A Legal Titan Goes Home

The Nigerian and International legal communities last week, witnessed the  passage of one of their very best, Judge Prince Abdul Jabbar Bolasodun Adesumbo  Ajibola, KBE, CFR, SAN at the age of 89. Only a few have had the privilege of achieving so much in the legal profession, both nationally and internationally. He was everything any Lawyer could possibly aspire  to be – Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Judge of the International Court of Justice at The Hague, and founder of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State which has a thriving Law Faculty. The Body of Benchers represented by its Secretary, Daniel Manasseh Tela, Esq, Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria also represented by its Secretary, Olumide Sofowora, SAN, and Notable legal practitioners, former President of Nigerian Bar Association, Chief Wole Olanipekun, CFR, SAN, Awa Kalu, SAN, Dr Adesegun Akinjuwon Akin-Olugbade, OON and Mutiu Baã Ganiyu pay glowing tribute to this Legal Titan. May Allah rest Prince Bola Ajibola’s soul in eternal peace, forgive him his shortcomings and admit him into the  highest level of Jannah

Tribute in Honour of Hon. Judge Prince Bola Ajibola, KBE, CFR, SAN, Life Bencher, Former Chairman, Body of Benchers

Daniel Manasseh Tela, Esq

H

on. Judge Prince Bola Ajibola, KBE, CFR, SAN was a quintessential practitioner, an impartial Judge, a rare gem, a great leader, an epitome of humility, a mentor and very hard working. He distinguished and made a name for himself, within and outside the legal profession. He was one Nigerian that served the legal profession, and indeed, the nation at large, diligently and meritoriously in various capacities. His achievements in the international arena, made him a pride to Nigeria.

He served as the Chairman, Body of Benchers from 1989 to 1990, during which he contributed immensely to the growth and development of the Body. Prior to being appointed Chairman, Body of Benchers, he was a statutory member of the Body of Benchers by virtue of being the President of the Nigerian Bar Association and subsequently, the Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, positions he held with the highest sense of responsibility and professionalism. His lifestyle was worthy of emulation, as he impacted positively on the lives of all those around him.

For Hon. Judge Prince Bola Ajibola, SAN the curtain is drawn; his race completed  and he gave his best. He has left an indelible mark, in the annals of history. He has written his name in gold and left so many legacies, as well as beautiful memories that will never be erased. Though we mourn his demise, we cannot question God’s will, because He alone knows the best for mankind. We pray for the repose of his soul and God’s divine comfort upon the entire family, the legal profession and indeed, the nation at large.

On behalf of the Chairman, Body of Benchers, Hon. Justice Mary U. Peter-Odili, CFR, JSC (Rtd), DSSRS, and the entire members of the Body of Benchers, we commiserate with the family of Hon. Judge Prince Bola Ajibola, KBE, CFR, SAN over the demise of the noble jurist and an indefatigable advocate.

Daniel Manasseh Tela, Esq, Secretary, Body of Benchers

Tribute to  Prince Bola Ajibola, KBE, CFR, SAN

Former Chairman, Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria

Olumide O. Sofowora, SAN

 Prince Bolasodun Adesumbo Ajibola, SAN was born on the 22nd of March, 1934 in Owu, near Abeokuta, Ogun State to the Owu Royal Family of Oba Abdul-Salam Ajibola Gbadela (II), who was the traditional ruler of Owu between 1949 and 1972.

 He attended Owu Baptist Day School, Abeokuta from 1942 – 1949 and Baptist Boys’ High School, Abeokuta from 1950 – 1955. He also attended both the Holborn College of Law, University of London and the Council of Legal Education – Inns of Court, London from 1959 –1962 and was called to the English Bar at Lincoln’s Inn on 27th November, 1962. He returned to

Nigeria to practise Law, and by dint of hard work, industry and professional exertions, rightlyearned himself an elevation to the rank of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria on June 5, 1986.

  Prince Ajibola served as the President of the Nigerian Bar Association from 1984 to 1985 and was appointed as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice from 1985 to 1991. He thus, became the Chairman of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) and ensured that the objectives of the Body were strictly adhered to. A lot of activities took place under his leadership, prominent amongst which was the holding of the first BOSAN Dinner program where the newly elevated Senior Advocates of Nigeria were welcomed into the Body.

