*Judiciary not corrupt, says Ondo Chief Judge
The Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice Oluwasegun Odusola, has said that he did not believe judiciary is corrupt as claimed.
The Judge made this known on Tuesday in Lagos during the inauguration of Dr. Benson Enikuomehin’s law firm at Ebute-Metta.
The jurist said he didn’t believe the judiciary is corrupt as claimed by the general public, rather they (judges) interprete the law as they find it “but most people who are not knowledgeable about the law would think whenever they see a judgement not in their favour, the judiciary has been bribed by those who won”.
“People always think judges have been bribed without knowing the intricacies involved in such cases. There has been a lot of review of the 1999 Constitution, a lot of amendment have been made in the constitution but it is a continuous one.
“Dr. Enikuomehin has been a brother and friend for a very long time, he is a man who is straight forward and upright in his dealing with people. It is an honour for me to be invited to the inauguration of the law firm. The success of any legal practitioner is measured by the standard and composition of his or her office
“These days, most lawyers don’t have where can be called an office. In most cases, new lawyers have turned court premises to their office, as a result they engaged in shady practices.
“When my brother took me round the offices, I was impressed with what I saw in the law firm. I can confess that the law firm has meet international standard, he has demonstrated what an average Ilaje man represents. An average Ilaje man is noted for excellence in business and education. All these, he possesses, today I rejoice with him and thank God for his life.”
Justice Odusola further said his advice to him is to uphold the integrity of the legal practice.
“I know and I am sure that the law firm we inaugurated today will contribute significantly to the cause of Justice in Nigeria. As the Chief Judge of your state, I congratulate you.”
Tayo Oyetibo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said in 1994 when Enikuomehin, as a young lawyer was in his office, he was aggressive to learn, he is always asking questions.
He said Enikuomehin always wanted to know what was going in the office. He was more mature than his peers then in the office.
“I knew then that there was something in him that’s manifesting. Over the years, I kept monitoring his progress, which he was not aware. When he was in politics, I was monitoring him, what made me so happy today is the fact that he said he was investigated and he was not found guilty.
“Those who are associated with us, I keep monitoring their progress, without letting them know, even some of crossed to the bench, one became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and I am here again celebrating you. I am glad you didn’t disappoint. I am glad I have not been called to identify you for a negative aspect.
“I am glad to associate with you. I have been monitoring you over the years without your knowledge, when you were in Ondo State I was monitoring what you were doing. Now! You have acquired your place where you can practise, you have just started, because in the profession, there are two things that would impact a lawyer, where you did your law school attachment and where you started your practice. Those two things can either impact positively or negatively on such a person”.
He added that if a young lawyer started from where his or her boss used to drink before going to court, such a lawyer would think that’s the right thing to do for him.
“Because there are those who believe that if they don’t drink, they would not be bold. If a lawyer started in a wrong place, such a person would imbibe the culture. We have never given a dime to a judge in cases we handle since 1983 till date. I can say it boldly anywhere at anytime. In that case, we have honest judges on our bench, as we have good lawyers at the bar. Enikuomehin is one of the lawyers I can be proud of, you deserve to be celebrated in every respect and you have qualified as a successful lawyer.”
Chairman of the occasion, Hon. Justice Peter Affen, Justice of the Court of Appeal, noted that legal practice is a serious business.
“The practice belongs to those who take it serious. The law has a spirit, it is only those who imbibe the spirit of the law that the law opens itself to. Because legal practice is a jealous business.
“That’s scriptural, the book says draw on to me and I will draw near thee. If you are close to the spirit of the law, the spirit of the law will inhabit you, that’s when you can properly call yourself a lawyer.
“We cannot take Dr. Enikuomehin’s passion for legal practice for granted and that was from the very beginning, I am not surprised at all. He had just told us that one of his principals was Barrister Tayo Oyetibo SAN, one of the finest lawyers I have had the privilege of working closely with when I was at the bar.
“I recalled Enikuomehin’s first chamber in Ikorodu, myself and Anthony Chizoibe, while we were out during youth service, these people had started hitting the ground running. If any door was close to them, they literally open the door and that was what they did by taking Ikorodu by storm, it is that doggedness we are celebrating today. Even when he went away for another thing, he didn’t take his eyes away from legal practice. He subscribed to all Law Reports and read them. When that assignment ended, it was easy for him to settle seamlessly back into legal practice.
Also, Senator Bode Olajumoke eulogises the resilience of Dr Enikuomehin in the establishment of the law firm and prayed for him to succeed.
However, His Royal Highness, Oba Adesina Adenugba, Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, on behalf other monarchs at the event, prayed for Enikuomehin to succeed.
The Monarch went down memory lane, that he and the celebrant’s elder brother were school mates, while the celebrant was their junior in college then.
He said: “I will always be grateful to the Enikuomehins who assisted me to have eight credits in GCE, that was the grace that made me to work in the bank after college days. I pray that whole Enikuomehin family will never lack. It was the love of the Barrister’s elder brother that I transferred to Benson who is the celebrant. The Ilaje people are extremely brilliant. I am not surprised in what we are seeing here today.
“Dr Enikuomehin, I told him in Abuja when we went to open the Abuja office that you just started, you are going to go higher than what you are witnessing today.”
Earlier in his welcome address, Enikuomehin said the building that houses his law firm was under construction when he saw it and showed interest in it.
He said: “I told myself I like this place and the person that was working on the first floor, I called him and asked him what are they doing in the building and the person then asked one of his colleagues if I am the owner of the building.
“I then asked the bricklayer who gave them the instructions to work on the site and he replied me that it was their boss who sent them and ordered them to open the gate of the building for me. As I walked in, their boss inquired from them why they opened the gate for me.
“And I asked the bricklayer’s boss, why did he leave his job and went out? He became shivering and murmuring that hope I am not the landlord of the house. That was when I told him I needed the house. When the rent of the building was mentioned, I had only N70,000 in my bank account but as God would have it, here we are today inaugurating the law firm.
“We have closed down Abuja and Akure offices, now we are in Lagos. You agree with me that when it comes to litigation, Lagos is the platform for others in Nigeria. This is where those who began law practice started their profession from. I felt it is better I concentrate in one place rather than being a jack of all trades. That accounted for why we settled where we are now.
“This property is not mine, but I have taken a lease of 18 years to be in charge. I am grateful to the guest who honour me. We are grateful to God and my family members who grace the event. On the issue of e-filing, the Chief Judge of Lagos should look into it and make it faster as possible as it can.
“I want him to look into it and address it, so that lawyers can do their job and litigants can also do their work. In our law firm, opportunities are open for young graduates who are willing to learn. For those of us who have interest in litigation, we would want to get to the peak of the profession.”
At the inauguration were Dele Adesina (SAN),
Nigeria Bar Association, Lagos Island Chairman, Olabisi Makanjuola; Muslim and Christian groups, Enikuomehin’s course mates at University of Benin (UNIBEN), NBA members of Ikorodu branch, and others.
