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• My father was beneficiant, keen about Nigeria
• Ozekhome: A authorized icon who used the legislation for the plenty
• Nigeria has misplaced world jurist, he lived a fulfilled life, say SGF, Malami, NBA president, SANs
It was a rain of tributes for Prince Bola Ajibola, former Lawyer-Common of the Federation (AGF) and ex-jurist of Worldwide Court docket at Hague, Netherlands, who died within the early hours of yesterday, and was buried in his hometown of Abeokuta, Ogun State, in line with Muslim rites.
The physique of Ajibola was interred throughout the premises of Islamic Mission for Africa (IMA), Abiola Approach space of Abeokuta, after the Islamic Janazah prayer, led by Chief Imam of Egbaland, Sheik Sa’dallah Bamgbola.
The burial was witnessed by many dignitaries, together with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Ogun deputy governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and former governor of Ogun State, Segun Osoba.
Ajibola, founding father of Crescent College, Abeokuta, and likewise a former Excessive Commissioner of Nigeria to the UK, died at 89. In accordance with a press release by his eldest little one, Segun, “Choose Ajibola will at all times be remembered as an icon of Legislation and Judicature, an embodiment of each the Bar and the Bench.
“Ajibola not solely served nationally and internationally, he’s warmly cherished in his homestead of Abeokuta, the place he held the standard title of Oluomo of Egbaland and Olori Omo Oba of Owu Kingdom.”
Born on March 22, 1934 in Abeokuta, Ajibola attended Baptist Boys Excessive Faculty, Oke Saje, Abeokuta and College of London. He was president of the Nigerian Bar Affiliation (NBA) between 1984 and 1985. He was Lawyer-Common and Minister of Justice of Nigeria from 1985 to 1991, and a decide of the Worldwide Court docket of Justice, Hague, Netherlands, from 1991 to 1994.
President Muhammadu Buhari, in a condolence message by his Particular Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, commiserated with the authorized group in Nigeria and worldwide over the demise of the previous minister.
He famous that the excellent lawyer and eminent jurist used his God-given data, mind and expertise to advocate for justice, equity and fairness in all his undertakings inside and out of doors Nigeria.
“His contributions to the event of our authorized system can’t be overstated, serving because the Lawyer Common and Minister for Justice at a important interval within the nation’s historical past. His patriotic inclinations, integrity and keenness for service and development of humanity will proceed to resonate after him,” the President mentioned.
Additionally, Ogun governor, Dapo Abiodun, commiserated with the nation’s judiciary on the demise of Ajibola. In a press release by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, Abiodun described Ajibola’s demise as an enormous loss to the judiciary, saying his legacies within the judiciary, philanthropy and the tutorial improvement would by no means be forgotten.
The governor additionally prolonged his condolences to the Owu Royal Household of the ex-minister of justice, his mates, former President Obasanjo, in addition to members of the Baptist Boys’ Excessive Faculty Previous College students Affiliation.
He mentioned the demise of the illustrious son of the state, a celebrated jurist and judicial activist, public mental and elder statesman was a extreme blow to everybody who knew him.
“He was a jewel of the legislation occupation and an achieved judicial officer of prodigious hue. Baba was a go-getter who delivered on any project dedicated to his palms due to his perception that service ought to at all times come first.
“Apart from, he was an ideal non secular influencer and philanthropist who established the faith-based Crescent College in his hometown, Abeokuta,” he mentioned.
Obasanjo, who was on the residence of the deceased decide to mourn together with his widow and kids, refused to talk with journalists. Segun, the primary son of the deceased, described his father as an ideal humanitarian, who was very passionate in regards to the unity of Nigeria. In accordance with him, his father lived a life devoted to the peace, unity and improvement of Nigeria.
Talking with newsmen, he famous that his father shall be enormously missed for his sense of humour, generosity and non secular beliefs.He mentioned: “My dad was a really passionate individual, very deep and extremely non secular in all of the efforts he has made in establishing a college which has an Islamic taste when it comes to the Islamic middle he has arrange and the way in which he has performed himself and his life throughout the tenets of the faith in addition to he may presumably do.
“For us, as a father, he meant so many issues, he was very loving, clearing however he was a strict disciplinarian, very agency and really powerful, an intensive character as he by no means allowed us to get out of hand in any approach he may assist, and we bear in mind him for his excessive degree of humour.
“My dad was a particularly humorous individual and beneficiant to a fault, we’re all beneficiaries of his love and his affection and his knowledge and self-discipline, we are going to miss him dearly for sure,” he added.
DESCRIBING the life and time of the deceased, human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), mentioned: “Ajibola was an ideal Nigerian, a authorized icon and first-class lawyer, who was a courtroom gladiator and among the finest attorneys common we had within the nation. In his class, we had folks like Clement Akpamgbo. They have been distinctive, they have been distinct and so they knew the legislation.
“They knew that the legislation was for use for the plenty and never for the federal government that appointed them. They knew that they have been attorneys common, which is extra emphasised than the second side, which is minister of justice, as a result of a minister is a mere political appointee, however an legal professional common below sections 150 and 174 of the Structure is the chief legislation officer of the nation that’s supposed to make use of the legislation as an instrument of social-economic and political engineering and for the advantage of the folks, to not help the federal government in energy.
