Exit Of The Socrates

The death of a former
Supreme Court judge and the nation’s foremost jurists, Justice Chukwudifu Akunne Oputa, came to me with great shock and sadness. It was reported that Oputa died in Abuja at the ripe age of 96. Though the eminently learned justice left the stage at a ripe age of 96, my eyes remain drenched in tears for the loss of such an exceptional jurist and statesman.
I sensed that something was wrong about him when I noticed his long absence from public space. Upon further inquiry, I discovered he was very ill with stroke. Oputa was one man that caught my fancy because of his love for excellence.
Although I never met him while he was alive, I was with him in prayers, hoping that a miracle would occur and he would rise up from his sick bed and walk and possibly become a centenarian, but that was not to be as God overruled.
The late legal luminary does not need any introduction. He acquitted himself creditably well to my admiration and applause of many Nigerians. He left behind landmark judgments and judicial pronouncements spiced with philosophical dicta which earned him the sobriquet, Socrates, a foremost Greek philosopher.
In the continuous quest to build a nation where justice, peace and equity shall reign supreme, Oputa contributed in no small measure. Even in retirement, he offered his services, wisdom and legal insights to make Nigeria better when he presided over the famous Oputa Panel that took far-reaching decisions to restore peace and reconciliation after a turbulent political crisis that shook the very foundation of our nationhood.
Justice Oputa had his early education in Oguta, his native home, and Christ the King College, Onitsha, before having a brief stay at Yaba Higher College. He moved to Achimota College in Ghana and earned a B.Sc in Economics in 1945. Upon returning to Nigeria, he taught at a secondary school and also served as an assistant district officer. After earning a B.A degree in History through correspondence, he left for London where he studied law and had his call to the Bar at Gray’s Inn.
When he returned to Nigeria, he quickly went into a thriving legal practice. Expectedly, he was made judge of the High Court in the then Eastern Nigeria in 1966. Then he rose gradually and steadily and eventually became a Supreme Court judge.
His intellectual prowess has been widely acknowledged by many including those who were disillusioned with his excellence. As a jurist, Oputa’s verdicts were remarkable for their versatility, often punctuated with references drawn from history, religion, philosophy and, of course, classical literature. No wonder the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mohammed Bello, described him as the Socrates of Nigerian judiciary.
Unlike many judges who are contented with being on the Bench without remarkable traits, the late legal icon repositioned the judiciary in a grand style. His exhibition of uncommon courage in handling many sensitive cases, built confidence in the judicial system. Oputa indeed served Nigeria meritoriously and without blemish in various capacities.
The eminent jurist was an institution that ensured that the rights and privileges of the people were revered in the realm of the law. I commend his untiring effort in entrenching discipline and integrity in the legal profession. His landmark achievements in the legal practice were unparalleled.
Justice Oputa’s passage is truly a sad loss. I enjoin the present crop of our judicial officers to emulate his sterling qualities. It is regrettable that even in Oputa’s lifetime; integrity in the judiciary has descended to such low ebb today. The various types of corruption allegations trailing some of our judges currently were unheard of in the golden era of our judiciary when the like of Oputa held sway.
I celebrate the legacy of a quintessential jurist whose tenure at the Supreme Court is regarded as the apex court’s finest and golden era. I celebrate the legacy of his service and urge the federal government to name some national monuments after the late jurist in honour of his patriotism, incorruptibility, exceptional brilliance, lucid intellectualism, poetic licence, judicial activism and unimpeachable integrity.
However, the most enduring way to immortalize the legal luminary is to give him a judiciary of his dream – a corrupt-free and independent judiciary in the country such that would have reinforced the age-long belief that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man.
While I mourn the painful exit of Justice Oputa, I have every cause to celebrate his life and times. He lived a fulfilled life and symbolised the philosophy of hard work, diligence and thirst for excellence which Nigerians have always desired.
I sympathise and condole the entire Oputa family over the loss of their cherished patriarch and pray God to grant him eternal rest. Amen.

Arnold Alalibo