After oath-taking: Pupil lawyer, Wemba Miracle, pledges to defend poor, vulnerable population.

This was last September 27. The oath-taking ceremony took place at the Fako High Court in Buea. It was presided at by the President of Fako High Court, Justice Anne Afong. 

According to the advocate-in-training, being admitted into the Cameroon Bar Association is a dream come true. 

“I received the news with much excitement because I knew passing the Bar exam will enable me achieve my dream of becoming a lawyer,” he said.

“All glory to God, I sat for the examinations and came out successful both at the written and the oral session. Today, I feel so fulfilled because I have grown to see my dream come true,” Wemba told The Guardian Post. 

The desire to become full-fledged lawyer, he explained, had been long overdue as he joined the circle of anxious lawyer enthusiasts upon completing his university degree.   

Commits to the course of the vulnerable

The pupil lawyer has committed to advocating the rights of the poor, underprivileged and vulnerable people in the communities who often suffer injustices in varied areas in life. 

“Growing up in a family battered by injustice, I have always nursed the desire to defend the course of justice and advocate for the rights of the poor and vulnerable in the society,” Wemba noted, adding that this desire propelled him to choose the option of studying law at the University of Buea.

“In the course of my stay in the university, this dream became even more real when I met the likes of Barrister Felix Nkongho Agbor Balla, who was one of our lecturers then. In fact, his devotion and commitment to advocating fundamental human rights further inspired me and I am now convinced beyond all doubts that I was in the right place,” the young advocate-in-training averred.

He then assured that, “my greatest desire will be to defend the course of justice, especially for the poor and vulnerable in society who can barely afford the cost of justice”. 

Wemba also mentioned that he is poised to promoting access to justice, which is a fundamental human right, as well as contributing to the development and implementation of the rule of law. He equally pledged to fight against impunity and corruption in Cameroon.

Road blocks to becoming a lawyer

According Wemba, there were several hurdles on his way to becoming a lawyer despite his unwavering desire which had propelled him to enrol for the law programme at the University of Buea, UB. One of the principal challenges, he said, was the unavailability of funds to realise his dream. 

As a result, Wemba jostled between several odd jobs like hawking on the streets of Tiko, hustling as a Mobile Money Agent in Buea and serving as a part-time teacher in private schools. 

Wemba the man

The advocate-in-training is a holder of a Bachelors degree in Law obtained from the University of Buea in 2014. In 2018, he enrolled for an LLM in International Law and successfully defended in January 2021. 

Wemba is currently pursuing a Doctorate degree programme in Law and is expected to defend his thesis in the months ahead. 

He is serving as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of English Law, University of Buea. He also lectures at the University Institute of Leaders based in Bonaberi, Douala on part-time basis.  

As pupil lawyer, Wemba is serving under the Tiko-based Amnesty Law Chambers led by Barrister Conrad Yimen Finjap. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3248 of Thursday October 03, 2024