 Members of the Body graced the occasion, by attending the event in their SAN ceremonial robes.

 It was also under his leadership that the Annual Subscription was increased from Fifty Naira (N50) to Two Hundred Naira (N200) in 1986, to align with the realities of those days.

 Prince Ajibola was an eminent Jurist, world renown Arbitrator and Diplomat who served in various capacities worldwide, amongst which were: Judge of the International Court of Justice at the Hague between 1991 to 1994; Commissioner on the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission; Member to the Permanent Court of Arbitration that deliberated on the land dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon, and  he served as the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2002.

 Prince Ajibola was a prolific writer, author and editor. He was Editor of “Nigeria Treaties in Force” from 1970 to 1990, and the “All Nigeria Law Reports” from 1961 to 1990. He authored many books, including “Heavens in View”, and presented various papers and articles on a wide range of legal subjects.

 Prince Ajibola grew to become a global phenomenon, and held several revered positions both nationally and internationally. His sterling performance in the various positions he held, and services he rendered at home and abroad earned him the award of Knight of the British Empire (KBE) by Her Majesty, the late Queen Elizabeth II, and the third highest honour of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR), amongst several others.

 He also served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), and later established an Islamic co-educational institution, known as Crescent University, in Nigeria in 2005.

The late Prince Bola Ajibola lived a life of service to God and humanity and passed on peacefully on Saturday, April 8, 2023, leaving behind a legacy of dedicated public service coupled with remarkable contributions to legal jurisprudence, both nationally and internationally. He will be sorely missed, and in mourning his loss, we pray that his noble soul will Rest In Peace. Amen!!!

Olumide O. Sofowora, SAN, C.Arb, Secretary, Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN)

A Titan Goes Home: Tribute to Prince Bolasodun Ajibola, KBE, CFR, SAN

Chief Wole Olanipekun, CFR, SAN

For the past 89 years, the world had the privilege to share time with Bolasodun Ajibola, a Royal Prince of Owu Kingdom and Senior Advocate of Nigeria. For one already in his dotage, I received the news of the passing of this foremost senior citizen, with shock and trepidation. Now that he has transitioned to the great beyond, the world is poorer for it. To me, with his absence, life has lost some of its colour, as one of the greats has indeed, departed.

Prince Ajibola’s calibre was impeccable; he belonged to the highest grade of men. His reasoning was pristine and his judgements were both, unimpeachable and unblemished. More than this, he was a virtuous man in toto; he was principled, exemplary, high-minded, right-thinking, right-minded, irreproachable and incorruptible. Such was the nature of his ideals, that he himself became synonymous with these lofty, noble and exalted persuasions.

I lay a humble claim to have known this legal potentate and intellectual enigma from a vintage and vantage position, having been one of his protégés, particularly from the Nigerian Bar Association dynasty where he was a father figure to a host of us. Like Apostle Paul who boasted to have learned under the feet of Gamaliel, some of us learnt a great deal under the feet of this iconic figure. He covered the field in the legal profession; he saw it all; he mastered it all, and he made the best use of every bus stop or, if you like, of every position he uniquely occupied, not to his own personal advantage, but for the benefit of humanity. He was elected the 12th President of the NBA in 1984. Later, he was appointed the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, under the military dictatorship of General Ibrahim Babangida. As President of the NBA, he made the Association proud and well respected; as Attorney-General of the Federation, he was most distinguished and eminent, and the entire country appreciated the pre-eminence, potency, beauty and awesomeness of that high office by his august presence and distinguished carriage. Between 1989 and 1990, he was the 19th Chairman of the Body of Benchers. After meritoriously serving as the Attorney-General, he was appointed to the International Court of Justice at the Hague, where he despatched himself with éclat. On leaving the Hague, he was appointed as a judex ad hoc, a position he held until 2022.

In terms of learning, this gracious Prince was truly learned in the deepest sense of it. He was much at home with the classics, and he could quote profusely from any of the works of the great Bard, William Shakespeare. He was such a beauty to behold while delivering any message, or addressing any particular audience. That he had the gift of the gab would be an understatement.

