Gowon extols virtues of late Justice Idigbe

Former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon has described the late Supreme Court Justice, Chike Idigbe as a shining example of excellence.

Gowon spoke as the special guest at the 2024 Punuka Attorneys & Solicitors yearly Public Lecture and grand finale of the centenary celebrations in honour of the late Justice Idigbe, who founded the firm.

Gowon also inaugurated the law firm’s new head office in Lekki, an architectural masterpiece known as the Punuka Attorneys & Solicitors (PAS) World Centre.

Former Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya, Dr Willy Mutunga, chaired the event; Prof. Olabisi Akinkugbe of Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada delivered the lecture.

The theme was: “International trade practice in Nigerian law firms: the case for building firm and scholarly capacities.”

Gowon said the new office was a fitting way to immortalise a jurist who lived a life of excellence.

He said: “Justice Idigbe played a pivotal role in shaping the moral and ethical foundation of Nigeria during critical times.

“His decisions and interpretations of the law were not only groundbreaking but also served as beacons of clarity and in moments of societal uncertainty.

“Justice Idigbe was a man of immense wisdom and integrity with a deep commitment to justice.

“His life and career were shining examples of excellence and service to generations of Nigeria.”

He praised Punuka Attorneys & Solicitors for all the events organised to honour its founder and for working tirelessly to preserve his legacies.

Principal Partner of Punuka, Dr. Anthony Idigbe (SAN), said his father’s life of integrity and sense of justice were worthy of emulation.

He said: “Ultimately, what makes you successful as a lawyer is your level of ethics and integrity.

“The more we promote ethics and integrity within the profession, the more people will have the confidence to come to us with their problems.”

On the theme of the lecture, Idigbe said there was a lot of scope in international trade law for Nigerian lawyers, particularly in Africa.

“But it seems that many of the businesses don’t have a lot of confidence in local lawyers.

“They cite a lack of capacity, but how do you build capacity if you don’t patronise them?

“At Punuka, we’ve been trying to build capacity. Our approach has been to build capacity and network, within which there will be a pool of patronage,” he said.

Idigbe explained that the PAS World Centre was designed to create an opportunity for trade, where people can interact during meetings and leisure.

“There are facilities for dispute resolution and for negotiating deals and transactions. We have meeting rooms and all sorts. So the whole idea of this place is trade,” he said.

The guest lecturer, Prof Olabisi Akinkugbe, stressed the need for lawyers to build capacity in international trade law.

He said an academic gap exists, which has rubbed off on practice.

“Law firms should be the main agents of change. They can offer adjunct positions in schools to train lawyers-to-be,” he suggested.

Managing Partner of Punuka Attorneys, Mrs Elizabeth Idigbe, said the grand finale of the Idigbe centenary was a culmination of events that began in February 2023.

Highlights include the donation of a law faculty building to Veritas University, the inauguration of a childcare centre in Lagos, the donation of an ICT centre to the NBA Asaba branch, and the inauguration of a museum and youth centre in honour of the late Idigbe, among others.

A book in honour of the late Justice Idigbe was presented at the event. It was written by Nze Emeka Ed Keazor, and reviewed by Mr Tayo Oyetibo (SAN).

A highlight of the day was the presentation of a brand-new van donated by Punuka to the Maroko Police Division.