Canon Law Society of Nigeria (CLSN)

A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE CANON LAW SOCIETY OF NIGERIA (1985 – 2012)
The history of the Canon Law Society of Nigeria is like the proverbial and providential mustard seed which although very minute in size later metamorphosed to a big tree where the birds of the earth came to take their shelter. So also the little cenacle of about 16 Canon lawyers has become a society of international repute. The, history of the Canon Law Society of Nigeria cannot be written in isolation from the history of its parent body: The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) Commission on Canon and Civil Laws with her pioneer Chairman, His Excellency Most Rev. Anthony Okonkwo Gbuji. Therefore, the remote origin of the Canon Law Society of Nigeria dates as far back as 1982 when Bishop Anthony Gbuji was appointed by the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria to set up the legal department of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria. He in turn set up a commission made up of experts in Canon Law and Civil Laws drawn from the then three Ecclesiastical provinces of Nigeria.

The period following the end of the Vatican Council II Sessions and the Post- Conciliar movements and theological and ecclesiological currents was a period of unprecedented activities of interpretation, adaptation, revision, updating and assimilation of the conciliar ecclesiology of Vatican Council II as well as the revision of the 1917 Code of Canon Law. Consequently, some of these pioneers, Nigerian canonists were products of that inter- codal renaissance. With the promulgation of the new code in March 1983, the birth of the Canon Law Society of Nigeria on 13th March 1985 became a necessity to fill that ecclesiastical void of understanding the letters and spirit of the new Code in the spirit and animation of the theological principles of the Second Vatican Council. Thus, Bishop Anthony Gbuji in his capacity as a foremost Nigerian Canon Lawyer and the first elected Chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) commission on Canon and civil laws mandated the then secretary of the commission, the late Rev. Fr. Column Daley, OP, to invite members of the commission for the crucial and historic inauguration of the Canon Law Society of Nigeria. There is no doubt that they drew their inspiration from such sister societies like the Canon Law Society of America, Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Canon Law Society of Canada etc.

The foundation members were: Most Rev. Dr. Anthony Okonkwo Gbuji (the Initiator). Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Otteh, Rt. Rev. Msgr. Cyriacus Mba, Rev. Msgr. Joseph Omesa, Rev. Fr. Hilary Odili Okeke (now Bishop Hilary Okeke). Rev. Frs. Colum Daley OP. Benedict Etafo, Eugene Onuoha, Bernard Ngwoke, Philip Chinyelu, Matthew Iwuji, Longinus Etoh, Fabian Essien and Emmanuel Asuquo Akpan. The inauguration took place on that 13th March 1985 at the Diocesan Pastoral Centre Issele-Uku in now Delta State. About six of these founding fathers have been called by the Lord, while some are no longer very active in the society either due to old age, retirement or other disabilities. However, some are still very active and supportive, especially the prelate father founder, Bishop Anthony Gbuji, a President Emeritus, Bishop Hilary Paul Odili Okeke and the former Chairman of the Silver Jubilee Committee, Msgr. Joseph Omesa (now late).

The late Msgr. Cyriacus S.N. Mba, a seasoned and experienced Canon Lawyer was elected the first President of the society while Bishop Anthony Gbuji the then bishop of Issele-Uku the founder and the moving spirit of the society has continued to be the Grand Patron of the society. Another prominent figure among the pioneer members and father founders is Most Rev. Hilary Odili Okeke, the Bishop of Nnewi, and one-time Secretary and later President of the Society and still a committed member and sponsor of the society.

Most Rev. Dr. Martin Igwe Uzoukwu served the society in various capacities. He at a time served the society as its general secretary. He has continued to identify with the aims and objectives of the society. Sr. Prof. Gerald Nwagwu, DMMM served as a two term secretary. She later became the President of the society from 1997 to 2002. She has remained a veritable contact linking the past and the present. She became the first professor of Canon Law in Nigeria. Rev. Fr. Prof. John U. Gangwari was elected President in 2002 and served the society for six years. His tenure witnessed several publications of Canon Law Series which helped to bring the society to lime light. In 2009, Rev. Fr. Dr. Jonas Benson Okoye was elected President of the Society. Immediately he came into office, he was faced with the challenge of organizing the Silver Jubilee of the Society which was celebrated at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro – Cathedral, Area 3, Garki Abuja on the 10th of November, 2010. Ever since then, he has led the society to greater heights; has created a web site for the society; incorporated the Society with Corporate Affairs Commission. He worked assiduously together with his Executive members to initiate the building of a National Secretariat for the Society.

