By Sunday Etuka, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has felicitated Justice Mary Odili, retired Supreme Court judge, on the special occasion of her birthday.
Tinubu’s congratulatory message was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale.
Justice Odili, an eminent jurist, was the Deputy Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), serving as Deputy to the Chairman (Chief Justice of the Federation) at the nation’s apex judicial commission.
She was also President of the National Association of Women Judges of Nigeria (NAWJN), and Chairperson of the Body of Benchers, where she led pioneering reforms, such as retooling the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee by constituting three panels, thus expediting their processes and ensuring efficiency, and reviving the Body of Benchers’ mentoring programme for all young lawyers (0-7 years post call), among others.
According to the statement, President Tinubu celebrated the legal savant not only for her outstanding achievements in her calling, but for her work in uplifting the downtrodden and providing succour to the needy.
Tinubu recalls the many community development programmes and relief efforts of Mrs. Odili as the First Lady of Rivers State, some of which include, The Adolescent Project (TAP) where education, health improvement, social rehabilitation, and empowerment services to vulnerable adolescent girls were advanced, directly impacting over 500,000 citizens, and which went on to win the Global Health Council Award for Safe Motherhood in Washington D.C, in May 2001.
“As Justice Odili marks this birthday, President Tinubu wishes the esteemed jurist and the Odilis many more years of service to the nation in good health”, the statement said.
