Nigeria’s first book on Construction Law will on Thursday, June 16 be unveiled in Abuja by a former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo SAN.
The book authored by Mrs Ewuwuni Onnoghen-Theophilus, a Nigerian lawyer and daughter of the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Samuel Onnoghen will be presented to the Nigerian public at Merit House, Maitama in Abuja.
A retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Mrs Mary Ukaego Peter Odili has been scheduled to co-present the historical law book.
A program of event sighted by our correspondent on Wednesday showed that eminent legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief James Ogwu Onoja is coordinating the book presentation.
Among the legal giants billed to witness the book presentation are Chairman, Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo SAN, Buhari’s Minister, Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, Malam Ahmed Raji SAN, Mahmoud Magaji SAN and Damian Dodo SAN among others.
Others are former governor of Cross River State, Chief Liyel Imoke, former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, General Overseer, Mountains of Fire and Miracles, Dr D.K Olukoya and Africa’s richest woman, Mrs Modupe Alakija.
The document also indicated that several Justices of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal as well as Heads of courts and Judges are to witness the unveiling of the law book.
Ewuwuni Onnoghen-Theophilus was born in Calabar, Cross River State on the 15 day of April 1984 to the family of Hon. Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, GCON, retired Chief Justice of Nigeria, Utuenikang Cross River State and Etieka Chief (Mrs) Nkoyo Walter Nkanu Onnoghen, BSc, MPA.
For her primary education, she attended the Nigerian Navy Primary School, Calabar and had her secondary education at Federal Government Girls’ College, Calabar.
During her secondary school holidays, Ewuwuni loved to accompany her father to the High Court of Cross River State where he served as a Judge.
Thus, grew her passion for the legal profession. It was, therefore, not surprising when in 2001, she gained admission to study law at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria where she graduated with Second Class Honours (Upper Division).
She thereafter proceeded to the Nigerian Law School where she repeated the same feat by again graduating with Second Class
Honours (Upper Division). She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2008.
Whilst at the University, Ewuwuni was actively involved in the activities of “Prima Strata”, a socio-cultural, philanthropic and
educational organization in the Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife.
Prima Strata was responsible for organising the annual National Inter-University Law Debate Competition. She was elected as Prima Scribe (secretary) of the organization in the 2004 – 2005 academic session.
Due to her diligence and dedication to duty, she was re-elected into the same post in the 2005 – 2006 academic session.
During her national (NYSC) service year (2008 – 2009) in Ilorin, Kwara State, the indefatigable Ewuwuni was elected Vice President of the Legal Aid Clinic, a Community Development Service Group of the NYSC.
She held the said post from January
2009 – July 2009 after which she passed out of the NYSC programme.
In December 2009, Ewuwuni got inducted into the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), Nigeria Branch as an Associate
(ACIArb).
In 2010, the ever-studious Ewuwuni proceeded to the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, where she obtained a Master of Laws (LL.M) Degree in construction law.
In 2014, she undertook the accelerated route to membership (Arbitration) course of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and
was inducted as a Member of the Institute (MCIArb) in 2015.
In 2016, Ewuwuni published the first Nigerian book on construction Law entitled “Construction Law in Nigeria”.
Mrs. Onnoghen-Theophilus is a Certified Negotiator having attended the Programme on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, Cambridge, USA in 2017.
She is a trained Mediator/Conciliator (ICMC, Nigeria) and was sworn in as a Notary Public in Nigeria in October 2018. Ewuwuni is listed as member in the Panel of Neutrals of the Uwais Dispute Resolution Centre (formerly known as the Abuja Multidoor Court House) Delta State Multidoor Court House, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre of the Federal High Court, and the Dispute
Resolution Centre of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Ewuwuni is passionate about her profession, and as the Lead Counsel in the law firm of ONNOGHEN-THEOPHILUS (a full-service
law chambers which specialises in construction law), she has
wide experience in negotiating, drafting, executing, and interpreting both domestic and international construction contracts.
She is adept at advising clients on the different aspects of construction projects and has been involved in the resolution of several construction disputes via litigation and ADR.
Mrs Onnoghen-Theophilus is a leading legal authority on the Nigerian construction sector and has authored articles and made presentations on the sector at seminars, webinars, and workshops.
Her book titled “Construction Law in Nigeria” remains the first and only indigenous legal work on the sector.