Bar Leader and Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Port Harcourt Chairman, Mrs. Cordelia Uwuma Eke has been appointed Permanent Secretary in the Rivers State Ministry of Justice by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

A consummate litigator and legal text writer, Eke’s profile peaked when she dusted a strong field of candidates to emerge the pioneer female Chairman of NBA Port Harcourt Branch. With a knack for breaking the glass ceiling, Eke was until her election also the pioneer Secretary of the influential branch.

A “Special Government Announcement” seen by CITY LAWYER and signed by the Head of Civil Service of Rivers State, Dr. (Mrs.) Inyingi S. I. Brown, indicates that Eke and four others will be sworn in today by the State Governor.

Others appointed alongside the cerebral Bar Leader include Dr. Vincent Worgu Wachukwu, Ifeanyi Anthony Ogboma, Dr. Mina Gogo Jim-Jaja and Henry Uzor.

Eke is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators ICMC Nigeria, a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants, and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Nigeria. She specializes in Criminal Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

Eke has held several leadership positions in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), African Bar Association (AFBA), African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) Nigeria, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria and the Law Officers Association of Nigeria (LOAN) at state and national levels, including being Council Member of the NBA Human Rights Institute and member of the National Executive Committee. She is presently a member of the NBA National Remuneration Committee.

The popular Bar Leader is acclaimed as an ace prosecutor and has also held down several roles at the Ministry of justice, including, being the Team Lead, Committee on Drafting of Prosecution Manual and Code of Conduct for Prosecutors and Team Lead, Attorney-General’s Special Committee which treated abandoned case files of over 350 awaiting trial inmates in the federal prisons in Rivers State.

Her expertise in criminal law practice makes her a much-sought-after Speaker, Trainer, and Resource person on legal and other subjects. She has presented papers to members of the Bench and the Bar among others at various seminars, workshops and conferences including the NBA Annual General Conferences and NBA Continuing Legal Education (NBA-CLE) programmes.

Reputed as a cerebral lawyer, Eke is the author of the fast-selling book, CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN NIGERIA: A PRACTICAL GUIDE. She has also published several articles and edited legal journals and newsletters.

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