TRIBUTE TO AN ELDER STATESMAN, A LEGAL COLLOSSUS AND ACADEMIC OF INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM, IGNATIUS AKAAYAR AYUA YEKE, SAN, OFR, FNIALS (1948-2022)

1. 1 Qoheleth the preacher in her admonition to mortal humanity chronicled in Chapter 3:1-12 of the Holy Bible that, “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. What advantage has a worker from his toil? I have considered the task which God has appointed for men to be busied about. He has made everything appropriate to its time, and has put the timeless into their hearts, without men ever discovering, from beginning to end, the work which God has done. I recognized that there is nothing better than to be glad and to do well during life”. Today we mourn the demise of a father, brother, uncle, friend, a legal luminary of international acclaim and statesman whom we can conveniently say with the preacher, “…he was good and did well during life” (Cf Eccl 3:12).

 

1. 2 Our revered B.I Hom, SAN, contemporary, school mate, kinsman, brother, friend and confidant of the deceased chronicles the life and times of this illustrious son of Benue State and the pride of Tivland in a biographical exposition made available to the Makurdi Bar, when he tellingly, graphically and tearfully revealed that, the Late Prof. Ignatius Akaayar Ayua, SAN, OFR, FNIALS was born on the 5th May, 1948 at Gboko, Benue State, Nigeria. He is from Mbaishumba Mbayegh in Konshisha Local Government. He began his early pursuit of academics having enrolled at St John’s RCM Primary School, Gboko. He further did his High School at Mount Saint Michael’s Secondary School Aliade from 1963, completed in 1967 and would later proceed to take his High School Certificate Studies at Government College Keffi from 1968-1969. He got admitted for his law studies at ABU Zaria in 1970-1973 where he bagged an LLB. In 1975-1976 he got an LLM from same institution specializing in Company Law and International Economic Law. By 1977-1979, he was at the Birmingham University in the United Kingdom where he bagged a PhD in Company Taxation with particular reference to Nigeria. Having bagged a PhD, in 1982, he enrolled at the Nigeria Law School Lagos for his Bar studies and upon completion, was called to the Bar as a Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1983. The deceased has as his call mates, the current Chief Judge of Benue State, Hon. Justice Aondoaver Kakaan as well as Hon. Justice Margaret Kpojime, retired.

 

1. 3 It is on record that, the deceased ventured into legal practice under the name I.A Ayua & Co., and having distinguished in practice apart from the sterling and explorative ideas he brought to bear on taxation and corporate practice in the lecture rooms and boardroom, the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee found him worthy to adorn ‘silky robes’ and was elevated to the esteemed title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2002 and in same year decorated with the National Honours of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR). His startling and unarguably stainless public service records, placed on him the burden of soliciting for the country, as such in 2002, the deceased was appointed as the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Justice, a position he held from 5th February 2003 to 5th May, 2008. Let it be on record that, he was the first legal luminary to ascend to the rank of Professor of Law in Benue State, first to take silk in Benue State and first to be appointed as Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Justice of the Federation of Nigeria in Benue State. Again, the revered B.I Hom, SAN describes him as a brother of many firsts.

 

1. 4 Professor I.A Ayua deceased, before he became Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Justice, which sums up the productive life of a committed legal icon, undertook several other appointments during his life time with the ‘seedling’ being an Assistant Lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1974); later promoted Lecturer grade II (ABU) 1977; promoted Lecturer grade 1 (ABU) in 1979; promoted Senior Lecturer (ABU) in 1981 and promoted Associate professor (ABU) in 1984. He was also elected Sub-Dean in 1979/80. Served on several University Committees such as Research Boards, Senate Committees, et cetera. In 1981 he was promoted as the 1st Acting Head of Department of Commercial Law of ABU which he established and saw to its “smooth take off”. He was also appointed substantive Head of Department of Commercial Law with effect from 1st October, 1982. The deceased was also elected Deputy Dean February 1985 and later Dean of Law, 1986-1990. He was also at one-time Associate Professor in Law and Dean of Law of the then suspended National Open University, Abuja.
   He was also appointed to the Nigerian Law Reform Commission to modify Laws in Conformity with the Nigerian Constitution of 1979. He was Chairman of Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC), as well as Chairman Accreditation Visitation Panel to all Law Faculties in the Universities in the Eastern part of Nigeria. He was finally promoted Professor of Law by Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria with effect from 1st October, 1988. Our beloved deceased learned silk was the 3rd Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies(NIALS), University of Lagos Campus, et cetera.

 

1. 5The late Prof. Ayua had a robust, social, pious, active religious and community life and this is perceptible in his early days as a member of the school choir in Aliade and other societies in the church. His commitment to the faith saw him built a befitting place of worship for his immediate community at his ancestral home of Mbaikyegh. He was calm, humorous, gentle, honest, tolerant yet strict. He loved the Man O’ War Club and played Basket Ball alongside B.I Hom, SAN. His discipline was largely responsible for his stellar rise to a successful life while on earth. Our deceased learned silk was on the membership of several organizations and associations such as;
   Nigerian Bar Association
   International Bar Association
   Commonwealth Lawyers Association
   The Institute of Management Consultants
   Nigerian Bar Association Committee on Draft Constitution (1977)
   Nigerian Institute of Taxation, now Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Lagos.
   Nigerian Education Research Council
   Governing Council of the Institute of Management Consultants(IMC) Kaduna
   Professors World Peace Academy of Nigeria, where he also served as Director
   Faculty of Law, University of Jos Interview Panel for the recruitment of Senior Staff
   Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Interview Panel; Governing Council
   Body of Tax Appeal Commissioners
   Council of Legal Education, Lagos
   Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) Committee on Standard of Legal Education in Nigeria
   Member Constitution Review Committee and Constituent Assembly
   Board of Governors, National Judicial Institute, Abuja, et cetera.

