Chief Michael Ashikodi Agbamuche SAN, was a great lawyer and Nigeria’s former Attorney General and Minister of Justice. This extraordinary lawyer from Akwukwu-Igbo, Headquarters of Oshimili North Local Government Area in Delta State, was committed to the rule of law, inclusivity, fairness, humanitarian services and love for country. In fact, he was a great man who looked out for others.
Without doubt, Agbamuche was a quintessential lawyer and a roaring gladiator in the courtroom who was also friendly, convivial and compassionate. In spite of his status as a very senior lawyer, this attorney of many parts, was also polite to court personnel, respectful to judges and fair to his opponents and colleagues at the Bar. Since he passed away on Friday, 17 April, 1998, he has remained unforgettable. After many years, his family, members of his community, friends, associates, well wisher and everyone who came in contact with him, still miss him greatly. For us, members of his family in Akwukwu-Igbo, we are still unable to find someone to fill his big shoes after 25 years.
But I have a compelling personal story of Agbamuche’s goodness, humanism and power; and I would want to share it with you, my dear reader. Diokpa Agbamuche “The Great”, my father and mentor was indeed, the defender of the defenseless. Without him, I would not have made it as a student to Federal College of Arts and Science, FSS, Victoria Island, Lagos. When I was cheated and denied admission, he rose to the occasion in anger and personally went to the administrators of FSS and demanded to know why I was screened out from the admission’s list even after my spectacular performance at the entrance examination. With immediate alacrity, as they use to say, my letter into the college was delivered to me immediately after his intervention.
May the good Lord grant you, my dear Diokpa, eternal rest. And may He continue to bless those you left behind. We shall continue to remember you, the great legal luminary and Nnaobodo of Akwukwu-Igbo.
But the good news is that in a few days’ time, we shall be celebrating the posthumous birthday of this great man. Agbamuche, the father of modern Akwukwu-Igbo, was a man of uncommon candour, a true leader, a great source of pride to his community, a human rights defender and a man of the people.
We shall also be celebrating this lawyer and gentleman for all he stood for, including his good deeds in the legal profession, his community services and his contributions at the local, state and federal levels.
For those who did not encounter Agbamuche in his life time, he was indeed a man of the world. He was also a bridge-builder who stood for integration, justice and inclusiveness all through his life. He is one uncommon Nigerian with friends in every part of the country.
He was a fiery lawyer who was well-known for his humanitarian activities, a man who fought for less privileged people without legal fees, and a no nonsense man who was a role model to many people.
As we celebrate the 103 posthumous birthday of our unforgettable icon, we shall be distributing food items to over 200 people who truly need it in our midst, in line with his generous spirit. We thank May Agbamuche-Mbu, our big sister, for following in the footsteps of her father. This event would not have been possible without her.
Born on 16 August, 1920 in Akwukwu-Igbo where he attended St. John’s Primary School, he later worked as a Clerical Officer at the defunct Government Secretariat, Kaduna from where he passed his Senior Cambridge. He later travelled to the United Kingdom for further studies. After one year introduction course at what is today known as University of Surrey, he proceeded to King’s College, London, where he obtained a degree in Law. He was eventually called to the English Bar (Middle Temple), in 1957 before his return to Nigeria.
By 1962, he was already the Corona for Kano and Katsina Provinces, an appointment that was made by Queen Elizabeth 11, and ratified by Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sadauna of Sokoto and Premier of Northern Region. Agbamuche remained in private legal practice in the old Northern Nigeria until 1966. In 1967, he returned to Midwestern Region where he became the Principal State Counsel, Ministry of Justice, Benin-City. He later went to Lagos and restarted his private practice in 1970 after the Civil War. He continued with his professional life until 1976 when he was elected Counsellor for Oshimili Local Government Area. He later became a member of the Federal House of Representatives in 1979 on the platform of the Nigerian Peoples’ Party, NPP. He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN in 1984, and ten years after, he was appointed Attorney General and Minister of Justice.