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Tag: Olanipekun

  • Olanipekun debunks taking PDP candidate’s election brief

    A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), has debunked the report that he has taken the brief to represent the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, in last Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State.

    Olusola lost the election to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    In a statement by his Personal Assistant (PA), Mr. Debo Oladinni, the eminent lawyer said he had not been briefed by any candidate or political party to represent him or the party.

    The statement said: “…Chief Olanipekun, in respect of the drama, propaganda and conjectures making the rounds in Ekiti and being sponsored by a group or some groups of people, it is not the style of either my principal or that of Wole Olanipekun and Co. to announce in advance that he is going to appear for any party in court, even when he has not been briefed.

    “And in this particularly instance, nobody or party has briefed either my principal or Wole Olanipekun and Co. to appear for him, either as a petitioner or respondent.

    “This story, which you described as ‘making the rounds’, as well as others fabricated before, during and after the election, is not merely figments of the imaginations of the peddlers, but was also created to malign and denigrate the reputation of my principal and other leading figures and lights in Ekiti and Nigeria, including the highly respected Aare Afe Babalola, who the hack-writers had earlier alleged was working and meeting with my principal to appear for an imaginary petitioner…”

     

     

  • Olanipekun disowns inciting statement

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Wole Olanipekun, has dissociated himself from a statement that Ekiti people should not vote a particular political party.

    According to him, those urging Ekiti people not to vote for the party did so to avoid the future invasion of Ekiti State by herdsmen.

    He said: “May I emphatically state that at no time or place did I make such a statement. While I, as a Nigerian, have a right to support or vote for any candidate of my choice in any election, I have always restrained myself from getting involved in the murky waters of partisan politics.

    “As a professional, my clients and clientele cut across all divides, whether in politics, banking, commerce, industry and indeed in criminal and civil matters generally.”

    The senior lawyer said those using his name to pursue their narrow interests should desist from the acts.

    “I, therefore, plead that those using my name for whatever political objective, particularly attaching and crediting what I never said, should desist from doing so henceforth.

    “I repeat again that such statement was not and could not have been made by me. I entirely disown and disdain it,” he added.

  • Olanipekun, Ubani, Adesina back e-voting

    Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) has urged the National Assembly to revisit the adoption of electronic voting for the 2019 elections.

    He said the combination of card readers and electronic voting would result in a credible electoral process.

    NBA Vice President Monday Ubani, a former NBA General Secretary, Pastor Dele Adesina and former Lagos Ministry of Justice Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), adopted Olanipekun’s views.

    They spoke at the 2018 Annual Lecture of the Ikeja branch of the National Association of Judicial Correspondents (NAJUC).

    The lecture’s theme was: “The Role of Judiciary, Media in the 2019 Election.”

    Chief Judge of Lagos State Justice Opeyemi Oke; the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kazeem Adeniji; Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN) and the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mr. Sam Olumekun, who was represented by Mrs Funmi Gaffar, were also at the forum.

    The House of Representatives on May 31 rejected electronic voting for the 2019 polls while considering the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

    But Olanipekun, the keynote speaker at the event, suggested that electronic voting would be an improvement on the card reader system introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2015.

    He said: “Even with the deployment of the card reader in 2015, a lot of electoral malpractices were still identified. The least that Nigerians expect from INEC for the 2019 general elections is the deployment and use of electronic device, which would ensure substantial rig-proof elections.

    “The combination of the use and activation of the card reader and electronic device will assure and reassure Nigerians that INEC is indeed and in fact, prepared for a free and fair election. INEC should not enter any caveat or give any alibi for not being able to deploy the electronic device, which is now in use almost worldwide.”

    Justice Oke, who was represented by Justice Josephine Oyefeso, charged journalists to ensure fair and unbiased coverage of the polls as well as judicial events in order not to heat up the polity.

    She said: “The media acts as a watchdog with a duty to provide unbiased, fair and informative coverage of the 2019 elections.

    “In the last election, it played a vital role as a watchdog in the process of electioneering.”

    She advised that when a case is under judgment the media must ensure that it does not interfere with the fair trial obligation of the court.

    “Accuracy must be our watchword and you must ensure you do not compromise ongoing court proceedings bearing in mind that here are at least two sides to a story.

    “We should not forget that lack of professionalism and objectivity may plunge the nation into crisis, we should never forget the events in Rwanda in 1994 and Kenya in 2007,” the Chief Judge said.

