Justice George Idenyi Uloko, a retired Chief Justice of Plateau State, was also a one-time Chief Commissioner of the Nigerian Public Complaints Commission, appointed in 2012 by former President Goodluck Jonathan GCFR. Uloko molded many judges in Plateau State and across the nation. He made the Plateau state judiciary more balanced and remodeled the Ministry of Justice, making it one of the best in Nigeria.
Retired Chief Justice of Plateau state
He was a judge of remarkable inventiveness. Many judges who learned the legal process from him are forever grateful; Justice Uloko served as an inspiration. In the judicial stage, he established a benchmark. Uloko was a very charismatic judge.
Late Uloko, while working as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, exhibited a high level of leadership qualities, integrity, and discipline. These attributes and qualities were what helped him reach the top of his career.
The late Hon. Justice George Udenyi Uloko was born on the 23rd day of April, 1941, into the family of Mr. and Mrs. Ada Uloko at Ukwonyo Utonkon of Ado Local Government Area of Benue State. He was a true Nigerian of Idoma land. He attended the St. Paul’s Catholic School, Utonkon, from 1949 to 1954, which was not only the pride of education of Idoma land but also the oldest Catholic school in the whole of North Central Nigeria, and obtained his First School Leaving Certificate between 1956 and 1962. He thereafter attended the Mount St. Michael’s Secondary School, Aliade, where he obtained the West African School Certificate (WAEC). Without any break in the pursuit of knowledge, he proceeded to St. John’s College Kaduna in 1963 and obtained the then much-cherished Higher School Certificate (HSC).
George Uloko’s zeal and ardent quest for knowledge gained him admission to the famous Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1965, where he studied law and graduated with an LLB (HONS.) in law in 1968. To cap his law degree, Uloko proceeded to the then only law school in Nigeria, the Nigerian Law School Lagos, from 1968 to 1969, where he obtained his Barrister at Law certificate.
After graduating from law school, he was employed by the then government of Benue-Plateau State as a pupil state counsel on the 29th of July, 1968. To get him sharpened for the specific and strategic task, he was sent to Kaduna in 1972, where he trained as a legal draftsman. Then in 1972, he was again sent to Onitsha as legal adviser to the Central Water Transportation Company, which was then jointly owned by six state governments.
It was appearing that the vibrant Barrister George Uloko had the flair for legal drafting. This is so because from 1973 to 1974 he was again sent to London, where he was further trained as a legal draftsman. Following Benue State’s establishment in 1976, the legal expert was assigned to his native Makurdi as a permanent secretary and solicitor general. While in Benue State, Uloko was sponsored from 1977 to 1978 to study the Advanced Administrative Officer’s Course at the University of Pittsburgh in the USA. Justice Uloko had extensive experience and was proficient in legal drafting.
The late justice started a private legal practice after leaving public service in 1980. He was appointed Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice by the Plateau State Government in April 1984, proving that “a golden fish has no hiding place.” Only a year later, Admiral S.B. Atukum, the Plateau State Military Governor at the time, suggested that he be appointed as the state’s Chief Justice. From May 1985 until his retirement on December 30, 2002, the late Justice George Uloko was the Chief Judge of the Plateau State Government. He retired from the State in 2002 after 19 years of dependable legal service, returned to his hometown of Utonkon, and continued his life of evangelism and community service. The missionary shaped Uloko into a devout Christian.
The Chief Judge of the State with the longest tenure was actually the late Justice Uloko. Uloko’s 19 years of service to the State and Nigeria contributed to his unbeatable record as Chief Judge, and one of his notable achievements was helping to appoint many indigenous judges to the high bench in Plateau State, which later gave rise to Nassarawa State. He mentored and helped many judges grow in their professions. While Uloko was at Utonkon carrying out community development and recreation activities, then President of Nigeria Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, called upon Uloko for the confirmation of the National Award of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) for his outstanding virtues and in appreciation of his service to the country, Nigeria. Not too long after the conferment of the national honor, he was appointed by the Federal Government of Nigeria as Chief Commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission of the Federation on the 23rd of February, 2012, and while still serving his dear country, George Uloko took ill and later passed unto glory on the 16th of June, 2016, at the old age of 75 in Makurdi, Benue State.
There is no doubting the fact that the late Chief Justice was a tremendously amiable, greatly loved, and trusted judge. Plateau State, Nassarawa State, Benue State, Nigeria, and all the people he molded will forever miss him.
