UNVEILING ‘TEACHER’ PROF. ERNEST OJUKWU SAN BAR MAN OF DIVERSE EXPERIENCE
Born on 23rd September 1960; Christian; Attended Methodist College Uzuakoli, Government College Umuahia and Obafemi Awolowo University Ife (University of Ife); Holds an LLB and LLM of Obafemi Awolowo University Ife; Called to the Nigerian Bar 1984; Community, LGA and State of Origin- Amaezigba Agbonelu Ahaba Imenyi, Isuikwuato LGA, Abia State.
1. BAR LEADERSHIP:
a. Secretary, NBA Aba Branch (1992-1993);
b. Chairman, NBA Aba Branch (1997-1999);
c. Founder, Pioneer Chairman, NBA Eastern Bar Forum (2004-2011)
d. Member, Executive Committee NBA Aba Branch. (1992- 2015)
e. Member, National Executive Committee of the NBA. (1992-2014; 2016-present)
2. ACTIVE LEGAL PRACTICE
a. 1984-1985- NYSC Legal Aid Yola
b. 1985- 1988- Counsel, Law Firm of GNA Atulomah and Co, Aba c. 1988- 1992 – Partner Ekenna Nwajei Nwauche & Ojukwu Aba d. 1992-2001 – Partner, Nwonye and Ojukwu, Aba
e. 2014- Present – Partner OJUKWU FAOTU & YUSUF (OFY-Lawyers), Aba, and Abuja
f. 2014- Appointed Senior Advocate of Nigeria
3. ANNUAL BAR CONFERENCE ORGANISATION SKILL:
a. Alternate Chairman, NBA Conference Planning Committee 2003 – this is the first NBA Conference to adopt the International Bar Association conference pattern of breakout sessions at Annual Bar Conference Enugu
b. Member, NBA Conference Planning Committee 2002
4. ROLE IN LEGAL PROFESSION REFORMS:
a. Chairman NBA Future State of the Legal Profession Sub-Committee of the NBA Legal Profession Review and Reform Committee, 2017
b. Chairman, NBA Law Reform Committee (2002-2004) -As Chairman of NBA Law Reform Committee he produced a new Legal Practitioners Act in 2004 (President Wole Olanipekun, SAN Tenure).
c. Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill 2007 – In 2006, the NBA under President Olisa Agbakoba SAN requested an amendment in place of a completely new Act and Ernest Ojukwu submitted a new Legal Practitioners (Amendment) Bill which was submitted to the National Assembly.
d. Chairman, Future State of the Legal Profession Sub-Committee of the NBA Legal Profession Review and Reform Committee- 2017
e. Member, NBA Committee on the review of the Legal Practitioners Act & Legal Education Act 2011 – In 2011, President Daudu SAN set up a new Committee to draft a new Legal Practitioners Act. Ojukwu produced a new draft for the Committee and that draft is currently pending before the National Assembly today.
f. In addition to the Legal Practitioners Act, Ojukwu also submitted to the Bar draft bills on Legal Education and Legal Services Commission. These are also presently before the National Assembly.
g. Member, Nigerian Bar Association Committee on the state of the NBA, March 2005
h. Member, NBA Special National Committee on Abuse of Executive, Legislative and Judicial Powers, 1998 to 2010
i. Member, Steering Committee of the Human Rights Law Society (HURILAWS) – Nigerian Bar Association National Action Plan for justice sector reform in Nigeria.
j. Member, Abia State Law Reform Commission, April 1999-2010.
k. Member, Abia State High Court Rules Committee, 2000 – 2002.
l. Organised as Chairman NBA Aba Branch the 1st Law Reform Workshop in Abia State in 1998.
m. As Secretary NBA Aba Branch, set up the first Secretariat/Bar Centre for the Branch in 1992 and employed the first full time staff for the Bar
n. Proposed the introduction of a Mandatory Continuing Legal Education for the Bar at the NBA Annual General Meeting Ilorin 1998
o. As a Member of NBA NEC, Proposed a resolution dated 3rd November 2003 for NBA NEC to “direct the the General Secretary NBA to publish on or before the 31st day of December 2003 the list of co-opted members of NEC and Branch representatives in accordance with section 9(a)(iv) and (v) of the NBA Constitution.”
p. As a Member of NBA NEC, Proposed a resolution dated 26th November 3003 “that NEC issues a Financial Regulation for the operation of the finances of the NBA.”
5. BAR STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN:
Chairman, NBA Strategic Plan Working Group 2012.
