It was all encomiums as senior lawyers, friends and pioneer class mates of Faculty of Law, University of Benin, honoured one of their own, former Attorney-General of Edo State, Chief Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan at a reception in Lagos, reports ADEBISI ONANUGA.
The pioneer law class of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), friends and associates defied the usual evening traffic in Lagos as they thronged Victoria Island to honour a member, Chief Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan.
It was to celebrate his conferment of the Doctor of Law (LLD) Honoris Causa by the University of Benin.
At the family-like luncheon and reception were captain of the class, Mrs Funmi Ayo-Odugbesan, Chief Richard Ona Ahonaruogho (SAN), former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), immediate-past Attorney General of Lagos, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), Chief Wale Taiwo (SAN), Olukayode Enitan (SAN), Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN), Mr Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), Oladipo Okpeseyi (SAN), Chief Mary Bassey, among others.
Fashola, an alumni of old UNIBEN and a member of the second set of the Law Class, described the honouree as a “great pathfinder” and the event “a great gesture”.
He recalled with nostalgia the football matches and the pranks of those days, saying the friendships have endured.
Moyosore described the honouree as a legend in the law profession disclosing that he had mentored many people within the profession. He said he is a dice in the world of litigators.
He said he had known the honouree when they used to frequent the court of Justice Nureni Yusuf. “If you are looking for an advocate per excellence, you need not go too far, Charles was one of the counsels of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the various litigations arising from the February and Match, 2023 federal and state elections.
Moyosore recalled an instance while at the tribunal when he noticed that Chief Uwensuji- Edosomwan was canvassing with one of the female witnesses in Igbo language. He recalled that when trial commenced, the question he asked her took her by surprise and made her fail as a witness of the petitioner in the matter.
He saluted the intellectual prowess of the honouree and urged him to keep on going the way he has always been.
He valued relationship
Dele Adesina (SAN) in his remarks stated that God has been good to the honouree. He said Chief Uwensuji- Edosomwan valued relationship and that demonstrated love of God in his relationship with others.
“It is the love he showed to others that made us to be here on a Tuesday, There is no end to going up and success is not a destination but a process.”
He prayed that the honourees days would continue to be better than the previous days.
He left many legacies, maintain structures
Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN) who came with his wife, described the honouree as a good man who left a lot of legacies in his trail, maintain structures and asked others what legacies they are leaving behind and would be remembered for.
According to him, the honouree trained his wife right from the time she was a law student at UNIBEN, “He was a good brother to her and her friends” saying that the first brief her wife got was through the honouree.
Idigbe emphasised that it was time to give back to their alma mater which they left between 2o to 30 years ago.
A respectful personality
Alfred Okoigun-Arcoco, on behalf of the alumni of GCU at the event said the honouree was a very respectful and vibrant person, adding that he brought life to everywhere he goes.
He said: ” GCU made a lot of people here in Nigeria and abroad but Charles was first in many things”.
I envy SANs but….
The Chairman of the reception, Chief (Mrs) Funmi Ayo-Odugbesan said Chief Uwensuji-Edosomwan was their leader and took care of them while they were in school back in those days.
Chief (Mrs) Ayo-Odugbesan, who is the Group Legal Adviser to a conglomerate with 34 companies since 1987(36 years) said the spirit of service has been helping her to move forward.
“I envy the SANs but I don’t want to be SAN. I admire you and pray that God will help you all.
‘’I am here because I love my brothers and sisters from the University of Benin pioneer law class. We don’t see ourselves as friends, we don’t see ourselves as people who went to school together. We see ourselves as brothers and sisters.
“One of the things I will say to these men, these Osas, these Bambi’s, these Richards, this Edosomwen is the spirit of goodness in them. Even though we are women amongst them. we are strong like a lion because we have men who stand tall and we stand tall with them. Together, we are achievers in the rule of law today.”
She thanked all for finding time to come and dine with a brother who is one of them.
Ayo-Odugbesan: Fashola, a true servant of the people
Chief Mrs Ayo-Odugbesan also told the story of how former Governor Fashola helped her.
She said she was in the car with one of her classmates and were just talking when the car broke down on Eko Bridge, his car broke down.
“Those days, if your car broke down, these people would come to tow your car. Sometimes, area boys would come and start harassing you.
“I was asking myself why I followed when my driver was there to take me home.
