Legal giant Afe Babalola to mark 60 years as lawyer with book launch, anniversary lectureAfe Babalola, a legal luminary and founder of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Ekiti State, was called to the Bar of England and Wales on 9 July 1963.
Revered legal giant, Afe Babalola, is 60 years at the Bar
and will be celebrating the feat with a book launch and lecture on 10 July.
The nonagenarian and founder of Afe Babalola University,
Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Ekiti State, was called to the Bar of England and Wales on 9
July 1963.
He “has trained over 1,000 lawyers, produced 25 Senior
Advocates of Nigeria, including several Attorneys-General at the federal and
state levels as well as judges up to the appellate courts,” according to a
statement announcing activities lined up for the diamond jubilee ceremony.
His law firm, Emmanuel Chambers, founded in 1965, is touted
as the largest in the country.
Kehinde Ogunwumiju, a partner and chair of the organising
committee of the anniversary, said Mr Babalola “has made outstanding
contributions to Nigerian Law and jurisprudence through his excellent advocacy
in court and by authoring several law books.”
Mr Babalola was at some point the President of the Chartered
Institute of Arbitrators of Nigeria, and has been invited by the Supreme Court
of Nigeria on several occasions as Amicus Curiae, said Mr Ogunwumiju, a Senior
Advocate of Nigeria.
He said the celebration of Mr Babalola’s 60th year at the
Bar is scheduled at the Alfa Belgore Hall, ABUAD, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, on 10
July.
Mr Ogunwumiju, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the theme
of the lecture was designed to “set the tone for the Future of Constitutional
Democracy in Nigeria to birth a new constitutional Order where the laudable
tenets of a working Constitutional Democracy will be better observed.”
Among the guests expected to attend the event are former
President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode
Ariwoola; the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Bishop of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Mathew Hassan Kukah, and the President of the
Nigerian Bar Association, Yakubu Maikyau.
Obasanjo, Ariwoola, Sultan, Kukah, Maikyau others to grace
Aare Afe Babalola’s sixtieth call to bar ceremony.
The former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice
Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammadu
Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto,
Reverend Mathew Hassan Kukah and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association
Y.C. Maikyau SAN, FCIArb. are among the eminent Nigerians set to grace the
sixtieth call to bar ceremony of the revered legal doyen, Aare Afe Babalola,
OFR, CON, SAN, FNIALS, LL. D (London), FCIArb. The legal luminary and
educationist had the privilege of being admitted to the Bar of England and
Wales on July 9, 1963.
An advocate par excellence, Aare Afe Babalola has made
outstanding contributions to Nigerian Law and Jurisprudence through his
excellent advocacy in court and by authoring several law books. He was, at some
point, the President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators of Nigeria. He
has been invited by the Supreme Court of Nigeria on several occasions as Amicus
Curiae. He has also trained over 1,000 lawyers and produced 25 Senior Advocates
of Nigeria (the largest by any Law Firm in the country), including several
Attorneys-General at the Federal and State Levels and Judges up to the
Appellate Courts.
The events marking the celebration of the sixtieth call to
bar anniversary of the legal luminary and great jurist will come up on 10th
July 2023 at the Alfa Belgore Hall, Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Afe
Babalola Way, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The events are put together by
Aare’s mentees, admirers, and beneficiaries to mark, in a grand style, the
Diamond Anniversary of the uncommon phenomenon and leader at the bar.
Aare Afe Babalola is a committed educationist and a two-term
Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council of the University of Lagos, UNILAG,
where he won the Best Pro-Chancellor Award twice, one-time Chairman of the
Committee of Pro Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Aare Afe Babalola
founded Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State (ABUAD), recently
ranked by the highly respected Times Higher Education Impact Rankings as the
Number 1 University out of the 221 universities in Nigeria and Number 321
globally.
In recognition of Aare Afe Babalola’s immense contributions
to making the world a better place, he has been conferred with over 50 titles
and Awards across the globe, including Honourary Doctor of Laws and Doctor of
Letters from 10 universities, including the University of London, University of
Lagos, University of Ibadan and the elite Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, the
Zik Prize in Leadership, Obafemi Awolowo Leadership Award, the AU-ECOSOCC
Leadership Award, as well as many traditional titles, humanity has
unequivocally and loudly demonstrated that Aare Afe Babalola is a rare gem with
all-time and all-round relevance to the world around him. The legend also holds
the prestigious National Honours as the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR)
and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
The crème-de-la-crème of the society will witness the
festive event made up of members of the Bar and the Bench, Legal Academics, the
Royalty, the Clergy, Delegates from the University of London, Delegates from
King’s College London, and Captains of Industries as well as members of the
Diplomatic Community.
The Anniversary Lecture titled “The Future of Constitutional
Democracy in Nigeria: Imperative of A New Constitutional Order” will be
delivered by Bishop Mathew H. Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and
an Honorary Alumnus of ABUAD and the Lecture will be chaired by Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo, GCFR.
In a statement by the Chairman of the organising committee,
Kehinde Ogunwumiju SAN, the theme of the lecture is to set the tone for the
Future of Constitutional Democracy in Nigeria to birth a new Constitutional
Order where the laudable tenets of a working Constitutional Democracy will be
better observed. He said the lecture is scheduled for 10.00 a.m. at the Alfa
Belgore Multi-purpose Hall, ABUAD.
According to him, the event will also feature Testimonials
& Goodwill Messages from Friends, Admirers and Associates of Aare Afe
Babalola and a Book Launch. The Chief Launchers are Dr Taiwo Afolabi, CON, Wema
Bank, Fidelity Bank, Union Bank, Zenith Bank, First Bank, and Polaris Bank,
among other launchers.
He also indicated that the money realised from the book
launch will be channelled towards the construction of the ABUAD museum while
the day’s activities will be rounded off with a celebration dinner with King
Sunny Ade on the Band Stand by 7.00 p. m. at the same venue.