Legal luminaries have urged the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), not to depart from the enviable virtues that have courted for him the respect of his colleagues in the legal profession, expressing confidence that the new AGF will succeed.
The trio of Chief Wole Olanipekun, Akin Olujinmi and Gboyega Awomolo, (SANs) gave the advice on Friday night at a special reception organised in honour of the AGF.
Chief Olanipekun, who was the chairman of the occasion, described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a leader with listening ear and enormous respect for members of the Bar and expressed the confidence that, given the dilligence and brilliance of the AGF, it would not be difficult for Fagbemi to survive what he called the banana peel and intrigues of politicians that would surround him.
He said: “The position that you occupy is second to none but at the same time you have a master, you have an appointor.
“How do you balance the delicate situation? You have to be sober, you have to be reflective, you have to be retrospective, you have to be prayerful. And I know your boss, I know the President. I have been his lawyer for the past 25 years. He is a man who appreciates the legal profession. He is a man who will give you his ears, he is a man you can always whisper to. He is not like others who will say no, I don’t want it, he is not aggressive but you also know how to woo him, how to woo your colleagues in the cabinet. You are just getting there. You are not the character we have to be preaching to. We don’t have to spoon feed you, you are the one to spoon feed us.
“Prince Lateef Fagbemi, we wish you well. Whether four years or for eight years, it will pass and you will be remembered for the good works you have done. Some take position, that position will be a curse to them but your own will be a blessing to you and your generation. Let me say this, there are people who have occupied positions but who can not come to an assembly like this, they have been hiding, they have been hibernating, they are afraid of their shadows. They are afraid of the steps they have taken but we know you, we can write about you, we can do documentary on you, yours will not be like that. We want to pray that you will not change from what you have been, your texture, your character. You are very cosmopolitan, you are gentle, brave, but above all, it is only God that will lead you.”
Chief Adegboyega Awomolo who spoke in the same vein enjoined the Minister of Justice to crave for total trust of his principal and be wary of the antics of civil servants in the Justice Ministry.
In his own remarks, a former AGF, Chief Olujinmi (SAN), tasked the Justice Minister to seek divine wisdom in managing the relationship between other Ministers in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and lawyers deployed to Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs).
“We pray for your success, we will work for your success, we will not be far from you and feel free at any time because your success is our success and God in heaven will be with you.”
The Minister of Justice, who thanked his colleagues for their support since his nomination became public knowledge, promised not to disappoint them during his stewardship.
“I have heard all that you said (the SANs, guests), the admonitions and the pledges, I hold unto it. So, if I fail, it is all of us. I am not going there to fail, I want to succeed and I am enamoured by your pledge and I know you are not men or women of frivolities, no. I know what you stand for, I know what you can do. You can do a lot. I bank on this. It is not a cheque but a bank draft, it doesn’t bounce. “
Fagbemi who extolled the virtues of President Tinubu said it would not be difficult for him to impress it on his principal to show fidelity to rule of law as he noted that his principal is a democrat.
“It is not a night of another manifesto. I have to acknowledge, we are rounding up maybe I should have said this at the beginning that the reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is genuine. “One, you look at the man himself. When you talk of democracy, is like you are preaching a democrat and there is close correlation between democracy and rule of law.
” If you look at his antecedents, you will know that he should be a man to work with. A minister or worker is as strong, as powerful as his appointor wants him to be. And it is a factor that has put me in a very comfortable position. It is not that I am expecting that there won’t be quarrel or misunderstanding. No. There will be, no doubt. I am not a fool, it can not be a bed of roses. But I pray that the light will come on brightly, strongly and ceaselessly.”
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