BY
PROF MIKE A. A. OZEKHOME, SAN, CON, OFR, FCIARB, LL.D.

THE SILENCE BEFORE THE GONG
When a great Iroko falls, it does not do so quietly. It thunders in the forest.
I was sipping coffee that morning as the world was yet wrapped in its festive linen.

Eid al-Adha, the celebration of obedience and the commemoration of Abraham (Ibrahim)’ willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God’s command, had brought families together under canopies of roasted ram, plenty food, laughter and spiritual rejuvenation. And then a friend called me to announce, “Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais has passed on.” The words staggered out of my phone like a wounded gazelle. For a moment, I thought it was a mistake. Not because Justice Uwais was too young to die. No. After all, life expectancy in Nigeria is only 61.2 for men and 62.6 for women, all below the global average of 73.3.So while the acclaimed Jurist was not too young to die, he was certainly too good to die. Just like that. My humble submission.

Justice Uwais had exited the stage quietly without pomp and without pageantry just days shy of turning 89. So his was surely a long life, certainly, outpacing that of the average Nigerian male. Yet, no arithmetic can capture the fullness of a life lived in rigour and relevance such as that of Uwais. As the Hausa would say: “Mutuwa ba ta da rana”, meaning that ‘death does not have a fixed day’. But his felt symbolically placed, almost divinely arranged.
To die during the sacred season of Eid al-Adha when souls are softened, when the air is filled with remembrance of the ultimate sacrifice was itself a testament to Uwais’ fulfilled life. It was a sign that suggested he had made peace with his maker and thus the time when Almighty Allah had chosen the hour to welcome back a faithful servant.

AND TRULY, WAS HE NOT A STEWARD?
This man, who walked into the Supreme Court at a mere 43, not merely young but burning with judicial fire, would sit on the bench for decades. By 1995, he had become the Chief Justice of Nigeria. He held that seat, the very apex of Nigerian justice, for 11 formidable years, the second-longest tenure in the nation’s apex history, following the 14 years spent by the longest serving CJN, Sir Adetokunbo Ademola ( 1958-1972). Uwais was not just a judge. He was the Judge; a Judge’s Judge. Uwais did not just jump into the seat of the CJN. He had pupilaged, serving patiently under 5 whole CJNs- Hon. Justices Darnley Alexander; Atanda Fatayi- Williams; George Sodeinde Sowemo; Ayo Gabriel Irikefe; and Mohammed Bello.

In the ancient Ashanti kingdoms of West Africa, elders would say, “When the drumbeat changes, the dance must also change.” It is the same adage in my Uvhano language in Etsako, Edo State. And Justice Uwais came drumming a new rhythm into the judiciary. Law was not for theatrics. Law to him, was a sacred text, precise, divine, unyielding. A thing to be revered, not wielded like a cudgel. He did not just apply laws. He understood their soul. Calm with penetrating eyes and sharp wit, Uwais was a pleasure to appear before at the apex court. And I did so many times. He would never harass nor talk down on a Counsel, not even junior ones. His humility and respect for the Bar were legendary. 

There was a certain meticulousness to his rulings, an almost surgical devotion to jurisprudence. He would dance between the lines of legislation, looking out for justice, with a clarity and erudition that reminded one of sunlight on steel. And he had the rare gift of seeing the implications, not just the letter, but the heartbeat of the law. With him, a lawyer could easily know the outcome of his case based on available precedents. He saw law as the handmaid with which justice is delivered (Bello v AG, Oyo State (19686) 5 NWLR 820 (SC); (1986) CLR 12(b)( SC).

And when he spoke, the courtroom held its breath. This was no ordinary Jurist. This was the son of the Chief Alkali and later Waziri of Zaria emirate. Nobility ran through his veins, but humility shaped his demeanour and persona.

He often quoted legendary Justice Samson Uwaifo (JSC)’s memorable words at his valedictory speech, “A corrupt judge is more harmful to society than a man who runs amok with a dagger in a crowded street. The latter can be restrained physically, but a corrupt judge deliberately destroys the moral foundation of society and causes incalculable distress to individuals through abusing his office, while still being referred to as honourable.” And this was not some offhand remark. It was a creed for him. He lived it. Believed it. Fought for it. It was not a speech given to hyperbole. It was truth wrapped in fire.

