The Sir Alfred Eghobamien Leadership Series

The maiden edition of the Sir Alfred Eghobamien leadership series organised by the law firm of Eghobamien and Eghobamien in association with Perchstone and Graeys, was held on June 4, 2021 to commemorate the life and times of Sir Alfred Eghobamien, SAN, Life Bencher. As part of the event, the discussants included Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, Mr. Osaro Eghobamien, SAN, and Mr. Adekanmi, while Former President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR chaired the occasion.

They interrogated the concept of leadership and its overall impact on society. The objective of the discourse was to showcase some of the compelling attributes of Sir Alfred as a family leader, and how same could be replicated in other leadership positions. In particular, Sir Alfred was reputed to be a renowned disciplinarian, a stickler for time, extremely focused, and displayed exceptional organisational skills.

The second session focused on a dominant area of Sir Alfred’s practice. Disputes relating to inheritance, under Benin native law and custom. The discussants including Justice Joseph Otabor Olubor and Mr. Femi Awoyemi, discussed the impact of such disputes on the GDP of Edo State. The discussion focused on the impact of the informal prescription “This House is Not for Sale” and the socio-economic fabric of the State. The organisers traced the principle of primogeniture, and how the concept may have been altered giving rise to the numerous disputes that we are now witnessing.

Another sub-theme was, “Nigerian Leadership Vacuum: Too Many Activists, Very Few Reformers”. It was the consensus that, there is a need to establish institutions that will assist in developing leadership in all spheres of human endeavour, beginning with the family.

The children of Sir Alfred Eghobamien, SAN, committed to translating the event to an annual event, as well as to hold in every quarter, discussions relating to establishing true leaders in the South-South region.