    On his part, Kazeem said Lagos Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is committed to ensuring swift and fair administration of justice.

    Kazeem, who was represented by Mr Idowu Akinwunmi, his Senior Special Adviser (SSA) urged the press to be unbiased in their reportage of national issues.

    “As stakeholders, it is therefore our collective responsibility as a society to continue to uphold fair, independent and accountable institutions to carry out our work in a responsible manner,” he added.

    The event featured the presentation of NAJUC Award of Excellence by Banire to Adeniji, Sylva Ogwemoh SAN, and Mr  Richard Akinnola as well as the launch the association’s quarterly publication ‘Inside Judiciary.’

  • Kashamu’s extradition call unjustified, says Olanipekun

    Eminent lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun  (SAN), has faulted the request by the Federal Government for the extradition of Senator Kashamu Buruji to the United States of America (U.S.A).

    Olanipekun said: “There is nothing in any of the two judgments of the Court of Appeal warranting, calling for or signalling the extradition of our client, either from within or without Nigeria, and more particularly, from the high office of the Chief Law Officer of our dear country.”

    The lawyer, in a May 30 letter, said: “There cannot be any justification for the Nigerian government, through the exalted office of the Attorney General of the Federation, to push for the extradition of our client (Kashamu).”

    His letter followed an earlier letter by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami to U.S Embassy, asking it to make a fresh request to facilitate the commencement of new extradition proceeding against Kashamu since the courts had dismissed the one written in 2015.

    The letter by the office of the Attorney General, written in 2016, became public after the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, which overturned the decision the perpetual injunction of a Federal High Court restraining law enforcement agencies from arresting Kashamu.

    Olanipekun said the Court of Appeal did not set aside the far-reaching pronouncements made in Kashamu’s favour by the lower courts.

    He added: “In effect, the very crucial finding of the High Court that the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation lacks the vires and jurisdiction to either entertain an extradition request or commence extradition proceedings against our client based on allegations from which he had previously been exonerated by two British courts in 2000 and 2003, remain subsisting and extant.”

    The lawyer averred that since Kashamu had appealed the Court of Appeal judgment to the Supreme Court, the Federal Government could not start any fresh extradition suit.

    According to him, the Federal Government was part and parcel of the extradition proceedings against Kashamu in the two British courts “as two top officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) – Dan Asabe, the Director of Operations, and Femi Oloruntoba, the Director of Prosecutions – travelled to London to give evidence for the prosecution on the second extradition proceedings brought at the instance of officials of the United States in 2000”.

    Olanipekun said the judgment of the two British courts “are judgments in rem, binding on all persons and parties to the proceedings, including but not limited to the Nigerian government, the British government, the INTERPOL, the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation, the NDLEA, etc”.

    He added: “With further respect, we wonder if any country in the world would push for the extradition of its citizen in the peculiar and glaring circumstances of this case.

    “Our final instruction is that the high office of the Attorney General of the Federation should put a stop to the intimidation or any further molestation of our client on this subject, either by way of inviting a foreign country to make an application for the filing of an extradition proceeding or the commencement of any fresh extradition proceeding.”

  • Olanipekun builds ultra-modern church in hometown

    Eminent lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun, has laid the foundation stone of a new St. Peter’s Anglican Church in his native Ikere-Ekiti in Ekiti State.

    The new church building, when completed, has a capacity for 1,600 worshippers at a time with state-of-the-art facilities.

    The entire project from start to finish will be solely financed by Olanipekun and is expected to be completed and opened for public use in two years.

    Apparently excited by the gesture, the Bishop of the Diocese of Ekiti, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the Rt. Rev. Christopher Omotunde, hailed Olanipekun for building a new church in his community.

    Omotunde urged privileged Nigerians to emulate the gesture of the Senior Advocate by using their wealth to promote assist the church and the less privileged.

    Olanipekun said the desire to build the new church grew last December when he requested for the land to carry out the project.

    According to him, the church is not his personal property but a project dedicated to God and for the use of worshippers.

    He said: “This place is historic. Our parents built the first church here about 100 years ago.

    “This is St. Peter’s Church. It does not belong to Olanipekun. Nobody can take God’s church from here. It is not anybody’s doing and this will not be an abandoned project.

    “Every material to be used like iron, cement, granite and so on are available. By the grace of God, our Bishop and the Primate will be here to commission it when completed.

    “I am a third generation member of this church, my uncle served as the church secretary for 23 years while my father served as secretary for 17 years without receiving any salary and he used to cut the grass of the church vicinity free.

