Prominent Nigerians yesterday converged on Ibadan for the celebration of the 50 years at the Bar of legal icon, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), at a lecture and presentation of two books – Current Legal Issues in Contemporary Nigeria and Thoughts of a Legal Icon.
The anniversary, held at the Afe Babalola Bar Centre, Iyaganku, was attended by President Goodluck Jonathan (represented by the Solicitor General of the Federation, Abdulahi Yola), Governors Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo).
Others were the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, former Ekiti State governor, Chief Segun Oni, Minister of Police Affairs, Captain Caleb Olukolade (rtd), Mrs. Folake Solanke (SAN) and Prince Bola Ajibola (SAN).
Others included the business mogul, Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim, who is the General Managing Director of the Energy Group; former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN); Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Dr. Olu Agunloye; Mr. Yusuf Alli (SAN) and many other legal practitioners.
Speaking at the event, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was the chairman of the occasion, said he made some “successful mistakes” while in office as the Head of State and later, President. Obasanjo, who was apparently reacting to critics, said his perceived mistakes then had turned out to be blessings in disguise for Nigerians.
He said contrary to the position of his detractors, one of the mistakes he made was that he ended the Nigerian Civil War, he drew up a successful programme for smooth transition to civilian rule and that he became the civilian President after persuasion.
Speaking on Afe Babalola, Obasanjo said: “One of the mistakes I made that turned out to be a successful mistake was when I was looking for somebody to be the Pro- Chancellor of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, I chose Aare Afe Babalola.
“Some said I have made a mistake which is now a successful one because he turned the university around for good. He became the best pro-chancellor in the country while at the UNILAG and from there he founded his own Afe Babalola University now adjudged the best private university in the country.”
The former President added that one of his successful mistakes was the appointment of Justice Emmanuel Ayoola as the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, who carried out his duties diligently.
Delivering the 50th anniversary lecture entitled: “The Future of Law in Nigeria,” Ayoola called for a “reliable, efficient trustworthy and value-driven legal system”.
He said: “We delude ourselves in this country. If we believe that we can be a great nation without a great legal system. The path to greatness of our nation is through a reliable, efficient, trustworthy and value-driven legal system.”
Also Dr. Ibrahim, who launched the two books with N10 million, described Babalola as a father and a colleague in the legal profession.
He said Babalola had done his best in his calling, while urging Nigerians to continue to pray God to give the legal icon long life to serve humanity more.