•says Nigeria legal profession needs resuscitation
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Wole Olanipekun, has beckoned on well-meaning Nigerians to write their names in gold by investing in humanity for posterity’s sake.
Just as he said that the legal profession needed to be resuscitated and reinvigorated from dying.
The legal luminary said this during the commissioning of the Wole Olanipekun Law Auditorium donated by him to Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, on Friday.
He said that the legal profession in Nigeria may die in the near future if nothing concrete is done to resuscitate it.
While admonishing other top practitioners of the profession to rise to the occasion of salvaging it.
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He explained that law practitioners and law students in various institutions are grappling with falling and failing infrastructures.
The legal luminary said Babcock University and other private and public universities need the assistance of Nigerians, especially those who have received the benevolence of God to stand tall among the comity of institutions in Africa and across the globe.
Olanipekun said, “We need to humble ourselves. Otherwise, we might wake up in the near future to embrace the naked reality that we have no profession any more. In order to appreciate what exactly the lower stratum of the profession looks like or experiences. It is a stratum that urgently needs assistance, restructuring, reinvigorating, resuscitating, reenergizing and much encouragement. It is mandatory for us to uplift that stratum as well as its occupants, including students in the various Faculties of Law across the country, as well as the failing and falling infrastructures they contend with.
“Agreed, that Babcock is a private University owned by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, we must not forget the fact that this great Institution, as well as other private and public Universities in Nigeria, need the benevolence of Nigerians, particularly, those who have received God’s benevolence.
“Let us be honest with ourselves, one does not need to be a Warren Buffett, a Bill Gates or Melinda Gates, a Chuck Feeney, a Zell Kravinsky, Dolly Parton, John D. Rockefeller,6 Aliko Dangote, or Mike Adenuga before he can impact meaningfully on humanity or intervene in the meteoric rise of others, without competing with the ‘money bags’
“It is rather unfortunate that Nigeria is gradually losing her humanity, in the sense that we produce more of arm-chaired critics, some of who are obsessed with the ‘pull-down’ syndrome, than people who subscribe to or invest in humanity. Coming specifically to our constituency, the legal profession, I state with all humility, but with every sense of responsibility that those of us who are atop the profession presently must, of necessity and urgency, descend from our Olympian heights, and disembark from our high horses.”
He lamented that Nigeria is gradually losing her humanity as a result”arm-chaired critics and people obsessed with the ‘pull-down’ syndrome, than those who want to invest in humanity.
He lauded the management of BU for its efficient management of scarce resources, through shrewdness, prudence, fidelity and fear of God.
The President / Vice Chancellor of Babcock University, Professor Ademola Tayo, appreciated the donor for construction of the magnificent building for the enhancement of teaching and learning of law in the institution.
He stated that Olanipekun has exemplified what it means to invest in the future of education in Nigeria with the building of what he described as a stellar legacy.
He said, ‘This monumental edifice is more than just a building of blocks, bricks, pillars, poles, and mortars: it is a beacon of knowledge, a hallowed chamber of law, a sanctuary for learning, and a hub for intellectual discourse.
“The value of this iconic structure to the university is unparalleled. It will enhance our academic landscape; strengthen our reputation as a centre for legal excellence, and a world-class facility that will benefit generations to come.
“For our students and faculty in the School of Law and Security Studies, this Wole Olanipekun Law Auditorium is a game-changer. It will serve as a dynamic space for lectures, symposia, moot court sessions, and legal debates, thus fostering a deeper understanding of the law and refining the advocacy skills of our future legal luminaries.
“The modernity of the facility and conducive environment will inspire both learning and teaching, empowering our students to engage with the law in ways that are both practical and transformative.
“Beyond Babcock University, this donation advances the course of quality legal education in Nigeria. It sets a precedent for private-sector support in academia and reinforces the critical role of state-of-the-art infrastructure in shaping the next generation of legal professionals. A well-equipped learning environment produces well-equipped minds, and with this facility. Babcock.”
and then