Congratulatory messages flood M.N.Duru and Co. as principal becomes SAN.
3 min readHeavy celebrations and congratulatory messages have continued to trail the law firm of Chief Marcel Duru, an Uba Umuaka born high profile attorney who is the principal consultant, M.N.Duru and Co., a Kano based law firm. Last week, the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee LPPC in her 164 th plenary meeting chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, on Thursday last week approved the listing of Chief Marcel Duru as one of the newly made senior advocates of Nigeria. Chief Duru who is officially known as Nnodim Marcellinus Duru, Esq is the number 4 on the list of the 87 lawyers promoted to the prestigious silk otherwise known as Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN.
By this confirmation, Umuaka has become the first community within its environs and locality to produce the first and only Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN.
In an acceptance message the new silk sent to Umuaka Times and other digital platforms last week, he wrote, “Thank you my wonderful Ezes, fellow chiefs, brothers and sisters for the sentiments expressed by everyone regarding my elevation to the prestigious rank of SAN.
May I begin by giving all thanks and glory to Almighty God for what He has done for me,His humble servant. He has finished in a wonderful way what He started. I also thank my dearest wife Barr Eucharia Duru, Onaemerem (Barr Dubem’s wife) and my three great sons, who stood steadfastly by me throughout.
When I set out on this tedious journey in 1983, little did I ever think I would attain the very apex of this noble profession. I was determined to be a very good lawyer and to enjoy every step on the way. I plunged into the task. It has been rough and tough but I persevered believing that nothing is impossible with our creator. I made it a point to read one superior court decision every blessed day to increase my knowledge of the law and to understand how our courts think and interpret the laws. Given the facts of any case, I could easily predict it’s ultimate outcome; all things being equal. It got to the point that the judges themselves began to pressure me to take the silk!
Encouraged by my family, I decided to venture into it and the result is what we are all witnessing today. Once again, I thank God for His wonderful mercies and I thank each and every one of you for your tremendous support. I believe that there is yet more to be achieved and I hope in Him as I have always done. I am ever willing to assist any of our younger lawyers who may want to attain this height. But they must be ready to forgo lots of pleasures. God bless us all.
It is important to note that Chief Marcel Duru and the Duru family have the highest number of lawyers in Umuaka. The both the man and his wife are lawyers and three of their children are lawyers also.