GOVERNMENT DISSOLVES LAGOS JUDICIAL SERVICE COMMISSION.

Certainly the last has not been heard about the efforts of the Lagos State Government to appoint new Judges (about eight in number), even though there is a lull in the activities thereon courtesy of the on-going recess or vacation in the Judiciary, all over the country.
As has been exclusively reported by the Squib, in our two previous editions Vol 9 No 34 and 35 respectively, the chairman of the Lagos State Judicial Service Commission, Mr. Justice Adetula Alabi, who has only a week now to quit office of the honourable Chief Judge of the State by way of retirement, has paraded two lists of short-listed candidates (16 in all) for Judicial appointments in the state whereas the short-list of candidates actually prepared by the LSJSC had only ten candidates on it.
From reliable sources, we had gathered that the 10 man list enlarged to variants of the 16 man list after the sharply unpleasant meeting of the out going Chief Judge and the Governor of the state some weeks ago.
However the latest news related to the issue of judicial appointments in Lagos State, is, wait for it, the dissolution of the Judicial Service Commission of the state.
The dissolution, which is still only known to a few, was unexpected by many of the members, considering the fact that the LJSC can be said to be only mid-way- into their current term of five years.
Even without the disbandment, the current chairman, Alabi C.J. would have gone away nonetheless, once he retires on August 8 2009 from service. Also on her way out was Mrs. Bukola Balogun the Secretary, who was on contract employment with commission.
The full fledged members include Mr. Yomi Okunnu and Mrs. Abimbola Williams S.A.N who had spent like “an eternity” in the commission, having been there for no less than a decade now. The other member, a non-lawyer is one Mr. Ogunbawo.
Why nobody knows precisely the reason for the sack of the Judicial Service Commission, observers tend to believe it is not unconnected with the ‘wrangling’ between the Executive and the authorities of the Lagos State Judiciary on the new would be Judicial appointees. Some others believed that the disbandment was long over-due any way in the light of the presence of certain members who had become like permanent members of the commission and the need to inject new blood with fresher-vision into the commission.
Meanwhile in a rather curious situation, Mrs. Damilola Olanipekun of the daughters of the secretary of the Judicial Service Commission, has more or less surreptiously, become a magistrate in Lagos State.
Damilola a young lawyer in his late twenties, and called to the bar in October 2004 was until very recently a state counsel serving in the Office of the Public Defender of the state.
It is learnt reliably by the Squib that Damilola was appointed a Magistrate on a special Transfer of Services arrangement, placing her on entry into the magistracy on Grade Level 10. Even though sworn in only about two weeks ago, the appointment was said to have been back-dated to April 2009.
From all indications, it appears that Damilola Olanipekun became a magistrate on a “solo appointment” a most unusual situation, if indeed true, as magistrates are appointed together in fairly large numbers in Lagos State, whenever there are vacancies.

LAGOS JUDICIAL APPOINTMENT CRISIS: DOUBLE SHORTLISTS EMERGE.

