I spoke to Late Barrister Abam Okoi Ifere precisely for the last time about two weeks before his transition when I called him to find out how he was doing. I asked about his health which was quite precarious in recent times. He told me he was fine, hale and hearty. I had a great shock, in the morning of the 7th June, 2011 when I reactivated my cell phone only to received a terse text message from Barrister Ifere’s brother, Okoi, which reads as follows:
“Barr. Obla, morning. My younger brother, Barr Abam Ifere died this morning. Kk”
I was stunned, and entranced for some minutes. When I came to I immediately placed a call to Okoi Ifere just to confirm if what was contained in his text message was a reality. Okoi confirmed the passage of Barrister Ifere. This has once again confirmed to me beyond a shadow of doubt the flighty and transient nature of life. I think William Shakespeare was absolutely correct when he aptly wrote in one of his numerous classical works that: the world is a stage and we are mere actors that will surely exit after the end of a play. I submit that late Barrister Ifere had played his part well and the time for his exit came when he passed away. The Holy Bible says without any equivocation in the Book of Ecclesiastes that: there is time for everything. There is a time to be borne and a time to die.
Barrister Ifere exited at an early age. He was barely 34 Years Old. But does it matter the age at which God elects to decree our exit? Some of the greatest people died at quite an early age. Mozart had reached his zenith at the age of 20 years and he exited at 26. John F. Kennedy the First Catholic President of the United States of America who took the American political scene like a colossus died at the age of 43 years. Barrister Ifere had contributed his quota to the development of the Nigerian Legal System. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2004. He served in the mandatory NYSC in 2005.
Barrister Ifere joined my practice in 2006. I knew all the members of his family but I did not know him. He walked deliberately and slowly into my office at No. 98 Marian Road Calabar one early morning in August, 2006, to ask that I allowed him, to join my practice. He introduced himself as the younger brother of Barrister Eric Ifere, a London based Solicitor who is my friend and colleague. We lived together while we were student at the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos during the 1989/1990 Academic Session. I did not hesitate for one second. I told him that he was free to come after reminding him how dangerous it could be for him to join my practice which is more or less devoted to fighting for the enthronement of social justice. He told me in his usual calm but collected manner that the reason he decided to join me was because he was inspired by my work as a Social Advocate.
Late Barrister Ifere was a very humble, compassionate and humorous person. He was a study in patience and calmness. He was very perceptible and he brought all these characteristics to bear in his practice as a Lawyer. I submit that it was because of his natural predisposition to patience and meticulousness for details I assigned most of the criminal law schedule especially Police Matters to him in chambers. We used to tease him as the CID of the Chambers because of the success and dexterity he used to handle Police Matters. He was very brilliant in his own right. He was the filibuster type of lawyer who played to the gallery. He chose his words and presented his arguments calmly, slowly, deliberately but with great erudition.
May the Almighty God grant his gentle soul eternal repose. Amen
Obol Okoi Ofem Obono-Obla
(Obol Kobil of Ijiman)
No comments:
Post a Comment