ODA Urges recommitment to the cause for
which Richard Akinjide lived and died
Oyo Democratic Alliance (ODA) on Thursday joined
other eminent Nigerians to mourn the death of the former Justice Minister of
Nigeria, Chief Richard Akinjide whose death was announced last week Tuesday by
the spokesperson
of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Tonye Akinrinola.
The
Chairman of the Alliance Wole Adedoyin through a phone call to newmen in Ibadan
said: “I received with sadness and a deep feeling of great national loss, news
of the recent passing away of the former Minister of Justice, Chief Richard
Akinjide, I extend my heartfelt condolences to Chief Akinjide’s family and the
current Executive Governor of Oyo State, Gov. Seyi Makinde over the loss.’’
The
release further described the Late Chief Richard Akinjide as “a principled,
dogged, and unrelenting politician, fully committed to any progressive and
democratic course he believes in. May God give his family the fortitude to bear
the loss”.
“I am convinced that his death at this point
in our nation building process will be missed by all. This is because his
contributions not only to the development of Oyo State but to the
socio-economic and political advancement of our country have been enormous. His
type is rare, his personal sacrifices and selfless services to the poor and his
people uncommon. He deserves everything that the Oyo State Governor can do to
give him a befitting honour to immortalize his name as a great democrat and
grassroots politician, ,’’ Adedoyin added
Born in 1930 in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Mr
Akinjide attended St. Peter’s Primary School, Aremo in Ibadan, before
proceeding to Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife from where he passed out in Grade One
(Distinction, Aggregate 6).
Mr Akinjide in 1951 travelled to the United
Kingdom for his higher education, where he studied for his LLB degree in Law at
the University of London and also obtained a certificate in Journalism. He was
called to the English Bar in 1955.
The deceased was subsequently called to the
Nigerian and the Gambian Bar and became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in
1978. When he returned to Nigeria after his studies, he practiced briefly under
S.L Durosaro before setting up his practice of Akinjide & Co.
Mr Akinjide was a contributor to West African
Pilot and Daily Times. He also taught International Commercial Arbitration at
post-graduate level at the University of Ibadan.
He was a member of the Judicial Systems
Sub-Committee of the Constitutional Drafting Committee of 1975-1977 and later
joined the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1978. He became the Legal Adviser
for the party before hwas later appointed the justice minister when President
Shehu Shagari
Comments
Post a Comment