More lawyers have penned tributes to deceased Supreme Court jurist, Justice Chima Centus Nweze. Among those who sent in tributes to CITY LAWYER are chartered arbitrator, Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama SAN; Hon. Mela Audu Nunghe SAN, and a mentee and close confidant of the foremost jurist, Mr. Chimezie Obi.

TRIBUTE BY CHIEF J-K GADZAMA, OFR, MFR, SAN ON THE DEMISE OF AN OUTSTANDING SCHOLAR AND JURIST, LATE HON JUSTICE CHIMA CENTUS NWEZE JSC

I woke up to the shocking and sad news of the demise of my Lord, Hon. Justice Chima Centus Nweze JSC. May I use this medium to express my deepest condolences and sympathies to the family, friends, colleagues and well wishers of His Lordship. I pray that God will comfort and grant us all the fortitude to bear this eminently painful loss of an icon of inestimable value.

An iconic teacher, member of the bar and the bench, His Lordship has, during his lifetime, made great impacts to the development of the legal profession and humanity. I am confident that his legacies will not be forgotten even for generations yet to come. As we all know, a life wonderfully lived deserves to be celebrated.

I recall that His Lordship delivered a keynote address at the 8th Annual Lecture of J-K Gadzama LLP on Friday 6th November, 2015. The event also doubled as the November monthly meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association Abuja Branch (Unity Bar). I am certain that all who were in attendance and who listened to my Lord’s keynote address on that day can testify of his industry and passion for our legal system.

I celebrate His Lordship and thank the Almighty God for making it possible for me to have witnessed his unique and exemplary lifetime. I am confident that we can find solace in the fact that His Lordship lived a fulfilled life, worthy of emulation. During his lifetime, His Lordship was an epitome of integrity and diligence and was revered by all and sundry as he stood out impeccably for the cause of Justice.

I pray that the Almighty God will grant him eternal rest.

Adieu, my Lord. Till we meet again at the feet of the Master.

TRIBUTE ON THE PASSING ON TO GLORY OF MY LORD HON JUSTICE CHIME CLETUS NWEZE, JSC, FCI Arb. UK.

The demise of my lord, Hon. Justice C. C .Nweze, JSC , FCI Arb. UK. has very hard hit not only the Supreme Court of Nigeria (SCN) but the entire fabric of the judiciary , legal community in Nigeria and indeed globally , leaving many of his admirers in utter shock.

He was quintessential in academia, a multi- lingual Orator, lecturer, private practitioner , the Chairman , BOT of my own set NLS84, amiable , hardworking, brilliant and humorous yet very firm to his judicial oath.

Oh ! , what a rare breed of his generation ; we surely will miss his unequaled contributions especially in the law of evidence and jurisprudence.

We of the NLS84 set are proud of him in many respects especially as he stood out as the very first amongst us to make it to the Apex Court at the earliest opportunity.

May the God of sufficient grace continue to comfort & strengthen his wife, entire family, the Bar & Bench and grant in His infinite mercy the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss, Amen.🙏

Hon. Mela Audu Nunghe, SAN MCIArb. UK
(Magayaki Tangale)

OH CC NWEZE, MY MENTOR

A man celebrated and revered.
You loved the legal profession.
You had lofty dreams.
In your study one day
While you were still a HC judge of Enugu State,
I brought you a research work you commissioned me to carry out and as we were discussing, you told me your dream beyond the Supreme Court – your ultimate aim to become a judge of the ICJ.
I tucked it in, and we moved.
When you were elevated to CA, you offered me to come serve as your legal aide, but fate took me elsewhere in 2009.
I politely declined because Abuja had happened to me then.
(Today, I recall that decision with mixed feelings).
You went to Ilorin Divison of the Court of Appeal and moved on from there until you were elevated to the Supreme Court.
I saw your dream coming close.
You became a cynosure and attracted attention to yourself when you gave a dissenting judgement in the Imo State governorship case.
Nigerians celebrated you for standing up to justice in the face of bullying and intimidation.
When you gave a decision in the case of Lawan, Your name was on that judgement, but it never represented the CC Nweze we know. What happened was to the knowledge of a few people. You died with it.
Nigeria did not happen to you; they happened Nigeria on you in a very harsh environment.
Your integrity and your reputation died with you.
You didn’t attain your ultimate career goal, but you got so close.
When the opportunity came for Nigeria to send a judge to ICC, it went to a former FCT Chief judge, Ishaq Bello.
He applied for the job but couldn’t land it.
Just maybe, if Nigeria looked your way, you could possibly have landed that job, and they wouldn’t have tainted your reputation.

When Enugu State government named the State Customary Court of Appeal Building Complex after you, it was in recognition of your sterling achievements and contributions towards the development of justice delivery in Enugu State.
I cried silently and solemnly that you lived shortly.
But I’m glad that you left a long legacy.
To your wife, Ugonne and the kids, please take heart and be proud that you had a man who bore the torch of his people and shone like a million sparkling golden stars.

Chimezie Obi.

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