Alagoa: Eminent jurist bows out at 70

The session which took place at the Supreme Court Complex was conducted by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar. Justice Alagoa, who hails from Ogbolamabiri Nembe in Bayelsa State, was born on October 4, 1943, to the family of Mr Wilberforce Alagoa (MBE) and Mrs Elizabeth Alagoa of Nembe West Local […]

The session which took place at the Supreme Court Complex was conducted by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar.
Justice Alagoa, who hails from Ogbolamabiri Nembe in Bayelsa State, was born on October 4, 1943, to the family of Mr Wilberforce Alagoa (MBE) and Mrs Elizabeth Alagoa of Nembe West Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
He was called to bar in October 1974 and thereafter practiced law privately in Port Harcourt for 11 years before he was appointed a High Court Judge in 1990.
In the course of his voyage on the High Court bench, Alagoa displayed immense industry and scholarship. Consequently, he was appointed chairman of several electoral petition tribunals across the country.
He was elevated to the Court of Appeal Bench in June, 2003.
He was a Presiding Justice of Ibadan Division of the Court of Appeal from where he was elevated to the Supreme Court Bench in July 2012, and sworn in on September 26, 2012.
His experience in consideration of issues and sound judgment have been of great value. Some of which include but not limited to The State V Ahmed Rabiu (2013) 2 SCNJ 76 as well as Chief Augustine Ndulue 2 V Igwe Michael Ojiakor and Ors (2013) 2 SCNJ 310.
By his well reasoned judgment, Alagoa has advanced the frontiers of knowledge and contributed greatly to the development of law in Nigeria.
Speaking at the valedictory session, Justice Aloma Mukhtar described retired Justice Stanley Alagoa, as a “distinguished judicial officer and a tireless worker.’’
Alagoa, in his speech described politicians, traditional rulers and business men as the greatest challenge facing the judiciary.
This he said, is because they are the class of persons that bribe, intimidate, harass or influence judges to depart from their sacred oath of office.

Alagoa said further that any judge who hobnobs with the group may well be unwittingly allowing his position to be compromised and possibly jeopardized.
“A judge most hold fast to his faith in God and be bold. This done, this class of persons, like bees can only buzz around but must certainly lack power and ability to sting.
“A necessary first step is the selection process. Only men and women of proven integrity and courage should be picked to sit on the bench. The bar must be made to play an important role in this selection.
“Unfortunately, judges are among the most maligned people as baseless and frivolous petitions are sometimes written against them. When an allegation of corrupt practices or wrong doing is made against a judge, it is necessary to investigate that allegation very carefully and thoroughly and if substantiated, appropriate punishment should be meted out to the erring judge,” Alagoa averred at the occasion.
Also speaking at the occasion, Chief T.J Okpoko SAN stressed the need for a reform in the justice sector and commended the agenda of the CJN to sanitize the sector describing it as a new beginning.
“These are structural reforms of the legal institutions in the country which will require legislation. This is not within the control of the legal profession. Of such reform I will say nothing now until the Nigerian dream at a national conference is actualized.
“In recent years, changes at the headship of the Supreme Court have been frequent. On assumption of office, a Chief Justice requires time to settle down to the new office in order to become master of the system.
“Such frequent change of leadership of the apex court cannot make for stable policy formulation or execution. This is not to suggest any elongation of the present age of retirement.”
The NBA in its speech called on the Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC, the National Judicial Council, NJC, and the Presidency to change the approach and procedure for appointment of justices to the apex court.
“There is a worrisome high turnover of justices in the Supreme Court. Take for instance, all the justices in the court as at 2004 are now retired. As at today, only six out of the 16 justices of the court in 2008 are presently serving. In the past seven years, we have had six Chief Justices of Nigeria. By 2016, that is in three years, at least nine justices of this court as presently constituted, will have retired.”