For a Judge is not just a man in robes. A Judge is the final arbiter in the face of injustice. He sits between God and his fellow beings. A corrupt judge does not merely break laws. He breaks people. He breaks morals. He breaks society. He breaks the future. Justice Uwais, thankfully, did none of these. 

THE JUDGE WHO SAW TOMORROW
In the vast drama of Nigerian politics, an ever-rolling masquerade of power and promises, one name will never be forgotten: Mohammed Lawal Uwais. Why? Because after retirement, when he could have retreated into quiet gardens to write memoirs, he chose instead to lead a silent revolution.

President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had called upon him to chair the Presidential Committee on Electoral Reforms. It was in 2007, and Nigeria’s democracy was haemorrhaging. Elections that brought in Yar’Adua as president had been marred by fraud, violence and brazen manipulation. And like the prophet who warns his people not out of anger but out of love, the now late Justice Uwais stepped forward and accepted the challenge. 

The committee’s recommendations were not timid revisions. They were seismic. Audacious. Brave. Revolutionary.
They proposed unbundling of INEC and to emerge from its stable, three brand-new commissions to handle Electoral Offences, Constituency Delimitation, and Political Party Registration. These were responsibilities hitherto buried within INEC, that sacred cow of electoral hopes, but which has serially dashed Nigeria’s hopes.
The boldest recommendation perhaps? That the head of INEC should no longer be appointed by the President, but by the Judiciary.

It was a direct shot at the veins of partisanship, to remove it from Executive control of the president. Unsurprisingly, the corridors of power shuddered. The result? Yar’Adua rejected it. Others danced around it. But Justice Uwais stood his ground, steady as a Baobab tree.
“Let justice be done though the heavens fall,” the old Romans said. And Justice Uwais would certainly have agreed.

In time, Acting President Goodluck Jonathan did something unexpected: he dusted off the unedited Uwais Report and sent it, unaltered to the National Assembly. A rare moment of political courage. It was as though the ghost of the law had whispered in his ear: “Do not fear. Do right.” But the battle raged. Senators balked. “Separation of powers!”, they cried. “Letting the judiciary appoint INEC chair compromises neutrality!”, they argued. As if appointment by the President was not itself the greatest show of partially.

Justice Uwais watched. He did not yell. He did not rage. He let the report speak. For true men of wisdom do not throw stones. They plant seeds. And watch them grow. Today, even though the report saw little fragments implemented, its endearing impact remains undeniable. It has ever since shaped national discourse and conversation on electoral matters. It was a case of “res ipsa loquitur”. It framed new expectations. It was not just a document, it was a mirror through which we were to see ourselves during elections. And Nigeria saw herself in her full nakedness, watts and all, perhaps for the first time, without her make-belief makeup.

OF DUST, LEGACIES AND THE QUIET ROAD HOME
The Holy Qur’an says in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:286): “Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear.” And surely, Allah knew what He was doing when He burdened Justice Uwais with the weight of the Nigerian judiciary. Not all men can sit on the edge of power and not be seduced by the corrosive power of power. Uwais was not. Not all men can dwell among the many rogues within the larger society and still remain robed in white. Uwais was.

UWAIS’ TENDER FEET
Justice Uwais’s formative years set the stage for his distinguished career. Born in Zaria on the 12th of June, 1936, he was raised in a family with strong roots in education and leadership. In 1950, Uwais advanced to Zaria Middle School and later attended the prestigious Barewa College in Zaria.

His legal journey took him to the Institute of Administration at Ahmadu Bello University, followed by studies in England, where he was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in 1963 and admitted to the Nigerian Bar on January 17, 1964.

In 1973, Justice Uwais was appointed Acting Judge of the High Courts of North Central, Benue-Plateau, and North Eastern States of Nigeria. His judicial career continued its upward trajectory as he became a substantive Judge in 1974; briefly served as the Chief Judge of Kaduna State in 1976, and was elevated to the Federal Court of Appeal in 1977. At just 43, he became a member of Nigeria’s Supreme Court, where he served for 27 years and his legal acumen shone. As at today, no Justice of the Supreme Court has ever spent, close to the over 3 decades he served.

