A TRIBUTE TO A LEGAL COLLOSUS- DR. NICHOLAS IOREMBER IORUN
Comr Ebe James Ebe
Legal Practitioner
Abuja
After the death of my Mummy, I thought I won’t feel much pain for a loss of any one’s life again. But alas, your death came and again, hit me below the belt, and I can’t recover from it since the sad news flooded the social media space!
I didn’t have a personal relationship with you but a student-lecturer relationship.
I first met you at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi (College of Economic Extension and Professional Studies- CEEPROS) where I did a diploma programme in Business Administration. During the programme, in the 2002/2003 academic session, you taught us the General Principles of Law. We were a class of about 98 students.
When the result first came out, only six (6) of us passed your course, and because of the abysmal performance of many students, the College had to ask you to relax your standard of marking. After a heated argument back and forth, you reluctantly obliged the College with their request and conceded to a remark. This reluctant act of academic generousity indeed, helped in taking the number of students from 6 to about 33 to pass the course.
I fondly recall when you remarked after the remarking that: “those who didn’t pass the course after the remarking were irredeemably academically poor and ought not to graduate”.
My second official meeting with you was in my 500level at the Faculty of Law, Benue State University, Mkd. Unofficially, I had opportunity to attend one of your Islamic law lectures, and like one of my colleagues, @ Amaatimin Tertsegha Timothy has said somewhere in his tribute, your deep knowledge of Islamic law even though you were a Christian, almost made me to take the Islamic law as an elective course but for some other personal reasons.
Because of my admiration for your exceptional knowledge of law and the manner you taught us at CEEPROS, I was looking forward to be taught by you before I graduated. Alas, another opportunity presented itself and I had the privilege to be your Company Law Student.
In reminiscence, my joy knew no bounds, knowing that I was going to be taught by you yet again in my academic journey.
Of course, many students didn’t particularly like you because, according to most of them, you were too strict with your marks, and incomparably too knowledgeable. While this is true, I did like you, nonetheless.
Your deep knowledge of law was second to none; the desterity you displayed in passing that knowledge to your students was unprecedentedly admirable; and your sense of humour was comically relieving.
How can we lose such a legal gem, a rare academic breed, a gentle man of the Bar, a legal collosus, at this critical time when there is an acute brain-drain ravaging the country’s citadel of learning?!
I am saddened and perplexed at your sudden death! But who am I to question the Most powerful; the All knowing God!
My consolation is that, you lived an impactful life, regardless of your frailties as every mortal.
I hate to say goodbye. I hate to say rest in peace. But this is what fate has presented me with😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
May God grant your family, friends and colleagues the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss!
Adieu Nicholas Iorember Iorun, PhD!
