Emily Alemika: The First Female Professor Of Law From Kogi State

That Professor Emily Alemika of the Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Jos (UNIJOS), is the first female law professor to have come out of the entire Kogi State is an act of fate. A victim of child labour who registered for primary education at 13, she was undaunted in her drive to the top. Little wonder she is an apostle of encouragement, not only to women, but all she comes across.

Prof Emily is the wife of Professor Etanibi Alemika, also of UNIJOS. Emily gives all credit to her husband.

Being the first female professor of law in the whole of Kogi State
I did not know I was the first in my state until I started receiving congratulatory messages. In fact, it was my senior colleague that drew my attention to it and I told him I have not thought of that because I did not set a pace for myself to be there before any other person. But in all, I thank God for the grace because that also includes the old Kwara State from which Kogi was carved out.

This position was further confirmed at the recent conference in Afe Babalola University. So, we are not just making the statement, it is a fact. At least, we are sure of the whole Kogi State and I come from a community called Kabba Bunu where also I was known for my struggle and determination to become somebody.







How background impacted her career
My background was very interesting. You can imagine starting primary school between the ages of 13 and 14 years. Before primary school, I had stayed with more than 12 people but none of them sent me to school. All I was known for was the fact that I was hardworking and very good at helping people. So, I was always asked to help either an aged person or a young woman giving birth or someone that has business to do and felt I would be of help.

Coming from a broken home, it was difficult to have a feel of what happened. So, those times I was being taken from one home to another, I never had the privilege of knowing my mother or father. I was dashing from the hands of relatives to the friends of relatives but wherever I was taken, I did my best diligently. There was never a time I knew myself to be a child. I was doing things like adults; walking distances, quickly taking a tin of oil to the market before rushing to the farm. If I have to tell you how my background impacted me, I will tell you that it made me rugged.

Late enrollment in school
Talking about my primary education, I can tell you that all hope was lost until 1968 in Lokoja when I was in the 12th home and coincidentally, the last place I was taken to. I was there as a local restaurant attendant and I was receiving six pence per month. One day, the lady said my father wanted me back so I could enroll in school but I refused because whenever they did that, it meant they wanted to give me to another hand. So, I pleaded with the woman not to allow me leave her because that was the only place I was treated like a human being and also had the privilege to earn income.

I told her I would rather die with her. Once she agreed, I was happy and went about to hawk pounded yam but after few days, she said, ‘Look, you have to go back to the village because your father has threatened to arrest me with police if I do not send you back.’ I went back December of that year. That was the time I started being able to pick years and I knew that it was in 1968. Eventually, January 1969 came and I was enrolled in Primary One. Within these years, I had moved round the 33 Bunu villages, serving people. But one thing on my mind was that I wanted to go back to school. So, in the farm, I would be marching to the tune of school drum’s beat.