A very significant date in the history of the Canon Law Society of Nigeria is 19th November, 1986 with the adoption of its constitution where it was ratified and approved by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in 1991. Unlike its civil counterparts and other professional bodies in Nigeria, the society is sui generis and so the aims and objectives of the society is not just to protect the welfare of its members but to be at the service of the wider ecclesial community. Hence, its membership is open to professionals and non-professionals alike and indeed to all Christ’s faithful in Nigeria and from all over the world. However, there are two typology of membership; Professional Membership: open to those who have at least a licentiate (or its equivalent) in Canon Law and Associate Membership: open to all those who do not have the academic degree for Professional membership but who wish to associate themselves with the aims and activities of the society.
Within two  years of its formation, the Canon Law Society of Nigeria had become not only a voice in the ecclesiastical governance and administration but also a veritable tool in the hands of the Nigerian Catholic hierarchy to ensure the smooth and orderly governance of our particular Churches but also in fulfillment of the Episcopal Conference’s responsibility in the formulation of complementary norms, drawing up of statutes and constitution of both public and private juridical persons in the Church. It has also aided in the fulfillment of the ministry of justice of the Church as well as entrenchment and erection of instruments of mediation, arbitration, conciliation and conflict resolution in the Church. These, the Society has succeeded in doing through its organized Annual Conventions with themes bordering on issues of the moment and which have always been disseminated through the publication of the Annual Canon Law Proceedings and the Newsletters. Hence from 1987 till date, it has consistently organized Annual Conventions in the different geo-ecclesial divides of Nigeria. The Newsletter is the Society’s periodical that chronicles not only activities of the Society, but equally issues currency in the Catholic Church in Nigeria and recent events and activities of the Apostolic Society including the Annual Allucutio of the Pope to the Supreme tribunal of the Roman Rota which is the pre-eminent and supreme appellate tribunal of the whole Church. The newsletter also contains written judgements Ecclesiastical tribunals in Nigeria. This is an attempt to develop a Nigerian jurisprudence that would benefit our context here in Nigeria. Apart from the Annual Conventions with the consequent proceedings and the Newsletter, the Society has from 1994 consistently and dexterously organized annual seminars for professional members only which has been held as from 2003 (usually between February and March) at the instance and expense of Most Rev. Dr. Hilary Odili Okeke, one of the moving forces of Canon Law in Nigeria. In the year 2017 however, the professional Seminar shifted its venue to Port Harcourt at the instance and expense of Most Rev. Dr. Camilus Etorkudoh who is presently the Chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference Committee on Canon Law. This was to render a helping hand to Most Rev. Dr. Hilary Odili Okeke who for years had been magnanimous in sponsoring it. Aside other numerous publications of individual members and fellow Canonists from Nigeria; the society has also published others works notably: Lay People in the Church and in the World (Onitsha Canon Law Series no. 1. 1992) and Marriage and the Family in Nigeria (Onitsha: Rex Charles Patrick, 1994).

The Annual general meeting of the Society has always been held in November each year initially at Issele-Uku at the instance and expense of the Father Founder, Bishop Anthony Gbuji but with the transfer of His Lordship to Enugu in 1997 it has been held at Enugu, also at his expense till his retirement. The Annual Convention of the Society now lasts for about four days and includes: Launching of previous Conference Proceedings and the current year’s Newsletter, commissioned and voluntary papers as well as General Meeting and elections if applicable. On November, 19th 2015 at the 29th Convention in Port Harcourt, Rev. Msgr. Dr. Pius Kii was elected the new National President with a new set of Executives to pilot the affairs of the Society for the next few years. The transfer of the baton of leadership of this Society has witnessed progress. For the first time last year 2016 the Canon Law Society of Nigeria had a guest lecturer all the way from the United States of America. This was a great opportunity because it added a great value to the convention and Society as Dr. Edward Peters at the convention at Warri in November, 2016 did not just play a role of resource person but also officially registered himself as a member of the Canon Law Society of Nigeria. With his registration he became the second American citizen to be a member of our society after Maryjo Gretsinger. The expansion of the society’s membership beyond the shores of Nigeria obviously manifests the worth of the society within and outside the shores of Nigeria. Most importantly, it is to internationalize the society and give it a professional character that a Society of this sort should be through intellectual crossbreeding. 

