Honour Well Deserving...Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN: Celebrating an Icon with 8th Professorial Appointment.

By Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor

In the rich cultural heritage of Edo Land, titles are never handed out lightly. They are earned,through years of uncommon service, unwavering courage, and the indelible legacy left upon humanity. In the living chronicles of Edo, certain names are not merely mentioned they are etched in gold, sung in the marketplaces, whispered in the corridors of power, and enshrined in the hearts of the grateful.

One such name is Prof. Mike A.A. Ozekhome, SAN, CON, OFR, LLD, PhD, the Akpakpa Vighi Vighi of Edo Land a tireless sentinel whose eyes have never dimmed in the relentless pursuit of justice.

Today, we do not merely announce another achievement; we celebrate the continuation of a legacy. His recent appointment as Visiting Professor by the TETFund Centre of Excellence in Public Governance and Leadership comes as no surprise to those familiar with his towering contributions to law, leadership, and public service. This marks his eighth professorial appointment a rare and distinguished milestone that speaks volumes of his enduring intellectual authority. It is not just another feather in his cap; it is a new star in a constellation formed over decades of excellence.

This honour was neither bought nor lobbied for. It was not negotiated in smoky rooms or brokered through influence. Like all true honours, it came unsolicited, undeniable, and unstoppable,earned through decades of principled advocacy, scholarship, and unflinching dedication to the betterment of society.

To us, this is far more than an academic laurel. It is a powerful reminder of a defining chapter in our collective struggle when the name Ozekhome became synonymous with courage under fire. In the legal battle for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Prof. Ozekhome stood not as a mercenary for hire, but as a man moved by conscience and conviction.

He fought in the courtroom with the precision of a seasoned master and outside it with the passion of a prophet. His advocacy transcended borders from America to Asia, from Europe to Africa, and across the breadth of Nigeria. The Kanu case became a recurring theme in his lectures, public addresses, and international interviews. He fearlessly challenged oppressors, dismantling their false narratives with facts, logic, and law. His voice thundered like a war trumpet against injustice, wielding truth like a sword and shattering the machinery of falsehood.

He poured in personal resources,his time, energy, and influence at great personal risk. While many retreated into silence, fearing backlash, profiling, or defamation, he stood firm. I speak not from hearsay,I was there. I witnessed it.

Few truly grasp the depth of what transpired during that moment in history. We stood at the very brink of a legal breakthrough. The T’s had been nearly crossed, the I’s almost dotted when treachery crept in. “Merchants of fame” and backroom schemers, driven by self-interest and dubious motives, moved to derail the tide of justice. They succeeded in delaying the inevitable, but they could not erase the fact that Prof. Ozekhome had brought the cause to the threshold of victory. Even amidst sabotage, he stood tall.

Prof, you bore the brunt of the arrows meant to break any man. You never flinched, even when many who now pretend to be bold disappeared into cowardly silence. I saw it. I lived it. I will never forget it.

This is also a heartfelt plea from those of us who understand the weight of your sacrifice: forgive the ingrates those who, having drunk deeply from your well of service, now cast stones at its source. Some of them, and generations after them, may never attain even a fraction of your accomplishments. Yet they mock what they cannot match. They forget that the evil men do now walks beside them and that ingratitude carries consequences: swift, sharp, and inescapable.

Today, the once-topical case they hijacked has faded from the headlines. What once roared now lies cloaked in silence. But your legacy, Prof, is not diminished by their betrayal. It is measured by the hope you inspired, the doors you opened, and the truth you championed. History has already begun to vindicate you.

To you, we say: let not their treachery harden your humanitarian heart. Let their bitterness become the whetstone that sharpens your resolve to continue standing for the oppressed, the voiceless, and the worthy. For the Almighty God,who lifts without limit will continue to strengthen, elevate, and shield you in every sphere. Amen.

Congratulations once again, Prof. Mike A.A. Ozekhome, SAN the Akpakpa Vighi Vighi of Edo Land, the Legal Iroko of our generation, and, above all, my eternal mentor.

Edo celebrates you. Nigeria salutes you. Humanity thanks you. History will never forget you.

©Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Esq (KSC)

A renowned Human Rights Lawyer and Social Crusader