Things Nigerians May Not Know About Vp-elect Osinbajo, By Justice Umezulike

By profuse printed and oral utterances so
much had been said about General
Muhammadu Buhari’s cleanliness,
incorruptibility, Spartan lifestyle and
unswerving mission and vision for Nigeria.
The personality of General Buhari had eclipsed
or dwarfed the entire All Progressives
Congress political formation.
But not many Nigerians know that Prof. Yemi
Osinbajo (SAN) possesses the above qualities
and attributes in sufficient measure. He has in
the past four decades maintained exceptional
clean living and clean thinking. He is highly
dedicated to the Nigerian cause and dream.
Above all he is an outstanding intellectual and
legal genius. He took his professorial chair of
the highly rated Faculty of Law, University of
Lagos at a comparatively tender age. He also
took the silk (the Senior Advocate of Nigeria)
at a fairly very young age.
He anchored the international conferences that
led to the establishment of the Independent
Corrupt Practices and other related offences
Commission, the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency, the Federal Road Safety
Commission and the National Agency for Food
and Drug Administration and Control.
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo said at the conference
that preceded the establishment of the NDLEA:
“It is fairly difficult to discern any pattern in
policy formulation and legislation on the drug
problem and this is hardly surprising. Law
making in this area has always been a direct
response to prevailing public opinion and
exigencies of the time. Thus drug laws have
been variously made on the premise that a
social problem of drug use exists.”
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo also spearheaded the
unification of the criminal laws and procedure
of Northern and Southern Nigeria. This project
was awaiting the signature of former President
Ibrahim Babangida before he stepped aside in
1993. It is disheartening that some curious
officials at the Federal Ministry of Justice,
Abuja, have now appropriated the authorship of
that project to themselves. He has also
documented and published a widely acclaimed
comprehensive Nigerian Customary Laws.
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo appeared before us at the
Failed Banks Tribunal, Lagos Zone from 1997
to 1999. The Judges, including the writer, can
readily bear tribute that his oratory, elocution
and presentations were exemplary.
In fact his strong sweep of thought and
wonderful dialectics in court place him in the
league of legal grandmasters like late Chief
Rotimi Williams (SAN), late Chief Clement
Obiora Akpamgbo (SAN) and Prof. A. B.
Kasumu (SAN).
As Attorney General of Lagos State, Professor
Osinbajo recommended and saw through, the
implementation of a welfare package for
Judges of Lagos State High Court, far higher
and better than those enjoyed by Justices of
the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He is very
urbane, decorous, humble and highly
respectful. He had remained religious and
unspoilt notwithstanding rapid successes.
In 1991 he co-edited an epic work entitled:
“Democracy and the Law.” It is my surmise
that the book would now come to him handy
as he begins the enormous and onerous
business of democratic governance and the
strengthening of democratic institutions in
Nigeria.
Evidently in Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) General
Muhammadu Buhari has a soulmate and a
dependable comrade in the task of ensuring
that Nigeria no longer staggers. I can testify
that a sip of executive powers will never
produce intoxication in him.
. Justice I.A. Umezulike is the Chief Judge of
Enugu State.