Barely a week after the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Hon Andrew Adaze Emwanta was presented with an Award by his Alma Mata, Annunciation Catholic College, Irrua, ACC, the Law students Government of Benson Idahosa University, LAWSA have presented a congratulatory card to him for his well deserved appointment.
The President of Benson Idahosa University Law student association, Ansa Joshua who led other members of the executive to the office of the Commissioner in Benin City, said they have come to congratulate him for the appointment which was earned due to his dedication and pragmatic approach to duty.
“While we were sworn-in, the faculty informed us that an erstwhile President of the Association was sworn in as a Commissioner in the state. We were told of your great works in the faculty which includes the accreditation of the faculty during your tenure.
“We deem it fit and proper to visit you even though belated and to acquaint you of our activities during our law week and to request that our erstwhile President who is the Commissioner of Communication and Orientation embrace this event as the chairman.
According to him, the law week is expected to commence from June 13 to June 17 2022 with inter chamber competitions, other competitions, election, grand dinner and lecture which will be on constitutional law taking into consideration the fact that the 2023 elections is drawing near.
The Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Hon Andrew Adaze Emwanta in his response said it was a thing of joy to host the LAWSA Government of Benson Idahosa University because it brings back nostalgic feelings
According to him, “It was in this manner we visited dignitaries in and out of government soliciting their support during our law week and for me I have always participated in LAWSA activities from the time I got into BIU.
“I was so committed that little did I know I will become President of LAWSA. We started off as Pioneers and we did not have a constitution which was our first task. When I came in I felt for us to have a system there must be a legal basis for that system to operate.
“The good thing was that I came in as a direct entry student and there was need to put into work our constitutional knowledge as student of constitutional law. When the time came for election I first indicated interest to run as Vice President.
“I actually won the election but it was rigged because they saw some of us coming in as people who believe in change. We felt Law students should be trained in a manner that they should be able to separate the law and religion.
“When we came in, we did not have a good court, a statue of Justice and we fought that there must be a symbol of what the law faculty should be and we were able to garner funds through community development to provide us with that statue of Justice at the time.
“Those were some of the things we did when we were there and eventually I ran for the office of LAWSA President and I won. Before I came on board we had just one democratically elected president and when I came on board I was the second person elected and there after I was elected as the National President of LAWSA for all Private Universities.
He noted that he would not be sitting as a Commissioner today if he was not a student of BIU because according to him BIU taught him how to see himself as a future leader and the institution also created that professional environment.
In his words, “that created a system of playing politics. Even while in LAWSA we were also involve in the National Association of Nigeria Students activities and at some point I was made the liaison Director of zone two.
“It afforded me the opportunity of mixing with people and that is what I should encourage all of you, try as much as possible to mix with those in other Universities. There are so many benefits you get when you do not limit yourself.
“As a former LAWSA President, the moment you invite me for an event I am under obligation to attend and that obligation extends to my colleagues who are lawyers. I will assist you in any way you want me to.”
While admonishing the law students to take their academics seriously, Hon Emwanta maintained that during his days at BIU, reading was a culture and he took the students down memory lane how he became a commissioner.
“As a lecturer at the University of Calabar for over a decade, at some point I said to myself that leadership runs in my vein and I cannot achieve that through lecturing, how can I give back to my state. I had to come back to Edo State.
“Fortunately for me I did not go through any godfather, the governor saw competence in me. I made that commitment to represent what is good, what is right and what is just and the Edo 2020 governorship election, you will agree with me was a just cause and it was because I believed in that just cause that I was so rewarded.
According to him, none of them cannot achieve what he has achieved but what is required is commitment, first to their academics because nobody just occupy an office from nowhere, there must first be competence.
“Then secondly, you must work towards achieving any set target. Any one of you can become the governor of your state, but you must start somewhere, by setting that trajectory,” the commissioner added.
