HomeIts in the family
Its in the family

Like father, like son

Lillian Okenwa
By Lillian Okenwa

But for providence, his choice would have been either, farming, football, athletics, or humanitarian services. Law was certainly not in the picture; yet, Hon. Justice Suleiman Galadima, (rtd.) rose to become a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The same might not be said about his son Hon. Justice Ibrahim Suileman Galadima, who is presently a Judge of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN). Having observed his father’s steady rise to the top, there was little doubt that the younger Galadima knew what career path to choose. Born on October 10, 1946 in Shafa Abakpa Village, Nasarawa State, Hon. Justice Suleiman Galadima, retired from the judicial service on October 10, 2016, after six eventful years on the Supreme Court bench. In his words during his valedictory session on October 10, 2016, his Lordship said: “I could see the hand of destiny in my becoming a Judge even so much to my dislike.

I learned so early in life from my courtier – father the art of arbitration, adjudication and mediation among the family and village disputants. My choice naturally would have been farming, football, athletics, or a humanitarian service provider.” A former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed, who retired exactly one month after his Lordship’s valedictory session, described him thus: “On a personal note, I have always found his Lordship to be an astute and insightful man, who is morally upstanding, genuinely amiable and a gentleman in all sense of the word. I also know his Lordship to be a dedicated family man whose serenity and strict upbringing is fully reflected in his family.” Taking a cue from the words of the former CJN, Justice Suileman Galadima, disclosed that: “My life today is a manifestation of the upbringing of my father, who often admonished us to bring honour and glory home, and not ill- gotten wealth, which always attracts humiliation and disparagement.

He lived an honourable and honest life and died without any scandal, and it has always been my earnest desire to do same…” His Lordship joined the Qua Iboe Mission (QIM) Primary School, Shafa from 1953 to 1957. In 1957, having spent four years at QIM, his Junior Primary School came to an end, and it was time to advance to Senior Primary School. In the whole of then Keffi- Nasarawa Divisions, there was only one Senior Primary school, and it was at Laminga; somewhere between Keffi and Nasarawa. The journey from Sofiyo to Laminga to resume at the boarding school marked the first time he would board a vehicle – being a lorry which at that time, was the only means of transportation.

Hon. Justice Suleiman Galadima Hon. Justice Ibrahim Galadima
be a dedicated family man whose serenity and strict upbringing is fully reflected in his family.” Taking a cue from the words of the former CJN, Justice Suileman Galadima, disclosed that: “My life today is a manifestation of the upbringing of my father, who often admonished us to bring honour and glory home, and not ill- gotten wealth, which always attracts humiliation and disparagement.

He lived an honourable and honest life and died without any scandal, and it has always been my earnest desire to do same…” His Lordship joined the Qua Iboe Mission (QIM) Primary School, Shafa from 1953 to 1957. In 1957, having spent four years at QIM, his Junior Primary School came to an end, and it was time to advance to Senior Primary School. In the whole of then Keffi- Nasarawa Divisions, there was only one Senior Primary school, and it was at Laminga; somewhere between Keffi and Nasarawa. The journey from Sofiyo to Laminga to resume at the boarding school marked the first time he would board a vehicle – being a lorry which at that time, was the only means of transportation.

He attended Katsina-Ala Provincial Secondary School from 1960 till 1964, becoming the deputy head boy of the school in 1964, as well as the captain of the college volley ball and rugby teams, as well as a member of the athletic team. In 1965, he proceeded to the Government College, Keffi, for his higher school certificate. He was elected senior prefect in 1966. The effect of these positions of responsibility at an early stage contributed indelibly towards forging his lordship’s future career.

Subsequently, his Lordship joined Kirkpatric and Partners (an Engineering Consultancy Company) in Kaduna as a technician between May 1966 and October 1967. In due course, he became a market research assistant with Lever Brothers, Kaduna and Kano between 1967 and 1968. He attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria – first bagging a diploma in law in 1969 and later embarking upon an LLB degree after a brief working spell with Customs and Excise. Between May 1960 and October 1975, he was revenue officer/ legal officer with Customs and Excise. While with the Customs, he performed the following duties amongst others: collection and accounting of revenue, supervision of revenue officers, investigations of customs cases, preparation of legal opinions, advice and prosecution of cases.

Galadima was appointed higher registrar, High Court of Justice, Jos, Plateau state, and he served from May 1976 to August 1977. Between August 1977 and June 1978, he did the compulsory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in Enugu, the capital of the old Anambra State. And during his service year, he was Assistant Legal Aid leader, State Counsel at the ministry of justice, and later, secretary Law Review Commission.