The works of Prince Ajibola, will surely be recorded in several chapters of our history. He has run a beautiful race, and throughout his journey on this planet, he demonstrated the elaborate grace of God on him. Although his loss constitutes a big vacuum in our national psyche, unequivocally, he has bequeathed a legacy of excellence, forbearance, industry, diligence, scholarship, statesmanship and multiple good virtues to our generation; a generation that stands to benefit from the rich attributes of this truly great and princely gentleman. 

May the luminous soul of this legal Titan rest in peace.

Chief Wole Olanipekun, CFR, SAN

Honourable Prince Bola Ajibola, KBE, CFR, SAN – Adieu!

Awa Kalu, SAN

Quite a number of persons – colleagues, friends, family members and associates – have since the demise of Honourable Prince Bola Ajibola (formerly Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, erstwhile Judge of the International Court of Justice at the Hague, renowned International Arbitrator, Pan Nigerian etc.) have called me to commiserate with me personally, on account of the departure of a man who shaped my views on several issues such as religion, faith, steadfastness, diligence at work, doggedness as well as far sightedness. 

While in office as learned Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the late Prince took me on as one of his Special Assistants and showed me a lot of love. On the first day that I arrived to take up my responsibility, he gave me a piece of advice that I considered profound, unimpeachable and imperishable. It was to the effect that if I had to succeed in my assignment, I needed to close my eyes to the fascinating number of beautiful ladies who were in the majority on the staff of the Federal Ministry of Justice at the time. He also admonished me to ignore the massive temptation of setting booby traps for arresting public funds, for the purpose of amassing personal wealth. It is my testimony, that the great and learned Prince who had an avuncular bearing, did not pull any punches in leading by example. Let me quickly recall a point which was in the public domain, at the material time. He did not receive any salary, but, rather, had Professor Yemi Osinbajo (presently the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but my colleague at the time) and I, distribute the salary and emoluments to charitable organisations, particularly, Motherless Babies Homes. Having regard to present day practices, it is important to emphasise that a Register was maintained at the Ministry at the time, where Prince’s gifts and presents were registered. At the end of each year, those gifts were in turn given out or auctioned, with the proceeds paid into government coffers.

 The Prince was not given to fancy while in office, and any hint of flamboyance either ended with his bowtie or agbada. Indeed, he knew how to appear resplendent, depending on what the occasion was. A clear example arose when Professor Osinbajo and I were in New York, to canvass for his election to the position of a Judge at the International Court of Justice at the Hague. The seat became vacant on account of the death of the very illustrious Judge T.O. Elias, who had previously served as the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and thereafter, as Chief Justice of Nigeria. He later rose at the International Court as its President. Judge Elias, like all mortals, died, but without serving out his tenure. Notwithstanding the interest of the Federal Government to have a Nigerian serve out that tenure, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Kenya and quite a few countries from commonwealth Africa showed acute interest in the office. My recollection is that Professor Ibrahim Gambari (then Nigerian Ambassador to the United Nations and presently, Chief of Staff to the current President of Nigeria) summoned a meeting of the African Ambassadors at the United Nations to introduce Honourable Prince Bola Ajibola (who turned out at the occasion in a snow white agbada adorned with the AGBETI AJA) as Nigeria’s candidate. The thunderous ovation that welcomed him, convinced us that the battle was won. Indeed, at the Security Council voting the following day, Prince Ajibola won with a narrow margin, but had a significant and resounding victory on the floor of the General Assembly. He, as the third Nigerian to serve as Judge of the International Court of Justice, did so with merit and quit when his time was up. A lot of public officers do hang around, even after cessation of their office.

