Special Birthday Tribute to Hannibal Uwaifo-the AfBA President ,
It is Not the Office That Makes Person,It Is the Person That Makes The Office.
•By Douglas Ogbankwa Esq @douglasogbankwa@gmail.com.
“It is not the years in your life that matters , it is the life in your years.”—-Abraham Lincoln,
The 16th President of the United States.
Born in the the culturally rich City of Benin , a City that has transcended many generations in strength and international attention ,Hannibal Egbe Uwaifo has imprinted his footprints in the sands of time .As President of the African Bar Association (AfBA), the most visible Continental Bar Association in Africa , the International Mediator and Counsel at the International Criminal Court , has distinguished himself in his role as the AfBA President , breaking new grounds and walking the road less travelled.
Hannibal Uwaifo Esq , is a quintessential networker and bridge builder .He also has an unusual leadership trait, the ability to navigate the International Space with seamless equanimity, not just with an aim of ensuring international peace but also in enthroning the enforcement of International Humanitarian Law .He is a talent hunter , one who attracts the best to himself.
The Member of the International Bar Association (IBA) and the American Bar Association (ABA) has been an International Ambassador of the African Brand ,to wit: the charismatic and dogged spirit that operates within the vagaries of the natural inhibitions against an African , which though present , is being made to look like a facade .Hannibal Uwaifo Esq., has been the voice of the African Voiceless, from the arid desert of the Sahara , to the dangerous waves of the Mediterranean, that is used as an escape route by Africans in the context of the irregular migration from Sub-saharan Africa to Europe. Understanding the importance of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCTA), Hannibal Uwaifo Esq., has created a talking point that has made African Leaders to improve the Protocol for the Implementation of the laudable Initiative .The stance of the AfBA President on this issue however regurgitates on the need for a visa free regime among all African Countries , to facilitate the free movement of persons , which is the engine room of a seamless trade system in African . 
The Celebrant has made several Interventions in favour of vulnerable Africans , including but not limited to the need for the actors in the Russian- Ukraine War to provide a safe passage for Africans willing to leave the war ravaged zone , in compliance with International Humanitarian Law, bringing international attention to the mindless killing of Africans at the Morrocan -Spanish Border , over migration issues, lending a voice to stop the xenophobic attacks in South Africa and the interrogation of racist comments made not too long ago , by the President of Tunisia, among others.
The AfBA President has been a Non State Actor , representing AfBA as a Non State Party in many International Engagements and International Protocols
While the Birthday of AfBA President was on the 25th of November,2023 , we chose to use the 26th to write this article to keep the momentum of the celebration of a great man going .He should be celebrated for more than a day , because he has changed the course of AfBA positively , so much so that AfBA is now the beautiful bride of all and sundry .Happy Birthday to you sir , you have been an icon of the African Spirit and a Promoter of the the African communal Vestiges.As you enter a new year our wish for you , is that you rise higher and higher in all endeavors.Many Happy Returns and Greater Years Ahead!
•Douglas Ogbankwa Esq.@douglasogbankwa@gmail.com,
The Director of Strategic Communications,
African Bar Association (AfBA).
