TRIBUTE: Amos Utuama: The Eagle Goes Home, By Oma Djebah

“We should all give our best to public service, and be grateful because it is a privilege to be called upon,’’ he would cheerfully declare, every now and then, at our weekly meetings of the Delta State Executive Council. Amos Agbe Utuama, a professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and deputy governor of Delta State (2007-2015), an erudite scholar-administrator, was a towering legal figure, with congenial demeanor, whose infectious smile, hearty fatherly figure, and moral leadership, animated meetings. I had the pleasure of being a member of the Delta State Executive Council as the State’s commissioner for information, and worked under Mr Utuama when he was the deputy governor of the oil-producing state.

However, it wasn’t at the Council Chambers of the Delta State Executive Council that I first met the inimitable professor whose life was a testament to the power of service, integrity, and leadership. I have had the privilege of knowing the late highly accomplished legal scholar-jurist, for more than three decades.

This explains why I find myself in intense emotional grief as I pen this tribute in honour of the legacy of the esteemed professor and revered administrator. He was a mentor, friend, leader and a guiding star. His passing on 2 November 2024, at the age of 77, left a huge void in our families, communities, Delta State, and the larger Nigerian Society.

Mr Utuama, whose funeral service holds on April 30, was an eagle in legal scholarship, a giant in law, a lofty figure, and above all, a genial, good-natured personality. His sad death marks the end of a significant chapter in Nigeria’s legal and political history. He was an intellectual icon, a pleasant legal practitioner, forthright politician, and top-notch administrator, whose contributions to the tapestry of legal scholarship and public service were phenomenal and compelling. Indeed, Mr Utuama’s colossal legal stature as a scholar-jurist was like an eagle, king of the birds. Like an eagle, he possessed expansive knowledge, adept administrative acuity and soaring professional proficiency.

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I would like to say without any equivocation that Mr Utuama, a sublime professor of law, admirable public administrator and a unique politician, was Nigeria’s Professor William Blackstone, one of Britain’s most globally reputed and accomplished jurists who was an embodiment of the rich virtues of public service, noble politics, sound legal practice and deep knowledge of the Bench. Oxford-educated Mr Blackstone, famous for his excellent legal commentaries on the Laws of England, whose biography has been translated into about 31 languages, was a public administrator of note, a distinguished member of Parliament, representing the Borough of Hindon in 1761, and a very successful legal scholar-jurist. Like Mr Blackstone, Mr Utuama’s illustrious and noble career traversed the intersection of worthy legal practice, scholarship, politics and public administration. At different times, he was an outstanding professor of law at the University of Lagos whose ground-breaking scholarly works stood him out; former attorney-general and commissioner for justice, Delta State (1999-2007); deputy governor of Delta State (2007-2015) and founder of Prime Chambers. He helped to bridge the domains of law, politics and academics.

He was one of the most esteemed legal minds in the legal profession in the global south. His intellectual prowess, honesty, loyalty and calm comportment stood him out like a shining lighthouse. He had a very unique perspective as an elderly figure at the Delta State Executive Council, where his stellar interventions on tricky, delicate subject matters were always well-received. His rich contributions to many public policy matters in Delta State cannot be overestimated. In fact, his chairmanship of critical State Committees to address knotty issues underscored this point. I was privileged to work under him as the Honourable Commissioner for Information (2007-2011) during the administration of Emmanuel Uduaghan, a calm, and visionary administrator; his unique capacity to identify brains and put them to the patriotic service of Delta state was equally unique, and applaudable.

The benefits Delta State gained from Mr Utuama’s towering legal stature, priceless knowledge and cherished contributions, were to my mind, crucial to key successes of the Delta State government at different times. He was attorney-general and commissioner for justice of the state during the administration of James Ibori. And many may recall with nostalgia how Mr Utuama’s sterling expertise and pragmatism, addressed tricky aspects of the knotty legal quandary over 13 per cent derivation vis-a-vis revenue allocation as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.

I knew the late Mr Utuama for over three decades. I met him for the first time at the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (UNILAG) where he was teaching land law. Apart from hailing from the same ethnic demographic as him, Mr Utuama was a mentor to me and many others. As a practicing journalist in Lagos, I wanted some clarity on an issue relating to land law, and a colleague asked that I meet the eminent professor as an acknowledged subject matter expert. He was very warm, fatherly and most welcoming. Another thing that struck me about him was that he had a strong admiration for men of the pen. Consequently, we struck a life-long relationship. Thus, during my time as a master’ s student in International Law and Diplomacy (MILD) at the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, I would customarily bob into his office.

