The serene hall of the NAF Conference Centre in Abuja was anything but silent on Wednesday, 7th May, 2025, as the intellectual force of Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, thundered through the air. On a day dedicated to memory, reflection, and a vision for a better Nigeria, he delivered a keynote lecture that etched itself into the hearts and minds of an elite audience gathered to honour one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark.
The occasion, marking the beginning of the burial obsequies of the late elder statesman, was both solemn and electrifying. As the legal luminary and rights advocate mounted the podium to deliver his lecture titled “Unity, Equity and Justice in Nigeria: Shall the Labour of Our Heroes Past Be in Vain?”, it became clear that this was more than an academic discourse—it was a passionate call to conscience.
Before an audience that read like a roll call of Nigeria’s power elite—former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon; ex-President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and his ever-supportive wife, Dame Patience Jonathan; Chief Mike Oghiadome, former Chief of Staff to the President; General IBM Haruna; Dr. John Nnia Nwodo, former President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo; senators, members of the diplomatic corps, former governors, and representatives of Nigeria’s diverse ethnic nationalities—Ozekhome dissected Nigeria’s fault lines with the scalpel of legal scholarship and the fire of activism.
Wearing the twin garbs of a constitutional scholar and a humanist, Ozekhome did not shy away from confronting Nigeria’s painful realities. He lamented the erosion of federalism, the marginalization of minorities, and the perversion of justice. With compelling anecdotes and historical allusions, he drew attention to the vision and sacrifices of Nigeria’s founding fathers—men and women who dreamed of a nation bound by equity and sustained by justice.
“Shall the labour of our heroes past be in vain?” he asked repeatedly, each time with a deeper resonance. The crowd responded in attentive silence, many visibly stirred.
Moderated by the respected statesman, Professor Jerry Gana, a panel session followed. Featuring environmental and human rights activist, Ankio Briggs, the discussion delved into the meat of Ozekhome’s lecture. Briggs, known for her fearless advocacy for the Niger Delta, expanded the narrative with firsthand insights into the environmental and social injustices her people continue to endure.
The panelists echoed Ozekhome’s concerns, reiterating that until every Nigerian feels a sense of belonging—irrespective of region, religion, or ethnic background—true unity would remain elusive.
Chief E.K. Clark, in whose memory the event was held, loomed large throughout the discussions. Described by many as a tireless fighter for justice, federalism, and resource control, Clark’s life was celebrated not just in words but in the urgency of the questions raised.
As the evening drew to a close, it became clear that the lecture was not just an intellectual exercise. It was a rallying cry. A tribute not only to the past but a challenge to the present and a vision for the future. Prof. Mike Ozekhome’s words reverberated with a singular purpose: to awaken a slumbering nation and remind its leaders that the labours of Nigeria’s heroes must not be in vain.
For those who listened, the memory of that day—and the message delivered—may just become a turning point in Nigeria’s ongoing quest for unity, equity, and justice.
