Dr. Rapulu Nduka participated in the 1st Memorial Lecture in honour of Late Adesina Ogunlana, held at the Ikeja Bar Center on the 12th of September, 2025.
In his intervention, Dr. Nduka reflected on his encounters with the late Ogunlana within the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). He noted that while some are calm in approach, Ogunlana was fiery, and every office he held was never for personal aggrandizement but rather a platform to fight for society.
He recalled a personal conversation where Ogunlana expressed his desire to contest for NBA President, stating that his motivation was to return the Association to the path of activism. Dr. Nduka added that, inspired by Ogunlana and supported by former NBA President, Olumide Akpata, he maximized every opportunity during his tenure as National Publicity Secretary to speak truth to power within the space permitted.
Speaking on the central theme of social justice, Dr. Nduka emphasized that social justice is not merely an ideal but the backbone of every progressive society, noting that no society can grow without it. He expressed concern that while the essence of governance is embedded in Chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution, its provisions remain non-justiciable. He urged the judiciary to embrace judicial activism by interpreting these provisions in a manner that would make them enforceable, thereby holding the political class accountable.
Dr. Nduka further observed that while many whisper that the judiciary has been captured, more decisive action is required. He warned that any judiciary or nation that fails to uphold social justice risks losing public respect, with the danger that alternative voices may begin to command more obedience than the courts.
Concluding his remarks, Dr. Nduka drew inspiration from the life of Ogunlana, noting that though he has fallen, like a seed, many more “Ogunlanas” can rise to continue the struggle for social justice. He prayed for the peaceful repose of the late Adesina Ogunlana’s soul.