A SUPREME BAPTISM OF FIRE
Still very fresh at the court, Uwais was invited by the then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Atanda Fatai-Willlams to join the panel that decided the appeal which today is a cause célèbre. This was because Justice George S. Sowemimo who later became a CJN himself declined to be part of the panel. His excuse was that he convicted Awolowo in the 1960’s in the then Western Region. Uniquely, Uwais also holds the honour of being the first Alumnus of the Nigerian Law School to have occupied the exalted position of CJN and the first Chief Justice of Nigeria to retire at 70.

As Chief Justice of Nigeria, Uwais was known for his professionalism, impartiality, and dedication to the rule of law. He was instrumental in reshaping the Nigerian judiciary and strengthening public confidence in the justice system. His efforts to establish a full complement of 16 Justices of the Supreme Court, which improved the court’s ability to manage cases efficiently, were pivotal. He also introduced new court sitting arrangements, which included special sittings at the beginning of the legal year and the swearing-in of new Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

EVEN AFTER RETIRING, UWAIS’S COMMITMENT TO NATIONAL PROGRESS DID NOT WANE

Even after retiring, Uwais’s commitment to national progress did not wane.
In 2002, he expanded the political space by allowing the registration of new political parties, an act that electrified democratic possibilities. He served as Chairman of the Federal Judicial Service Commission from 1999 to 2006, the very engine room of Nigeria’s legal bureaucracy. And in all these years, he remained untouched by scandal. Untouched by corruption. Unmoved by politics. But unyielding in character and dignity. And then came 6th June, 2025, and he breathes his final breath. But let no one say he died. Say instead he went home.
The African proverbs tell us that when a lion dies, the forest mourns for seven days. For Justice Uwais, the forest may mourn for seventy. They say in Yoruba lands, “Eni ba ku, ki a ma fi oro e se eré.” meaning ‘When a man dies, his name should not become a joke’. Let his deeds speak. Let the winds echo his memory. Let the heavens blaze forth his legacy. 

Forever, Uwais’ deeds are engraved in rulings and judgements; in judicial and political reforms; in the minds of generations of Nigerian lawyers who studied his judgements the way others study scripture. And for the skeptics, the cynics who say one man cannot change a nation, I offer Justice Uwais.

He did not make speeches on podiums. He simply wrote judgements. He signed reports. He told truth to power in long lonely corridors. He was a light. Incandescent. Not flamboyant, but persistent.

HE WAS A LIGHT INCANDESCENT; NOT FLAMBOYANT, BUT PRESENT

An illuminating light in a country too often plunged into judicial darkness. While Uwais was a Judge’s Judge, he has now returned to his maker, the JUDGE OF ALL JUDGES. The One before whom robes, bibs, collars, studs and gavels are meaningless, and only sincerity and nobility stand. Sir, you served your nation faithfully with every fibre in you. Now, rest in perfect peace, unburdened by Nigeria ‘s spirally problems. May Allah forgive your earthly sins and grant you Al-Jannah Firdausi. Amin.

 Gov. Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom has assured members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the state of adequate safety and security during their service year.

Eno made the call on Friday at the swearing-in ceremony of the 2025 NYSC Batch A Stream II NYSC members at Nsit Atai Local Government Area.

The governor said that necessary measures were already in place to ensure that corps members were protected against harassments and intimidations.

Represented by Dr Ekerete Ekanem,
the Commissioner for Youth Development, Eno urged the NYSC members to conduct themselves in manners that would promote national unity and cultural integration.

According to him, Nigerians are looking up to NYSC members to build bridges of peace and unity across linguistic, ethnic and cultural boundaries.

“NYSC is one of the institutions that Nigerian uses to demonstrate its unity, as members of the scheme, you owe the nation a duty to promote unity, peace and cultural integration.

”As you take your oath today, you are expected to collectively and individually contribute your quota to the development of this nation,” he said.

Eno said that youths as strategic stakeholders in the Nigerian project, should play active roles in the process of nation building.

“You must know that Nigerians are looking up to you to foster substantially improved prospects and refreshing change.

