AKINTOLA

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  • Sep 01, 2022
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AKPATA REGIME BOYCOTT: EGBE AMOFIN ‘DISOWNS’ AKINTOLA

The influential umbrella body of lawyers of Yoruba extraction, Egbe Amofin O’odua has distanced itself from the assertion by its Deputy Leader and prominent lawyer, Chief Niyi Akintola SAN that the bloc took a decision to boycott the Olumide Akpata-led Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

In an interview with a national daily, the Chairman of Egbe Amofin O’doua and former NBA General Secretary, Mr. Isiaka Olagunju SAN said that he is “not aware of that decision.” Olagunju also stated that the Yoruba cannot abandon NBA.

Saying that “Chief Akintola is entitled to his opinion,” the Egbe Amofin helmsman however stated that aside from being absent from the meeting where the alleged decision was taken, “I didn’t receive any handing over note to say that the Yoruba Lawyers Association should not participate in any of the NBA’s indices (sic).”

According to the PUNCH report, Olagunju was reacting to comments by Akintola on the unruly actions of some lawyers at the just concluded NBA  Annual General Conference.

CITY LAWYER recalls that Akintola had in an interview with FRESH FM, Ibadan said: “When that boy Akpata came on board, we the Yoruba leaders, the Egbe Amofin, we took the unified position that we will not dignify that boy with our presence at any of his Bar gathering. Unfortunately, some of our people who took that decision alongside with us betrayed that trust.”

But Olagunju, in a chat with Judiciary Watch, on Tuesday, said he was not aware the group took such decision.

He said, “I am not aware of that decision. However, Chief Akintola is entitled to his opinion, and I was not in the meeting. By the record you can get from Akpata’s administration, you can see that Yoruba lawyers played prominent roles. There are quite a number of Yoruba lawyers who chaired some committees, even the election was led by a Yoruba man.

“I was at the NBA conference, Professor (Folake) Solanke was there, Lateef Fagbemi, Mallam Yusuf Ali, Dr Babatunde Ajibade (all Senior Advocates of Nigeria), several leaders and elders in Yoruba land were at the conference. So I am not aware, because I didn’t receive any handing over note to say that the Yoruba Lawyers Association should not participate in any of the NBA’s indices.

“It is our bar; Yoruba are the cutting edge of the NBA, how could we abandon the house that we have built?”

Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe, SAN, a member of the association, asked to be counted out of such an agreement if it ever existed. The lawyer said Akintola spoke for himself “and maybe people who attended such a meeting with him.”

He said, “I can tell you for free that any attempt at dividing the association along ethnic, regional or religious grounds, is bound to fail. It is a purely professional body, and while I recognise the right of people to hold views, I do not think it would be helpful to say that a regional body would be set up to say that whomever the president at one point or the other would not be supported for whatever reason.”

Disagreeing with Akintola’s position, Seyi Wemimo (sic), SAN stated that the legal luminary should have gone further to say what would have been done better had Egbe Amofin supported Akpata’s administration.

He said, “The reality is that Akpata has already finished his term, and I don’t know whether if the Egbe Amofin group had supported him, we would have seen any greater performance.

“Again, as the president of the bar, Akpata is supposed to be independent-minded. Despite what Egbe amofin may have held, he (Akpata) succeeded in becoming the president of the bar, which shows that the body did not have any remarkable influence on the outcome of the election.”

Mr. Dele Adesina, SAN, who seemed to be in agreement with the learned silk, stated that the Egbe Amofin had their grievances, and nobody can blame them for taking the decision they think they wanted to take, and they took.

“I don’t think that is an issue you should flog, because that administration is over. Generally, there are people who don’t hide their feelings; they say it as it is. Different folks and different strokes, that is what life is made of.

“The fact that the administration has ended made the discussion a little academic. They had their (Egbe Amofin) grievances, they had the point they were stressing at the time, and nobody can blame them for taking the decision they think they wanted to take, and they took.”

