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L-R: Charles Ajiboye, Chairman,Young Lawyers Forum NBA, Ikeja Branch
and Honourable Justice Olufunmilayo Opeyemi Oke |
The Chairman of the Young Lawyers Forum (YLF) of the NBA, Ikeja, branch, Charles Ajiboye,Esq. led his team to pay a courtesy visit to the Honourable Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Opeyemi Oke on Thursday, 4th January, 2018.
The YLF Chairman in his introductory speech conveyed the numerous heartfelt messages from members of the forum to the Chief Judge.
The YLF Chairman discussed with the Chief Judge several salient issues affecting young lawyers generally. The first on the list was the issue of corruption that had long been scourging the Judiciary. He said "we young lawyers are scared, we wonder whether there will be any practice by the
time we are much more senior. Corruption has become the order of the day and
the level corruption operates has remained at an all time high.
He further said: "We
have come to pledge our support for the great work you are set to do. We assure
you that we are with you. A yoruba adage
which our amiable Chairman, Mr. Adesina Ogunlana often says to us is
interpreted as follows ‘ It is the youth that saves you in public, but the
elders will deliver you in the board room’. My Lord, we assure you that the
streets are safe for you, the Young Lawyers’ of your constituency are with you.
Let those who want evil to prevail try hard, you will remain above. We will
save the Judiciary, we will save our profession, we will work with you to
ensure that Justice is true to its definition".
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| Honourable Justice Olufunmilayo Opeyemi Oke |
He acknowledged the prompt efforts the Chief Judge has already taken within the short period of her Justice has spent in office as the Chief Judge of Lagos State. It would be recalled that the Chief Judge was sworn in as the 16th substantive Chief Judge of Lagos State barely three months ago in October, 2017. The YLF Chairman expressed the forum's readiness to work with Chief Judge in the fight against Corruption in the Judiciary. He said "my lord, we are aware that the
stakeholders forum, your detailed visit to the courts across the state has
exposed so much that you need to do and we will not stress them. We have only
come to bring to the notice of Your Lordship that you have ready and willing
hands in us".
He also intimated the Chief Judge about steps the branch has been taking to assist in the dispensation of justice saying "as
a forum, we undertake several initiatives for the development of young lawyers;
we hold monthly Continous Legal Education Seminars, Annual Summit, Mentoring
sessions with seniors, as well as social activities for bonding. We went ahead
to visit the Ikoyi prisons in December, 2016 in celebration of the World
International Human Rights Day and inherited about 97 case files of persons
being held for minor offences. As at today, we have dispensed with 93 of the
cases".
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L-R: Babatunde Ojo, Joseph Olumudi, Charles Ajiboye. Honourable Justice Olufunmilayo Opeyemi Oke,
Grace Ajayi, Olubukola Adebiyi, Semi Olorife and Samuel Adeyemo |
The YLF Chairman went further to request the Hon. Chief Judge to lend her voice in the on going discussion of #NotTooYoungToRun as he said "we also have
come to humbly request of my lord to adopt the ongoing discussion of ‘not too young
to run’ in her engagements with a slight modification ‘not too young to serve’.
All young lawyers are not incompetent as we are made to seem, we are not all
lazy, we are strong, hardworking and forward thinking professionals too. We are
not lesser than other young professionals simply because we are lawyers. We
need My Lord to trust us, we need your lordship to engage us. Give us the
opportunity to work with your administration, to serve in your committees, to
make recommendations that can save the future of the judiciary, which indeed is
ours".
Stressing again about the hope for change, Charles Ajiboye, Esq. said "a good example of areas which we know you already have in focus is the Sheriffs
section, there is so much to do there. We suggest that the department be
automated. The process of auction is the highest embellishment of corruption,
the e-filing system needs complete
overhauling, the registrars are a great torture, as it is we are the most hit
because we do more interaction with them. The need to demand due respect for
lawyers with law enforcement authorities can also not be over emphasized".