In less than a month now, the controversial reign of Mr. Justice Adetula Augustine Alabi as the Chief Judge of Lagos which started in August 2004 will come to a definite end on August 8 2008.
There is no indication that the troubled reign will end quietly though. The reason is that the very last important duty of the Chief Judge, in his capacity as the chairman of the Lagos State Judicial Service, to wit nominating new judges from a pool of fiercely competitive candidates in already roiling in steaming crisis and controversy.
It would be recalled that last week, the squib released a list of candidates, short-listed for appointment into the Lagos state Bench. That short-list, signed by Mr. Justice Alabi goes thus-:
1. Mr. Christopher Ayodeji Balogun
2. Mrs. Olabisi Olusolabomi Ogungbesan
3. Mrs. Lateefat Abiola Morayo Folami
4. Mrs. Ibironke Olatunbosun Harrison
5. Mrs. Latifat Atinuke Oluyemi
6. Mrs. Oyindamola Adesola Ogala
7. Mrs. Fatimat Ibironke Kazeem
8. Mrs. Sedotan Sosi Ogunsanya
9. Mr. Emmanuel Olugbenga Ogundare
10. Miss. Olufunke Abiola Loko
11. Mrs. Elizabeth Mopelola Idowu Alakija
12. Mrs. Iyabo Olamide Akinkugbe
13. Mr. Kafeel Omobolaji Dawodu
14. Mrs. Adedayo Adeola Akintoye
15. Mrs. Funlola Adesola Odunlami
16. Mrs. Olufolake Oshin
However, the Squib can authoritatively disclose that, the said list was not the list drawn up by the Lagos State Judicial Service Commission (LSJSC) which considered the various applications of applicants for Judicial appointment and conducted WRITTEN EXAMINATION for them.
According to our unfailingly accurate and well-informed geckos in high and low places, only ten names of candidates were drawn up by the LSJSC after the examinations. The list of ten names had two teams. The Team A contained seven names of those considered the commission as the best and most preferable of all. The Team B contained names of three other candidates and the commission considered these three candidates as being on a supplementary list. One of those on Team B is Mrs. Oyindamola Ogala, the spouse of Mr. Babatunde Ogala, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
We learnt and authoritatively too that after the commission drew up the 10 man list, the Chief Judge, Mr. Justice Alabi presented same to the Governor at a meeting which turned very ugly indeed.
According to our sources, the Governor was unhappy with commission’s list, and angrily accused the Chief Judge of excluding wider-ranging consultations before drawing up the commission’s list. According to our sources, there were angry verbal exchanges between the Governor and the Chief Judge, with the latter so much embarrassed by the heat of the encounter that he literally “stumbled and fumbled” out of the meeting place and had to be helped out as his lordship could not easily recognize again the way by which he came in.
It was after this confrontation that the sixteen man, circulated to the Bar and the Bench in Lagos state, by the Chief Judge, came up.
However, the afore-said 16 man list is not the only one of such in circulation. The Squib here reports that another 16 man list, allegedly signed by Mr. Justice Ade Alabi in his capacity as Chief Judge of Lagos State and Chairman of the Lagos State Judicial Service Commission is said to be making the rounds in the National Judicial Council, Abuja. This other 16 man list a.k.a “Abuja list” contains the same names of the candidates paraded by the “Lagos list” but in different order of arrangement. The list goes thus (see cover story 1 exhibits)
1. Mr. Christopher Ayodeji Balogun
2. Mrs. Olabisi Olusolabomi Ogungbesan
3. Mrs. Lateefat Abiola Morayo Folami
4. Mrs. Ibironke Olatunbosun Harrison
5. Mrs. Latifat Atinuke Oluyemi
6. Mrs. Olufolake Oshin
7. Mrs. Fatimat Ibironke Kazeem
8. Mrs. Sedotan Sosi Ogunsanya
9. Mrs. Funlola Adesola Odunlami
10. Miss. Olufunke Abiola Loko
11. Mrs. Elizabeth Mopelola Idowu Alakija
12. Mrs. Iyabo Olamide Akinkugbe
13. Mr. Kafeel Omobolaji Dawodu
14. Mrs. Adedati Adeola Akintoye
15. Mr. Emmanuel Olugbenga Ogundare
16. Mrs. Oyindamola Adesola Ogala
For a quicker understand of the issues herein, we place the two lists side by side
LAGOS LIST
(WITH BAR AND THE BENCH)
1. Mr. Christopher Ayodeji Balogun
2. Mrs. Olabisi Olusolabomi Ogungbesan
3. Mrs. Lateefat Abiola Morayo Folami
4. Mrs. Ibironke Olatunbosun Harrison
5. Mrs. Latifat Atinuke Oluyemi
6. Mrs. Oyindamola Adesola Ogala
7. Mrs. Fatimat Ibironke Kazeem
8. Mrs. Sedotan Sosi Ogunsanya
9. Mr. Emmanuel Olugbenga Ogundare
10. Miss. Olufunke Abiola Loko
11. Mrs. Elizabeth Mopelola Idowu Alakija
12. Mrs. Iyabo Olamide Akinkugbe
13. Mr. Kafeel Omobolaji Dawodu
14. Mrs. Adedayo Adeola Akintoye
15. Mrs. Funlola Adesola Odunlami
16. Mrs. Olufolake Oshin

