Rev Sister makes history as Canon Law graduate

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

A Rev. Sister, Winifred Moneme, who was among the 880 successful candidates recently called to Bar, made history as the second Nigerian to have studied Canon Law.

A native of Agulu in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, Moneme studied at the Catholic Institute of West Africa; the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, (where she bagged a degree in Canon Law); Urban University Rome, Italy (Diploma in Italian Language); Pontifical University Lateran, Rome, Italy (Masters in Civil Law); Pontifical University Lateran (Phd. in Canon Law); Pontifical University, Rome (Phd. in Civil Law) and the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators.

Canon Law is most simply the rules and ordinances governing the Christian community specifically the Catholic Church.

The Rev. Sister of the Congregation of Sisters of Jesus the Saviour, Rivers State, combined both civil and canon law and studied both at the doctorate level.

Speaking with Daily Sun, an elated Moneme dismissed the perception that the legal profession lacks morality.

“It is a wrong perception to say religion and law are strange bed fellows. Religion is like a vocation while law is a profession.

“Like every other profession, there are good and bad people, so the issue of morality really is an individual thing. Besides, the rules of professional conduct for lawyers and ethics does not accommodate immoral conduct,” she said.

Moneme said she is open to practice law in the areas of forensic, medical and religion.