Abraham Lincoln, former President of the United States, once said:
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”
Chief Augustine Oyarekhua Alegeh, SAN, FCIArb (UK), CON, the charismatic and dynamic Founding and Principal Partner of Alegeh & Co., is not only a foremost Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK, but has also etched his name in the hall of fame of the Nigerian legal profession as the progressive 27th President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
Elected President of the Nigerian Bar Association in 2014, his tenure brought about life-changing reforms, innovations and path-finding initiatives. Chief Alegeh, SAN, FCIArb (UK), CON, changed the NBA paradigm by removing the delegate system of voting for NBA national officers and introducing universal suffrage for lawyers in Nigeria.
Chief Augustine Oyarekhua Alegeh, SAN, FCIArb (UK), CON, also introduced the Stamp and Seal policy and, importantly, finished his tenure by providing the NBA with a brand-new national secretariat in Abuja, a feat accomplished seamlessly, with class and alacrity.
Chief Alegeh’s nearly 40 years of legal practice have had a profound impact on the legal profession, with his influence touching the lives of lawyers across Nigeria, including that of the writer.
It is in recognition of his contributions to national development and the legal profession that the Federal Government of Nigeria bestowed on him the distinguished national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
Chief Alegeh, SAN, FCIArb (UK), CON, is a stickler for benevolence and magnanimity. He can hardly say no to genuine requests. He is a benefactor to many and an inspiration to lawyers across generations—young, intermediate and senior.
As Winston Churchill, former British Prime Minister, famously said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
Chief Alegeh, SAN, FCIArb (UK), CON, is a Life Bencher and has served as Chairman of the Body of Benchers Appointments Committee. He is also a trustee of the Nigerian Bar Association, among several other positions he has held in the service of the legal profession and the country.
On his birthday, we celebrate one of the shining lights of the legal profession in Africa—a man who is not merely great, but has become an enigma. He moved from being an enigma to becoming a legend, and as we speak, Chief Alegeh, SAN, FCIArb (UK), CON, has become a myth, a realm rarely attained by mortals. Indeed, he has achieved immortality through his contributions to the legal profession and society.
Happy birthday to you, sir.
We wish you more grace, greater prosperity and continued good health. You have given essence to the meaning of life, as Norman Cousins aptly observed, “The tragedy of life is not that we die, but what dies inside us while we live.”
May your years ahead be filled with greater accomplishments, fulfilment, good health and enduring impact.
Happy Birthday, Chief Augustine Oyarekhua Alegeh, SAN, FCIArb (UK), CON.
Diamonds are forever.
• Sent by Douglas Ogbankwa, Esq. You can contact him via douglasogbankwa@gmail.com