MR. IKENNA OKOLI, SAN. Chairman) is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) and an IBA Fellow of International Legal Practice. He graduated from the University of Nigeria at Enugu and was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 1989.
He holds a Masters in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos and LLM from the University of London. He has post graduate international practice diplomas in International Arbitration, International Intellectual Property Law, International Commercial Law, International Joint Ventures and International Mergers and Acquisitions from the College of Law of England and Wales.
He was admitted as Notary Public of Nigeria in 1998. Mr. Okoli has been involved in many complex cases both at the trial and appellate courts. He has also been involved in several domestic and international arbitrations.
He has written and published leading articles and papers on diverse legal subjects. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Apogee Journal of Business, Property and Constitutional Law. He is a leading commentator on legal affairs. He has attended numerous conferences, workshops, and training both locally and internationally.
He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association, and The Nigerian Society of International Law. He is a Director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Association (Ltd/Gte).
FRANCIS CHIGOZIE MONEKE, ESQ. (Executive Director) is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He holds an LLM degree in International Human Rights, Conflict and Justice from
the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London – where he was a Chevening Scholar.
He is the Executive Director of Human Rights and Empowerment Project Ltd/Gte. He has successfully prosecuted numerous public interest and human rights cases in various superior courts of record in Nigeria, and written close to 100 newspaper and journal articles addressing diverse principles
of democracy, justice, international law and human rights.
He has trained more than 3,000 police officers in Nigeria on human rights, rule of law and conflict management; and facilitated several empowerment programmes for thousands of youths in Nigeria.
Francis has attended numerous national and international conferences on human rights, education, conflict management and peace studies.
REV. FR. LUKE MUONEKE, ESQ. (Secretary) is a Catholic Priest of the Catholic Diocese of Ekwulobia. He was ordained in 2005 and has since then served in several parishes. He has also worked as a member of Onitsha Interdiocesan Marriage Tribunal since 2006 and now a serving member of Awka Diocesan Marriage Tribunal since.
He also worked as a lecturer in Faculty of Law Godffrey Okoye University Enugu.An Associate in GozieMoneke& Associates, a high and reputable law firm based in Awka. He has published articles in reputable journals and a member Ekwulobia Diocesan Legal Advisory commission. He holds the following academic qualifications: B.Phil. (Rome) B. Th. (Rome) M. A (UNIZIK) LLB, BL, LLM, PGDE.
DR. JUDE OHANELE (Member) is a human rights based social entrepreneur with special interest in the elimination of violence and hunger in Africa and beyond. He had his education in the areas of medicine, human rights and microfinance. Jude advocates for the enactment and implementation of laws and policies that prohibit and eliminate all forms of violence in public and private spaces, and those
that support the elimination of hunger.
He is the founder and program director of Development Dynamics, a non-governmental organization
based in Nigeria, and he coordinates her Elimination of Violence and Elimination of Hunger programmes. Jude is a member of the steering committee of the Legislative Advocacy Coalition on Violence Against
Women (LACVAW) and the steering committee of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room. He is an Ashoka fellow, and a Rotarian. Jude is committed to being part of the solutions to contemporary human problems, and not part of the problems. He is an aspiring global citizen and is in support of the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals.
MRS. PRISCILLA OGWEMOH, ESQ. (Member) – Managing Partner, Kevin Martin Ogwemoh Legal, Lagos. Priscilla is the Managing Partner of Kevin Martin Ogwemoh Legal, a leading commercial law firm in Nigeria.
Called to the Bar in 1991, Priscilla holds a Masters Degree in Commercial and Maritime Law. Priscilla is one of the leading Women Arbitrators and Mediation practitioners in Nigeria, a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators, she enjoys professional membership in associations dedicated to ADR
nationally and internationally including the UK Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR-UK), Negotiation and Conflict Management Group (NCMG), Institute of Chartered Mediators and
Conciliators (ICMC), She recently served as a key member of a professional group that participated in the review of Nigerian Arbitration law to promote investment and growth of domestic Arbitration in Nigeria. Priscilla is listed on the Panel of Neutrals of the Lagos Court of Arbitration (LCA) and the Lagos Multi Door Court House (LMDC) where she regularly mediates commercial disputes.
