Uwais: Salute to a Great Jurist at 80
Shortly before Hon. Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais retired from the Supreme Court Bench as the Chief Justice of Nigeria on 12th June 2006 at the mandatory retirement age of 70, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi of blessed memory wrote:“Hon. Justice Uwais , C.J.N conducts himself with decorum when he is presiding in the Supreme Court. He exudes the lustre and aura of the mastery of proceeding and has complete control of the court. Though firm, he does not intimidate counsel however young at the Bar. He gives respect to every counsel and patently allows each one to present his or her argument without inhibition, browbeating or intimidation. The National Judicial Council under his leadership has been effective in fighting corruption on the Bench. In conclusion, no other Chief Justice of Nigeria had achieved these feats.” That the longest serving retired Justice of the Supreme Court has reached the age of 80 is not only a thing of joy but an achievement which any practitioner of law will desire to achieve as reaching such a milestone in Nigeria today is a great privilege. We all must join Justice Uwais in thanking the Almighty Allah for still preserving the life of this great jurist.
Born in Zaria on 12th June 1936 to the family of Mallam Abdullahi Uwaisu and Hajiya Hajara Uwaisu, the young Uwais began his primary education at the Native Authority Elementary School, Kaduna and later at Tudun Wada Elementary School where he schooled with the likes of the late Alhaji Rilwan Lukman, a former Minister of Petroleum. He was in 1950 admitted to Zaria Middle School where he stayed for two years before he proceeded in 1952 to Barewa College, where he was a classmate and housemate of the late General Murtala Muhammed, a former Head of State. While still at Barewa College, Zaria, he secured vacation jobs with establishments such as Paterson Zochonis Ltd (PZ), the Veterinary Department of Zaria Native Authority and the United African Company Ltd (UAC). The salaries he earned from those establishments made him become one of the “big boys” in his class in those days.
It was during his years at the college that he developed an interest in reading law as he was inspired by the law practice of lawyers such as the late Mr. Noel Grey, who then lived and practised in Kano, Mr. Beckley, who later became a judge of the Lagos State High Court, the late Mr. Sawyer, who then lived and practised in Lokoja as well as Alhaji A.G.F. Razak (SAN) who was the first indigenous lawyer from the Northern Nigeria. When he completed his secondary education at the Barewa College, Zaria in 1957, he applied for the Northern Nigeria Government Scholarship to study law in U.K, he was invited in 1958 for the interview but the invitation got to him late and he missed the interview. As a result of this he resigned his appointment as Accounts Clerk with the Nigerian Tobacco Company to join the civil service as Publicity Assistant in the Ministry of Information, Kaduna in 1959. His experience in the said Ministry later assisted him greatly when he served as the Editor of the Law Reports of Northern States of Nigeria between 1974 and 1978.
Justice Uwais later attended the Institute of Administration, Ahmadu Bello University from where along with some other of his colleagues including Hon. Justice Mustaph Akanbi ,a former President of the Court of Appeal, late Hon. Justice Shehu Usman Mohammed, a former Justice of the Supreme Court, late Justice Umaru Maidamma, a former Justice of the Court of Appeal, late Hon. Justice Anthony Aina Ekundayo, a Judge of Kwara State High Court and late Hon. Justice Adamu Minjibir, a Judge of Kano State High Court left for England where they were called to the English Bar and thereafter enrolled at the Nigerian Bar on 17th January 1964. He was later that same year posted to the Ministry of Justice of the Northern Nigeria as a Pupil State Counsel from where he rose through the rank to eventually become the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the North-Central in 1971.
His lordship was elevated to the Bench as Acting Judge of the High Courts of North Central, Benue –Plateau and North Eastern States of Nigeria in 1973 and he became substantive Judge the following year. He later shortly acted as the Chief Judge of Kaduna State in 1976 and on 1st January 1977 was elevated to the Federal Court of Appeal along with others including Hon. Justice Mustapha Akanbi who eventually retired as the President of that court. Hon. Justice Uwais was at the Court of Appeal till August 1979 when he was elevated to the Supreme Court together with Hon. Justice Augustine Nnamani of blessed memory. Hon. Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais sat on the Supreme Court Bench for 27 years out of which he presided over the court as the Chief Justice of Nigeria for 11 years. As at today no justice of that court has spent close to three decades on that apex court bench in Nigeria. He was the first Chief Justice of Nigeria to retire at the age of 70. During his stay in the court he served under 5 Chief Justices of Nigeria who are: Hon. Justice Darnley Alexander, Hon. Justice Atanda Fatayi-Williams, Hon Justice George Sodeinde Sowemimo, Hon. Justice Ayo Gabriel Irikefe and Hon. Justice Mohammed Bello all now of blessed memories. Before retiring from the Supreme Court Bench, Justice Uwais worked with not less than 54 Justices of the court.
When he was being sworn in as the 9th Chief Justice of Nigeria in 1995, the then late Head of State, General Sani Abacha had this to say:“Hon. Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais, by his appointment as Chief Justice of Nigeria has assumed leadership of the judiciary after 16 years as Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria…He is no less a legal giant. His training, experience and intellectual capacity have adequately prepared him for the exalted office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria. His rich professional back-ground explain the high expectation engendered by this appointment, especially at this critical time in our history. We expect he will bring his vast experience, maturity and foresight to bear on the judiciary”. Hon. Justice Uwais during his