Valley of Decisions: Biography and Essays in Honour of Hon. Justice Iorhemen Hwande

Chapter One - Family Background

Introduction Chapter One Family Background 'Looking ataking'smouth,' said anoldman'onewouldthink heneversucked athismother'sbreast' !tispossibletoimagine that a person like Justice Iorhemen Hwande, mightnothave passedthroughups and downs oflife. From his background, it is obvious that palm kernels were never cracked for him. He cracked themhimself. Like other men, life is a struggle. He rose from a very humble background to the exalted office ofthe ChiefJudge ofBenueState. Anencounterwithhis lordship astohispedigree, philosophy andjudicialideology asthe detailsunfold,isnotonlyrevealing butfreshivating. Welcome to theworld ofa Farmer, a Teacher, a Magistrate, a ChiefMagistrate, a Judge and a Chiefjudge. Father The gift of a baby boy is seen as a great achievement. The basic assumptionis thattheboywould perpetuate the family name. HwandeAgakpa of Mbaikyon Tsambe inVandeikya 1 2 Valley ofDecisions Local GovemmentArea ofBenueStatehad a dutytowelcome to his household and to the world a baby boy on the 15th December 1952. He could not have felt different upon the blessings being showered by the birth of his son whom he christened IORHEMEN, a gift to perpetuatehis name. Like all otherchildren.save otherwise, littleHwande grewup under the watchful eyes of his father, Hwande Agakpa. Hwande Agakpa known for his strength and hard work is said tohave experiencedhard times inlife. He was onseveral occasions conscripted into forced labour. He was part of the labourforce thatworked onthe railwayline from Otukpo to Makurdi. He also served as a labourer atthe Makurdi Bridge and at the Tin miningJos, otherwise referred to as 'kwaza.' Gentle and softspoken, he was at peace with all and sundry and resolved disputes that defiled solutionbyelders. He was a philanthropist. The young Hwande was to learn through him that managing a home was not an easy task and grew up to experience same. Mother Like the father, Kpenjiren the daughter of Andura from Mbangur, MbarainVandeikyaLocalGovernmentAreamight equally havebeen grateful to God for the gift of a son. Shedidmoretoinfluence the characteroftheyoungIorhemen as shewasclosertohim. Helearntunderthefeet ofhismother who embraced Christianitythroughhermother'sinstrumentality . The little Iorhementaughthismotherwhohadnothad formal education, how to read theBible. His mother showed enthusiasm over his performance in the class. Inspite ofher influence, and interest over the performance ofher son, she couldnotpredicthisson'sfuture. Shewasnevertoknowabout Family Background 3 his future as she died in February 1966,while little Iorhemen was inprimaryseven. Siblings Iorhemen was not the only child of his parents. Mrs. MasenengenAba(neeHwande) ishissister.The deathoftheir motherthrewherinto a challengeofmanaging thehome as a mother. Itis acknowledged that she was equal to the task in this regard and found no difficulty each time her attention wascaIled. When the young Iorhemen found the apple of his eyes, Masenengen took over to fill the vacuum created by the demise oftheir mother. Fromcourtship to marriage, she was very effective. Sheis closely knit to the family ofthe wife so much so that she is regarded as part of that family. MasenengenismarriedtoTyokyaseAba ofMbajorVandeikya Local GovemmentArea. ...