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Tag: Eso

  • Amosun: Eso could not be bought

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has described the late Justice Kayode Eso as “a courageous judge, who is not afraid to say the truth”.

    Amosun spoke yesterday when he visited the deceased’s family in Ibadan, the state capital.

    He urged Nigerians to emulate the virtues of the late jurist, who was known for his integrity, courage, discipline, compassion and diligence.

    Amosun said the late Eso was one of the elder statesmen, “who sacrificed their yesterday for what the country is enjoying today”.

    He said: “The late Eso lived an exemplary life that we all should be proud of. He was a courageous man, who delivered landmark judgments. He could not be bought. He was a good man and would be missed by all.”

    Recalling the late jurist’s dissenting judgment in the celebrated 12 2/3 of 19 states of the 1979 presidential polls, the governor said the dissenting judgment was one of the redefining moments in the political history of the nation, especially the Southwest.

    He said: “We are not mourning Justice Eso, we have come to celebrate the passage of a courageous jurist, a diligent man and a shinning example. He was an uncompromising and incorruptible judge, whose landmark judgment always gave hope to the hopeless.”

    The deceased’s brother, Ven. Ladipo Eso thanked Amosun for the visit and said the traffic of personalities to their home was a testimony of the late jurist’s selfless life.

     

  • Eminent Nigerians pay tributes to Eso

    Eminent Nigerians pay tributes to Eso

    Eminent Nigerians, including the first woman Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Folake Solanke; Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi and members of the Judiciary, yesterday paid tributes to the former Supreme Court Justice Kayode Eso.

    They extolled his virtues at a special court session organised by the Oyo State Judiciary in honour of the late jurist.

    The session, presided over by the State Chief Judge, Justice Badejoko Adeniji, was held at the State High Court on Ring Road, Ibadan, the state capital.

    Mrs. Solanke described the late Justice Eso as “our own Lord Denning”.

    The late jurist, who died on November 16 at 87, was described as an “exceptionally brave Judge on the Bench, who will be missed dearly in Nigeria and the world for his brilliant performance in the legal profession”.

    Also at the event were Ajimobi’s wife, Florence; Osun State Deputy Governor Titi Laoye-Tomori; retired and serving Judges, among others.

    It was a remarkable day for the Eso family as the deceased’s widow, Aina and children – Mrs. Funmilayo Eso Williams and Olumide – listened to people sing their loved one’s praises.

    Mrs Solanke urged the Judiciary to uphold the virtues of boldness, fair play, zeal, industry, scholarship, honesty and incorruptibility, which the late Justice Eso “was known for”.

    She recalled how the late jurist used to deliver dissenting judgments against the government, citing the example of how he slammed the Federal Government for executive lawlessness in the case of the late Chief Chukwuemeka Ojukwu during the civil war, as well as his failure to find Prof. Wole Soyinka guilty of making an anti-government announcement on the radio then.

    Mrs Solanke said: “The late Justice Eso’s commitment to the rule of law was total. His mastery of English was superb and his knowledge of history was excellent.”

    On the manner the late Justice Eso rose during his active years on the Bench, before he bowed out of the Supreme Court on September 18, 1990, the Oyo State Attorney-General and Commissioner Justice, Mr. Adebayo Ojo, said: “It showed sound knowledge of the law and good character. In the appointment of Judges, merit, good knowledge of the law and qualitative exposure should be considered above length of service on the Bench.”

    Lamenting the aberration in the appointment of Judges nowadays, Ojo said: “The order of the day now is the promotion of aberration, where Judges collect curriculum vitae from applicants seeking judicial appointment and proceed to recommend them without taking into consideration such applicants’ skill of advocacy and character.”

    Chairmen of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Seun Abimbola (Ibadan), Olawale Omoloye (Oyo) and Ogunniran (Ogbomoso) also extolled the late Justice Eso’s virtues.

    Omoloye said: “Eso built a sustained reputation as a courageous and fearless judge. He took his job seriously and was an ardent defender of the constitution, who acted uncompromisingly even at the risk and threat to his job while on the Bench. He maintained a high standard of responsibility.”