ABUJA LIST
(WITH NJC)
1. Mr. Christopher Ayodeji Balogun
2. Mrs. Olabisi Olusolabomi Ogungbesan
3. Mrs. Lateefat Abiola Morayo Folami
4. Mrs. Ibironke Olatunbosun Harrison
5. Mrs. Latifat Atinuke Oluyemi
6. Mrs. Olufolake Oshin
7. Mrs. Fatimat Ibironke Kazeem
8. Mrs. Sedotan Sosi Ogunsanya
9. Mrs. Funlola Adesola Odunlami
10. Miss. Olufunke Abiola Loko
11. Mrs. Elizabeth Mopelola Idowu Alakija
12. Mrs. Iyabo Olamide Akinkugbe
13. Mr. Kafeel Omobolaji Dawodu
14. Mrs. Adedati Adeola Akintoye
15. Mr. Emmanuel Olugbenga Ogundare
16. Mrs. Oyindamola Adesola Ogala
The “Abuja List” differs from the “Lagos list” in four areas. First, while the “Lagos list” places Olufolake Oshin a Chief Magistrate and Deputy Chief Registrar (Legal) at the rock bottom place of No 16, the “Abuja List” places her on a more secure notch of No 6.
Secondly on the “Abuja List”, Mr. Emmanuel Ogundare, another Chief Magistrate and Deputy Chief Registrar (Administration) is placed on No 15, while the “Lagos list” fixes him on the No 9 spot, a disadvantagedly advantageous position! (considering that both Nos 9 and 15 are in the Team B category)
Thirdly, Mrs. Funlola Adesola Odunlami who enjoys the No 9 position on the “Abuja List” is found on No 15 position on the “Lagos list”.
Finally while the “Lagos list” has Mrs. Oyindamola Adesola Ogala on no 6, the “Abuja List” grounds her on the 16th position!
It is interesting to observe that the disagreement in fixtures between the two lists signed by the one and same author, Alabi C.J affects only four persons, three of whom are Magistrates!
In the light of all the above mentioned situations, the Squib wishes to ask these few questions?
1. Is it true that the Governor of Lagos State interfered with the original short-list of names of candidates drawn up by the Lagos State Judicial Service Commission?
2. Can the LSJSC present her minutes of deliberations on the composition of the Short-list of candidates for judicial appointment to debunk the wide-spread information and beliefe that the Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola S.A.N tampered, tinkered and altered the original list of short-listed candidates drawn up by the LSJSC.
3. Is the “Abuja List” genuinely authored by Mr. Justice Alabi?
4. If the answer to the question no3 above is ‘yes’ why did the Chief Judge, Mr. Justice Adetula Alabi author two differently arranged short-lists?
4. Which of the two short-lists (Abuja and Lagos) is valid or are both valid?
Certainly the last of this matter has not been heard!

MRS. IBIRONKE HARRISON: FIT FOR THE BENCH?

