JUSTICE Aloma Mariam Mukhtar indeed has been a trailblazer for Nigerian women on the Bench in many respects.Before her nominations as the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, which will make her become the first female CJN, Justice Mukhtar has always scored firsts.Mukhtar, who hails from Kano State, started her law career in 1967.She is the first female judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court on June 8, 2005. After her, it took four years for the second lady, Justice Olufunlola Oyelola Adekeye, to get the attention of the National Judicial Council (NJC), which has the responsibility of recommending qualified judicial officers for the position.Her latest nomination as the new CJN has indeed opened a new chapter in the history of the Judiciary in Nigeria.She was called to the Nigerian Bar in1967, a year after she was called to the English Bar. She is also the first female lawyer in the Northern part of the country.Legal practitioners and colleagues describe her as independent-minded, who is well suited to bring about the needed reforms in a judiciary, which has suffered moral and integrity challenges.It was gathered that Muktar was nominated by the Kano State government to the appellate court in 1987.She was one of the justices who gave a dissenting judgment that is widely acclaimed in legal circles and the academics in the Yar'Adua/Buhari election result dispute in 2007.In that judgment, the incoming CJN alongside Justices George Oguntade, (now retired) and Walter Onnoghen, held that there was substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2006, which vitiated the election of the late President.An erudite judge, full of passion, her judgments have also been commended by all and her views on the matter are respected.One of the cases in which, she demonstrated scholarship was in the case between Kunle Osisanya and Afribank.In that case, which emanated from the High Court of Kwara State, the appellant (Kunle Osisanya) was dismissed by the defendant (Afribank) and he challenged his dismissal claiming that it was a case of personal vendetta against him. When the matter reached the apex court, Justice Mukhtar did not only concur with the decision of Justice Oguntade, who delivered the lead judgment, elucidated the decision further by capturing it thus: 'The employment and contract of employment did not have any statutory flavour, and it is well settled that such employment is liable to be terminated on the giving of a month's pay in lieu of notice.'The respondent was not bound by any law or obligation to retain the appellant in its bank if it did not so wish, if what it wanted to do was to dispense with his services, which was exactly what it did'.On the claim of shares of the defendant bank bought by the appellant, the learned judge also said: 'This should not have arisen at all because even if he was not an employee he could have bought the shares as an outsider.'The appellant should have been properly advised on the position of the shares visa-vis his employment or services to the respondent. It was totally irrelevant, and the court below was right to have ignored it. The issue should not have arisen at all'.Justice Mukhtar in that case also dismissed the argument put up by the counsel to the plaintiff concerning the withdrawal of the petition of some employees of the respondent upon which the respondent's dismissal of the appellant was premised when she held that the fact that the petitioners withdrew their petition may not influence the respondent's decision to terminate the appellant's employment, once it had decided to do so and had done so.It was also because of her contribution to the advancement of the legal profession that an offer was made to her some months ago to proceed on secondment outside the country and assume office as the Chief Justice of Gambia. But that was seen in some quarters as a way of stopping her from becoming the CJN and she tactfully declined the offer.Justice Mukhtar began her legal career as a pupil counsel in the Ministry of Justice of Northern Nigeria in 1967. She was later appointed Magistrate Grade I, North Eastern Government (1969 ' 1973), thus, scoring another first as the first female Magistrate in the Northern region.She made another history with her appointment as the Chief Registrar, Kano State Government Judiciary (1973 - 1977) and Judge, High Court of Kano State in 1977 and Justice, Court of Appeal in 1987. She is at the present the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court.Justice Muktar has been a life Bencher since 1993 and a life member of the Federation of Women Lawyers. She was also the Vice President of the National Association of Women Judges of Nigeria. In 1989, Muktar was honoured by the Federation of Women Lawyers and in 1991 she was decorated with a Gold Merit Award by the Kano State government.In 2003, she was, again, honoured by the International Association of Women Lawyers, and in 2004, the Fellowship of the Nigerian Law School was conferred on her.Born 68 years ago, Justice Muktar had her primary education at St. George's School, Zaria and also at St. Bartholomews's school, Wusasa, also in Zaria from 1950 and 1957. She also attended Rossholme School for Girls in East Brent, Somerset, England for her GCE O' Levels in 1962 and went for further education at the Technical College, Berkshire England.She graduated from Gibson and Welder College in law in 1966 and was subsequently called to the English Bar in absentia. She was called to the Nigerian Bar on June 26, 1967. With her at the helm, the judiciary is believed to be in for some positive firsts.
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