Former NBA Akure Branch Chairman, Mr. Ola Dan Olawale had in a CITY LAWYER report given a detailed account of how the boycott decision was taken by Egbe Amofin O’odua.

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AKINTOLA VS AKPATA: ‘HOW EGBE AMOFIN SEALED BOYCOTT PACT,’ BY OLAWALE

RE: CHIEF NIYI AKINTOLA SAN & MR. OLUMIDE AKPATA: MERE WITHDRAWAL OF SUPPORT AND NOT “DISTABILIZATION” OF ADMINISTRATION

I have decided to open my diary for the purpose of setting the record straight. I also wish to drive home the point that we are not cowards that run from their shadows. We are old and bold enough to say the truth as it is in order to shame those who distort the truth for personal gain.

On 7th September, 2019, less than a year to NBA 2020 general election, Egbe Amofin held a general meeting at the Aare Afe Babalola Bar Center Ibadan, Oyo State. One of the items on the meeting agenda was to consider presenting one candidate for the position of NBA president. We had 5 notable lawyers of Yoruba extraction with aspiration to the post then. At the meeting, one of the aspirants stepped down his ambition, leaving Dr. Babatunde Ajibade SAN, Deacon Dele Adesina SAN, Mr. Olumiyiwa Akinboro SAN and a former Chairman of NBA Osogbo branch in the race. The general meeting set up a committee whose terms of reference, among others was to assess the 4 aspirants and present the most suitable to Egbe for endorsement. The adhoc committee saddled with this task consists of all branch chairmen of South Western Nigeria who, of course, were Yorubas. Chief Niyi Akintola SAN was appointed at the general meeting to chair the committee while Dr. Oluwole Akintayo (now a Professor) who was then the chairman of NBA Ibadan branch was to serve as secretary.

Meanwhile, another team was set up with the mandate of reaching out to our learned brothers and colleagues under the umbrella of Mid – Western Bar Forum. The idea was to “activate” the proposal of rotational NBA presidency between the two blocks (sic) whenever it was the turn of Southwest NBA to occupy the seat. The team consisted of elders and revered seniors of Egbe Amofin who were mostly Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

It was at our first committee meeting which held on 12/09/2019 at the same Aare Afe Babalola Bar Center Ibadan that modalities and yardsticks for assessment of aspirants was agreed upon. Such yardsticks included but not limited to years of call of aspirants, involvement and participation in NBA activities, past contributions to development/unity of NBA and its members, manifestos and vision for the Bar, general acceptability of aspirants across all NBA branches in the country etc.

Committee agreed and indeed sent letters to the 4 aspirants, requesting them to send in their curriculum vitae and memorandum, showcasing what put them ahead of others under the yardsticks outlined.

When the committee reconvened few weeks thereafter, it was discovered that only 3 of the aspirants sent in their CVs and memorandum. Dr. Babatunde Ajibade SAN did not send a CV or memo.

After critical consideration by committee members of documents sent in, a consensus candidate was not arrived at. Hence, all branch chairmen present put the issue to vote. Secret ballot was conducted after which Deacon Dele Adesina SAN scored the highest vote.

Amongst branch chairmen present and voting on that day was Olayemi Akangbe of Lagos branch, Charles Ajiboye of Ikeja branch, Dr. Oluwole Akintayo of Ibadan branch, Emmanuel Alade of Abeokuta branch, Omololu Bagbe of Okitipupa branch, Olakanmi Falade of Ado-Ekiti branch, Bode Adeniji of Ondo branch, Oludayo Olorunfemi (my good friend) of Ikere-Ekiti branch and Lanre Okeyinka of Oyo branch. Chairmen of Ife, Ikirun, Iwo, Ilesa, Offa, Ijebu Ode, Ogbomoso were all in attendance and voting. Chief Niyi Akintola SAN who was the committee chairman did not vote.