 

1. 6 His participation in these associations and membership of academic boards was filled with breathtaking innovations, international best practices and progressive contributions. He was at all-time material a team player and his inputs unassailable. He was a toast on several educative and public talk shows and discussions on societal issues of growth, development and sustainability bothering on law and legality. His participation amongst others includes; The Nigerian Television Authority discussion on numerous aspects of Constitutional Law and other legal matters affecting the Nation, Edition of numerous journals of Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal studies, Lagos, External Examiner of faculties of Law in various Universities in Nigeria including, Universities of Sokoto, Benin, Maiduguri, etc., Editor-in-Chief of all Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies(NIALS) Publications from 1995-2003, Collaborated at administrative and participatory levels in several programmes organized by the United Nations Agencies, Attended and participated in several law-related conferences, Et cetera.

 

1. 6 It is no gainsaying that the deceased was also an avid reader and as a scholarly compass to many, supervised and passed academics on research and mentored many to the zenith of their career in academics and legal practice. As a politician, he was the candidate of the National Republican Convention Party(NRC) in the 1991 Gubernatorial Election in Benue State and also held other political positions.

 

1. 7 The late learned silk had amongst other achievements during his lifetime, led several teams including the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s delegation in not less than 5 interactions with the UN and its organs; Conceived and organized the 1st National seminar on Nigerian Commercial Law, 4th-9th October 1982 which was attended by Eminent Scholars, Accountants, Company Executives, Judges and other professionals where several well researched papers were presented and discussed at the seminar; Organized a National Conference on State Taxation from November 28th-30th, 1984 where all of the then 19 State Governments in Nigeria participated and some of them donated for the success of the Conference; Restructured the Academic Departments and Consultancy Units of Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies; Created two centres in the Institute namely; the Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Centre for Consumer Protection; Reorganized, equipped and staffed the Computer Unit of the Institute; Organized and led the National Training for National Assembly legislative staff in the six geo-political zones across the Country between 1997-1998;Started the Institute’s Post Graduate Diploma and specialized Master’s Degree Programmes in Legislative Drafting and stablished the Institute’s presence in Abuja, FCT, Etcetera. This list to say the least, is inexhaustible if mention would be made of every minute detail of the deceased but significant achievements.

 

1. 9 In the area of publication, one can stop at nothing to acknowledge that, the deceased Prof was bookworm and a veracious writer with a midas touch. He has to his credit published not less than 18 books, over 11 round table proceedings, not less than 23 published articles, about 10 accepted articles and publications, over 48 conference papers etc. The erudition with which he delivered his conference papers reveal in sum the genial aspect of his hard work and brilliant make up.

 

1. 10 The deceased learned silk was a proud father to the warm embrace of a lovely wife and children. He got married to his first wife Vester Dooshima Ayua (Nee Kajo) in 1975, the cerebral and reserved B.I Hom, SAN was one amongst the groomsmen at that moment having been his High School mate, confidant, brother, very close friend and contemporary. The marriage was blessed with several children, however the joy of it was cut short in the year 2000 when his wife died via an accident along Makurdi-Gboko Road. In 2002, he had another marriage with Justice Mrs. Phoebe Msuean Ayua(Nee Irtwange) now of the Federal High Court, Port-Harcourt, who by providence was also his call mate. This time instead of a groomsman, the pious and committed Mr. & Mrs. B.I Hom, SAN became the sponsor and God parents of the wedding at St John de Baptist Church now St John de Baptist Cathedral Gboko. This marriage too is blessed with children. The deceased was a very successful family man.

 

1. 11 As the biblical injunction goes, “It is appointed for man to die once…” (Cf. Hebrews 9:27). Our father, brother, uncle, legal colleague and friend has returned to his maker. Prof. has nursed the ailment that finally returned him to his creator for some time now. He spent his last days contemplating on the mysteries of Christ whom he ardently followed and worshipped. He believed in the credo of the faith of the Universal Church he fellowshipped with when he professes that, “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the Forgiveness of Sins, the Resurrection of the Body and Life Everlasting, Amen”.

 

1. 12 Dear friends, the legal community has lost a rare gem, a reservoir of knowledge and one of her finest brains who devoted much time to the service of Nigeria by totally giving his intellectual endowment to the development of the legal petals of our society and internationally showcasing to the world the potentials of an African and to push home the dice, Nigerian. We owe him a debt of gratitude for the many interventions he made to the betterment of our society. Today we have come to bury a father, brother and learned friend and we shall say with him, “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only me, but to all who have longed for his appearance”. (Cf. 2 Timothy 4:7). As we inter the remains of our dear father, brother, friend and uncle, we pray God to console his family, friends and associates and to grant him merciful judgement at his bosom as He allows him safe passage to the throne of glory.
   Adieu Prof., we shall meet at the morning of the resurrection. Requiscate in Pacem.

Compiled by Ushahemba Dekaa,Esq.
PUBLICITY SECRETARY NBA MAKURDI.