The “Essential” Aguma

The news of the passage of Mr. Emmanuel Chinwenwo Aguma, SAN, who was until his death in a London Hospital on 10th August, 2018, the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Rivers State, a member of the Distinguished Body of Benchers, a happy family man, a friend and brother rolled-up in one, came to me last night with rude shock. It has been difficult to sleep since I heard.

I commiserate with his amiable wife and lovely children, his immediate family, the Government and Good People of Rivers State, my Lord, the Honourable, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the President and Members of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Honourable, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and the Body of Attorneys-General, the Chairman and Members of the Distinguished Body of Benchers, the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Juris Cradle, the Chairman and Members of the Committee of Chairmen and Secretaries of the Nigerian Bar Association (as we then were), all my learned friends, who are brothers and sisters to our departed colleague.

Emma, as he was fondly called, was a man of deep and great convictions. He left without a good bye. Yes, no good bye, but he left his mark, for which the several persons, bodies, associations and institutions referred to in the preceding paragraph, will bear witnesses and testimonies, worthy of ‘codification’.

I had on the 6th day of July, 2018, called his two telephone numbers known to me, to congratulate him on the building and commissioning of the National Industrial Court, Port Harcourt, and the upgrading of the building and facilities at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt by His Excellency, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, the Governor of Rivers State, but his phones were unanswered. I was compelled, because I was convinced that the event was epochal, to send to him text messages at 22.56pm and 22.57pm, to his two phones, which, if you permit me, I will quote -

“HAG, Good evening, Sir. Congratulations on the

IOur Meeting

first met Chinwe Aguma in 1980, just before we entered University. We happened to be on the Unilag campus one evening, for nonacademic pursuits. I was in the company of a mutual friend, Daibi Hart, who introduced me to him. I was immediately struck by his pleasantness, and innate self-confidence. My first impression was that, he was this thoroughly down-to- earth and non-pretentious guy, who could get along with pretty much anybody!!.

Chinwe and I undertook similar circuitous routes in arriving at our professional callings as Lawyers, and while we had occasional chance meetings during that period, it was at the Law School that we struck-up a true friendship, which was to last a lifetime.

As young men tend to do at that stage of their lives, we played hard, but Chinwe somehow managed to work even harder!! I remember having partied hard with him on one Friday night and going over to his place the next afternoon after having, myself, struggled all morning to recover from the previous night's exertions, only to find him bolt upright at his Uncle's dining table, telling me that he had just finished going through the previous week's lecture notes!! I knew from that moment that this guy was "cut from a different cloth".

We remained close after the Law School, even though he returned to his beloved Port Harcourt to practice, whilst I remained in Lagos, and when he married Inime, the love of his life, it was my great honour to propose the toast at their wedding.

As a family man, Chinwe was caring, loving, attentive and immensely proud of his family. Whenever we met up over the years, he spoke lovingly about his children, and obviously accorded priority to family cohesiveness and the emancipation of his wife and children. Like most things he did, he did this with resounding success.

His Career

In the profession, he worked hard on his self development and growing his Practice, but, as the Lawyer’s Lawyer that he was, he also dedicated time and effort to the development of the profession. He was a committed Bar Man, rising inevitably to lead the Port Harcourt Bar, as one of its most popular Branch Chairmen ever.

But that was not all. Being the "political animal" that he was, Chinwe was also an astute grassroots Politician. From his youth, he cared deeply for his people and generously deployed his resources, both human and capital, in pursuit of their betterment.

As a colleague, he was ever generous with his time, vast legal knowledge and prodigious intellect, invariably proffering simple, practical and well thought out solutions to knotty legal problems. It was inevitable that, this brilliant and immensely hardworking Lawyer would receive the highest accolade his profession could offer, being admitted to the Inner Bar as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

Personally, I will miss him dearly. Port Harcourt, will never be the same again for me. No Chinwe to hang-out with on the evening of my arrival ahead of Court the next day, or to touch base with after Court on my way out of town. My practice will feel his absence too. No Chinwe to call for that elusive authority, or that unusual insight. But, my life will ever be enriched for knowing him - Emmanuel Chinwenwo Aguma, SAN, The Honourable Attorney- General of Rivers State, trusted, kind and loyal friend, consummate Lawyer, astute political navigator, forthright and straightforward human being, caring and doting father, loving and supportive husband - surely, it is of you they spoke when they said, "it is not how long, but how well!!

Rest in Peace my Brother, in the bosom of the Almighty.