It was at this meeting consisting of NBA branch chairmen that we made a pact; a resolution for ourselves and as representatives of various branches of the NBA of Yoruba extraction, to join hands in working for the emergence of our endorsed candidate. We agreed to support and work with such person if eventually sworn in as NBA president. We also agreed not to support any other. We agreed not to support any other candidate because at that period in time, information had been received that our brothers under the umbrella of Midwest Forum of the NBA had rebuffed Egbe’s hand of fellowship to work together as one.

The general assembly of Egbe Amofin, at a later general meeting, received and ratified the committee’s report in toto.

Chief Niyi Akintola SAN was later betrayed despite his good motive. The Learned Silk was first betrayed by insiders within the committee. He was also betrayed by those whom the committee’s report did not go down well with. Chief Akintola SAN was betrayed by those who seek favour and crumbs from the administration of Mr. Olumide Akpata.

Despite my closeness to Mr. Olumide Akpata who attended branch activities organised by me as chairman in Akure (he even donated the sum of N1m towards building our Bar Center), I was bound by collective agreement reached by Egbe Amofin. I immediately informed Mr. Akpata of my decision not to support him as NBA president. I never for once put him in doubt of where I stand. No one planned or worked towards “distabilizing” NBA under the presidency of Mr. Olumide Akpata. We merely withdrew our support.

We cannot deny what we did as representatives of those who gave us their mandates to serve as branch chairmen. We cannot deny what we did as members of Egbe Amofin. I, for one, cannot deny what I did in the best interest of the Bar to which I was called about two decades ago.

Above is history. Time is the judge.

Ola Dan Olawale Esq.
Chairman, NBA Akure Branch
2018 – 2020.

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AKPATA: ‘WHY AKINTOLA, YOMI ALIU MUST FACE SANCTIONS’ – OMIRHOBO

By Malcolm Omirhobo

NIYI AKINTOLA SAN: JOOR, OLUMIDE AKPATA NA MAN , NO BE BOY

When I read certain comments made by some Senior Advocates of Nigeria, I wonder how they got the rank because they fail in all ways to exhibit the qualities required of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

There are plethora of comments made by some Senior Advocate of Nigeria that has brought disrepute and discredit to the legal profession but for the purpose of this write up those of Yomi Aliyu SAN and Niyi Akintola SAN will suffice.

Chief Yomi Aliyu SAN, responding to the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr Olumide Akpata dragging a partner in the law firm of the Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, Mrs Adekunbi Ogunde, to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC for soliciting for clients of other lawyers, Promising that Chief Olanipekun SAN will use his position as body of Benchers Chairman to Influence all Nigerian Judges to give an expatriate oil company a favorable Judgement, wrote on a public platform of lawyers as follows:

“President Akpata, una do well ooooo! Yoruba lawyers shall be there in full force to defend our leader and Primus inter Peres! No Yoruba son shall ever be made a sacrificial lamb like it was done to Kunle Kalejaiye SAN! Call it what you like! Tribalism! Yes! What an insult! We are Yorubas before we are Nigerians”

Niyi Akintola SAN claiming to be speaking for Egbe Amofin , the umbrella body of Yoruba lawyers, responding to a question about the fisticuff that ensued at the just concluded NBA-AGM on a radio program at Fresh FM in Ibadan unfairly and for no just cause took a swipe at immediate past President of NBA Olumide Akpata .

Hear him : “That boy (Olu Akpata) is a transactional lawyer, he has never practiced law, he’s a businessman so the scenario at the bar conference is not surprising”

“We at the Egbe Amofin took a unified stance not to dignify that boy with our presence”

“That decision was reached here in Ibadan. Chief Olanipekun was the Leader of Egbe Amofin, and I was his Vice. I and Chief Olanipekun have religiously abided by that decision, however, some of our boys and girls decided to go their ways because they wanted to be in government. They wanted positions”.

I find the above comments of both Senior Advocate of Nigeria as ungentlemanly, uncourteous, irresponsible, derogatory, divisive and conduct unbecoming of members of the inner bar. It is shameful that both SANS have brought tribalism into the bar in a flagrant attempt to divide the bar along ethnic lines. For their gross misconduct, I recommend that both SAN face disciplinary action before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee. Come to think of it, what contributions have Yemi Aliyu SAN and Niki Akintola SAN made to the advancement of the legal profession in Nigeria ? I will say nothing near the contributions made by the former President of the NBA, Olumide Akpata.