Prince’s Attitude to Life 

Now, let me relate Prince Ajibola’s attitude to life to the worrisome state of affairs in present day Nigeria. My late mother, who was Igbo, was very effective and versatile in conversations in the Yoruba language (as well as in Efik, Hausa, Ibibo and English) and the late Prince was very fascinated about that, and had the humility to come to my house each time my mother was in Lagos, to have conversations with her – always for hours! The impression created these days, is that Yorubas and Igbos have always been at logger heads! I dare say, that the late Prince who regaled me with stories about his personal life and upbringing, did not show preference for ethnicity, religion or State of origin. I knew him as a Pan – Nigerian, and I respected his fair-mindedness on that score; he shared no discrimination, nor did he respond to the needs of those who needed favour on the basis of any unwarranted background. He preferred competence and capability, Prudence was his watchword. Indeed, I believe that he was a wise man, ever mindful of a relationship between cause and effect.

His Achievements 

His major project as well as forte, was law reform, and there being no National Assembly or Legislative forum at the time, his inclination was to institute a national conference of stakeholders on any subject-matter, for the purpose of formulating proposals for amendment or legislation on any field at issue. The result was obvious in pieces of legislation such as, the Companies And Allied Matters Decree No. 1 of 1990, foreshadowed by the Decrees on Copyrights, Patents and Designs, Trademarks, and even the vibrant National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency Decree. His footsteps and imprint on law reforms, are still visible and unmatchable. Perhaps, history will forgive those who claimed that the 1989 Constitution (which he midwifed) did not come to fruition. For the sake of my late Oga’s memory, it is best to recall that as a document, the 1989 Constitution did not germinate or bear fruits; but, when it is remembered that the Babangida administration planned a stage-by-stage transfer of power, from grassroots level to the Presidency, it will seem that the 1989 Constitution was not a fruitless exercise. It ought to be remembered that at each stage of that transition program, extracts from the constitution were imbedded in the program which supported each stage of the transition. For emphasis, the Babangida transition program accomplished the elections into Local Government Councils, Houses of Assembly and Governorship positions at the State level, and the National Assembly at the Federal level. Each of those elections was propped up by a decree, and it was just the establishment of the presidency that failed – the outcome of the presidential election having been annulled. The energy devoted to that monumental venture by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has, in my humble view, remained unparalleled. Certainly, when it is remembered that late Prince Bola Ajibola was the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Judge of the International Court of Justice at the Hague and astute International Arbitrator who had the breath and vision and the desire for success, his place as a Jurist cannot be challenged

Conclusion 

It is possible, to devote a whole book to the life and times of the late Prince of Egba Land; but, in order to cut a very long story short, it is fitting to hail him as a detribalised Nigerian, a man who understood his bearings, who led his own troops by example, communicated his ideas transparently, that is, without obfuscation, understood the sociology of our nation, had a formidable world view, and for sure, had a valid explanation for the decisions he took in the interest of his nation, I believe that I can conclude this tribute by offering the view that, the late Prince though a Muslim, understood the Bible and the world of Christians. Let the rest of the country understand that point and live by the principle, “live and let live”. Honourable Prince Bola Ajibola, KBE, CFR, SAN will be remembered by all that he has done. May his soul rest in peace, and may his family bear the loss occasioned by his departure with stoic equanimity.

 Awa U. Kalu SAN, FNIALS, Former Special Assistant to the Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola, SAN; former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Abia State

Tribute to Prince Bola Ajibola, SAN, CFR, KBE

Dr Adesegun Akin-Olugbade, OON

This is a tribute to a giant of the legal profession, whom I loved as a father, and who was my mentor and a role model.

Prince Bolasodun Adesumbo Ajibola, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, former Judge of the international Court of Justice, former member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, former President of the Administrative Tribunal of the World Bank, founder of Crescent University, a father, husband, uncle, brother and friend to many, passed on peacefully in Nigeria on April 8, 2023.

As the foregoing attests, he was an accomplished jurist, a diplomat, the pioneer of Arbitration law and practice in Nigeria and a statesman. More than that however, he was a loving father, a mentor, a passionate believer (he was a fervent Moslem) and one of the wittiest human beings of his generation.

