Quidquid bonum, quidquid pulchrum, quidquid honestrum, dignum laude est. (Whatever is good, whatever is beautiful, whatever is honorable, is Worthy of praise).
We have every cause to shout “EUREKA”, which is a Greek word that means, ” I have found it, or I have discovered it”. This famous exclamation, made by the ancient Greek mathematician and Engineer, Archimedes, when he discovered the principle of buoyancy while taking his birth, jumped out of the bathtub and ran naked through the streets shouting “EUREKA”, to share his excitement with the world. Today, the entire URATTA OFOR ASATO MBAM IRI in Owerri North LGA Imo State and friends of Hon. Chief Barr. CANICE Manukaji ( OBULIMBA OWERRI NORTH AND IGWEKALA URATTA) are re+echoing EUREKA as their own son, brother and friend has been discovered once again and found worthy to be given the award of Excellence in leadership by his own people. With the latin dictum, VOX POPULI, VOX DEI (Voice of the people is the voice of God), we are saying without any fear of equivocation or contradiction that this award given to him, our legal luminary, a man of many parts with leadership qualities, capacity and sagacity is “ad-ren” to our society.
Barr (Chief) Canice Madukaji, OBULIMBA, IGWEKALA, was born close to fifty years ago to the noble family of Oke Oha Canice Njokuji Madukaji, Akinka 1 and Ugoha Grace Obiageri Madukaji. Young Canice started showing brilliance from infancy to the admirations of his family and relatives. A witty, smart and very handsome lad, his grasps of issues and eloquence in speech confounded many. At pre-primary, primary stages of formal education, his brilliance and cognitive domains were greatly manifest in his exams and other extra curriculum activities in the schools. At the secondary school level, his intellectual resourcefulness became greater manifest. His teachers continued to turn great admirable testimonials in his end of terms assessments. He was a first class student.
In choosing course of study in the university, Law readily came first in his considerations of choices. Some say he was a born advocate because of his bright and persuasive clinical examinations and presentations of issues. It could rightly be said that “law chose him” and rightly too. This can be best appreciated from the prism of legal opinions, advocacy, arbitrations and writings which are acclaimed to be expert professorial in inputs. He is an international public speaker of great repute.
He is a successful and well sought community leader and developer. He has always devoted his time, thoughts, resources, energy and knowledge in the administration of his Uratta community. His feet on the sands of time in the development of Uratta are manifest and indelible. He was President, UDA, a position he held with wisdom, courage and nobility.
Barr(Chief) Canice Madukaji has consistently contributed to the elevations of the human capacities in economy and has assisted many people to be self reliant through his humanitarian programs as well influencing employments for a great number of people in his community and beyond. Among other of his personal contributions to the development of his community are, donation of electricity transformers, solar lights, founder/sponsor of Obulimba Madukaji football club, Umuoba Uratta, training of many skills acquisitions, sponsorship of many indigent students in Waec, UTME(JAMB) and those in tertiary institutions.
Apart from his profitable law practice, he is also into real estate, public analyst, chartered arbitrator etc.
His knowledge and command of Igbo and English are not only grand, they are also pedagogical. His witty and catch phrases are quotables in the daily communications of people who come across him. He is indeed, the Cicero of our time.
He is happily married to a beautiful and adorable woman, Lolo Chiaka Canice Madukaji, OSODIEME, a staff of Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri. He is a member of his professional association, Nigerian Bar Association, and many professional and sociocultural organizations as well as legal adviser and patrons to many associations.
In strictu sensu and as res IPSA loquitur, Barrister Manukaji’s antecedents ab initio from conception through his school and heydays was a testament of our pronouncement and celebration today and always. Ipso facto, his simplicity, ingenuity, epistemological propensity cum sense of wit and humour with jurisprudence makes him accesiito all and sundry. Ceteris paribus, the application of his legal profession has been used to defend the defenceless, administer justice with equity in all it’s ramifications and win cases with his God given intellectual endowment whereby he sometimes offer free legal services for the less privileged.
As we celebrate with OBULIMBA on this leadership award by his people whom he cherished so much, we also share some
