Justice Monica Mensem’s touching story

By Oladapo Sofowora

Hon Justice Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mensem, the current President Justice of the Court of Appeal is a round peg in a round hole.

To many, her appointment as the president of the appeal court is a great progression to strengthen the judicial system in Nigeria.

Justice Monica did not just stumble on the legal profession, she followed the footstep of her father; Justice M.B. Douglas Mensem, a retired Court of Appeal judge.

This shows it’s a family trait to succeed in legal practice. Justice Dongban-Mensem is an authority in Criminal and Civil Procedure Law, Taxation and International Public Finance, Public International Law, Legislative Drafting, Constitutional and Administrative Law and International Commercial Transactions.

The LL.B and LL.M graduate of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria-Nigeria bagged a Post Graduate Diploma from the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London, Russel Square.

Those close to her will attest to the fact that she detests reckless driving. She is an advocate for safe roads devoid of casualties and humanly-caused accidents.

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Outside the courtroom, the Plateau State-born legal luminary finds time to control traffic anywhere she finds herself.

Many of her admirers will wonder why she devotes such time rather than attending to other issues that might be demanding her attention.

A few years ago, she lost her first son, Prince Samson Kwapda’as Dongban, a 32-year-old law graduate to an accident.

Ever since that moment, she has vowed to create a CSR arm that will enlighten road users and control traffic to reduce road accidents and casualties.

According to a source, the death of Kwapda’as came as a big shock as Justice Monica, who is yet to get over it. “The son was a bright young man who would make a fine lawyer but his lofty dreams were cut short by an accident that could be prevented.

To further curb the excesses of road users, she founded a road safety organisation called Kwapda’as Road Safety Demand (KRSD) which has become the most efficient and popular road safety NGO in Nigeria.”