Our Relationship: Personal & Professional 

My early recollection of Prince Bola Ajibola was as a pre-teenager whom he used to take along with my siblings and his children to Father Christmas Grotto at either Leventis Stores or Kingsway Stores in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He also used to take us swimming. As the Prince himself attested during the 100th year posthumous birthday celebration of my late father, Chief O. B. Akin-Olugbade, of blessed memory, after he was called to the English Bar at Lincoln’s Inn in 1962, he returned to Nigeria and joined my father’s chambers, O. B. Akin-Olugbade & Co, one of the leading commercial law and litigation chambers at the time. He spent his first few years of legal practice with the firm, before leaving to set up his own law firm, Bola Ajibola & Co, which today is headed by his son, Adesegun Ajibola, SAN.

I served under Prince Ajibola when he was the Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. I was a Youth Corper in the Contract Vetting Division that he had established to review contracts that were entered into by the previous Civilian Administration of President Shehu Shagari, and which contained detrimental escalation costs clauses. Under his leadership and the guidance of Mrs Mbanefo and later, Mr Akinleye, who later served as Solicitor-General of the Federation, we were able to renegotiate and correct many of these defective contracts. I also handled special assignments for him. He was an exemplary boss, who nurtured young talent. Although I left the Ministry of Justice after my NYSC to work in private chambers, Prince Ajibola continued to support my professional career and was a valued mentor.

Prince Ajibola and I had a special bond. I was at the Supreme Court when he was admitted to the inner bar as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and I followed his election by the United Nations as a Judge of the International Court of Justice. I visited him when he was High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and when he was Chairman of the Nigeria-Cameroon Mixed Commission on Bakassi, he visited my family and I both in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire and in Tunis, Tunisia. At the time, I was with the African Development Bank, where I rose to become the General Counsel in 2000. We would discuss professional and family matters and especially his children, that is, my brothers and sisters. We would also discuss Owu community matters. Prince Ajibola was the Olori Omoba (Head of Princes) of Owu Kingdom. We shared a mutual respect and appreciation for our lineage, but he did not have a lot of interest for royalty or chieftaincy matters. He was a man who believed he had a higher calling, especially in relation to his faith and religion.

His Accomplishments 

H.E. Professor Yemi Osinbajo, GCON, SAN spoke recently about why Prince Ajibola decided to sell most of his assets to fund the establishment of Crescent University. One aspect that he shared with me, in his lifetime, was the desire to replicate some of the values and moral ethics that he believed that himself, his contemporaries and those before him (including the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and my late father) had received from the Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta. In his own words, education should be holistic and transcend just excelling at academics.

Prince Ajibola was the undisputed pioneer of Arbitration law and practice in Nigeria, and is universally recognised for this outstanding feat. On one occasion at the Lagos Court of Arbitration, he took us down the memory lane about how he acquired his expertise in Arbitration. He had a client who owned a construction company, and was owed a lot of money. He had to teach himself Arbitration, and it was through his arbitration practice that he succeeded in retrieving the debts owed to his client.

It is seldom that a man excels, and is recognised for accomplishments across many areas in one lifetime. Prince Ajibola was an exceptional jurist, who brought honour and dignity to the Legal Profession and crowned a lifetime of achievements, by giving back to his community and his faith, in what would today be described as good Corporate Social Responsibility.

An exemplary Nigerian and a loving father, it is not surprising that Vice-President Osinbajo laid claim to being his first son. Unfortunately for Adesegun his biological first son, he must stand behind not only the Vice-President, but also his namesake, who only out of deference to his being older, concedes the title of Prince Ajibola’s first son to His Excellency!

Prince Ajibola was a legal legend of our time, a wonderful statesman and father who will be sorely missed.

It is my prayer for his soul to rest in peace, for his memory to remain blessed, and for Allah to grant him Aljannah Firdaus, Ameen!

Dr Adesegun Akinjuwon Akin-Olugbade, OON

Judge Bola Ajibola, SAN: When Excellence Creates an Exception to the Rule

Mutiu Baã Ganiyu

 The death of Prince Bola Ajibola, SAN a few days ago, reminded us once again in grim terms of our mortality.

 At the same time, his death brings to mind some of his feats in his chosen profession of law. It will be recalled that Prince Ajibola was better known for the practice and promotion of Alternative Dispute Resolution, though he equally made his obvious mark in active litigation in court.