I challenge both SANS to tell us how many lawyers they have employed in their career and how much they pay lawyers under their employment. Akpata as far as I know have employed many lawyers and paid them handsomely well. In fact, Akpata’s firm the TEMPLARS is one of the highest paying law firm in Nigeria since its inception to date.

The bag saga at the just concluded NBA conference and in house fighting notwithstanding, I score Olumide Akpata an A. The man did well. He came, saw, conquered and left his foot prints on the sands of time. Joor, Akintola SAN, Akpata na man no be boy .
It is laughable that in his said radio interview Akintola SAN, is complaining about poverty of values and lack of respect by the younger (soro soke) generation for the older generation. My advice to him and his likes is for them to earn their and not asked for it and that respect is reciprocal. I am of the school of thought that beliefs that the younger generation must honour their parents, elders and constituted authorities but must not fail to hold them accountable.

Akintola SAN and his generation have failed the younger generation and must get the hell out of their way for them to take over for our collective good or risked being stampeded. The young people are an unstoppable force of moral army that cannot be ignored. If you ignore them, you do so at your own peril.

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AKPATA: YORUBA LAWYERS GROUP TACKLES AKINTOLA

A group of Yoruba lawyers under the aegis of Yoruba Lawyers Association of Nigeria (YOLAN) has berated the Deputy Leader of Egbe Amofin O’odua, Chief Adeniyi Akintola SAN for describing the immediate past Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Mr. Olumide Akpata as a “boy.”

In a statement signed by its President, Mr. Oladotun Hassan, it stated that “We the Yoruba Lawyers Association of Nigeria distance other well meaning Yoruba Lawyes from any issues that is capable of dividing our noble organization – NBA along pessimistic ethnic lines, most dangerously to end (sic) the Bar in abyss to say the least.”

The group also expressed dissatisfaction at the description of some Egbe Amofin members as “soro soke boys and girls,” noting that “We are equally not happy with the reference to describing legal practitioners from the Yoruba extractions that attended the NBA AGC 2022 as “Soro Soke Boys and Girls.” It is absolutely uncalled for and most demeaning.”

Below is the full text of the statement made available to CITY LAWYER.

Press Release

29th August, 2022.

YOLAN CARPET EGBE AMOFIN OVER AKPATA’S FEUD: REITERATES YORUBA LAWYERS MAXIMUM SUPPORT

The leadership and members of the Yoruba Lawyers Association of Nigeria (YOLAN) aka Yoruba Council of Lawyers Worldwide (Igbimo Apapo Agbejoro Yoruba Lagbaye) – under the auspices of the Yoruba Council Worldwide laconically condemn in its entirety the ethnic bigotry statement on the withdrawal of Yoruba Lawyer’s supports under the Egbe Amofin Oodua Group on the non-attendance of the NBA AGC 2022 and the leadership Mr. Olumide Akpata, the Immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA); following the ongoing news trend credited to Chief Adeniyi Akintola SAN thus “When that boy Akpata came on board, we the Yoruba leaders, the Egbe Amofin, we took the unified position that we will not dignify that boy with our presence at any of his Bar gathering. Unfortunately, some of our people who took that decision alongside with us betrayed that trust”.

“The Deputy Leader of Egbe Amofin O’odua, Chief Adeniyi Akintola SAN has said that Body of Benchers Chairman, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN was privy to a pact to boycott Nigerian Bar Association activities while the immediate past NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata held the reins”.

We frowned at the height of crudity, injustice and total rejection of Mr. Olumide Akpata by the Yoruba Leaders under the aegis of the Egbe Amofin Oodua: a noble group of Omoluabi – virtuous wise men of thought.