    “We were born into it, wherever we go, we should not be ashamed of our place of birth.

    “Residents of this area, we are not grabbing your land. Please cooperate with us as we build this new church.”

  • Fake news violates constitution, say Olanipekun, Abati

    Fake news violates the 1999 Constitution and is therefore a criminal offence, former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and former presidential spokesman Dr Reuben Abati have said.

    They spoke at a roundtable discussion on Fake News and the Future of the Media, organised as part of activities marking the launch of  the book: Brands In News, written by Raheem Akingbolu.

    Olanipekun, who chaired the event, lamented the damage fake news has caused in the society.

    The former NBA president, who claimed to have been a victim of fake news in the past, urged media practitioner to rise up and eliminate fake news.

    “I have been a victim of fake news before and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. This is the reason why media practitioners must sit up and eliminate the virus called ‘fake news’, which has eaten quite deep into the society since the invention of social media,” he advised.

    According to Olanipekun, the introduction of ‘Citizen Journalism’ has not helped matters, rather, it has been a key factor in the spread of fake news.

    He noted that fake news is thriving because Nigeria has not been abiding with the Constitution.

    He made reference to Freedom of the Press Law in Malawi and Section 152 of the Ghanaian Constitution that have provision for free reportage of news as well as providing sanction against fake news.

    Dr Abati, who was the keynote speaker, identified conscience, values and responsibility as salient weapons in fighting fake news.

    “In virtually every country of the world there is a presence of fake news”, which he described as fabricated news intended to “mis-inform, dis-inform, sensationalise, hurt, achieve a specific objective either for profit or mischief”.

    According to him, globalisation and technology have contributed to the spread of news stories rapidly although in different perspective.

    He said: “We are in the age of citizen journalism. However, fake news creates confusion, misleads and  is a form of distortion, which has raised questions  about media and its responsibility.”

    This, he noted, can cause a lot of damage when used with the wrong medium.

    According to him, “the media should act as an instrument of nation building. The media is to set agenda and establish standards, provide leadership and not to cause damage or tell lies.

    “Section 39 of the Constitution allows freedom of expression and the right of ownership, but Section 15 is for the media to provide security and welfare of the people.

    “Our job as journalists is to stand for the people, but the same media is being used to cause damage,” he lamented.

    Dr Abati, a former Special Advicer on Media and Publicity to former President Goodluck Jonathan, urged journalists to stick to the truth and not publish fake news in order not to breach the trust of the people.

    The author, Akingbolu, said his experience as a journalist, since his student days up to professional life, motivated him to write the book, which is his first.

    He said: “This is my own contribution to national development and the growing media”.

    Others present at the event included  Publisher of This Day, Mr Nduka Obaigbena; Publisher, Marketing Edge, Mr John Ajayi; former Editor, The Nigerian Compass, Mr Gabriel Akinadewo; Book reviwer, Mr Tony Kan; Managing Director of Precise Communication, Mr Bolaji Okusaga; President Premium Eagle Publications, Mr Dotun Oladipo; former Vice Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Lagos Branch, Mrs Bolanle Olatunde; Managing Director, Proshare, Mr Femi Awoyemi and Mr  Lolu Akinwunmi, who was the moderator at the event.

  • Olanipekun builds ultra-modern church in hometown

    Eminent lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun, has laid the foundation stone of a new St. Peter’s Anglican Church in his native Ikere-Ekiti in Ekiti State.

    The new church building, when completed, has a capacity for 1,600 worshippers at a time with state-of-the-art facilities.

    The entire project from start to finish will be solely financed by Olanipekun and is expected to be completed and opened for public use in two years.

    Apparently excited by the gesture, the Bishop of the Diocese of Ekiti, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the Rt. Rev. Christopher Omotunde, hailed Olanipekun for building a new church in his community.

    The ceremony was witnessed by the Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu Alagbado; the Alara of Aramoko-Ekiti, Oba Adegoke Olu Adeyemi; the retired Anglican Bishop of Akure Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Michael Ipinmoye; the Vice Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, the Rt. Rev. Tunde Asaju, other clerics and community leaders.

    The bishop prayed on the four corners of the project with his staff of office and invoked God’s blessing for speedy completion and successful execution of the master plan.

    Omotunde, who quoted from First Chronicles Chapter 29, said the project was a voluntary gesture from Olanipekun as he could have spent the money on something else.