So, I just stood by him. he opened bonnet, and we were trying to see what was the problem with the car.
“Lo and behold, his excellency passed us in his convoy with his entourage. Few minutes after, we saw one of his escort cars coming back with Mobile Policemen. I said , is it a crime for your car to break down on the bridge?
“They came down and we said what is the problem. They said His Excellency said they should come and help us.
“I said eh hen, se won mo mi ni,?
They checked the car with us . We didn’t know what was the problem with the car. My ‘brother’ now said there was a mechanic under the bridge, that we should push the car back.
“We now told them to go buy they said No, that His Excellency instructed them to stay with them until everything is okay.
Your excellency, you didn’t know what you were doing but you did so well. God bless you. I am grateful. I am not sure you know me or may not remember but l later wrote a letter to thank you.
Your excellency, there is the spirit of service within you and that is still what is happening in your life till today.
Why people don’t do well in service
“Why people don’t do well in service is because they don’t have the spirit of service. They go there for personal gains. But if you have the spirit of service in you, you will go there and serve the people.”
“You served us in Lagos, you served like a servant and we are proud of you because you are a product of the university of Benin.
“I am happy today that I am able to say thank you to you face to face.
“With that thank you, I want to charge every one present here today that let us have the spirit of service in us where we work even in our practice. Let the spirit of service be what will propel us to do our duties”
My class has been good to me
In his response, the honouree, Dr Uwensuyi-Edosomwan said he was moved by the encomiums showered on him by his brothers and sisters and other guests.
“I am very very moved, not because the sun is shining into my eyes. But the truth of the matter is that my class has been very good to me.”
Fashola, a good man
On Babatunde Fashola, he said if there is any man that is understated , that office does not touch, it was Fashola. He is a good human being. Your excellency, you are a good man. Has a lot of qualities in him, there is nothing in arrogance. It won’t increase your bank balance but probably make enemies for him. He said he was glad that they are friends today and prayed God to bless him.
” I think that is the true essence of lawyers. Like a pack of puppies, we scratched each others eyes out, you play, you ruff and tumbled and at the end of the day, no other dog can come into that group to come and assault any one of you.
“I know I enjoyed all of you in the class, yet I am not the best in the class.
Let me thank all those who spoke, who were very kind enough to say good things about me.
Love is a very important thing. It is an emotion and a virtue. The biblical side of it is the virtue. The human side of it is an emotion. The two sides have different aspects, key of different things that ends up cementing likeness towards other people.
“I can assure you, I was not the best boy in that class, but many times I would have been defaulted if not for God who knows….before he could finish the statement, Chief Ahonaruogho bellowed, “don’t go there”, a slang which came from different direction of the venue whenever they don’t want anyone to replay their yesteryears
Dr Uwensuyi-Edosomwan continued: “I need to make some mention. Lizzy was my first junior (she stood up) I am not surprised she turned out to be a good lawyer under her husband, Dr Anthony Idigbe, equally a great lawyer and one of the good lawyers in my generation. That was a significant relationship.
The honouree also described Chief Mrs Ayo-Odugbesan as “an incredible human being. She is the one that sustained us. She is the cement in our class.
“We have done well in our class because our class is closely knit. But when you have people like Bambi, Osas, so many who have left, they came simply for love.
“When there is celebration of one, everyone is celebrating, when there is grief, we are all grieving. To that extent, our class has become a true family.
“I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t need to ask for this because I was just told put on your clothes and come and I would come and I did put on my clothes and here am I.
Bambi, this man is an inspiration in ways you can’t imagine and that for so many reasons, he was a great inspiration. He said it was good to say all these things so that people would know what to teach those coming behid them.
“To O’,Richo”, he , ” Richard would hear there is something happening in your house, you didn’t invite him, you needn’t need to invite him. He would come and take over all the arrangements. If there is a human face of selflessness, that is Richard. Richard would get into trouble for trying to help you.”
“Osamede, we played street soccer together in Benin. Today he is the most famous fountain engineer in Benin. Destined Fountains who gifted him a swimming pool in Benin.
Obaisiagbor
“Energies, we must learn to feed off each others energies. You see somebody that you admired. take things from him.
“It was quite rough, it was really rough at the beginning. Sometimes, I feel I was in his shoes. These two people must be commended. He inherited practices, but today, they have increased it. We climbed up with our bare hands but there were those telling us to go back home without bringing the price.”, he said
