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From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha Umuahia
Law students of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), formerly, Anambra State University, drank full from the knowledge wellspring of distinguished legal luminaries at their 23rd Annual Dinner and Award Ceremony, held last weekend, in Awka, the Anambra state capital.
The event, organised by the Law Students Association of Nigeria (LAWSA), COOU Chapter, attracted dignitaries, legal practitioners, academics, and students from within and outside Anambra State.
In a major highlight of the evening, LAWSA and the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Enright Q. Okolie, honoured the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha, for her leadership in the university’s environmental cleanliness campaign and for her consistent support for the Faculty of Law.
In her remarks, Prof. Omenugha commended the Faculty of Law for taking the lead in keeping the university environment clean. She charged the law students to conduct themselves with dignity at all times.
“The legal profession is a noble and dignified one. Let your dressing, table etiquette, and commitment to studies define your studentship as you journey towards this noble career,” she said.
The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Enright Q. Okolie, expressed deep gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha, for her “3 Vs” leadership framework — Visibility, Viability, and Values — which he said has transformed COOU and positioned the Faculty of Law to become the best in Nigeria and beyond.
He noted that her support, investments, and moral leadership are producing 21st-century global legal advocates.
He told the law students that the Law Dinner is not just a social event, but a professional training ground designed to instill Bar traditions such as decorum, etiquette, collegiality, and forensic discipline.
The core purpose, he said, is to give students direct access to eminent lawyers and judges, so they could learn intangible qualities of the profession — courage, respect, resilience, thoroughness, and comradeship — that cannot be taught in classrooms or textbooks.
He urged students to use the forum to broaden their horizons and embody honesty and decency as future “gentlemen of the Bar” to change negative public perceptions of lawyers.
Prof. Okolie charged them to be champions of the Rule of Law, emulate the VC’s values, defend constitutional liberties, and step boldly into their noble calling.
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Delivering the keynote address titled “From Civil Wrongs to Criminal Shackles: Tension between the Cybercrimes Act and the Constitution”_, Barr. Matthew Okeke called for judicial activism in the interpretation of laws.
He noted that while the Nigeria Cybercrimes Act serves an important purpose in combating technological crimes and protecting the economy, security objectives should not be used to unduly restrict fundamental rights.
“Nigeria must reform its Cybercrimes legal framework to ensure that the pursuit of digital security does not place criminal shackles upon the very freedoms the Constitution was designed to protect. Matters of civil nature should also be addressed through civil action,” he recommended.
The Father of the Day, Chief (Dr.) Simon N. Okeke, praised the Faculty of Law for imparting sound legal knowledge and morals on students. Speaking on _“The Role of Law and Security Institutions in Protecting Democracy”_, he urged the judiciary to avoid issuing court orders that threaten democratic sustenance.
“Our institutions must display independence and professional integrity in order to strengthen our democracy,” he said.
Other dignitaries including Hon. Justice Okuma, Chief Ejike Ezenwa, SAN, Hon. Barr. Ebuka Igwe, and Barr. Kingsley Onochie, in their goodwill messages, described the dinner as inspiring and thought-provoking. They urged LAWSA to sustain the tempo.
The Staff Adviser, Chidinma Blessing Nwakoby, Esq., said the annual law dinner provides a platform for intellectual discourse, professional interaction, career guidance, networking, and the recognition of distinguished individuals who have contributed to society and the legal profession.
The LAWSA President, Chukwuemeka Okafor, expressed joy over the success of the event. He poured encomiums on the Vice Chancellor, the Dean, lecturers, students, and guests for their contributions.
Other respected guests in attendance include Chief Dr Williams Chukwueze, Dr Chukwunonso Ekwesiobi -a member of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Governing Council, and the university’s Public Relations Officer, Dr Harrison Madubueze.
The highpoint of the ceremony was the inauguration of the Staff Adviser and the Environmental Vanguard, a student body tasked with sustaining cleanliness in the faculty and university at large.
The event ended with the presentation of awards to distinguished personalities.
