Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike and other eminent lawyers and Nigerians have eulogised the contributions of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Emmauel Ukala, to the legal profession in the country.
Wike and others showered encomiums on Ukala as his children, relatives and friends rallied around the legal luminary to mark his 65th birthday, last Tuesday night in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The occasion was chaired by Dr. T. C. Osanakpo (SAN).
Wike, who was accompanied by his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike, said that before he proceeded to then Rivers State University of Science and Technology, now Rivers State University, to study Law, Ukala had been his family’s lawyer.
The governor recalled that while studying Law in the university, a chieftaincy dispute occurred in his community, which led to the arrest and detention of his father, uncle, brothers and himself on trumped up murder charge.
He said it took the intervention of Ukala as their lead counsel for them to be discharged and acquitted.
“There was a time that the entire family was charged for murder, every male was taken away. We only had women left in the house with children between the ages of one and five. As at that time, I was reading Law at then Rivers State University of Science and Technology, now Rivers State University.”
Wike said that the legal luminary, in whose law firm he worked after leaving the Nigerian Law School, took his family’s ordeal very personal and gave his best to ensure that they got justice.
Speaking on his initial chequered political history, Wike said when he declared his intention to contest for the office of the chairman, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area in 1998, some callous politicians in his constituency ganged up and conspired with the police to frame him up for armed robbery.
According to him, Ukala not only intervened and secured his release, but also defended him from the tribunal up to the Supreme Court, when some vested interests in the council desperately attempted to stop him from being sworn into office as Obio/Akpor council chairman.
“Throughout my chairmanship matter in 1998, when we had election down to April 4, 2000 when the Supreme Court finally decided my matter; he (Ukala) never took a dime, one Naira.”
Wike said that when the Rivers State election petitions tribunal annulled the 2015 governorship poll, which he won convincingly, he contacted some lawyers to defend him in the matter, and they demanded as much as N300million to N600million as legal fee, adding that when he approached Ukala, whom he described as mentor, he agreed to offer the legal service free of charge.
“Then my governorship election, most people may not believe it, from governorship tribunal down to Supreme Court, he never collected one dime”, the governor said.
Wike, who described Ukala as refined and disciplined lawyer, applauded the legal icon for being a worthy mentor to him and his wife when they started their legal practice in Port Harcourt.
The Rivers State governor showered encomium on the children of the celebrant for deciding to honour their parents, Emmanuel and Dr Kate Ukala, in appreciation of all the sacrifices they have made in ensuring they become responsible citizens.
Also speaking, Sokoto State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Suleiman Usman (SAN) said God has endowed Ukala with great learning and wisdom, which he has in turn put to good use in the defence of the vulnerable in society.
“Having worked under your close supervision as a member of the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee, I concur with all the encomiums that have been showered on you today. You are one man institution.”
In his remarks, former President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Okey Wali (SAN), said when he took over the leadership of the Bar, one of the major challenges that confronted him was issue of indiscipline among lawyers.
He said that to tackle the problem head on, he incorporated Ukala into the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee of the NBA, adding that before he left office, discipline was restored in the Bar.
Responding, the celebrant, Emmanuel Ukala, who said he was tricked by his children to attend the surprise birthday party they secretly organised, thanked Wike, his wife and everyone who graced the occasion for finding him worthy of such honour.