    On behalf of the family, the deceased’s younger brother, Ven. Ladi Eso, thanked God that his brother did not die in vain. He said: “He left us something to emulate, decipher and make marks on in the course of our life experiences to make this country better.”

  • Legal practitioners must emulate Justice Eso

    Legal practitioners must emulate Justice Eso

    SIR: The exit of Justice Kayode Eso will certainly remain indelible in our annals for many years to come. The legal profession will continue to miss the erudite jurist, extremely intelligent arbiter of uncommon order and frontline apostle of judicial activism in Nigeria.

    Justice Eso, no doubt, is one of the few, who are destined to right societal wrongs and look oppressors in the face. The fearless Judge was highly revered, not only for his uprightness or Solomonic wisdom, but for his uncompromising stance when it comes to issues of truth and declaration of verdict without any fear or favour.

    Kayode Eso’s name is incontrovertibly synonymous with an incorruptible and courageous judiciary. The man Eso is undoubtedly a blessing to the nation’s Judiciary. He was one of the few judges, Nigeria is lucky to have produced, that held tenaciously to the principles of “Nemini Negada est” (Justice should be denied to no man). As a judge the late Eso believed not in the judgments, but in justice, not only for both parties but also for the society. Eso, as a Judge, right from the lower court to apex court, was like fire that respects its lighter. To him, it is “fiat justitia enruant coelium” (let justice be done even though the heavens fall).

    He was one of the few judges who believed and displayed it obviously to all and sundry, the lordship and independence of judiciary over the two arms of the government, by refusing to bend for pressure or pacification from any quarters or anybody, no matter his rank or fortune. He was a die-hard student in the school of legal thought that “judex habere debet dous sales salem sapientiae, nesit inspidus est salem conscietiae no sit diabolus,” which means that a judge should have two salts; the salt of wisdom, lest he becomes insipid and the salt of conscience, lest he be devilish. And no wonder, he passionately displayed this in many cases that were before him, To mention a few: Fawehinmi V Akilu and ors; Awolowo V Shagari; Omoboriowo V A.G Federation, Ajasin V Omoboriowo; Nwodo V Onoh; State v Wole Soyinka etc.

    As a matter of fact, Eso, a born mediator and a reputably stainless Judge, will be difficult to replace, especially in this era of charlatanisms and favouritisms, when some men in gown, have turned Judiciary to an appendage of executive arm and annex of legislature; when cowards are now seen dominating the positions meant for the courageous. Our longing to have the likes of Eso is a must.

    The passage of Justice Kayode Eso to the great beyond is not only a call for eulogies and encomium, and is not only a call for celebration or adulation, but it’s a call for us to live worthy lives and examine our lives. What do we want people to say after we have stopped breathing? We must think deeply, whether we want praises like the ones being showered on Eso or people’s reactions to the demise of Sani Abacha.

    To the men of the bench who are Eso’s colleagues, the greatest sympathy you can show is to literally put on his gown and his wigs, for in there lay honour, courage and praises. And as corruption is daily eating deeper into Nigerian fabric and escalating in an unprecedented proportion, the nation’s judiciary is highly in need of upright, godly and lion-hearted judges, like Kayode Eso.

    I can hear the voice of this departed man of honour and value, urging and warning our judges to strive for excellence in their acts of adjudication or mediation; that the judiciary should not look as executive arm is looking; that the judiciary should not reason as legislature is reason. Oh, I heard him loud and clear, urging Nigerian judiciary to stand firm and be courageous.

    Justice Kayode Eso, in his message, prefers to be emulated rather than to be celebrated. He wants his principles and ideals cherished and not himself and he wants the judiciary to shelve encomiums and instead to stand for what he stood for. May he rest in perfect peace.

     

    • Bello Destiny Paul,

    Ondo State.

  • Eso for burial Dec 21

    The family of the late eminent jurist and former Supreme Court Justice, Kayode Eso, yesterday announced a one-week funeral programme.

