Tinubu Rejoices with Former Supreme Court Judge, Mary Odili at 72

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has rejoiced with retired judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Mary Odili, as she marks her 72nd birthday.

The president, in a release issued yesterday by his Media Adviser, Ajuri Ngelale, celebrated the legal mind not only for her outstanding achievements in her calling but especially for her work in uplifting the downtrodden and providing succour to the needy.

Tinubu fondly recalled the many community development programmes and relief efforts of 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.

He added that this directly impacted over 500,000 citizens, and went on to win the Global Health Council Award for Safe Motherhood in Washington D.C, in May 2001.

The president wished the esteemed jurist and the Odilis many more years of service to the nation in good health.

 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.

They included 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  from  zero to seven years post call, among others.