| To be judge in Nigeria
is sacrifice
By ADESINA AIYEKOTI
Wednesday,
October 24, 2007
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Dr (Prince) Bolu Akin-Olugbade
Photo: SunNews Publishing
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Dr (Prince) Bolu Akin-Olugbade, a solicitor and specialist
in company law, has suggested that to keep the standard of
legal profession high in Nigeria, people should not be allowed
to study Law as a first degree. Rather, according to him,
it should be a second degree.
Olugbade, the first Nigerian with a doctorate degree in company
law, from either Cambridge or Oxford University, also expressed
sadness about the poor remunerations of judges, declaring
that to be judge in Nigeria is a sacrifice.
A product of London University, where he obtained his LL.B
(Hons) and University of California, Los Angeles, where he
bagged a master’s degree also called on the judicial
authorities to separate solicitors and barristers in Nigeria.
Motivation
I am one of the top 10 solicitors in Nigeria and I received
an award for that† last year. I went into legal profession
first of all because my father was a lawyer. I wanted to emulate
him. I particularly enjoy company and commercial law, which
is why I went up to the level of having a PhD in company law
from Cambridge University in England. Most of the lawyers
you see in Nigeria, are just ordinary lawyers. They just called
themselves company lawyers but there are a few of us who are
corporate lawyers because the number of people that have PhD
in Corporate Law is not up to 10. I am one of the few that
actually specialize in corporate and commercial law. I also
have a son who is a lawyer. I also have two junior brothers
who are lawyers.
Solicitors and barrister
My point of view is that at the beginning, when we had a few
lawyers in Nigeria it makes sense of fuse the profession,
but I believe that the level of legal practice in Nigeria
has got to a stage where there should be specialization. I
also believe that there are too many lawyers who are out of
work and who are being well remunerated by their law firms.
I feel that in order to give employment to more lawyers in
the country and also to improve the level of Advocacy in Nigeria,
we should distinguish between barrister and solicitors.
I am a corporate lawyer. I am a solicitor. I have always practised
as a solicitor. I only want to practice as a solicitor. If
I want to be an advocate, I could. I can be an advocate within
the next three years.
Most of the people, who, I can say, my intellectual capabilities
are above theirs, have become SANs. We know ourselves.
Remuneration of lawyers
I don’t know how much they pay lawyers, but I know some
of my friends who have reputable law firms pay well. In my
law firm, I have an arrangement with my lawyers. I don’t
pay them salary. Any case any of them do for me, we share
50-50. Any legal matter solicitor’s work or anything
I give to any of them, whatever fee I get from it we share
50-50. We all go out to get briefs. We work together. They
use my office facilities. I pay them on that basis, that was
how my father worked in his chambers, so I followed that pattern.
My father made many lawyers, like Prince Bola Ajibola, who
was the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister
of Justice. When the lawyers leave my chambers and establish
their own, they still work for me. I believe in the power
of delegation, but there are some clients who believe they
want the advantage of my intellect, they want me to be there
as their personal lawyer. I give them attention. Most of my
clients are expatriates. I don’t think most Nigerians
can pay my bill because I am very expensive.
SAN award
I have told you I am a solicitor. Why would I apply for SAN?
SAN is for barristers. In Nigeria, people believe that you
are not a lawyer unless you are a SAN. SAN is for advocate.
I am a proud solicitor.
Standard of legal education
From my experience abroad, Nigerians are some of the most
intelligent human beings all over the world. Nigerians are
ambitious and focused, despite the fact that they don’t
have the infrastructure in the universities. Lawyers trained
in Nigeria are trying, although the level of some are below
average. You find out that the level of their grammar is not
up to standard.
There are two things we need to do in Nigeria in order to
keep the standard of legal profession high. The first thing
is that people should not be allowed to study Law as the first
degree. It should be a second degree course.
Secondly, we need to separate the legal profession from barristers
and solicitors.
Nigerian judges
They are some of the finest judges in the world. To be a judge
in Nigeria is a sacrifice. Anybody who decides to be a judge
in Nigeria truly loves the country.
Ex-parte order
I think judges should be careful about the way they issue
ex-parte orders. Unless it is an emergency. |
