On 14th October 2008, the Supreme Court of Nigeria released the names of 57lawyers short-listed for a final interview on their eligibility to become Senior Advocates of Nigeria. About a week later another list of seven applicants was released. The 7 joined the earlier 57 for the interview of 30th October 2007, making 64 interviewees in all. The 30th October interview took place as scheduled. At the end of the exercise less than half of the interviewees (25) were found worthy to become silks. The lucky 25 are:
Charles Ajuyah, Adetokunbo Okeaya-Inneh, Sagay Omatsoguwa Mogbeye, Andrew Eghobamien, Oladipo Okpeseyi, Charles Adogah, Clement Okwusogu, Donald Denwigwe, Ulasi Obiefuna, Njemaneze Ohir, Eze Duru-Iheoma, Kola Babalola, Karina Tunyan, Eyitayo Jegede, Babajide Kolu, Fagbohunlu Babatunde, Daramola Lucas Olu, Alhaji Olasunkanmi Sanusi, Lawal Pedro, Olabisi Soyebo, Rafiu Lawal-Rabana, Anthony Aondoakaa Ijohor, Abubakar Malami, Suleiman Abdulakadir and Sebastine Tar Tenger.
The list excludes Femi Falana Esq. certainly the best known legal practitioner of the lot, creating shock in legal circles all over the nation. The shock however is cushioned in Lagos State by the inclusion of the name of Lawal Alade Mohammed Pedro on the list. L.A.M Pedro is the incumbent Solicitor General of Lagos State and Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, Lagos and was called to the bar in 1986. Pedro graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1985 with a 2nd Class Upper Degree in Law.
He joined the Lagos State Ministry of Justice in 1988, rose through the ranks on the strength of his heavy capacity for work and penetrating perspicacity of legal issues. This so much that he became and still remains the live-wire of his Ministry’s Civil Litigation Directorate for no less than a decade now. Five years ago the Squib gave Pedro the sobriquet “Mr. Pleadings”. Pedro is so good as an advocate that he is one of the few law officers that private practitioners respect, even fear for their abilities.
Of the 25 selected silk –elects, Pedro has the distinction of being the only civil servant in the group and the first counsel ever from any State’s Ministry of Justice in Nigeria to bag the Senior Advocate of Nigeria Award. In addition, because of his appointment, Lagos State Ministry of Justice becomes the only Justice Ministry in Nigeria with two Senior Advocates of Nigeria. The Honourable Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General Lagos State Supo Sasore, Esq, is already a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Another interesting implication of Pedro’s elevation is that as long as he remains at the Ministry of Justice as Solicitor General, the Attorney-General must always be a Senior Advocate of Nigeria like him and even senior to him to avoid embarrassing conflicts of positions and status.
The Squib gathered that Pedro’s fortune was one of the unplanned fall-outs of the numerous legal battles, Lagos State Government waged up to the Supreme Court, against the Federal Government, and agencies and some big private concerns under the administration of the immediate past governor of the State, Mr. Bola Tinubu (1999-2007). In all those cases, the likes of Professor Yemi Osinbajo Fola Arthir-Worrey and Lawal Pedro from the State’s Ministry of Justice were said to have shone like a million stars and thereby catching the eyes of Supreme Court Judges. One or two of these judges high perch geckos informed the Squib, actually talked Pedro into applying for the silk. Within three years of trying, fortune has smiled on him. As at press time, many Lagos State law officers are still ‘drunk’ with happiness and excitement over Pedro’s success.
Charles Ajuyah, Adetokunbo Okeaya-Inneh, Sagay Omatsoguwa Mogbeye, Andrew Eghobamien, Oladipo Okpeseyi, Charles Adogah, Clement Okwusogu, Donald Denwigwe, Ulasi Obiefuna, Njemaneze Ohir, Eze Duru-Iheoma, Kola Babalola, Karina Tunyan, Eyitayo Jegede, Babajide Kolu, Fagbohunlu Babatunde, Daramola Lucas Olu, Alhaji Olasunkanmi Sanusi, Lawal Pedro, Olabisi Soyebo, Rafiu Lawal-Rabana, Anthony Aondoakaa Ijohor, Abubakar Malami, Suleiman Abdulakadir and Sebastine Tar Tenger.
The list excludes Femi Falana Esq. certainly the best known legal practitioner of the lot, creating shock in legal circles all over the nation. The shock however is cushioned in Lagos State by the inclusion of the name of Lawal Alade Mohammed Pedro on the list. L.A.M Pedro is the incumbent Solicitor General of Lagos State and Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, Lagos and was called to the bar in 1986. Pedro graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1985 with a 2nd Class Upper Degree in Law.
He joined the Lagos State Ministry of Justice in 1988, rose through the ranks on the strength of his heavy capacity for work and penetrating perspicacity of legal issues. This so much that he became and still remains the live-wire of his Ministry’s Civil Litigation Directorate for no less than a decade now. Five years ago the Squib gave Pedro the sobriquet “Mr. Pleadings”. Pedro is so good as an advocate that he is one of the few law officers that private practitioners respect, even fear for their abilities.
Of the 25 selected silk –elects, Pedro has the distinction of being the only civil servant in the group and the first counsel ever from any State’s Ministry of Justice in Nigeria to bag the Senior Advocate of Nigeria Award. In addition, because of his appointment, Lagos State Ministry of Justice becomes the only Justice Ministry in Nigeria with two Senior Advocates of Nigeria. The Honourable Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General Lagos State Supo Sasore, Esq, is already a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Another interesting implication of Pedro’s elevation is that as long as he remains at the Ministry of Justice as Solicitor General, the Attorney-General must always be a Senior Advocate of Nigeria like him and even senior to him to avoid embarrassing conflicts of positions and status.
The Squib gathered that Pedro’s fortune was one of the unplanned fall-outs of the numerous legal battles, Lagos State Government waged up to the Supreme Court, against the Federal Government, and agencies and some big private concerns under the administration of the immediate past governor of the State, Mr. Bola Tinubu (1999-2007). In all those cases, the likes of Professor Yemi Osinbajo Fola Arthir-Worrey and Lawal Pedro from the State’s Ministry of Justice were said to have shone like a million stars and thereby catching the eyes of Supreme Court Judges. One or two of these judges high perch geckos informed the Squib, actually talked Pedro into applying for the silk. Within three years of trying, fortune has smiled on him. As at press time, many Lagos State law officers are still ‘drunk’ with happiness and excitement over Pedro’s success.
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