6. STAMP AND SEAL:
Member, NBA Practicing Fee, Stamp and Seal Committee, January 2003- 2004
7. ETHICS AND DISCIPLINE:
a. Sole Member, NBA Sub Committee-Y to Investigate Complaints Against Legal Practitioners, 1999
b. Member, NBA Special Committee (Made up of President Agbakoba SAN, General-Sec Lawal-Raban, SAN and Prof Ernest Ojukwu SAN) on the Review of Rules of Professional Conduct (2007). Ojukwu produced the draft Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners which is in enforce today
c. Conducted as Director ICLE many NBA Ethics Workshops under the MCLE between 2007 and 2010.
8. CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION
a. Pioneer/Project Director NBA Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 2006-2010 and 2012-2014. He drafted the Nigerian Bar Association Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Rules and Guidelines and set up the NBA Institute of Continuing Legal education in 2007.
b. Member, Joint Working Committee of the NBA & Continuing Legal Education Association of Nigeria on Continuing legal education for practicing members of the legal profession August 1999 to 2000.
c. Member Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) Continuing Legal Education Committee 2017
d. Member Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) Scholarship Committee 2017
9. LEGAL EDUCATION:
a. Chairman, NBA Legal Education Committee (2002-2004, 2006-2008)
b. Chairman, NBA Academic Forum (2006-2010 & 2012-2014)
c. Alternative Chairman, NBA Summit on the Future of Legal Education in Nigeria 2006;
d. Secretary, National Committee on the reform of Legal Education in Nigeria, May 2006 to February 2007
e. Editor Nigerian Law School Student Externship Handbook, 2013
f. Editor Nigerian Law School Externship Handbook for Supervisors, 2013.
g. Lead Reformer, Nigerian Law School curriculum 2007-2013
h. Member Council of Legal Education, 1995-2000
i. Dean, Faculty of Law, Abia State University 1995-2000
j. Deputy Director-General & Head of Campus, Nigerian Law School, Enugu Campus 2001-2013
k. Professor of Law
10. CLINICAL LEGAL EDUCATION
a. Pioneer, Clinical Legal Education in Nigeria. Established over 12 Law Clinics in Nigerian Universities
b. Ernest Ojukwu has helped design clinical legal education curriculum for law faculties and the Nigerian Law School
c. President Network of University Legal Aid Institutions (NULAI) Nigeria.
d. He is a contributor to 2 International books on clinical legal education, (1) The Global Clinical Movement- Educating Lawyers for Social Justice (Oxford University Press) edited by Frank S. Bloch; and (2) Rethinking Legal Education Under the Civil and Common Law: A Road Map for Constructive Change, (Routledge) edited by Richard Grimes;
e. Author – Legal Education in Nigeria: A Chronicle of Reforms and Transformation under Tahir Mamman
f. Co-Author – Clinical Legal Education: Curriculum, lessons and Materials, 2013; Handbook on Prison Pre-trial Detainee Law Clinic, 2012; Manual on Prison Pre-trial Detainee Law Clinic, Abuja, 2012; Street Law: Child Rights Manual.; Impact Assessment of Clinical Legal Education in Nigeria; and Freedom of Information: Handbook for Law Clinics, 2015
11. LAW STUDENTS COMPETITION AND MENTORING
As President NULAI Nigeria Ernest Ojukwu has led the organisation and conduct of the university- wide client interviewing and counselling skills competitions for law students for the past 10 years.
12. NBA BAR JOURNALS PUBLICATION:
a. Co-Chair & Editor-in-Chief, NBA Editorial Committee (2002-2004)
b. Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, NBA Editorial Committee (2006-2008)
During his tenure as editor, 10 volumes of the Nigerian Bar Journals were published. They include:
i. Nigerian Bar Journal Vol. 1 No. 1 January 2003 ii. Nigerian Bar Journal Vol. 1 No. 2 April 2003,
iii. Nigerian Bar Journal Vol. 1 No. 3 July 2003.
iv. Nigerian Bar Journal Vol. 1 No. 4 October 2003 v. Nigerian Bar Journal Vol. 1 No. 2 April 2004
vi. Nigerian Bar Journal Vol. 1 No. 3 July 2004
vii. Nigerian Bar Journal Vol. 1 No. 4 October 2004 viii. Nigerian Bar Journal Vol. 5 No. 1 February 2007 ix. Nigerian Bar Journal Vol. 5 No. 2 May 2007
x. Nigerian Bar Journal Vol. 6 No. 1 February 2008
c. Editor, Insight (Journal of the Nigerian Bar Association Aba Branch) – 1993
d. Editor-in-Chief, Bar Bulletin (Newsletter published by the Nigerian Bar Association Aba Branch) – 1998.