    Eso died on November 16 at Hammersmith Hospital in London.

    The late jurist will be buried in his hometown, Ilesa, Osun State, on December 21 after a funeral service at the Cathedral Church of Holy Trinity, Omofe, Ilesa.

    A statement signed on behalf of the family by his daughter, Mrs. Funmilayo Eso-Williams, said a service of songs would be held at the deceased’s Greenacres, Ibadan home on December 17.

    It will be followed on Tuesday and Wednesday by another service of songs at the same venue by 5pm.

    According to the statement, a “Christian wake will hold at the Anglican Church of the Risen Christ and in his home, Oke Omi Iru, Osogbo Road, Ilesa on Thursday.

    “Funeral service will be held on December 21 at the Cathedral Church of Holy Trinity, Omofe, Ilesa, while an outing service takes place at the Anglican Church of the Risen Christ, Oke Omi Iru, Ilesa.”

    Eso is survived by his wife, Helen, children, Eso-William, Olumide and grandchildren.

  • CJN eulogises late Eso

    CJN eulogises late Eso

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloma Muktar, on Wednesday described the late Justice Kayode Eso as “ a great man’’ who contributed to the reform of the nation’s judicial system.

    Muktar, who signed the condolence register at the Agodi GRA residence of the deceased in Ibadan, wrote:

    “ To say that we will all miss him is an understatement.’’

    The CJN was accompanied by the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Badejoko Adeniji, and senior federal judicial officers.

    Muktar, who was received by the eldest son of the deceased,Olumide, held a closed door meeting with family members lasting about two hours.

    A family source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on condition of anonymity that the meeting focused on the burial arrangement for the deceased and the role to be played by the judiciary.

     

    NAN reports that no fewer than 120 persons had so far signed the condolence register.

     

    Eso, a renown jurist, died on Nov. 16 in a London hospital at the age of 87. (NAN)

  • Senate urges NJC to immortalize Eso

    Senate urges NJC to immortalize Eso

    The Senate on Wednesday urged the National Judicial Council to immotalize late Justice Kayode Eso.

    This followed a motion entitled: “Demise of Justice Kayode Eso” sponsored by Senator Babajide Omoworare and 14 others.

    The Senate resolved to observe a minute silence in honour of the late jurist and to send a delegation to commiserate with his family and the people and government of Osun State.

    All the Senators who contributed to the motion paid glowing tribute to the late jurist.

    Senate President David Mark said the contributions of late Justice Eso would remain evergreen in the memory of the people.

    He said: “Once they hear the name of Justice Kayode Eso, most Nigerians believe that there will be fairness and that there will be justice.

    “I think that that is very important. From those of you who knew him personally, clearly he was a very courageous Justice and he was fair to all irrespective of tribe and tongue.

    “And that is what we want, let justice be given in a manner that even those who lose out will acknowledge that they have been fairly treated.”

     

  • Mark mourns Eso

    Mark mourns Eso

    Senate President, David Mark, on Friday described the death of the retired Supreme Court Justice, Kayode Eso, as a monumental loss to the nation’s judiciary.

    Mark, who reacted to the death of the foremost jurist, lamented that the country has lost one of the best and fertile minds in the judiciary.

    A statement signed by the Special Adviser (Media) to Senate President, Kola Ologbondiyan, quoted Mark as saying that Late Eso was one of the proponents of the legal reforms that ushered in the era of dignity and the independent of the nation’s judicial system.

    According to Mark, “As a legal officer and jurist, Eso was a voice for the voiceless.

    “He defended the defenseless and was there for the oppressed.

    “He was a forthright and distinguished officer.

    “Nobody doubted his integrity and where he stood on national issues were clearly unambiguous.

    “He was a patriotic Nigerian.”

    The Senate President recalled that the late Eso as the then Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of the University of Benin(UNIBEN), brought positive reforms in University administration especially the tenure of Vice-Chancellors.

    He said the nation shall miss the worthy contributions of Eso, who he described as eminent in all ramifications.

    For Mark, Eso left positive footprint on the sand of time.