Mixed reactions have trailed the the presence of Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), and Emmanuel Agim, a judge of the supreme court, at the convocation ceremony of the University of Calabar (UNICAL).
On Saturday, UNICAL held its 50th anniversary and 37th convocation ceremony.
Pictures from the event that appeared on social media show Wike sitting in the front row alongside Agim and Ekaette Akpabio, wife of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Justice Agim read the recent lead judgement of the Supreme Court on the political crisis in Rivers State.
The February 28 judgement informed the declaration of the state of emergency in the state by President Bola Tinubu
During the convocation ceremony, the university’s authorities honoured Wike with an honorary doctorate degree in law.
The pictures have generated reactions from social media users considering that Agim was the judge who read the supreme court judgment pertaining to the Rivers political crisis.
Mesiri A. Abraham with username @jighson on X said; “It is a total disgrace what the highest court has become and the jurist have not helped matters with their public mingling.”
@luvfemi2015 reacted; “Does any one at d apex court in Nigeria fear anybody, d answer is no .They will keep on doing what they know how to do to satisfy d Abuja daddy interest. I know one day some of them will regret their action as Babangida is regretting some of d action he took when he was reigning.”
@SergeNnaji wrote; “All the current justices are corrupted. This generation are so unlucky to have this set of justices in their time. Pray for Nigeria.”
Speaking on the reactions that trailed pictures from the UNICAL convocation, the Supreme Court, in a statement issued on Monday by the Director of Information and Public Relations of the court, Dr Festus Akande, said Justice Agim attended the convocation as an honouree not as an escort of any government official.
The statement reads: “In light of the reports circulating on social media and other news platforms, we wish to clarify the circumstances surrounding the attendance of Hon. Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim of the Supreme Court of Nigeria at the convocation ceremony of the University of Calabar on Saturday, 22nd March 2025.
“It has come to our attention that misleading information has emerged, suggesting that Hon. Justice Emmanuel Agim accompanied the Hon. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike, to the ceremony. We hereby dispel this false narrative.
“Hon. Justice Agim attended the convocation as an esteemed honouree and an alumnus of the institution, whom the Governing Council had found worthy to be conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Law (Doctor Honoris Causa).
“He was recognised for his significant contributions to the legal profession, which is a reflection of his commitment to justice, integrity, and the rule of law, serving as a model for aspiring legal professionals and students alike.
“Hon. Justice Agim was scheduled to attend the burial ceremony of Hon. Justice Stanley Alagoa alongside other Hon. Justices of the Supreme Court in Bayelsa State but sought permission to go for the convocation ceremony.
“We wish to emphasize that Justice Emmanuel Agim’s participation at the ceremony was independent and not as an official representative of any government ministry or department, let alone accompanying any serving or retired government official. Any insinuation to the contrary is not only inaccurate but undermines the judicial independence that is crucial to our democracy.
“We encourage the public and media to verify information through credible sources before sharing or publishing to prevent the spread of misinformation.”
