Law’s duel with Philosophy
By Valentine Obienyem
We began preparing for the conference over a year ago, and it finally came to a rewarding close yesterday. I am referring to the 6th African Philosophy World Conference, held from 22–24 September 2025 at the University of Douala, Cameroon, with the theme: “Decoloniality and Transcoloniality in African Philosophy.”
Together with Prof. Charles Nweke, I presented a paper titled “Decolonization of Democracy: Rethinking African Governance Models.” Having long reached the zenith of lecturing, Prof. Nweke graciously asked me to make the presentation. One can only imagine how many conferences he has spoken at over the years. His decision was clearly an act of mentorship, and I deeply appreciated it.
It made me wonder: do conference presentations still excite people of his academic stature? I was reminded of Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna, who once told me she was travelling to Enugu to see an eye doctor. I jokingly remarked that her eyes had every right to complain – for they must have seen and read more than their fair share within a lifetime.
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Our paper argued that Western liberal democracy, imposed through colonial legacies and reinforced by global institutions, created governance systems disconnected from Africa’s indigenous traditions. We highlighted the works of African philosophers like Kwasi Wiredu, who advocate consensual democracy rooted in indigenous practices such as Igbo assemblies, Akan councils, and customary jurisprudence. For instance, in Igbo land, land disputes resolved by the “Umunna”, and on appeal by the village or even the town, are often concluded within weeks—yet the same cases can take decades in formal courts, sometimes beyond the lifespans of the litigants, only for the final judgment to mirror the original communal decisions. We concluded that authentic African democracy must creatively blend such traditions with modern institutions to achieve quicker dispensation of justice, because justice delayed, as it is said, is justice denied.
When I joyfully informed my classmate and friend, Barr. Robinson Alaekwe, about the conference, he teased me in his merry frolicsome way, accusing me of abandoning law for philosophy. “Val, very soon I will stop calling you my learned friend,” he joked, adding that while I participated in a conference in Douala, I missed a bar conference- Bar Conference- held practically at my doorstep. He even reminded me that in 2019 I had also attended the same philosophy conference in Tanzania.
I told Rob, as I fondly call him, that I have never been overly excited by the way lawyers refer to one another as “learned friends.” I reminded him that while one who knows others is learned, the one who knows himself is wise. Philosophy, after all, is the mother of all sciences, it calls the tune and summons others to the meeting of wits. I further told him that philosophy occupies the front trench in the siege for truth, and that the sciences and law are captured territories that philosophy set free many years ago. Psychology, I added, was the last discipline to be released from philosophy’s fold. “Why should we not bow – and even feel intimidated – in the presence of such a monument?” I asked.
Indeed, philosophy’s preeminence lies in its integrative, unifying, and guiding role: it gives birth to the sciences, critiques them, and then transcends them by asking ultimate questions of meaning, value, and purpose.
The conference itself was intellectually enriching, with philosophers examining decoloniality and transcoloniality through various lenses, including metaphysics and epistemology. It was a delight to listen to such a rich array of perspectives.
I remain grateful to Prof. Harris Odimegwu for his tireless efforts in making the event a success. We now look forward with great anticipation to the next gathering in 2027.