Mrs. Ibironke Olatunbosun Harrison, is a well known legal practitioner in Lagos, particularly on the Lagos Island axis.
She is seen by many of her colleagues as a hardworking, amiable and well to do legal practitioner, who is also an ardent Christian with a high level of personal integrity. In fact it was upon the information supplied by some Lagos Island based legal practitioners on Mrs. Harrison to the Squib that we in our last edition espoused her candidacy for judicial appointment in Lagos State as worthy
After making it in the bar, Mrs. Harrison believed to be in her late forties or early fifties, is very much interested in moving up to the bench. In fact not only had she applied for judicial appointment in Lagos State, She has been favourably penciled down by the Lagos State Judicial Service Commission (LSJSC) for a place on the bench. In all of the available short-lists of candidates for judicial appointments by the LSJSC, the lady maintains a no4 position.
However the Squib, in the face of certain heavily damning information and documents (see cover story 2 exhibits) made available to us about Barrister Ibironke Olatubosun Harrison, in the night of Saturday 11th July 2009, now believes that the real place befitting the would be judge is more of a prison yard, than the glorious sanctum of a Judicial Bench.
Presently there are two petitions on the same subject matter to the Nigerian Bar Association and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Mrs. Harrison. In this edition we publish only the petition to the EFCC for lack of space.
The long and short of the petition is that, Mrs. Harrison, without any authorization sold her client’s property located at 24, Iroko Awe Raod, Ikate Olasan, Eti Osa Local Government for #120 million naira to one Architect Solomon Onwukwe of a firm known as Sheltamatics Limited.
Out of the 120 million naira demand, the said Onwukwe paid Mrs. Ibironke Harrison #117,500,000:00 before the deal fell through as Mrs. Harrison could not give the buyer the original documents of the property. In a letter dated 17 October 2008 she pleaded with Mr. Solomon Onwukwe the frustrated purchaser for his understanding and asked for his instructions on how to refund the monies she collected from him.
Some four months after making payment to Mrs. Harrsion, Onwukwe had a meeting in November 2008, with the lawyer and one Mrs. Lucy Abulu the chairman of TONIQUE (NIGERIA) LIMTED the owner company of the property in question. To Onwukwe’s shock, the said Mrs. Abulu denied ever instructing Mrs. Harrison to sell her company’s property and wondered that the lady lawyer could have gone ahead to collect money from Onwukwe on her behalf.
As things stood, the only viable option for Barrister Harrison to do was to make an immediate refund of the #117,500,000:00 she collected from Onwukwe. But that was where Harrison got stuck.
According to our sources, since November 2008 up till date, Harrsion has only managed to cough out only about 98 million naira and this only after incessant demands by Onwukwe and the very occasional threats by the EFCC which has been relatively lenient with her upon her arrest and release on bail.
It is not clear what the Nigerian Bar Association, which has received the petition against Harrison since 11th December 2008 is doing about the lady lawyer, apart from the terse assurance from the General Secretary by way of a letter from the NBA Ibrahim Mark Esq dated 18th December 2008 that the petition is receiving attention and that the complainant’s counsel shall be informed of further developments. (See cover story 2 exhibits).
The Squib learnt authoritatively that the EFCC discovered that Harrison disbursed the money she collected from Onwukwe on purchasing a house for herself in the Lagos Island and had no ready resources to make a snappy refund to Onwukwe.
On Sunday 12th of July 2009 at about 9.30am the Squib placed calls to Mrs. Ibironke Harrison on her G.S.M line for her response to the issues on ground but the calls were not picked up.
This is a clear case of gross unprofessionalism tainted with liberal doses of fraudulent manouevres on the part of a senior member of the bar, now aspiring to become a judge of Lagos State.
The Harrison case poignantly illustrates the dangers inherent in the practice of the appointing authorities of judges of making the appointments a “hush-hush” affair which excludes the contributions and participation of relevant stakeholders and the public except for mere tokenisms.
It is galling that such a practitioner with such an ugly case of professional misconduct and criminal illegal acts like Ibironke Harrison can have the liver to apply for a job of judge in the “Centre of Excellence”.
What is the profession and the country turning to? Or could it be that the Lagos State Judicial Service commission knows of the Harrison situation and yet puts her forward to be appointed a judge?

SEX AND THE BENCH: POLITICS OF GENDER AND LOBBY IN APPOINTMENT OF NEW JUDGES IN LAGOS STATE

On Tuesday 30th June 2009, the Chief Judge of Lagos State Honourable Justice Augustine Adetula Alabi sent a letter to all the Judges of the High Court of Lagos State. In the said letter, the chief Judge requested for the comments of his brother judges on the suitability or otherwise of “short-listed candidates” for recommendation to the National Judicial Council for elevation to the High Court Bench of Lagos State.
The short-listed candidates number only sixteen out of a rather big assembly of applicants. The short-listed candidates are as follows:
NAME SEX CONSTITUENCY
1. Christopher Ayodeji Balogun M Private practice
2. Olabisi Olasubomi Ogungbesan F Official Bar
3. Lateefat Folami F Magistracy
4. Ibironke Olatunbosun Harrison F Private practice
5. Latifat Atinuke Oluyemi F Official Bar.
6. Oyindamola Adesola Ogala F Magistracy
7. Fatimat Ibironke Kazeem F Private practice
8. Seditan Sosi Ogunsanya F Official Bar
9. Emmanuel Olugbenga Ogundare M Magistracy
10. Olufunke Abiola Loko F Private practice
11. Elizabeth Mopelola Idowu Alakija F Official Bar
12. Iyabo Olamide Akinkugbe F Magistracy
13. Kafeel Omobolaji Dawodu M Private practice
14. Adedayo Adeola Akintoye F Magistracy
15. Funlola Adesola Odunlami F Official Bar
16. Olufunke Oshin F Magistracy
About a day later, the Chief Judge forwarded the same “assessment request” to the leadership of the three branches of the Nigerian Bar Association, to wit Ikorodu, Ikeja and Lagos branches.
Geckos, who are naturalized residents of the corridors of official political powers in Lagos State have informed the Squib however that, the Governor of the State Babatunde Raji Fashola S.A.N, is not happy with-the list of short-listed candidates otherwise called “Alabi List” in some circles.
A reflective examination of the list of short-listed candidates shows the following:
1. The candidates are drawn evenly from three constituencies as follows:- 5 (Private bar), 5 (Official Bar), 6 (Magistracy).

