Chief Judge (CJ) of Abia State, Justice Onuoha Arisa Kalu Ogwe, last Wednesday retired from service with a parting warning to the state judiciary to shun perversion of judgments.
At the Valedictory Court session held in his honour at the state high court, Umuahia, encomiums and eulogies were showered on him by the state governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu and his professional colleagues.
Governor Ikpeazu who spoke through his deputy, Dr Ude Oko Chukwu described Justice Ogwe’s four years as the state CJ, as the most peaceful and remarkable.
He said that Justice Ogwe guided the state judiciary on the path of innovation, positive reforms, and effective leadership and prevailed in the cordial relationships between the Judiciary and other arms of government, adding that he would have extended his tenure if he had the legal authority to do so.
Justice Ogwe was called to the Bar 41 years ago. He served Abia State as a High Court judge for 18 years, and four years as the Chief Judge (CJ) and formally retired on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, the day that was also his 65th birthday.
His emergence as the state CJ in 2018, was however said to be by divine providence, as it was not expected by many people because he was not then, the most senior Judge.
The most senior Judge at the time suddenly retired a few days after his appointment as Acting Chief Judge, paving the way for Justice Ogwe to emerge as the CJ.
According to his successor, Justice Lillian Abai, among Ogwe’s achievements are the introduction of Virtual Courts in two divisions to facilitate virtual hearing of cases and streamlining of other areas involving the use of technology, new rules of court, practice directions, staff capacity building, the appointment of judges and magistrates and improved revenue.
Also, the Chief Registrar of the state High Court, Victoria Okey-Nwokeukwu eulogised the retiring CJ for providing employment opportunities to several persons in the judiciary.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and his long associate, Mr Okey Amaechi, recalled that the outgone CJ was reluctant to join the bench when he was approached for many years.
“Justice Ogwe is one that does not struggle for anything, but always believes that what will be, will be.
“It was, therefore, surprising when one day he told me that he had changed his mind and was now ready to go to the bench,” he stated.
Justice Ogwe and Amechi had at different times worked at the Law Chambers of the late Chief John Obonna at Umuahia, before they set up their separate practices in Umuahia.
Following Justice Ogwe’s retirement, governor Ikpeazu has sworn in Justice Abai as the Acting Chief Judge of Abia State.
He charged her to sustain the cordial relationship existing between the arms of governments, which he said prevailed during the tenure of her predecessor.