    The bishop said Olanipekun sponsorship of the project was an indication he understands the Scriptures which should not be misconstrued for wasting of money.

    Omotunde said: When you talk of success, God has given him (Olanipekun) success, it’s not by his strength. There was a time he started in a humble way in a small office in Ilorin.

    “It was a time he would go out of his office to buy groundnut and roasted plantain. In building this church, don’t count on what you have at hand or what you have in the bank but let the help to build it come from God.”

    Omotunde urged privileged Nigerians to emulate the gesture of the Senior Advocate by using their wealth to promote assist the church and the less privileged.

    Olanipekun said the desire to build the new church grew last December when he requested for the land to carry out the project.

    According to him, the church is not his personal property but a project dedicated to God and for the use of worshippers.

    He said: “This place is historic. Our parents built the first church here about 100 years ago.

    “This is St. Peter’s Church. It does not belong to Olanipekun. Nobody can take God’s church from here. It is not anybody’s doing and this will not be an abandoned project.

    “Every material to be used like iron, cement, granite and so on are available. By the grace of God, our Bishop and the Primate will be here to commission it when completed.

    “I am a third generation member of this church, my uncle served as the church secretary for 23 years while my father served as secretary for 17 years without receiving any salary and he used to cut the grass of the church vicinity free.

    “We were born into it, wherever we go, we should not be ashamed of our place of birth.

    “Residents of this area, we are not grabbing your land. Please cooperate with us as we build this new church.”

  • Olanipekun to chair panel discussion on future of media

    A  former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN ) will chair the Right Hand media roundtable discussion, which will hold on Friday at the Raddison Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

    Its theme is: Fake news and future of the media.

    A former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Reuben Abati, will be the guest speaker.

    The roundtable coincides with the public presentation of Brand in the News – a compilation of articles written by one of best marketing reporters, Mr. Raheem Akingbolu.

    The event, which is the first leg of the agency’s yearly stakeholders media engagement, is organised to galvanise stakeholders towards the danger of citizen journalism to the future of the industry.

    A statement signed by the Media Relation Manager of the agency, Miss. Morounmubo Alabi, indicated that Chief Olanipekun, a respected law icon and elder statesman, was chosen as chairman by the board.

    “The decision to settle for Chief Olanipekun was based on his reputation as a highly respected Lawyer and an intellectual powerhouse in the Nigerian legal environment. We believe he will undoubtedly educate the audience on the theme which was deliberately chosen to highlight the growing challenges of the media management business and the legal implication of citizen journalism,’’ the statement said.

  • It’s wrong to say Buhari shouldn’t run, says Olanipekun

    •’Vote buying has aggravated poverty in Nigeria’

    EMINENT lawyer Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) has lent his voice to the raging debate over the propriety or otherwise of President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to seek a second term in office.

    The former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President said it was wrong for some Nigerians to ask Buhari not to run in the February presidential election.

    “Running for the presidency is constitutional right of Buhari and other Nigerians interested in that position and any other elective office,” he said.

    He stressed that Buhari should not be accorded a superior rights over other candidates, adding that contestants must be given equal rights to canvass for votes in line with the constitution and the Electoral Act.

    The senior lawyer also expressed worry over politicians’ penchant for vote buying at elections, saying the practice has aggravated poverty in the land.

    Olanipekun spoke with reporters on Saturday in Ikere-Ekiti, shortly after laying the foundation stone of a new worship centre for his home church, St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Oke’kere, the project he is solely financing.

    A church service preceding the project’s groundbreaking was presided over by the Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, the Rt. Rev. Christopher Omotunde.

    Olanipekun noted that in this season of elections, Nigerians should ask questions from those seeking public office and candidates running should unfold their manifestos and programmes to voters.

    Some prominent Nigerians, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, have warned Buhari against seeking another term in office.

    They claimed that the President had not lived up to the expectation of Nigerians.

    He said: “In this season of election and electioneering, my plea is that anybody who wants to contest, let him or her contest and let us listen to them.

    “Everybody has a right to contest as long as he or she meets the requirements of the law. I have the right to vote for the candidate of my choice.

    Let us listen to those who want to occupy elective offices: state Houses of Assembly, National Assembly, governorship, presidency. I am not one of those who will say no; this man should not contest. Why?

    “If you want me to mention name, I am one of those who will say President Buhari should not contest, no.

    “Frankly speaking, he has a right, but in contesting, others should be able to say ‘I am better than him’ and he should prove that he is better than them and Nigerians should make their choice.