13. SPEAKER AT INTERNATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION
a. Member, International Bar Association.
b. Speaker at the IBA’s (International Bar Association) conference at Chicago 2006.
c. Speaker at the IBA’s (International Bar Association) conference at Boston 2013.
14. ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP
a. 1985- Commenced academic leadership as a law teacher at 25 years- (Abia (formerly Imo) State University)
b. 1995- Appointed Dean Faculty of Law (ABSU) at 35 years. Was Dean from 1995-2000.
c. 1998- Appointed Associate Professor of Law Abia State University
d. 2001-2013- Deputy Director-General and Head Nigerian Law School, Augustine Nnamani Campus Agbani Enugu
e. 2014-2016- Professor of Law Madonna University
f. 2015- Adjunct Professor LLM International Commercial Arbitration Nasarawa State University g. 2015 – 2016 – External Examiner Baze University
h. 2013- 2017 – External Examiner Kenyatta University Nairobi Kenya
i. 2009 – Visiting Scholar – Griffith University Law School Socio-Legal Research Centre Brisbane Australia
15. PRESENTATIONS AT CONFERENCES
a. Presented over 250 papers at International & Local conferences/ workshops
b. Ojukwu has presented on legal education and clinical legal education themes at many international conferences organised by-
i. the Global Association of Justice Education (GAJE),
ii. International Journal of Clinical Legal Education (IJCLE), iii. American Association of Law Schools (AALS),
iv. International Bar Association (IBA),
v. African Network of Constitutional Lawyers (ANCL), vi. Externship 6 Conference,
vii. Harvard Law School’s Global Legal Education Forum.
viii. He was Keynote speaker at the 11th International Journal of Clinical Legal Education/12th Australian Clinical Legal Education Conference at Griffith University Brisbane Australia in July 2013.
ix. Keynote Speaker at the Conference of Legal Academics Kwame Nkrumah University Kumasi Ghana 20-22 October 2017
16. SPEAKER AS YOUNG LAWYER AT NBA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
As Young lawyer at 7 years at the Bar, Presented Paper at the NBA 1991 Annual Bar Conference Owerri on the topic: “Executive Lawlessness and Judicial Helplessness in the Administration of Justice: A need to Plug Up the Holes”.
In that Paper in 1991 Ojukwu suggested “Our only hope lies in reforming, reappraising and reorganising the judicial system not only from the point of appointment of personnel but also to the structural imbalance that affects its independence. For once, the Bar should be involved somehow in the selection of judges. Some of the structural changes we suggest are: a multiplier increase in the salary of Judges and Magistrates, an independent funding and budgetary for the judiciary, the appointment and control of supporting staff by the Judicial Service Commission, a special Code of Conduct for judicial officers, an Inspectorate committee for the judiciary, a review of the system of recording in long hand.”
17. PUBLICATIONS (Books & Articles) – Published Extensively
18. AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
A. TRADITIONAL TITLES & COMMUNITY AWARDS
i. 2005 – Awarded the traditional title of GBAONWA-GBAONWA Agbonelu, by His community Agbonelu Ahaba Imenyi Isuikwuato LGA Abia State.
ii. 2014 – Awarded the traditional title of UGOMBA Imenyi Kingdom Isuikwuato LGA Abia State
iii. 2009 – Awarded the GOLD MERIT Award for outstanding Contribution to Isuikwuato and humanity by the Isuikwuato Traditional Rulers Council.
iv. 2004 (31ST Dec) – Award of Excellence and Recognition by Agbonelu Autonomous Community, Ahaba Imenyi Isuikwuato LGA Abia State.
B. BAR RECOGNITIONS
i. 2014 – Awarded Merit Award by the Nigerian Bar Association Eastern Bar Forum.
ii. 2002- merit award by the Nigerian Bar Association Aba branch “in recognition of years of selfless dedicated and meritorious service to the bar”
iii. 2000– Nigerian Bar Association Aba branch merit award for outstanding contribution to legal education in Nigeria.
iv. 1995– most contribution to the development of the Nigerian Bar Association Aba Branch, by the Nigerian Bar Association Aba branch.
19. GOVERNMENT-PUBLIC SERVICES (OTHER) APPOINTMENTS:
(a) Member Board of Directors, Enyimba F.C. Ltd, (wholly Abia State Government owned) March 1992 to August, 1994.
(b) Chairman, Contracts Review Committee (of 1991-1999) Aba South Local Government, Abia State, July 1999.
(c) Chairman, Administrative Panel of Inquiry into the problems of the College of Education (Technical) Arochukwu, November 1999.