He was without doubt, one of the most erudite, humble and compassionate scholars-public administrators I ever knew. Mr Utuama was always a go-to-person on tricky, complicated public policy matters. He was not only a quintessential legal mind but also profoundly analytical. His rigorous analytical skills and profundity of thought were valuable assets that many of us in the Delta State government benefitted from. These fine attributes resonated far and wide. I am convinced that anyone who encountered Mr Utuama would agree with me that Nigeria has lost one of its most brilliant legal minds. He was a rare asset to Delta State, and a great gift to Nigeria.

Mr Utuama evinced both forthrightness and uprightness. Sometime in 1994, I had cause to visit him once more. A team of accomplished experts drawn from various fields; notably engineering, geology, geo-environmental studies, law, media, architecture, diplomacy, medicine, economics, accountancy, had put together a Consortium to engage the then Niger Delta Environmental Studies (NDES) chaired by late Boardroom guru, Gamaliel Onosode. I had approval of the body to reach out to Professor Utuama if he would like to be involved in the consortium notwithstanding that the team already had very formidable professors of law. He welcomed the idea with open arms.

However, he politely nixed the invitation on grounds that it would amount to a conflict of interest as he was already part of a similar group assembled by the University of Lagos under the leadership of Jelili Omotola, a professor, to equally submit a bid to the Onosode-led NDES. My respect for him grew astronomically. That was typical of Mr Utuama. This explained why public service could take Mr Utuama into politics but politics could not snatch the humanity and morality out of him. Similarly, politics could take him out of the classroom but it couldn’t take teaching, and mentoring out of him.

Throughout his long and treasured career trajectory in the Delta State government which lasted for about 16 years (eight years as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, 1999-2007; and eight years as deputy governor, 2007-2015), Mr Utuama, stayed true to himself.

Whether Utuama was in the classroom teaching at the University of Lagos or he was presiding over the Delta State Tenders Board which he was Chairman between 2007-2011, or he was deputising for the governor of Delta State, Dr Uduaghan at that time, his understanding and conduct, radiated excellence and geniality. His love for the people was glorious. He exuded great brilliance, candour and committed patriotism. As Stephen Covey espoused, “Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.’ The late former deputy governor had the fire from within him. He was humble but classy. Prof, as I used to address him, was also a man of humble beginnings.

Mr Utuama’s string of accomplishments in the field of legal scholarship cum practice as well as public administration are gladdening and meritorious. His phenomenal academic papers and works are well documented. In an age of opportunism, where integrity and honesty seem to have taken flight, Mr Utuama remained committed to his age-long principles of honesty, moral conviction and rule of law. He would rather deploy the instrumentality of the law to test, resolve complicated matters than resort to circumvented process.

He was a very dedicated Christian of the Catholic faith. I recollect vividly in November, 2010 when the election of Governor Uduaghan was annulled by an election petition tribunal. As the Commissioner for Information, I was part of a team designated to meet in Abuja with Professor Utuama. We both boarded the same flight enroute Abuja. However, while airborne, our flight ran into severe turbulence. The pilot tried to de-escalate the tension by announcing that even though the flight encountered bad weather the situation was under control. I turned to Prof. We both said the Catholic prayers, and he assured me that God would mercifully navigate the flight to touchdown safely in Abuja. His composure, calmness in the midst of that tension was very soothing.

I recall my last conversation with him, and the assurances that he was recovering well and that his condition was getting more stable. Little did I know that would be our last discussion. Habitually, I spoke to him through his son, Dr Ovie Utuama, while he was in the United States. And upon his return to Nigeria, I would call his daughter, Dr Fejiro , to speak with him, as his phones were taken away from him. His demise is a big loss to all — Delta State, the legal profession, the Niger Delta and Nigeria. His contributions to national development were extraordinary. He was a member of the Body of Benchers (1993-2003); member, Chartered Institute of Arbitration in the UK, fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, chairman of the Delta State Boundary Committee, etc.

He was a conscientious scholar, collegial, deeply convivial, and professional in his disposition. His love for education was heroic. Professor Utuama who hailed from Otu-Jeremi in Ughelli South Local government area of Delta State was born on June 5, 1947. He earned his LLB, LLM, and PhD degrees from the University of Lagos, where he also taught for several years. He was subsequently named a full professor of Law, and conferred with the prestigious SAN in recognition of his excellent and meritorious legal practice. He was the author and editor of over a 100 scholarly works. He was married to Nelly Tuwere Utuama and they are blessed with four lovely children. Adieu Prof. Your lasting legacy and rich memory live in our hearts.

Oma Djebah, Journalist-Diplomat, Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Delta State Honourable Commissioner for Information, and previously Nigeria’s Ambassador to Thailand, is the author of the book, Niger Delta: Peacebuilding Options.