Wherein according to the deputy leader, Chief Adeniyi Akintola SAN that him alongside Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, Chairman, Body of Benchers (BoB) has unequivocally vowed never to have anything do with Olumide Akpata led NBA leadership is extremely embarrassing and calculated to be myopic, personal vendetta and self-centred headless struggle.

We are equally not happy with the reference to describing legal practitioners from the Yoruba extractions that attended the NBA AGC 2022 as “Soro Soke Boys and Girls ” is absolutely uncalled for and most demeaning.

Yoruba are more wiser when it comes to fighting a collective battle rather than getting all of us involved in a matter of public values and mutual respect for the rule of law.

We the Yoruba Lawyers Association of Nigeria distance other well meaning Yoruba Lawyes from any issues that is capable of dividing our noble organization- NBA along pessimistic ethnic lines, most dangerously to end the Bar in abyss to say the least.

NBA is one, hence all Lawyers must embrace the Association with common love, peace and unity under any leadership irrespective of religion nor ethnic colouration, but must act collectively on the principle of equitable justice, fairness and absolute justice.

We therefore reiterates YOLAN support and pass a vote of confidence on Olumide Akpata past led NBA leadership that just bowed out for ensuring succinct delivery of his campaign promises of a “Greater Bold Bar”.

E-Signed:

Aare Oladotun Hassan,
President, Yoruba Lawyers Association of Nigeria (YOLAN)

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‘OLANIPEKUN, BODY OF BENCHERS CHAIR PRIVY TO PACT TO BOYCOTT NBA,’ SAYS AKINTOLA

• SAYS ‘SORO SOKE BOYS AND GIRLS’ BETRAYED PACT

The Deputy Leader of Egbe Amofin O’odua, Chief Adeniyi Akintola SAN has said that Body of Benchers Chairman, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN was privy to a pact to boycott Nigerian Bar Association activities while the immediate past NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata held the reins.

Responding to the allegation that some NBA Annual General Conference (AGC) delegates stole conference bags and phones during the fracas that attended distribution of conference materials, Akintola also stated that “Chief Olanipekun and I have religiously kept to that position,” accusing some Egbe Amofin members who he called “Soro Soke boys and girls” of betraying the pact.

Akintola, who was speaking in an interview on FRESH 105.9 FM, Ibadan, also hinted that some NBA Branches were given specific directions on what to do at the AGC, adding that it was unclear whether they followed the instructions.

CITY LAWYER recalls that the AGC held against the backdrop of the demand by NBA for Olanipekun to recuse himself as the Chairman of the Body of Benchers over the Ms. Kunbi Ogunde professional misconduct saga. Ogunde is a Partner in Wole Olanipekun & Co.

Though NBA had urged the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) to punish the partners in the firm if found complicit in the debacle, the committee had in an initial review stated that it was not interested in probing the partners of the law firm.

Said Akintola: “Let me take the last question first. Felt very very sad about what happened. And we saw it coming. Ademola (Babalola) is here. When that boy Akpata came on board, we the Yoruba leaders, the Efgbe Amofin, we took the unified position that we will not dignify that boy with our presence at any of his Bar gathering. Unfortunately, some of our people who took that decision alongside with us betrayed that trust.

“Coming from the background that I have, being a progressive, when I take a decision, when I say this is what I am going to do, even at the risk of my life, I stick to that.

“We took that decision in Ibadan here. Chief (Wole) Olanipekun happened to be the Leader of Egbe Amofin in Nigeria. I happen to be his Deputy. And we took that decision. Chief Olanipekun and I have religiously kept to that position. But unfortunately, some of our boys and girls felt otherwise because they wanted to be in office – one office or the other.”

Continuing, Akintola said: “I never attended the meeting (AGC) because I said I will never dignify him with my presence. Of course, the NBA Oyo, Ogbomosho came to me for my support before going. And we told them what to do and what not to do. But the question is, when they get there, what they do? We don’t know.”

Olanipekun is yet to speak on Akintola’s statement.

To view the full interview, click here.

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