2. The large majority of the candidates are females at the ratio of 13 females to 3 males. The official bar interestingly parades no male at all out of a number of 5 candidates while the magistracy has only 1 male out of 6 candidates. Even in the Private Bar Constituency females also lead at the rate of 3-2

3. The large majority of the candidates are Lagosians.
After receiving credible information and investigating around, the Squib can authoritatively disclose that out of the sixteen candidates presented to judges and the bar for assessment, the Justice Alabi led Lagos State Judicial-Service Commission is actually interested in only eight, for elevation on to the Lagos State Bench.
Thus the sixteen name list actually comprises of two teams: A and B.

Team A is made up of “Approved Candidates” who are the 1st to the 8th candidates to wit:
Christopher Ayodeji Balogun,
Olabisi Olsubomi Ogungbesan,
Lateefat Folami,
Ibironke Harrison,
Latifat Atinuke Oluyemi,
Oyindamola Adesola Ogala,
Fatimat Ibironke Kazeem,
Sedotan Sosi Ogunsanya.
Team B is the list of “Substitute/Probable candidates” who are to wit:
Emmanuel Olugbenga Ogundare,
Elizabeth Mopelola Idowu Alakija,
Iyabo Olamide Akinkugbe,
Kafeel Omobolaji Dawodu,
Adedayo Adeola Akintoye,
Funlola Adesola Odunlami
Olufunke Oshin.
Without a doubt a lot of intense lobbying and politicking otherwise, went into the drawing up of the names on the short-list.
It is doubtful whether for any of those on the list, MERIT was used exclusively to pick. For example the first person on the list, Christopher Ayodeji Balogun (Lagosian) a former vice-chairman of the Lagos branch of the NBA and son of a former Judge of the State A.L.A.L Balogun was picked not only because he has attractive credentials but because of his sheer importunity-the man has been applying for the job for close to a decade now!
On the other hand the last person on Team A, Sedotan Sosi Ogunsanya, said to be a “just there” presence in the ministry of Justice owes her presence on the list, more than any thing to the fact the she is from Badagry, a big area in Lagos State but with no quota on the Lagos State higher Bench.
It is also clear that a candidate such as Oyindamola Adesola Ogala (good as she may be on her own rights) has her load made lighter by the influence of her husband, a lawyer, who is also the chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on the Judiciary.
Any one doubting this assertion may have to consider the fact that Ogala ranking only No19 in the order of seniority in the Lagos State Magistracy where she is a Chief Magistrate II, has been ranked on the “Alabi List” far above Mrs. I.O. Akingugbe, a chief Magistrate 1 who is No4 on the seniority list of Lagos State Magistrates and Mr. Emmanuel Olugbenga Ogundare another Chief Magistrate 1, who is no 12 on the seniority list
It is also interesting that Mrs. Adedayo Adeola Akintoye the Lagos State Registrar of Titles makes the list at all, at least this time around. However she is said to be the daughter of a former Judge of Lagos State High Court Justice Adebayo Desalu (died 1993) who also was the son of another judge Justice Adebiyi Desalu. Called to the bar in 1981, Mrs. Akintoye joined the Lagos State Magistracy in 2005, just four years ago and rapidly and even inexplicably rose to the post of Chief Magistrate 2 and Registrar of Titles Lagos State. Said to be a long time resident of the United States of America, nobody seems to know anything about her legal practice history in Nigeria.
If Team A sails through it would mean out of the eight new judges for appointment, C.A. Balogun will be the only male there, in other words, a 12.5% male presence.
Already the Lagos State Bench is distressingly “feminised”. Out of 46 judges in service only 12 are males, just a 26% presence. Consequently if Team A sails through the result is that out of a number of 54 judges only 13 will be males.
The statistics does not confirm with the facts on ground in the legal profession as to the numerical strength, influence and participation of female legal practitioners. In the inner bar, there are only 6 female silks, dead or alive in Nigeria, while the male silks number over 150. In the outer bar, especially in Lagos State the number of leading and active female legal practitioners is in the units while their male counter-parts number in dozens of hundreds.
Keen observers of the Lagos Judiciary are perturbed by the large number of females on the Lagos bench not just because of their disproportionate presence on the bench vis a vis their minority status (gender wise) in the bar, but particularly so because of the poor performance of many of them on the bench.
Of the twelve males judges on the Lagos bench, only one is seen by the bar as an out-right disaster, while about three are adjudged as slightly below average and the rest considered in the range of average to excellent.
The same cannot be said of the 34 female judges on the bench. Only about a third in the estimate of the bar are truly commendable for industry, knowledge, emotional stability and integrity. The remaining two-thirds are remarkable for under-performance of various hues and aroma with at least half of this category seen as serious apologies and caricatures.
The truth of the matter is that the Lagos State Judiciary Service Commission, should for once in about a decade-select for the people of Lagos State, legal practitioners who will truly elevate the Lagos Bench to a matchless realm in the country in terms of sterling judicial performance.
This magazine cannot believe that only three men of all the lawyers who applied to become Judges, are good enough to make the shortlist, and that even worse, of the three, that only one of them has a good chance of being appointed.
The name of the state’s Judiciary is, we believe LAGOS STATE JUDICIARY and not LAGOS STATE WOMEN JUDICIARY.
Although the honourable Chief Judge of Lagos State and the Lagos State Judicial Service Commission did not and will never think of asking this magazine for any assessment of the short-listed candidates, the Squib as part of its social obligations and as a stake-holder in the Lagos State Judiciary sticks out its neck for the following candidates in the short-list as legal practitioners who in terms of character, comportment, industry, legal knowledge, integrity and independent-mindedness will do very well in the bench if appointed.
1. Mr. Christopher Ayodeji Balogun
2. Mr. Emmanuel Olugbenga Ogundare
3. Mrs. Lateefat Folami
4. Mrs. Olufunke Oshin
5. Mrs. Oyindamola Adesola Ogala
6. Mrs. Latifat Atinuke Oluyemi
7. Mrs. Ibironke Harrison.
Only the very best is good for Lagos State Bench where Judges are so handsomely paid and taken care of, almost royally.
Eko oni baje o!

