The Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has said that Nigeria lost a legendary and exceedingly cerebral legal luminary, with the demise of Chief Richard Osuolale Akinjide(SAN).
Bamidele branded the departed former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, a global figure in the Temple of Justice, having attained the enviable height of Queens’ Counsel in England and Senior Advocate of Nigeria during his meritorious legal practice.
Akinjide, who was the AGF under Alhaji Shehu Usman Shagari in 1979, died on Tuesday, at the age of 88.
The federal lawmaker, in his condolence message to the deceased’s family, on Wednesday, said history had consigned Akinjide to the right side as someone who dedicated his stupendous mental knack to develop the country, right from his tender age during the first republic of Alhaji Tafawa Balewa.
Reeling out accolades on the legal giant for being one of the pioneers of a robust legal practice in Nigeria, Bamidele said Akinjide’s dazzling command of English Language and ad infinitum knowledge of the law were an advantage of colossal measures to the Nigerian nation.
“Chief Richard Akinjide was an all-round person. In terms of legal mastery, he was superb. In fact, he was one of the pioneers of robust legal practice in Nigeria, having cut his teeth in England and later returned home to join a few other compatriots.
“The late ex-AGF was a colossus in the courtroom, an exemplar in the political turf and a highly venerated stickler for rules, discipline, morality, good conduct, etc.
“His charismatic posture added immeasurable panache to legal practice and made it a captivating and darling profession to the present generation of practitioners, including me.”
Bamidele, who is also a member of the prestigious Body of Benchers, also said “It won’t be gainsaid to aver that Chief Akinjide donated his entire life to the nation by participating in every facet of constitutional drafting process to give the country a rocky foundation for good governance and development of our constitutional democracy.
“I pray that the good Lord will grant his soul eternal rest in the bosom of the Lord”.
