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“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith”

For Wole Olanipekun, SAN,
Outgoing NBA President – A Tribute By Alex Ikay Molokwu

A lthough hitherto well-known, Chief Wole Olanipekun's ascendancy to the Nigerian Bar Association's Presidency in August 2002 is a professional highlight of this gentleman's distinguished career as a lawyer. In August 2004, Chief Olanipekun will hand over the baton, bringing to a quick end, a short and illustrious period of vibrant stewardship at the Bar. But it is not the short space of time that matters. He will be counted among others, like Alao Aka Bashorun, who put volume, content and action to dedicated leadership of the Nigerian Bar. After two years in office, Chief Olanipekun bows out this year from office with his head high.

Chief Olanipekun became Bar President about three years into Nigeria's new experiment at constitutional democracy, and picked up the challenge posed by the post-military governance era as he bestrode Nigeria's legal and political landscape like a colossus. He spoke his mind and the mind of the Bar at nearly every fora, a and on almost every burning national issue - from politics to economy to the rule of law. As he bows out from office, Chief Olanipekun's place in history can be better appreciated after an overview of some of his achievements - and they are quite a legion.

Chief Olanipekun spearheaded the introduction of a “minimum wage” policy for junior counsel throughout the federation. According to him: “poor remuneration is one of the reasons why the incidence of professional misconduct among lawyers has risen sharply”. Many law firms are complying with this policy today. On the government's proposed monetization of Judges' benefits, the Bar President said: “If the Federal Government cannot help Judges, it should leave them alone, monetization would leave Judges worse off” … “A minister may have four or five cars, but no judge, I repeat, no judge has two cars….“If the benefit of Judges are monetized none of the judges would be able to afford a car not to talk of owning a house to live in”. And he was dead right.

Chief Olanipekun lashed at efforts to treat an intrinsically criminal development as a party affair in the Anambra State Governor, Dr. Chris Ngige abduction saga, saying that the People's Democratic Party and the Federal Government should not treat “the obvious treasonable felony as family affair so that the bandwagon effect does not extend to Aso Rock villa”. Throughout his tenure, he demonstrated that he is a true believer in the rule of law. He said, “Our democracy must be rooted in the rule of law, the judiciary should be fearless, brave and impartial, while the Bar must be courageous, truly learned and well behaved to face the challenges of social engineering.”

He fought for respect for the judiciary, and led the NBA to demand that the Vice-President vacate the official residence meant for the Chief Justice of Nigeria and to move to his official residence. Under him the Nigerian Bar Association (in collaboration with other stakeholders) successfully pressurized the Federal Government into returning the parcel of land allocated to the Court of Appeal for the construction of the Headquarters at Abuja, which the government had acquired for other purposes.

“The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts” - John Locke

Wole Olanipekun did not spare the Federal Government for not being able to find the killers of Nigeria's former justice Minister murdered in cold blood in his Ibadan residence whilst in active service. In the same manner, he has pursued the path of justice in the gruesome murder of the Onitsha Branch Chairman of NBA, Mr. Barnabas Igwe and his wife, Abigail.

Issues of good governance, incorporating economic and social policy making was also of concern to Chief Olanipekun. The outgoing NBA President once declared that: “Nigeria expects our President to urgently address issues of unemployment, insecurity, bad economy leading to unmitigated worthlessness of the naira as against other currencies, inflation, bad roads, epileptic communication system, the neglect of the judiciary…” whilst providing the Bar's support to the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in its continuing struggle with the government over constant increases in petroleum products' prices. The Bar Association offered free legal advice and representation to the NLC. On several occasions, Chief Olanipekun has criticized autocracy in government, chiding the President on issues like the controversial Electoral Act 2002, Resource Control, the two and half per cent fuel tax, the declaration of a state of emergency in Plateau, and the withholding of State allocations from the federation account following the creation of new local governments.

Under the out going President, the NBA took headlong, the issue of “impostor lawyers”. Serious attempts were made to update the roll of Legal Practitioners. The NBA fashioned out an innovation by way of issuing practicing licenses and seals to lawyers on payment of practicing fees with a penalty for defaulters. The Legal Practitioners' Act is also undergoing a thorough review with a view to making it more responsive to the challenges of the 21st century. Alongside this, the Disciplinary Committee of the NBA was rejuvenated during his tenure. Reports of unprofessional conduct against Legal Practitioners were entertained and treated with dispatch. The NBA also gave considerable support to the steps taken by the Council of Legal Education to improve standards of training at the Law School and the Universities.

Chief Olanipekun is leaving behind a virile Bar, perhaps, a stronger bar than he met. It is regrettable that Chief Olanipekun must necessarily bow out now, in compliance with law, but he does this with his head high and a sense of fulfillment. We would only hope that he will continue to play a leading role in the affairs of the NBA and that he will remain relevant to the association in the years to come. He leaves an arguably towering record for his successor that will be hard to beat.

Here is wishing Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, a rewarding time outside the politics of the Bar. Congratulations Chief. The Bar will sorely miss your vibrancy.

“It is very well to print justice blind, but she does better without a bondage around her eyes. She should be blind indeed to favour or prejudice, but clear to see which way lies the truth: and the less dust is about, the better” - Per Denning, L.J. in Jones v. National Coal Board (1957) 2 AV ER, 155 at 159