SEX AND THE BENCH: POLITICS OF GENDER AND LOBBY IN APPOINTMENT OF NEW JUDGES IN LAGOS STATE

On Tuesday 30th June 2009, the Chief Judge of Lagos State Honourable Justice Augustine Adetula Alabi sent a letter to all the Judges of the High Court of Lagos State. In the said letter, the chief Judge requested for the comments of his brother judges on the suitability or otherwise of “short-listed candidates” for recommendation to the National Judicial Council for elevation to the High Court Bench of Lagos State.
The short-listed candidates number only sixteen out of a rather big assembly of applicants. The short-listed candidates are as follows:

NAME SEX CONSTITUENCY

1. Christopher Ayodeji Balogun M Private practice
2. Olabisi Olasubomi Ogungbesan F Official Bar
3. Lateefat Folami F Magistracy
4. Ibironke Olatunbosun Harrison F Private practice
5. Latifat Atinuke Oluyemi F Official Bar.
6. Oyindamola Adesola Ogala F Magistracy
7. Fatimat Ibironke Kazeem F Private practice
8. Seditan Sosi Ogunsanya F Official Bar
9. Emmanuel Olugbenga Ogundare M Magistracy
10. Olufunke Abiola Loko F Private practice
11. Elizabeth Mopelola Idowu Alakija F Official Bar
12. Iyabo Olamide Akinkugbe F Magistracy
13. Kafeel Omobolaji Dawodu M Private practice
14. Adedayo Adeola Akintoye F Magistracy
15. Funlola Adesola Odunlami F Official Bar
16. Olufunke Oshin F Magistracy
About a day later, the Chief Judge forwarded the same “assessment request” to the leadership of the three branches of the Nigerian Bar Association, to wit Ikorodu, Ikeja and Lagos branches.
Geckos, who are naturalized residents of the corridors of official political powers in Lagos State have informed the Squib however that, the Governor of the State Babatunde Raji Fashola S.A.N, is not happy with-the list of short-listed candidates otherwise called “Alabi List” in some circles.
A reflective examination of the list of short-listed candidates shows the following:
1. The candidates are drawn evenly from three constituencies as follows:- 5 (Private bar), 5 (Official Bar), 6 (Magistracy).