 On the 27th of August, 1985, there was a change of guard via yet another Military Coup. General Ibrahim Babangida thus, emerged the Military Head of State of Nigeria. The new Government was about to appoint its own Ministers. Speculation was rife as to who would make the cabinet, and in what capacity.

 Naturally, most Lawyers were more than curious onlookers, on the specific question of who would emerge as the Attorney-General of the Federation.

 As of that time, the practice, or shall we say a convention had emerged that the incumbent of that office should be a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN); this was therefore the expectation of most Lawyers at that time.

 Indeed, what sounded like a mere wish was given a seeming official imprimatur by no less a person than the doyen of the Nigerian Bar himself, the late Chief F. R. A. Williams SAN ( of fragrant memories) on the occasion of the admission into the Inner Bar of Alhaji Abdul-Ganiyu AbdulRazaq, Mr Ladosu Ladapo and Mr Clement Akpamgbo on the 9th of September, 1985.

 On that occasion, while stating in his speech the expectation that yet again the incoming Attorney-General of the Federation was expected to be a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Williams acknowledged the reality that should a person who had not attained that rank be found suitable using certain criteria, such a person should be appointed to that office.

 The criteria were set out by the late  lodestar of the Nigerian Bar, in his speech on that occasion. The highlights of these criteria  are as follows:

 “My Lord the Chief Justice of Nigeria, my Lords, gentlemen of the Inner and Outer Bar. I reckon that this is the first ceremony of its kind that we are holding, when the office of the Attorney-General is vacant. This provides an opportunity for us to express hope that when the Federal Military Government, in the exercise of their exclusive prerogative, decides to appoint someone else into that high and important office, they would take into serious consideration the established practice of appointing someone who has already attained the rank of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Nothing but unavoidable necessity or outstanding merit, ought to justify a departure from that practice. An example of outstanding merit in the case of an appointee who, though not yet elevated, is acknowledged by the generality of practitioners to be worthy of elevation, but has somehow or other not been accorded the honour. If such a person is  appointed the Attorney-General and he is a person who obviously commands the respect of the body of legal practitioners, there can be no doubt that his elevation to the rank of Senior Advocates would be a question of time, and ought indeed, to be accelerated. We Lawyers know ourselves. When a member of the Outer Bar possessing the required calibre and other qualities is appointed, we will know. He would be an acknowledged exception to the general rule. By the tradition of our profession, whoever is appointed the Attorney-General of the Federation becomes the Head of the Bar, and takes precedence over all other Legal practitioners, including those who are members of the Inner Bar. But, of course, there is no legal impediment in the way of the Government if they decide to appoint a member of the Outer Bar as the Attorney-General of the Federation. However, the present Administration has openly declared its desire to listen to suggestions in carrying out its onerous and unenviable task of administering this Nation. This is what has encouraged me to put this suggestion at the forefront of my address today. I believe that the suggestion, perhaps, not unnaturally, has the support of the entire members of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria and, no doubt, of important sections of the Outer Bar as well”.

A few weeks later,  the man who fit the above descriptions, or as it is often said, the person who “fit the bill”  was found in the person of Prince, Judge, Bola Ajibola, and he was announced as the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the then new Government of General Ibrahim Babangida. He thus, broke the long established mould, by becoming the first non-Senior Advocate of Nigeria to be appointed to the office of Attorney-General in a long period, and after it had almost become inconceivable that it was possible. An exception was made in his case, because to use  some of the key indicators for departing from the rules and in the words of Chief Williams as reproduced above, Chief Bola Ajibola  was a person:

“…of outstanding merit … though not yet elevated, is acknowledged by the generality of practitioners to be worthy of elevation but has somehow or other not been accorded the honour…he is a person who obviously commands the respect of the body of Legal Practitioners there can be no doubt that his elevation to the rank of Senior Advocates would be a question of time and ought indeed to be accelerated”.

 Needless to say that Prince Bola Ajibola attained the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on the 10th of July, 1986 – less than a year after the very and prophetic words  of Chief Rotimi Williams as quoted above.

 May his soul rest in peace.

Mutiu Baã Ganiyu, Legal Practitioner