(Picture shows my humble beginning. Tough, but I worked for the best)
We were done arguing
already and ever ready to get the results. Unilag had scored 75% and NDU scored
72%. Oh! Not again!
A very high score we
got and yet, we were out of the contest. I felt a stroke in my heart because I had
lost; I mean my school had lost with me as the lead counsel. I was so angry at
myself. We all went back to the hostel sad; the whole team was. But there was
absolutely nothing any one of us could do. We were not the only team that had
lost out; the University of Nigeria, Nssuka, Imo State University, The Rivers
State University of Science and Technology, the Nnamdi Azikwe University, etc,
had all lost out of the competition.
While we were yet in
Benin, the capital of Edo State, our students were calling to know the scores,
but there was no courage left to speak. But I couldn’t just lie; the truth just
had to be told.
We usually visited the
OAU team. They were the only school team lodging close to our school team. We
had a good relationship because the OAU team and our team had represented
Nigeria in an International Moot. We had the likes of Jhon O’ day, Toyib,
Kolade and the rest. Jhon was specifically surprised that we had lost out,
because he knew our team to be a good one. The OAU team made it to the semi
finals and defeated the University of Benin with a close margin and then proceeded
to the finals to contest against the University of Lagos that defeated us in
the competition. The final was a mock trial and we had little or no idea about
mock trial. We had not done it in our school before. Before then, we had made
up our mind to perhaps back out of the competition if we had made it to the
finals, this was because we felt we may have been disgraced at the finals. We
just needed a prize. That was all. Although we intended making a try.
The day of the final
came and we were all ready to watch the show. We arrived at the venue with all
teams present. The judges were three in numbers and as well, experienced. The
media team from Silver Bird Television was present already to cover the final. Not
long, the match began. Both teams did beautifully well, but the OAU team was a
bombshell. Jhon O’ day and Kolade had succeeded in their examination in chief
and cross examination. They impressed us so all. But what do you expect? We
were novice, so everything was beautiful for us.
The match ended with
the OAU team emerging as the winning team. UNILAG was the first runner up with
the University of Benin merging as second runner up. The second counsel from
UNILAG had emerged as the best advocate of the competition while the Rivers
State University of Science and Technology went home with the award of the best
memorial. We all had our certificates of participation with other souvenirs to
take back home to our school. A get together party was organized for all us,
but I stayed back at the room casting my mind back at the frustration. After my
experience, I felt I had disappointed those who looked up to me, so I decided
not to appear in any moot court competition for a while. I needed a rest, I
thought. I just needed one.
Soon we arrived the
school premises; we were welcomed by some, praised by some and criticized by a
few. It was the atmosphere expected. Some people are just good at doing that. They
just will not come out, but find fault on the efforts of others. But one had to
grow above some distractions and forge ahead. That was the perfect spirit and I
was ready to be possessed by it. But I cared about what people said, and was
always out to make my points clear, especially to those who care to listen. Hope
Ogunka had advised severally about it.
Soon, the school
election was at the corner. People had started campaigning for candidates of
their choice. For me, I preferred being neutral because I believed that siding
a candidate would create a spot in my image. Solomon Inifuro, a gentle hearted
lad from my home town was contesting for the office of the presidency and was
already out for the campaign. He needed my support because he felt I was
popular. I admired his boldness and courage but for some reasons I maintained
my clear ground. I told him and his team who visited me at my house that he has
my support unless and until a better candidate was out against him.
Inimotimi Azi was contesting
for the office of the vice president, but she later changed her mind for the
office of the presidency. According to her, she initially lacked the finance
for the campaign at first. But with subsequent support from the elders, she had
to change her mind. The elders wanted her. They had spoken with Inifuro to step
down, but he refused. This caused a rift between some of the youths and the
elderly. The youths were angry at some of the elders and because they got
Timi’s back, some of them were up against her emergence, not necessarily
because he was a bad candidate. On my own part, I supported Timi, for some
reasons best known to me, even though Iniufuro was from my hometown. I told him
to his face that I am not giving him my support. Though it wasn’t easy for me,
I had no choice than to be plain and straight forward. As a Christian, I was
careful about politics, but I was aware that a Christian can go into politics
if the ground is a good one, and the atmosphere in this regard was good. So I
came out of my shell after I was convinced by the Timi led team who also
visited me in my house. I started campaigning for Timi. I didn’t speak ills
against Inifuro because I had no reason to. I couldn’t have done that as a Christian;
I believed that politics could be played maturely. Blackmail or defamation was
not necessary to make home a point. I was careful in my speech and applied all
civility in my actions, yet I was antagonized by a few who believed someone of
my character shouldn’t have engaged myself in politics. But that wasn’t my
stand. Christians can be politicians in so far as the ground is good and ours
was one.
Inifuro played his game
very well, knowing that within a short period Timi had gained ground. The
outgoing five hundred level students came for the casting of votes and with
their number put together, Solomon won the contest. I warned Timi about the
interference of the elders, that their presence was a bad one for her. But she
couldn’t help it, because they were her sponsors. Timi lost the contest and our
own side was mocked. But I had no issue, I supported her for certain reasons
and I had the right to do so.