    “But we should not disallow others from expressing their own views.

    Contesting elections is one’s constitutional right. Did Obasanjo not contest (for second term)? Did Jonathan not contest (for second term)?

    “Why should his (Buhari’s) be different? Others also have a right to contest and if he (Buhari) is contesting on the platform of his political party, he does not have superior right over other candidates.

    “So, it is left to Nigerians to make a choice; don’t let anyone bully you that he (Buhari) should not contest. If he doesn’t want to contest, that would be his own personal decision.”

    Olanipekun also warned politicians against desecrating the ballot box by attempting to steal the votes of Nigerians, which he said is worse than “crime against humanity.”

    “We can stop poverty in Nigeria politically when we respect the ballot. To me, it is worse than crime against humanity when you defraud the ballot box.

    “Don’t buy voters to vote for you and stop distributing money on the day of election.”

     

  • Solanke, Olanipekun to law firms: pay young lawyers well

    Solanke, Olanipekun to law firms: pay young lawyers well

    First female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Folake Solanke and former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) have urged senior lawyers to remunerate young lawyers undergoing pupilage in their offices well.

    The two senior lawyers made the call at the inaugural public lecture and presentation of a book entitled: New developments in law and practice in Nigeria by Deacon Dele Adesina (SAN).

    The event marked the 35th anniversary of Adesina’s call to Bar, 25 years of the establishment of his law firm, and 10 years of his being conferred with the rank of SAN. The lecture had the theme: Building a successful legal career/practice. 

    Solanke said pupilage was an essential element in the training of young lawyers and the development of the legal profession, adding that juniors doing pupilage are not slaves and so should be properly remunerated.

    Olanipekun  advised lawyers to learn to “steal” knowledge from their colleagues. According to him, Rome was not built in a day, so young lawyers must be prepared to learn and adhere strictly to the principles of legal practice.

    Citing personal example, Olanipekun said: ”Whenever I go to court with Femi Falana, I know it is going to be a legal war and I am always prepared to tap from him, because I know that where my wisdom stops, there his own begins and so I must not run him down.

    “Woe betide any lawyer who gives bribe, offers bribe, compromises the integrity of the legal profession or distorts justice, such a lawyer will go to hell.

    “Lawyers must at all times, be God fearing, humble, charitable and be accommodating. These virtues are instrumental to successful legal practice.”

    Olanipekun urged the NBA to be at the forefront in protecting the integrity of the profession, adding that the association was larger than itself.

    Adesina  urged the judiciary to continuously live up to its constitutional role to preserve legal practice. “The Judiciary has continued to live up to its constitutional and historic role as the bastion of constitutional democracy.

    “It remains the tripod on which the hope of democracy and the common man rest and the time to stop politicisation of the Judiciary is now,” he said.

    Prof. Koyinsola Ajayi (SAN), who was the guest speaker, encouraged bar leaders and senior members of the bar to live by the rules and practice what they preach.

    He said: “Do not belong to the Bar where things are marred, nor sit on the bench of stench. Rather, be found only in the Bar, helping the Bench for public good.

    “To the younger lawyers and those in the Outer Bar, do not engage in idle canter and banter, understand the importance of networking and engage accordingly.”

    A member of the panel, Kemi Pinheiro, (SAN), who spoke after the lead presentation, highlighted the need for legal professionals to be humble, charitable, responsible and accommodating to one another.

    He said: “Be open to learning from your colleagues. We need the ethics of our profession without compromising them. We must show ourselves worthy in a society that is looking up to us for guidance. But the fact remains that we would first have to change ourselves in other to change Nigeria,” Pinhero said.

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Osaro Eghobamien said a lawyer’s duty is beyond being responsive to clients.

    “I believe taking a case without  merit to the Supreme Court is a level of injustice that should not be condoned. There are many areas of law yet untapped, with several opportunities lying therein.

    “However, without strong legal institutions, we cannot provide services that are global. We must begin to align our operations and services in line with international standards,” Eghobiamen said.

    Another SAN, Fabian Ajogwu, said it was important for lawyers to understand what truly drives success in law. “I am not in the school of begging seniors to pay their juniors adequately. Rather, I am more interested in seeing hard work being rewarded

    “You need to do research to become a good lawyer and apply it in the courtroom and the classroom.

    “In determining success in the profession, one must first determine what sort of lawyer you want to be. You must be able to measure your spectrum,” Ajogwu said.