“That was the type of legal professional common he was. And when he was within the ICC, he did Nigeria and Africa proud, as a result of his judgments have been incisive and with nice scholarship and erudition. He was by no means discovered wanting.
“In worldwide legislation and arbitration, Ajibola was as a lot at house as he was with municipal legal guidelines. Having actually conquered the authorized area and the world courtroom area, he returned to Nigeria a really humble man.
“We have been collectively at among the nationwide conferences, between 2005 and 2014. His carriage and mien confirmed nice humility, which he wore like a second pores and skin. He by no means appeared down on anybody.
“Having served the nation in a few of these respects, he determined to enterprise into academia by establishing Crescent College, one of many top-rated universities in Nigeria. He was a colossus, who dominated a number of fields and worlds.
“After I heard that he had died, the very first thing I did was to rapidly test his age and found he was solely 89. I want he had lived longer as a result of in his reticent and smiling visage, he’s an irreplaceable and irreparable loss to Nigeria.”
Former NBA president, Austine Alegeh (SAN), mentioned: “Ajibola was a pleasant man. He knew the legislation and labored for the legislation. He interpreted the legislation very effectively and ensured all the things was performed in line with the legislation. He by no means interpreted the legislation to go well with anyone’s place. He interpreted it in line with what he believed the legislation was.
“On the worldwide courtroom, he represented Nigeria with dignity. He was educated and knew what was required of him. He served the nation with dignity, candour and dedication. Once you see individuals who served like that, you’ll know that they put of their greatest. The Bar will miss him because the main mild of our time.”
For Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN), Senior Associate, Punuka Attorneys, “he was a type of attorneys common that had some difficulties as a result of he served below the army. He had quite a lot of challenges due to violation of basic human rights.
“At his time, he used to have interaction with the NBA. His perspective was that he wanted to be across the army to defend human rights. I recall among the events we challenged him on the NBA, his place was that he wanted to be there to defend human rights and at all times tried to indicate the adjustments that had been made compared to the army authorities of Muhammadu Buhari they succeeded.
“He used to contend that these have been successes arising from the truth that he was there. In different phrases, we have been progressing. However some argued that that was not ample progress. For him, he was sure that the choice of not partaking the army was worse. So, the legacy some folks consider was that he considerably improved the human rights report below the army as an legal professional common at the moment.
“As a decide, he performed his personal half on the world courtroom. He did his greatest. He served Nigeria dutifully on the world courtroom. His best contribution would be the function he performed in guaranteeing that dictatorship didn’t triumph in Nigeria and his participation in guaranteeing the supply of eventual civilian rule in Nigeria.”
Two different Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), Chief Bolaji Ayorinde and Niyi Akintola, additionally mourned the passage of Ajibola. The 2 senior legal professionals, who spoke with The Guardian in Ibadan, described Ajibola as a colossus within the authorized occupation.
On his half, Ayorinde mentioned the late jurist was a world icon. “I simply despatched a message to his son who’s my good buddy, Segun Ajibola (SAN). Chief was an iconic determine. He is without doubt one of the greatest jurists within the world. He was a selfless man. He gave his all to the nation. Authorities ought to immortalize him by doing effectively in main the nation.”
For Akintola, Ajibola lived a fulfilled life. “He lived life. He was humane, urbane and extremely non secular. Regardless of how agitated you might be, he would disarm you with out a lot ado. In his lifetime, one in every of his kids grew to become a SAN. One wouldn’t have requested for a greater life than that.”
THE Secretary to the Authorities of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, on behalf of the Federal Govt Council (FEC), yesterday, mourned the demise of Ajibola.
The SGF, in chronicling his contributions to the event of the authorized occupation each regionally and internationally, described him as a good decide.
“FEC condoles with the federal government and folks of Ogun, household and mates of the deceased, and prays to God to grant him Aljanah Firdaus.” Lawyer-Common of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), in a press release, mentioned the demise of Ajibola created an enormous vacuum within the nation’s authorized area, including that as a patriotic citizen, the late former AGF was a seasoned authorized icon of worldwide reputation, whose impression stay indelible in Nigeria’s historical past and past.
Whereas praying God for the repose of the soul of the deceased, Malami additionally prayed that the Almighty grant the nation, households of the deceased, Ogun State and certainly the complete nation the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Additionally, the NBA president, Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), described Ajibola as a selfless Nigerian. “As Lawyer-Common and Minister of Justice between 1985 and 1991, Prince Ajibola was reputed to by no means take house a wage, asking that very same ought to be distributed to the coffers of Federal Authorities, the NBA and charitable/humanitarian organisations.
“As an elder statesman and a world icon, Ajibola was chairman of Nigerian delegation to the Nigerian-Cameroon Blended Fee on the Bakassi Peninsula. He additionally served as Vice President and later President of the World Financial institution Administrative Tribunal from 1994 to 2005; President, World Affiliation of the World Jurists and Arbitrator, Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Dispute Fee.”
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