By Abdulwahab Abdulah

Lagos—A former Dean, Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Professor Ademola Popoola has called on African countries not to only sign the United Nation’s convention on corruption, but put in place robust integrity systems that provide checks and balances on those in power.

Beside, the law teacher advocated that decision and policy makers should possess good knowledge of international law to enable them resolve inter-state disputes.

According to him, this will enable the policy makers to make reasonable judgement as well as building an international order on the basis of the rule of law.

Delivering the 2015 Founders Day Lecture of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) at the University of Lagos campus, Professor Popoola, said for any society to embrace the rule of law and build international order it must ensure that nothing but the law form the fulcrum of such society.

The theme of the 2015 Founders’ Day Lecture was: “Africa and International Law in the 21st Century: Something Old and Something New”.

Responding to questions on the topic, Popoola said African countries should depart from mere signing into law the United Nation’s convention on corruption, but ensure that there are possible checks that can curb corruption in the polity.

He added that there is lesson to be learnt for Africans where corruption has become endemic, adding that the people must be ready to pay high price for failing to combat corruption.

Welcoming the guests and participants to the programme, the institute director general, Professor Adedeji Adekunle, acknowledged the close relationship between the institute and the guest lecturer.

He said the vision of the founding fathers of the NIALS was to develop an institute which would metamorphose into a world class institution and the nucleus of legal scholarship in Africa.

Adekunle disclosed that the vision has been instutionalised through statute, which has been nurtured over the years by staff and management of the Institute.