After undergoing an eventful NYSC programme, he proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos and was called to the bar in 1978. He eventually received a Master of Laws degree from the University of Jos, in 1985. His Lordship was a Magistrate from July 1978, rising to the rank of Acting Chief Magistrate, before being seconded to become the Deputy Company Secretary, Ajaokuta Steel Company, then in Kwara State (in the present day Kogi State), where he served till November 1984. His first posting as a Magistrate was to Bukuru in Plateau state. It was a nine-kilometre journey that took him an hour from Jos town to Bukuru in public transport with litigants and suspected criminals alike.

At that time, the conditions of service were very discouraging – no internal transfers, illequipped court-room. In fact he shared the same office (Chambers) with his secretary. There were no incentives; little salary and allowances. He earned about N875 in a year; less than N1,000. He spent two years at Bukuru before gaining his promotion. Thereafter, he practiced law under the firm of Galadima-Husaini & Co., until March 1990, when he was appointed Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice of the old Plateau State.

In May 1991, Suleiman Galadima was elevated to the bench as a Judge of the High Court of Plateau State, and when Nasarawa State was created in 1996, he became the pioneer Chief Judge of the State, serving from October 1996 until December 9, 1998, when he was promoted to the Court of Appeal bench. His Lordship made his mark on the appellate bench, serving at various divisions such as Lagos and Enugu, before going on to be the Presiding Justice in Port Harcourt division from September 2006 to 2010. His first posting was to Enugu. This was in 1998 shortly after he was sworn-in. Elevated to the Supreme Court of Nigeria on September 16, 2010, he is a recipient of the National Honours of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR), which was conferred on him in 2011. He was later honoured as Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR). He has also been bestowed

“On a personal note, I have always found his Lordship to be an astute and insightful man, who is morally upstanding, genuinely amiable, and a gentleman in all sense of the word. I know his Lordship to be a dedicated family man whose serenity and strict upbringing is fully reflected in his family.”

with other accolades including Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award conferred on him by a delegation of the All Africa Students Union (AASU), Executive Committee on 12th April, 2016. In all 47 years of his life in Public Service (1969-2016), 26 years were spent in mainstream judiciary services, six of which were spent at the Apex Court. His Lordship is presently Chairman of Corruption and Financial Crime Cases Trial Monitoring C o m m i t t e e (COTRIMCO), He is blessed with six children – four males, two females. He also has four grandchildren His first son – Hon. Justice Ibrahim Suleiman Galadima, was born in Lagos on September 24, 1974. He spent most of his nursery school years in Jos, Plateau State, and eventually attended the University of Jos Primary School until his graduation in 1985. He was at St. Joseph’s College, Vom, Plateau State from 1985 to 1991, where he earned his Senior Secondary School Certificate.

He almost immediately went on to study Law at the University of Jos; finishing in 1997, and subsequently attended the Nigeria Law School in Bwari, Abuja (1998/99) – graduating as one of the best students in his class. He was subsequently called to the Nigeria Bar. Thereafter, he was posted to Calabar, Cross River State, to undergo the compulsory one year NYSC programme. On completion of the NYSC programme in 2000, he moved to Lagos State and was employed as a pupil counsel by Messrs Rickey Tarfa (SAN) and Co. About a year later, he relocated to Jos, Plateau State, where he
joined Mr. Pius Akubo (SAN) as counsel, but later established his law firm – Galadima and Company between 2002 and 2003. He however, caught the attention of the then Chief Judge of Nasarawa State, Justice Ahmed Ubangari, who invited him to be appointed as a Magistrate in Nasarawa State, and so from 2003, Justice Ibrahim Galadima, began his long career with the lower bench in his home State. Ibrahim Galadima rose from Magistrate Grade 1 to Chief Magistrate and in 2014, was appointed by the Chief Judge of Nasarawa State, Hon. Justice Suleiman Umaru Dikko, as the first Deputy Chief Registrar for Probate, a position he held until his elevation as a Judge of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria on July 14, 2017.

He is a member of the Nigeria Bar Association and the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC). As member of the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association (CMJA), he attended the Annual Conference in Kampala, Uganda in 2012. The younger Justice Galadima, delights in travelling. He is married, and has three children. L&s

Vision is determined to follow a worthy course, brick walls, hisses, chuckles, frowns or even disdainful snares cannot stop him…! #Be Passionate About Your Vision!
–Nwanneka Nwala

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