Profile: OLISA AGBAKOBA
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Toyin Falola
Mar 15, 2007, 6:04:09 AM3/15/07
to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
Quintessence Award 2007 : MR. OLISA
AGBAKOBA
"Quintessence Award 2007 - for distinguished
accomplishments
in legal practice and human rights advocacy, and
for outstanding contributions to the history and heritage of
African peoples."
Mr. Olisa Agbakoba's name is now in the pantheon of prominent human and civil rights activists that have graced the African continent in post colonial times. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), his has been a consequential career in the legal profession in Nigeria for three decades. On August 31, 2006, Nigerian lawyers who constitute the membership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) overwhelmingly elected him as President of the NBA.
For the past 15 years or more of his legal career, Mr. Agbakoba has taken particular interest in and established an iconic and stellar reputation in the field of human rights in Africa and Nigeria. In 1987, he co-foundered the Civil Liberties Organization of Nigeria (CLO), one of Africa's largest human rights organizations. He is also co-founder of AFRONET, the Inter-African Network for Human Rights and Development, one of the strongest Pan-African organizations seeking to develop the African human rights movement. During the dreaded regime of General Sani Abacha as military president in Nigeria, Mr. Agbakoba convened the United Action for Democracy (UAD), Nigeria's largest coalition of human rights groups that fought and opposed late General Abacha's attempt to rule Nigeria indefinitely. On 3rd March, 1998, the UAD organized a 5 million-person march to oppose a staged Government rally that was calling on Gen. Abacha to continue in office. Mr. Agbakoba was tear-gassed, badly bruised, beaten, detained and arrested by the Police. On May 1, 1998, the UAD also led a 20-city strike against continued Military rule in Nigeria. Apparently in fear of what Agbakoba might organize next, General Abacha had him (Agbakoba) arrested and detained in prison. While in prison, Agbakoba narrowly escaped assassination, and was only released on June 25, 1998, following the surprising death of General Abacha. The UAD was acknowledged as one of the major leading opponents to General Abacha in his days in office.
In 1997, Mr. Agbakoba founded HURILAWS, a Non Governmental Organization dedicated to advancing human rights through organized and consistent public interest litigation. He and the lawyers at HURISLAW decided to specialize in this field as a result of the absence of specialist human rights litigators. With Agbakoba as Senior Counsel, they reasoned that the provision of a specialist public and human rights law services, provided by legal professionals with extensive expertise in the field, would benefit civil society and advance the development of a rights-based jurisprudence. They are committed to using their experience to assist not only individual victims of human rights abuses, but also civil society institutions, disadvantaged communities and groups, youth organizations, community-based organizations and trade unions.
Mr. Olisa Agbakoba has won several international human rights prizes for his work in promoting and defending human rights.
Born in Jos, Plateau State of Nigeria, Mr. Agbakoba is an old student of Christ the Kings College, Onitsha, Immaculate Conception College, Enugu and later Government College, Ughelli, Delta State. He is an alumnus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, from where he graduated with LL.B (Hons) in 1977. In 1980 he proceeded to the London School of Economics and obtained the Master's degree oof Law, LL.M. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1978 and was conferred with the lawyers' rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1997. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a member of the Institute of Directors and Officer of the Order of Nigeria.
Mr. Olisa Agbakoba is the Senior Partner of Olisa Agbakoba & Associates. He is a member of the Nigeria Bar Association; International Bar Association and affiliated to many international organizations. He is the founder and chairperson of the Green Party of Nigeria.
in legal practice and human rights advocacy, and
for outstanding contributions to the history and heritage of
African peoples."
Mr. Olisa Agbakoba's name is now in the pantheon of prominent human and civil rights activists that have graced the African continent in post colonial times. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), his has been a consequential career in the legal profession in Nigeria for three decades. On August 31, 2006, Nigerian lawyers who constitute the membership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) overwhelmingly elected him as President of the NBA.
For the past 15 years or more of his legal career, Mr. Agbakoba has taken particular interest in and established an iconic and stellar reputation in the field of human rights in Africa and Nigeria. In 1987, he co-foundered the Civil Liberties Organization of Nigeria (CLO), one of Africa's largest human rights organizations. He is also co-founder of AFRONET, the Inter-African Network for Human Rights and Development, one of the strongest Pan-African organizations seeking to develop the African human rights movement. During the dreaded regime of General Sani Abacha as military president in Nigeria, Mr. Agbakoba convened the United Action for Democracy (UAD), Nigeria's largest coalition of human rights groups that fought and opposed late General Abacha's attempt to rule Nigeria indefinitely. On 3rd March, 1998, the UAD organized a 5 million-person march to oppose a staged Government rally that was calling on Gen. Abacha to continue in office. Mr. Agbakoba was tear-gassed, badly bruised, beaten, detained and arrested by the Police. On May 1, 1998, the UAD also led a 20-city strike against continued Military rule in Nigeria. Apparently in fear of what Agbakoba might organize next, General Abacha had him (Agbakoba) arrested and detained in prison. While in prison, Agbakoba narrowly escaped assassination, and was only released on June 25, 1998, following the surprising death of General Abacha. The UAD was acknowledged as one of the major leading opponents to General Abacha in his days in office.
In 1997, Mr. Agbakoba founded HURILAWS, a Non Governmental Organization dedicated to advancing human rights through organized and consistent public interest litigation. He and the lawyers at HURISLAW decided to specialize in this field as a result of the absence of specialist human rights litigators. With Agbakoba as Senior Counsel, they reasoned that the provision of a specialist public and human rights law services, provided by legal professionals with extensive expertise in the field, would benefit civil society and advance the development of a rights-based jurisprudence. They are committed to using their experience to assist not only individual victims of human rights abuses, but also civil society institutions, disadvantaged communities and groups, youth organizations, community-based organizations and trade unions.
Mr. Olisa Agbakoba has won several international human rights prizes for his work in promoting and defending human rights.
Born in Jos, Plateau State of Nigeria, Mr. Agbakoba is an old student of Christ the Kings College, Onitsha, Immaculate Conception College, Enugu and later Government College, Ughelli, Delta State. He is an alumnus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, from where he graduated with LL.B (Hons) in 1977. In 1980 he proceeded to the London School of Economics and obtained the Master's degree oof Law, LL.M. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1978 and was conferred with the lawyers' rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1997. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a member of the Institute of Directors and Officer of the Order of Nigeria.
Mr. Olisa Agbakoba is the Senior Partner of Olisa Agbakoba & Associates. He is a member of the Nigeria Bar Association; International Bar Association and affiliated to many international organizations. He is the founder and chairperson of the Green Party of Nigeria.
Married to Lilian Agbakoba, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba has three children. He hails from Umuase Village in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Ugorji O. Ugorji, Ed.D.
Executive Director
African Writers Endowment, Inc.
African...@gmail.com
The Quintessence Awards for 2007 will be presented on March 31, 2007, at the Newark Airport Hilton Hotel, in Newark, New Jersey. The award is the preeminent Pan-African Leadership Award in North America. For more information, please send an e-mail to African...@gmail.com.
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Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7224
512 475 7222 (fax)
http://www.toyinfalola.com/
www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa
http://groups.google.com/group/yorubaaffairs
http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7224
512 475 7222 (fax)
http://www.toyinfalola.com/
www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa
http://groups.google.com/group/yorubaaffairs
http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
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