Lillian Okenwa
8 June 2005
Abuja — History was made yesterday as the Chief Justice of Nigeria; Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais swore in the first female Supreme Court Justice to office.
Called to the bar in 1967 with experiences both at the bar and on the bench, Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, who hails from Kano State, was sworn in along with three other Justices of the Appeal Court who were nominated by President Olusegun Obasanjo for elevation to the nations apex court.
Other justices who were elevated with her are: Mahmud Mohammed, Wilson Samuel Nkanu Onneghen and Ikechi Francis Ogbuagu.
Uwais in his address said the occasion was indeed historical adding that Mukhtar's elevation is "the fulfilment of the promise made sometime ago by the President Olusegun Obasanjo to a female organisation that before he quit office as president, a female Justice would be appointed to the Supreme Court.
He was also quick to observe that the "swearing-in normally held in this Court has never witnessed so many female Judges, lawyers and others. This is the evidence of solidarity amongst our females."
He admitted that the Justices are happy to have a female Justice among them but pointed out that, "there is no gender difference in the legal profession."
Uwais also disclosed that there are other histories made in the Court yesterday.
"I need to mention that history is being made also with regard to the appointments of Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed, whose home State is Taraba State and Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen, from Cross River State, both of North-Eastern and South-South geo-political zones respectively.
"I say so, because the last the Supreme Court had a Justice from the North-East was 1979 when the late Hon. Justice Buba Ardo left to become the Chief Judge of the then North-Eastern State.
"Similarly, the last time we had a Justice from the former Cross-River State was when the late Sir Udo Udoma retired in 1982 as Justice of the Supreme Court.
"As for Hon. Justice Ikechi Ogbuagu, he too is making history. He is the first indigene of Abia State to be appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court..."
The very well attended ceremony had the governors of Kano, Taraba and Cross-River State in attendance.
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