While celebration was
ongoing, Solomon Inifuro approached me and told me that though, I worked against
him during the election he wanted me to be the Chairman of the Moot and Mock Trial
Committee, which was the number one committee of the faculty. Hence, I was to
operate as a kind of minister in his cabinet. His offer was short of something.
Previously he had wanted me to be the Attorney General of the faculty as well,
but this time around, that was missing. I sensed the omission as a kind of
deliberate act but I kept quiet about it. Over all, I was just happy that I was
to serve in a position I loved. Finally, I was to serve as a chairman. I
admired the maturity of Inifuro because his attitude is one that is uncommon
amongst Nigerian politicians. Appointing an opponent, to the Nigerian
politicians, is a political suicide. Such generosity was too deadly to behold,
for them.
The semester ended and
soon the new semester was to begin. I got ready for the task ahead. A lot of
things were anticipated. So many things were running through my head. It was
sealed that I wouldn’t appear in a school moot anymore, no, not at all. But it
was a necessary sacrifice, one I gladly accepted.
One day, I received an
invitation from the Nnamdi Azikwe University Team for a mock competition, named
the Dr. Ikpeazu Moot and Mock Trial Competition. It was purely a mock trial and
we had little or no experience on it. It was sure an invitation to ignore, bit
I felt there was no harm in trying as it was something we must definitely meet
somehow. For us to qualify, we were to write an article for and against a topic
connected to HEAVY TAXATION. There was just no one on ground, and even if there
was, it would be difficult having a volunteer. As I usually said then, students
around were lazy. All they think about is their grade. We had good advocates,
but most of them always needed some to write out what they were to say and not
necessarily them writing it themselves. I had to put down the articles myself
after intense research work.
Ebizi Eradiri helped a bit. After some
proofreading, we submitted the articles and waited for the call. Soon after, we
checked for the name of our school on the school judiciary website and found it
listed amongst the schools that had qualified. I was happy. I had to call Ebizi
Eradiri to return home. I also contacted Joseph Ayebanua, and Kprake Joshua. They
all arrived and we started working together preparing for the competition. We
visited a lawyer, by name Rowland who coached us on how to institute action in
court, as well as how to use the various originating processes. We were taught
about examination in chief, cross examinations and also re-examination and so
on. With this knowledge, I was able to put the team through a bit. Rebecca
Angesse was supposed to be among the team members but for some reasons she
didn’t make it. I was a bit experienced and the team felt I was to appear as
the lead counsel, but I refused appearing at all. I had instead chose kprake
Joshua, who was though inexperienced to be the lead counsel, while Joseph
Ayebanua was the supporting counsel. Kprake saw it as a shocker, but I believed
in him. I wanted to appear just as a coach and nothing more.
We got prepared, sought
for money as usual, and was ready for the journey. It was a day to the journey,
so we decided to meet at the school faculty for rehearsal. I took my bathe and
then carried my laptop and that of my brother for the journey only for me to
get to a junction known as Hospital junction and was accosted by the police. I
approached them and they asked me what was in my bag. I told them that some I
had laptop in my bag and that they were mine. I also told them that I was a law
student going to the school premises for a rehearsal because I had a national
competition to attend the next day. The police man asked for the receipt of the
laptops and because they were not with me, he asked me to enter the police van.
I wanted to explain some facts to the police man, but he wouldn’t listen. They
drove me to the station. I tried explaining but all to no avail. It was almost
11: 00 pm and my phone’s battery was flat. I called some lecturers, but there
was just no immediate response. It was obvious I would sleep in the police
cell. I pleaded with the police men but none was ready to listen.
Later, a police woman
who was on night duty asked me to bring out whatever was in my pocket as they
were ready to put me in the police cell. I was shocked and tensed as I had done
absolutely nothing to deserve it. I was crying within me badly and praying as
well. My fears were high because of the voices coming out of the cell. I was
hearing all manner of evil talks between the prisoners and the police men and I
was damn sure, it wasn’t a place to be. The police were angry at my calls, and
so my phone was even seized, I guess. Not long a drunk was brought and kept
close to me. The whole place was smelling hell and the man who was handcuffed
was just talking uncontrollably. I was like: what is the meaning of this? It
was just so frustrating how the Nigerian police could act, so immature and
undisciplined.
So, a police man came
to me and said it is time for me to enter the cell. He grasped me by the waist
and dragged me to the gate, opened it and….
[Suspense- In next episode, readers will get to know what happened
when the gate was supposedly opened]
STAR ADVOCATE OF THE
EPISODE: JHON O’ DAY (JEFF)
JHON O’ DAY also known
as JEFF was one of the student counsel of the Obafemi Awolowo University team. I
had heard about him before he even performed. My curiosity was satisfied when I
saw him moot at the finals of the Hon. Timinimi Moot/Mock Trial Competition. Jeff
is an advocate per excellence who has won several matches. He led his team to
win the trophy and also emerged winner at South Africa in the Prof. Manfred
Lach International Space Moot Court Competition. Jeff is a born advocate. His
kind comes just few in every generation.
Please leave me your comments!!