Priscilla is recognized in the current edition of the Internationally acclaimed Publication, Who’sWhoLegal in the category of Arbitration. She is also a member of the National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable (NASSBER), a Committee set up by the Nigerian Senate to review laws affecting the Nigerian business environment, International Bar Association (IBA), Maritime Law Society, Institute of Directors, WISTA (Women in Shipping and Trade Association) and Nigerian Institute of Management etc. Priscilla
currently serves on the Governing Board of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators as a member and also on the Council of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL).
Priscilla is a Non – Executive Director of Afrinvest Securities Limited as well as MRS Oil Nigeria Plc. Priscilla is a Director of the OAL Arbitration and Mediation Centre and was honoured as the 2016 Law
Digest Africa Award Winner in the Managing Partners Category.
PROF. MRS. JOY EYISI, (Member) An amazon in the academic firmament. On October 1 st , 2007 she was elevated to the rank of Professor of English Language at UNIZIK, thereby setting a record by becoming the youngest Professor in the history of that University at a very youthful age of 38 years.
As of today, Professor Eyisi has to her credit 51 articles in learned journals and mainline books, 9 sole authored books, 28 co-authored books, in addition to 36 learned conference presentations. Prof. Eyisi until recently held the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academics at the prestigious National Open University of Nigeria. Today, Prof. Eyisi, in her trademark comely teaching style and Queen’s English, will do justice to our theme from the viewpoint of a seasoned and erudite educationist.
PROF. OFFORNZE D. AMUCHEAZI (SAN) (Consultant/Legal Adviser) is a lawyer and a distinguished scholar with twenty-eight years of experience in law practice and law teaching. His area of expertise spans constitutional law, employment and labour law and alternative dispute resolution.
He regularly provides consulting and legal advisory services to investors, international development organisations and government agencies such as the World Bank, United Nations Development Fund, Department for International Development (DFID UK) and the National Assembly. Offornze served as a Consultant/Special Assistant to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on the establishment of the Africa Finance Corporation and as a Legal Adviser to the National Institute for Legislative Studies. He was appointed Lead Consultant to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review to coordinate the review of the 1999 Constitution, a position he holds to date.
He has also conducted many arbitral proceedings and regularly sits as an arbitrator. Professor Amucheazi holds a Bachelor and Master of Law degrees from University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a PhD from Nnamdi
Azikiwe University, Awka. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Arbitrators of Nigeria (FCIArb) and the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, (FICMC) as well as a member of the
Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association. In 2018 he was conferred with the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
MRS. NGOZIE JIPREEZE, ESQ. is a very senior lawyer who served in various ministries in Nigeria At the height of her career in civil service in Nigeria she was the Director of Legal for Federal Airport Authority (FAAN) and then for the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources before her retirement in 2018. She is passionate about building the capacity of youths for effective service in the public sector.
DR. STEPHEN EJIKEME is a medical doctor working at the Federal Ministry of Health. He has intense passion for youth orientation and empowerment.
PROF. CHIKA MOORE is a Professor of Mathematics at Nnamdi Azikiwe, University, Awka. He has published numerous articles in national and international journals. He is the author of several books.
Prof. Moore was a Federal Commissioner with the National Population Commission. He is the recipient of many awards. He is also very passionate about youth empowerment.
OUR STAFF
Francis Moneke, Esq. LLM (London) – Executive Director
Wilberforce Isetin, Esq. – Legal/Programl Officer
Chukwuemeka Okonkwor, Esq. – Legal/Programl Officer
Nuel Ikwueto, Esq. – Legal/Program Officer
Mrs. Chidinma Nwogbo, Esq. – Legal/Program Officer
Mrs. Joy Azubogu, Esq. – Legal Officer
Ms. Doris Emeasoba – Manager, Lagos office
Chinwendu Deborah – Manager, Awka Resource Centre
Ms. Anthonia Moneke – Accountant
Mrs. Charity Okonkwor – ICT Officer
Miss Ebube Agu – ICT Officer
Ms. Ijeoma Ozoemena – Paralegal Secretary
Miss Ifeoma Ubanze – Receptionist
Mrs. Gift Nwali – Cleaner
Mr. Ambrose Agbo – Driver