All roads led to the tastefully-decorated Indoor Sports Hall at the Ugbowo Main Campus of the Federal Government-owned Prestigious University of Benin (UNIBEN) on Lagos Road in Benin City, Edo State on January 28, when the higher institution decided to celebrate six of its worthy alumni, who were recently elevated to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), with a special luncheon.
While waiting for the 12-noon event to commence, the Disc Jockey kept entertaining the dignitaries with cool music, while the professional caterer was also busy setting the four corners for various food items for the buffet, with the beautifully-decorated tables having assorted drinks for the invited guests, honourees, friends of UNIBEN and select members of the university community, with the celebration kicking off at 12:39 p.m.
All attendees at the elaborate event strictly complied with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) safety protocols, right from the main entrance to the hall, with the medical personnel insisting that everybody must first have their temperatures checked with the infrared thermometers, wash their hands with liquid soap under running water and use the provided hand sanitiser, which one of the medical officers described as double protection.
Prior to being allowed into the expansive hall, the planning committee members also ensured that the dignitaries had their facemasks on, before being directed to their tagged seats, while they also politely mostly replaced the guests’ non-disposable facemasks with the disposable facemasks for comfort and full protection, with social distancing strictly observed.
The spokesperson of great UNIBEN, Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, who was one of the three Masters of Ceremonies (MCs), also intermittently announced that all the guests must properly wear their facemasks, especially to cover their noses and mouths, in order to prevent the spread of the ravaging COVID-19, thereby protecting themselves and others.
The six new SANs, who are alumni of UNIBEN and well celebrated, are Chief Richard Oma Ahonaruogho, Adedapo Osariuyime Tunde-Olowu, Lotanna Chuka Okoli, Peter Adogbejire Mrakpor, Nureni Soladoye Jimoh, and Yusuf Asamah Kadiri.
The event was attended by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), during the September 19 election in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, an alumnus of UNIBEN; and Nigerian legendary highlife musician, Prof. Victor Uwaifo, who is also a senior lecturer at the university (UNIBEN), among other important dignitaries.
The Chairman of the occasion, Chief Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, the Obasuyi of the Benin Kingdom, who is the first SAN of UNIBEN (2000), hailed the six honourees for making the university proud.
Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Edo State said Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege and the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, are some of the distinguished alumni of UNIBEN’s Faculty of Law.
He said:
“UNIBEN, from when it was established in 1970, has shown itself by its facilities, faculties and products as one of the tertiary institutions in West Africa, known for excellence.
“Before the Faculty of Law of UNIBEN was established, taking in its first students in 1981, of which I am one, the university had long been known as the best in the fields of Engineering, Pharmacy and Medicine. UNIBEN’s first set of lawyers were trained by Prof. Itse Sagay, SAN, and his colleagues.”
The Chairman also described UNIBEN’s Law Faculty as the best in Nigeria.
The excited 10th substantive cerebral Vice-Chancellor of the great citadel of learning (UNIBEN), Prof. Lilian Salami, who is the second female helmsman of the university, after the no-nonsense Prof. Grace Alele-Williams, in her address, stated that the honourees had once again shown a clear testament of their diligence, hard work and commitment to their noble profession.
She said:
“To the eminent ambassadors of UNIBEN (the six new SANs) I say, your meritorious preferment into such an exalted position (SAN) is by no means a little achievement. Your sound moral and academic attributes, your doggedness and patriotic spirit are, no doubt some of the indices that distinguished you and earned you the notable recognition.
“We must not forget the roles played by your alma mater in nurturing you, imbibing the right qualities and values in you, in order to make you the best among your peers. We are proud of you.
“We use this occasion to again congratulate another alumnus of UNIBEN, Mr. Olumide Akpata, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), on his milestone and well-deserved victory as the first non-SAN President of NBA. Your victory was received with widespread celebration by UNIBEN community. You have indeed added another glorious feather to the university’s cap.
“As we celebrate the six achievers, I am proud to say that UNIBEN, after five decades of existence, is fulfilling the objectives of its founding fathers. The evidence of this abound in the human resources of over 350,000 graduates that the institution has produced to add immense value to the development of Nigeria and the world at large.”
Salami also stated that UNIBEN had grown to be a producer and reservoir of high-quality personnel, positioned strategically to make a change in society.
She assured that UNIBEN would continue to partner its illustrious alumni in all areas that would help galvanise the university into a world-class institution.
The vice-chancellor believed that the years ahead would be glorious for UNIBEN and its products (the alumni) while declaring that by the grace of God, the passion for the alma mater and uncommon commitment, numerous achievements would be recorded.
Minister for Works and Housing Babatunde Raji Fashola, the second SAN of UNIBEN (in 2004), who was the keynote speaker at the special luncheon, stressed that emphasis must always be placed on developing the human capital of the next generation.
Fashola, a former Governor of Lagos State, assured that alumni of UNIBEN, especially of the Law Faculty, were ready to offer their services in any way the authorities of their alma mater felt that they could help while giving a blank cheque to the management of the university.
He said:
“It is my humble view that this is a gathering to celebrate many values and virtues that make life really worth living and which are now regrettably not in enough supply. We must always place emphasis on virtues of honor, selflessness, hard work, dedication, commitment, responsibility and good leadership.
“One of the things for which my wife, Abimbola, has been a crusader about, is the need to celebrate the success of others, to honour them, as an inspiration for promoting the common good. We must therefore be, and are all, truly thrilled by this gesture of honour (of the six new SANs).
“Where would we all have been without our teachers? To all those teachers/lecturers, living and dead, serving and retired, I say thank you. I could think of none other as a symbol of our collective gratitude and appreciation of your selflessness than Professor Itsejuwa Esanjumi Sagay, SAN, 80, the pioneer Dean of the Faculty of Law of UNIBEN, who was not alone, but had many good men and women, who shared the burden with him.”
The keynote speaker also stated that without hard work and dedication, success would not be possible, while declaring that for the cause of law and order, no matter how difficult it is, everyone must find the courage to shatter any glass ceiling that stands in their way.
While responding on behalf of the honourees, Ahonaruogho said the special celebration/recognition made them be much taller, thereby expressing gratitude to the authorities of UNIBEN and the eminent personalities in attendance for honouring them, while pledging that they would continue to support the university and its law faculty, as well as promote excellence.