The Chairman of the NBA, Abakaliki Branch, Barrister Ede Samuel Edeh (JP), gave the charge in Ebonyi State during a civic reception organised in honour of Barrister Luke Nkwegu, SAN, recently elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC).
Barrister Edeh described the conferment as a landmark achievement for the Ebonyi legal community, noting that it came after a decade since the state last produced a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
“It is a very difficult height to attain. You don’t sleep and wake up to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
"The fact that this is happening in my time as chairman, after over a decade, gives me immense joy and hope for the future of our bar," Edeh said.
He stressed that the judiciary remains the “last hope of the common man” and warned that its sanctity must be protected by all stakeholders in the justice sector.
“We must reject bribery, shortcuts and all acts that corrupt the justice processes. Sanitising the system is not the duty of a Senior Advocate alone; it is a shared obligation of lawyers, judges and the society at large,” Edeh stated.
According to him, the celebration organised by Nkwegu’s kinsmen of the Izhi Nnodo clan, which also featured the conferment of a traditional title, Enyiwauzor I of Izhi Nnodo Clan, was a genuine recognition of professional excellence and integrity, and not driven by politics or inducement.
The event, held at Re-Meritona Hotels and Suites, Abakaliki, attracted senior members of the bar, government officials including Governor Francis Nwifuru, community leaders and well-wishers from across the state, marking a moment of rare professional pride for Ebonyi State.
Speaking on the sidelines of the reception, the newly elevated Senior Advocate of Nigeria described his conferment as a product of merit, character and sustained professional discipline, emphasising that the SAN rank is insulated from monetary inducement.
“To be elevated, first, you must be a lawyer; second, you must be a lawyer who has distinguished himself through character and hard work.
“You are thoroughly screened by relevant authorities and found worthy. It is not a position you can buy into. The process has in-built checks to test whether you truly represent what you profess," Nkwegu said.
He advised young and aspiring lawyers to shun desperation and focus on diligence, consistency and intellectual contribution to the development of the law.
“You don’t get it because you want it. You get it because you have worked for it,” he noted, adding that beyond courtroom advocacy, aspirants to the inner bar must contribute meaningfully to legal jurisprudence by establishing principles that guide judicial decision-making.
Nkwegu, a former member of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, acknowledged that the journey to the rank was demanding, requiring clarity of purpose, professional restraint and unwavering commitment to ethical standards.
He cautioned against what he described as the over-spiritualisation of success without commensurate effort, saying, “God will want it only if you have actually worked for it.”
Observers said the elevation of Barrister Luke Nkwegu, SAN, has significantly boosted the profile of the Ebonyi legal community and serves as renewed encouragement to younger practitioners to pursue professional excellence anchored on integrity, hard work and respect for the rule of law.
