A revered Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. JHC Okolo, turned 85 on Friday 21st August, 2020 and is also celebrating his 60th and 58th Call to the Irish and Nigerian Bars respectively.
The Legal luminary who is the Principal Partner, JHC Okolo, SAN & Co. is a trailblazer with a bag of accomplishments. He was the first African to win Queen Victoria Prize as the best overall student at the Irish Bar exams in 1960.
After his Call at the Nigerian Bar in 1962 Mr Okolo, SAN, taught for many years at the Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. Among his students at UNEC are Prof Ilochi Okafor, SAN, Prof Osarenren Osunbo, Dr Ibe Kachikwu among others. He was a Member of Council of Legal Education (1980-1995) and Chairman, Council of Legal Education (1985-1999) having taken over from late GCM Onyiuke, SAN who died in 1995.
Prof. Ilochi Okafor, SAN, while paying tribute to his former teacher testified that Okolo is highly skilled in cross-examination and was his teacher and mentor. He said further :
“Wow! At 85, still going strong, alert, brilliant, courtroom wily, devastating in cross-examination, a profuse linguist and looking 60 years. The celebration of J. H. C. Okolo SAN rightly is my priority. I happily celebrate my lecturer, mentor; he taught me Evidence in 1965/6 session. I made a straight ‘A’. He was so young and dashing the only lecturer in the university driving a Citroën car. Don’t Imagine what the girls thought of this but he was aloof. My teacher thank you so much for the footsteps you laid for me. Now the juveniles will appreciate the source of the little grasp of Evidence that enabled me to teach the course. Very happy birthday my teacher and I will celebrate your centenary celebration.”
On his part, Chief Pat Ikwueto, SAN celebrated the erudite Scholar as follows:
“Most learned senior, happy birthday & may God continue to bless u with continued good health. Many of us, as young lawyers in Onitsha in those days when advocacy was the hallmark of a good lawyer, were most captivated & awed with your oratorical erudition characterized with uncommon mastery of English language. Thank u for your inspiration & mentorship. God bless you sir.”
We at TheNigeriaLawyer wish the learned silk a very big happy birthday. Today is a special day to the Nigerian Legal Community worth celebrating because he is a father, a mentor and role model to many of us.
We wish you many happier returns in good health, sound mind, and prosperity. May your shadows never diminish sir!