2. The large majority of the candidates are females at the ratio of 13 females to 3 males. The official bar interestingly parades no male at all out of a number of 5 candidates while the magistracy has only 1 male out of 6 candidates. Even in the Private Bar Constituency females also lead at the rate of 3-2

3. The large majority of the candidates are Lagosians.
After receiving credible information and investigating around, the Squib can authoritatively disclose that out of the sixteen candidates presented to judges and the bar for assessment, the Justice Alabi led Lagos State Judicial-Service Commission is actually interested in only eight, for elevation on to the Lagos State Bench.
Thus the sixteen name list actually comprises of two teams: A and B. Team A is made up of “Approved Candidates” who are the 1st to the 8th candidates to wit:
Christopher Ayodeji Balogun,
Olabisi Olsubomi Ogungbesan,
Lateefat Folami,
Ibironke Harrison,
Latifat Atinuke Oluyemi,
Oyindamola Adesola Ogala,
Fatimat Ibironke Kazeem,
Sedotan Sosi Ogunsanya.
Team B is the list of “Substitute/Probable candidates” who are to wit:
Emmanuel Olugbenga Ogundare,
Elizabeth Mopelola Idowu Alakija,
Iyabo Olamide Akinkugbe,
Kafeel Omobolaji Dawodu,
Adedayo Adeola Akintoye,
Funlola Adesola Odunlami
Olufunke Oshin.
Without a doubt a lot of intense lobbying and politicking otherwise, went into the drawing up of the names on the short-list.
It is doubtful whether for any of those on the list, MERIT was used exclusively to pick. For example the first person on the list, Christopher Ayodeji Balogun (Lagosian) a former vice-chairman of the Lagos branch of the NBA and son of a former Judge of the State A.L.A.L Balogun was picked not only because he has attractive credentials but because of his sheer importunity-the man has been applying for the job for close to a decade now!
On the other hand the last person on Team A, Sedotan Sosi Ogunsanya, said to be a “just there” presence in the ministry of Justice owes her presence on the list, more than any thing to the fact the she is from Badagry, a big area in Lagos State but with no quota on the Lagos State higher Bench.
It is also clear that a candidate such as Oyindamola Adesola Ogala (good as she may be on her own rights) has her load made lighter by the influence of her husband, a lawyer, who is also the chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on the Judiciary.
Any one doubting this assertion may have to consider the fact that Ogala ranking only No19 in the order of seniority in the Lagos State Magistracy where she is a Chief Magistrate II, has been ranked on the “Alabi List” far above Mrs. I.O. Akingugbe, a chief Magistrate 1 who is No4 on the seniority list of Lagos State Magistrates and Mr. Emmanuel Olugbenga Ogundare another Chief Magistrate 1, who is no 12 on the seniority list
It is also interesting that Mrs. Adedayo Adeola Akintoye the Lagos State Registrar of Titles makes the list at all, at least this time around. However she is said to be the daughter of a former Judge of Lagos State High Court Justice Adebayo Desalu (died 1993) who also was the son of another judge Justice Adebiyi Desalu. Called to the bar in 1981, Mrs. Akintoye joined the Lagos State Magistracy in 2005, just four years ago and rapidly and even inexplicably rose to the post of Chief Magistrate 2 and Registrar of Titles Lagos State. Said to be a long time resident of the United States of America, nobody seems to know anything about her legal practice history in Nigeria.
If Team A sails through it would mean out of the eight new judges for appointment, only C.A. Balogun will be the only male there, in other word, a 12.5% male presence.
Already the Lagos State Bench is distressingly “feminised”. Out of 46 judges in service only 12 are males, just a 26% presence. Consequently if Team A sails through the result is that out of a number of 54 judges only 13 will be males.
The statistics does not confirm with the facts on ground in the legal profession as to the numerical strength, influence and participation of female legal practitioners. In the inner bar, there are only 6 female silks, dead or alive in Nigeria, while the male silks number over 150. In the outer bar, especially in Lagos State the number of leading and active female legal practitioners is in the units while their male counter-parts number in dozens of hundreds.
Keen observers of the Lagos Judiciary are perturbed by the large number of females on the Lagos bench not just because of their disproportionate presence on the bench vis a vis their minority status (gender wise) in the bar, but particularly so because of the poor performance of many of them on the bench.
Of the twelve males judges on the Lagos bench, only one is seen by the bar as an out-right disaster, while about three are adjudged as slightly below average and the rest considered in the range of average to excellent.
The same cannot be said of the 34 female judges on the bench. Only about a third in the estimate of the bar are truly commendable for industry, knowledge, emotional stability and integrity. The remaining two-thirds are remarkable for under-performance of various hues and aroma with at least half of this category seen as serious apologies and caricatures.
The truth of the matter is that the Lagos State Judiciary Service Commission, should for once in about a decade-select for the people of Lagos State, legal practitioners who will truly elevate the Lagos Bench to a matchless realm in the country in terms of sterling judicial performance.
This magazine cannot believe that only three men of all the lawyers who applied to become Judges, are good enough to make the shortlist, and that even worse, of the three, that only one of them has a good chance of being appointed.
The name of the state’s Judiciary is, we believe LAGOS STATE JUDICIARY and not LAGOS STATE WOMEN JUDICIARY.
Although the honourable Chief Judge of Lagos State and the Lagos State Judicial Service Commission did not and will never think of asking this magazine for any assessment of the short-listed candidates, the Squib as part of its social obligations and as a stake-holder in the Lagos State Judiciary sticks out its neck for the following candidates in the short-list as legal practitioners who in terms of character, comportment, industry, legal knowledge, integrity and independent-mindedness will do very well in the bench if appointed.
1. Mr. Christopher Ayodeji Balogun
2. Mr. Emmanuel Olugbenga Ogundare
3. Mrs. Lateefat Folami
4. Mrs. Olufunke Oshin
5. Mrs. Oyindamola Adesola Ogala
6. Mrs. Latifat Atinuke Oluyemi
7. Mrs. Ibironke Harrison.
Only the very best is good for Lagos State Bench where Judges are so handsomely paid and taken of, almost royally.
Eko oni baje o!