Continuing from the effort of the past Executive body of this society, greater effort has been intensified through effective communication to reach out to Canonists in Nigeria and at the 2017 Port Harcout Convention; Canonists from the West African region are expected at this Convention. The effort to reach out to Canonists through effective communication has significantly improved the membership strength of the Society, attendance at Conventions and Professional Seminars which since the year 2016 have been serialized.

Within the shortest time of the inception of this new Executive body, the Canon Law Society of Nigeria has intensified its contribution to the Church in Nigeria through the Catholic Bishops by always presenting to them the intellectual fruits of the society’s Annual Convention and Professionals Seminars. After the 2016 Annual Convention, the society presented to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria a document on the Canonical perspective of healing ministry in the Church in Nigeria and a document on the briefer process for Marriage nullity that would be uniformly applied in the Ecclesiastical tribunals in Nigeria. The society intends to continue through its new Executive body to continue to avail similar interventions for the benefit of the local Church.

After the successful tenure of the Msgr Pius Kii led executive, administrative organ of the Society changed at the 2022 Convention and AGM at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State (Nov. 14 ~ 18). Very Rev. Frs Edwin Omorogbe, JCD and Hilary Odili BenEzenwa, JCD, were overwhelmingly elected to the offices of President and Vice President respectively. With Fr Dr Charles Essien as Secretary and other capable officers of the new executive, expectations were high that the Society would get to a higher pedestal. And true to the projections, the new EXCO team immediately hit the ground running. The 35th Annual Convention hosted by Onitsha Archdiocese at Madonna Renewal Centre Nkpor from Nov. 14 to Nov. 17, 2023 was quite fruitful. Attendance was at superlative degree. The event saw among other highlights the Society’s founding father, Most Rev. Anthony O. Gbuji conferred with a unique prestigious award through the hands of the one and only cardinal member of our Society and CBCN chairman on Canon Law, Peter Ebere Cardinal Okpaleke. Before the echoes from that Onitsha convention had died down, the executive rose from a couple of zoom meetings and drew progressive roadmaps. Hence in just about two years of taking charge, the Society witnessed further transformation and notable innovations.

1. There was the collection and creation of database for canonists in all the provinces of Nigeria with their areas of specialization.

2. Appointment of coordinators for the nine provinces who mostly are Judicial Vicars of the Metropolitan See.

3. Planning and organization of the annual professional seminars at the provincial levels to encourage better participation of members due to less travel inconveniences and security risks.

4. Updating of the Society’s registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

5. Development of a functional website for the Society.

6. CLSN National Secretariat: this is unarguably the giant of all these notable new developments in the society. It is a big milestone as the idea of having such a secretariat remained a mirage until last year 2023 when Chief Gabriel Osarinwe Igbinedion (Esama of Benin Kingdom) not only donated choice land for this in Okada but promised to sponsor it. Today true to his promise, the huge structure is fast springing up. The keys of a completed Secretariat would have, in fact, been handed over during this year’s 2024 Conference in everlasting memorial of his 90th birthday, but for some unforeseen hitches. It was the main reason for moving up the Convention/AGM to September instead of the usual November month and the choice of Benin City as the hosting place. Perhaps this is the first time in long history CLSN convention was anticipated earlier. Indeed the God of host is with this Society and the God of Jacob it’s stronghold. 

With the pace of work on the site, this current executive is confident that it would not be long again before all our eyes would see a completed National Secretariat officially bequeathed us by Esama, then blessed and opened for the use it was originally conceived, constantly intended and finally realized.
​