“Use this opportunity to show that we can live together and achieve the desires of our founding father,” he said.

Eno assured the corps members of his government’s commitment to support the scheme with infrastructure that would enable it to fulfill its mandate as an agent of unity and development.

In his speech, the Commissioner for Youth Development, represented by the Permanent Secretary,  Mr Effiong Nicholas, urged the youths to accept Akwa Ibom as their new home.

He urged them to discountenance all manner of stereotyping and  preconceived notions about the state, and show commitment towards national service.

Earlier, Mr Sam Pepple, the NYSC Coordinator in Akwa Ibom, disclosed that a total of 1,576 corps members were registered for national service in the state.

“Out of this number, 750 are male while 826 of them are female. They will carry out primary assignments and community development services during the year.

“There will also be winding up, passing out activities, and our unwritten flagship skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development programme,” he said.

Pepple urged the corps members to participate actively in all the activities in order to equip themselves with the basic ingredients of leadership.

He thanked the Akwa Ibom Government for its supports and collaborations with scheme.

The highpoint of the event was the administration of oath of allegiance on the corps members.(NAN)

A new report on “Addressing Voter Apathy in Nigeria” has identified insecurity and socioeconomic challenges as key drivers of low voter turnout during elections.

Prof. Freedom Onouha, Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, while presenting the report findings on Friday in Abuja, said the study aimed to address voters’ apathy in Nigeria.

Research was conducted by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) and Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR).

Onouha identified electoral violence, distrust in electoral process and voters suspicion as key drivers of apathy that stifle electoral process in Nigeria,

He called for the implementation of reforms to restore citizens’ trust in the electoral process.

“There are structural as well as systemic factors that are responsible for voter apathy, but the most important ones is the issue of growing distrust in the electoral system.

“People are beginning to feel that the electoral body is not conducting elections that enable their votes to count.

“The loss of faith in those electoral bodies and electoral process is the number one reason why we are having low voter turnout,” he said.

He said that insecurity was also a major cause of voters’ apathy.

“Increasingly, we are seeing our politicians mobilise violence in a large scale, on a disposed scale, in order to win an election.

“That, in itself, is causing a lot of discomfort. People are not really prepared to risk their lives to vote for election.

“There is always this conclusion that the outcome of the election tends not to reflect in terms of the outcome,” Onouha said.

According to him, there is also the issue of bad governance.

He said that those who eventually win election failed to run the kind of governance that delivered on basic services.

“These tend to make them lose hope or disengage from the electoral process and from the government of the nation, and that in itself, is a major problem for the country,” he said.

He said that addressing these challenges was crucial to restoring the integrity of the electoral system and ensuring that citizens’ voices were heard.

He said that meaningful reforms were essential to restoring public trust and ensuring the integrity of future elections.

“The current administration needs to raise the bar in terms of security, not just now, but also during the elections, because insecurity is the major disincentive why people do not vote.

“The second point is that we need to have a clear-eyed approach to reforming our electoral processes and our electoral institutions,” he said.

“In this regard, if we say we want to transition to electronic voting and we are going to transmit results, we need to do it in such a way that it is seamless, smooth so that people will have confidence on the government.

Also, Dr Fatima Adamu, Executive Director, Nana Girls and Women Empowermen Initiative, an NGO, stressed the need to tackle insecurity, which has affected women’s participation in electoral processes.

“Women really complain bitterly about the violence during campaigns, the same thing during election. So that needs to be addressed.

“Another issue that women raise is lack of voter education and representation of quality leaders, and especially women.

” They feel that they are not giving quality women to contest, and they want the political parties to do so,” she said.

Mr Lennart Oestergaard, Resident Representative of FES, said: “if people do not make use of their right to vote, then that is a challenge, and it has to be addressed.

“This research findings is open to everyone who is interested, civil society, actors, academia and also the government, to take a look at it, and maybe if it’s helpful, take some learnings.”

Dr Joseph Ochogwu, Director-General, IPCR, represented by Dr Ayuba Caleb, said that the institute remained committed to supporting efforts that deepen democratic values and foster a culture of active peaceful citizenship.” (NAN)