Chief Richard Akinjide SAN , was second republic Attorney- General of the Federation and minster of justice . An eminent international lawyer, he is currently the most senior member of the Bar having being called in 1956 . Chief Akinjide who was also a former President of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, 1970-1973, in this interview, spoke on Alhaji Shehu Shagari’s administration which he served, and the profession that has fetched him fortune and fame . He also spoke on the legacies his generation is leaving behind. Excerpts
Our nation Nigeria is passing through a transformation phase in which many questions are asked. Some ask for the restructure of the Nigerian Federation so that the component States possess greater autonomy and have control over their affairs including their own security.
The Justice Lawal Uwais Stakeholders Judicial Reform Committee has indicted the National Judicial Council, NJC, of the Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu era of high handedness and abuse of procedure in its recommendation for the suspension of the Justice Ayo Salami, former President of the Court of Appeal, PCA.
Last Friday, the Supreme Court of Nigeria belatedly delivered its judgment in the tenure elongation case involving five governors. Led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Dahiru Musdapher the seven justices who heard the case unanimously held that the concept of tenure extension is alien to the Constitution of Nigeria as the maximum term for an elected governor is eight years.
In 1998 when they were arrested for interogation by the Special Investigative Panel, SPI, hardly did they realised that that was the beginning of an end. Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, a former Chief Security Officer, CSO, to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha was one of the many people invited for interogation over several criminal activities perpatrated during Abacha’s regime.
That armed soldiers were deployed on the streets of Lagos to crush the unprecedented protest over fuel subsidy removal is no longer news. What is new is that the Soldiers have been withdrawn following demands for such by Governor Babatunde Fashola, SAN and pressure from well-meaning Nigerians.
