ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION, MR YAKUBU CHONOKO MAIKYAU, OON, SAN, DELIVERED AT THE VALEDICTORY COURT SESSION HELD IN HONOUR OF THE LATE ARAKUNRIN OLUWAROTIMI ODUNAYO AKEREDOLU, CON, SAN (AKETI) ON 19 FEBRUARY 2024 AT THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OYO STATE, IBADAN

PROTOCOLS

My Lord, the Honourable, the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Honourable Justice Iyabo Yerima, and My Lords, the Judges of Oyo State Judiciary herein sitting en banc, I stand here today in this particular court session and before the distinguished audience, to pay my tribute to a past president of the Nigerian Bar Association, a revered member of the inner Bar, one of the country’s finest legal minds and political leaders; Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, Commander of the Niger, Senior Advocate of Nigeria – Aketi, as he was fondly called.

Valedictory Court sessions, irrespective of the circumstance, are sober and solemn moments that speak to the transience of the privileged positions and the fleetingness of life itself. When it is about death, it comes with an additional feeling of sadness for an irreparable loss.

The news of the death of the revered past President of the NBA, despite his long battle with illness, came as a rude shock to me. As the dogged fighter he was, he never betrayed any sign that he was battling any ailment.

For those who knew, we trusted God and prayed for his full recovery. But alas, we were greeted with the sad news of his demise – his transition to the great beyond. I had cause to say that though the ailment may be known as the cause of his death if the ailment were to speak, it would have testified that it afflicted the wrong person.

What it went through in the hands of Aketi must have left it in no doubt that it did not defeat Aketi; that Aketi transitioned because it was time for him to go after fulfilling his purpose. This is why, while Aketi’s death may be counted as a great loss (and indeed it is) to the family, friends, the legal profession, and the entire nation, we can focus on his legacies and challenge ourselves to live and sustain them as a way to honour, respect and immortalize him.

In a culture that thrives on vainglorious titles and self-glorification, Mr Akeredolu exemplified utmost humility by rejecting chieftaincy titles and ‘His Excellency’ appellations, which he was eminently qualified for. In a society where it is taboo to fail to address a person by his titles – whether deserving or not, Akeredolu defied the norm. Instead, he chose to identify himself as Arakunrin –A gentleman and no more.

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NBA | Judiciary | Ethics | Career & Practice | Public Interest | FALAS |

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