represents.
‘During his days on the Bench, he was a delight for junior lawyers when they argued on the opposite side of already established lawyers. He was so humble that sometimes he wanted to cringe when you described him as My Lord.
‘Today, Anambra is witnessing a high number of young and dynamic judges who are tackling backlogs of cases and their judgements are reference points that signpost what Justice Ononiba is known for.
‘These young judges have the desire and the passion to do justice and what they need is to be groomed and to be sharpened. They are very enthusiastic to work, and at this point we need men like Justice Ononiba to mentor them on the Bench.’
The event was chaired by a retired Supreme Court judge, Hon Justice Anthony Iguh, from Nimo, Njikoka LGA, and attended by eminent jurists and lawyers from across Nigeria.
Ononiba is the Traditional Prime Minister of Nimo, Njikoka LGA.
