Prof Ben Nwabueze to Buried February 29 in Anambra

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The remains of a foremost constitutional lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze, will be laid to rest on Thursday, February 29, 2024, at his country home in Atani, Ogbaru Local Government Area, Anambra State, a statement from the Prof Ben Nwabueze National Burial Committee has announced.

The burial team is co-chaired by the former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Mr Mr Emeka Anyaoku, and the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Mr Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.

In the statement issued on Monday, it was stated that the burial activities would commence on Thursday, February 22, 2024, with a Valedictory Court Session at the Lagos State High Court Premises, Ikeja, at 2 pm. The event will be presided over by the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba.

The next day, the train will move to the Harbour Point Event Centre in Lagos for the Day of Tributes at 2 pm.

After the interment on February 29, there would be a Day for National Tributes and Celebration for him on Friday, March 1, 2024, at Atani by 12 noon.

Activities will return to Lagos for a National Colloquium/Dialogue at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos, on Monday, March 18, 2024, at 11 am.

According to the statement signed by the scribe of the committee, Mr Olawale Okunniyi, the date for the National Colloquium/Dialogue was deliberately settled for March 18 for the colloquium to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the 2014 Nigerian National Conference, which was inaugurated on March 17, 2014, by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The late legal luminary, until his death, championed the cause of restructuring, which he believed was the only pathway to an egalitarian and prosperous nation.

He was an extraordinary scholar, teacher, lawyer, winner of the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM), Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and one-time Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

Prof Nwabueze, who at the time of his passing on October 29, 2023, at the age of 92, was the most senior lawyer in Nigeria with a scholarly output that included over 34 books, 100 conference keynotes, and 200 peer-reviewed and scientific articles, and probably also the most prolific and influential legal scholar out of Africa.