By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The retiring President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, on Wednesday disclosed that she attended school at the time when female education was yet to be accepted in her region [Northern Nigeria].
She also disclosed that her father, who was educated, motivated and encouraged her to go to school.
Justice Bulkachuwa made the disclosure while giving her vote of thanks in a special valedictory session /reception held in her honour at the Court of Appeal complex, Lagos Division as she retires from the Bench on March 6, 2020, having attained the statutory retirement age of 70.
She said that her family supported her and encouraged her to be the best she could be.
“As I go into retirement, I will go with the lessons I have learnt from my experience so far.
“I want to be remembered as a woman who did the best she could in every situation and as a good citizen of Nigeria,” Bulkachuwa enthused.
In his address at the special valedictory session, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) implored the outgoing President of Court of Appeal, Justice Bulkachuwa (OFR) to put up a framework that will facilitate appointment of more Justices of Appeal Court in Lagos Division before she finally bows out.
Onigbanjo said: “on behalf of Lagos State, we recognise that Court of Appeal Lagos is over burdened.
“Cases are already adjourned till 2021. We therefore urge my lord to create more panels (judges)for Lagos so that those who sit in Lagos will not be over burdened.
“And also to ensure that appeals are speedily determined”.
According to Lagos Attorney General, creation of more panels would lessen the workload of the judges who sit in Lagos.
He pointed out that more judges would reduce the frustration experienced by both litigants and their counsel especially when appeals were given long dates.
However, Onigbanjo noted that this day of event marks the commencement of the end of the judicial career of the first female president of the court of appeal.
He expressed that the qualities and contributions which HonourableJustice Bulkachuwa made in the nation’s jurisprudence was evident in her examplary judgments.
“She has made examplary judgments, in the last election. My lord recused herself from the election tribunal panel, even after a full panel found her worthy,”Onigbanjo stressed
Another speaker, Mr Wole Olanipekun (SAN), who spoke on behalf of the senior advocates, commended the retiring President of Court of Appeal for her good works in the judiciary while in office.
Olanipekun who was a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) urged the executive arm of the government to provide adequate infrastructure for the courts to make it conducive for lawyers and litigants.
He posited that Lagos was the busiest city in Nigeria including the Lagos division of appeal court.
“I will align myself with the initial speaker that Lagos needs more justices, even the other divisions too,” he said.
Olanipekun faulted some people who were saying that judges should not go on vacation, pointing out that other arms of government (the legislature/the executive) go on vacation more.
“The judiciary is being accused, bruised over the media, we need to salvage it.
“As you are retiring, we should have known who you are handing over to. There can not be a vacuum in the judiciary, it leads to distablising the judiciary
“We need to do something about it,” Olanipekun advised.
The President, Nigerian Bar Association, Paul Usoro (SAN) in his speech, said the life of the president of court of appeal showed to us what a girl-child could achieve when given the chance and opportunity.
Usoro who was represented by Mr Adeniji Kazeem (SAN) said that over the years the appellate courts were all male dominated.
He recalled that in 2005, only 23 out of 86 justices of court of appeal were females.
“With such a poor record in gender diversity, the epoch-making achievement of Bulkachuwa truly calls for celebration.
“Corrective steps should be taken in enlarging the coast of our diversity and gender inclusion,” NBA president said.
Earlier, the Presiding Justice of Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, Honourable Justice Mohammed Garba, in his opening speech said Honourable Justice Bulkachuwa brought unprecedented and enviable development in the court.
“Welfare of judges and that of members of staff as well as infrastructure have improved”, Justice Garba said.