SUPREMACY WAR: WILL ADEGBOYEGA KOLADE DEFEAT TAIWO O. TAIWO AGAIN, IN NBA LAGOS ELECTION?

It is now, from today 29 June 2009, sixteen days to the Election Day of the Nigerian Bar Association, Lagos Branch. On that day, in all the offices under contest, the wheat shall be separated from the chaff. “Boys” too will taken away from the company of men.
Expectedly the post of chairman of the Premier Branch, being the highest of all, is the most hotly contested. When the race started about six weeks ago, there were four contestants namely-Taiwo O. Taiwo, Dayo Onakoya, Chijioke Okoli and Gboyega Kolade.
Now two weeks to the D-Day, all the four are still in the race. However as the goal-post gets nearer by the day and the contest gets hotter and tighter, “water, (as a Nigerian parlance goes) is finding its level”.
Rated, about a month ago by this magazine, as the candidate with the least chances of electoral success in the election, Dayo Onakoya esq in the estimate of this-magazine has not had an upswing in his fortunes. Despite his good personal credentials, what still attends his identity is the question “Who is he?”
His political viability has not been helped by the news that circulated round within the Lagos Bar, last week, that Onakoya at a meeting called by some Yoruba caucuses had heeded the counsel of certain Yoruba elders to step out of the contest.
Those who persuaded Onakoya to withdraw from the race wanted to prevent a situation where the three Yoruba in the race will cancel themselves out, to the benefit of Chijioke Okoli, the only non-Yoruba in the race.
The Squib gathered that Onakoya was persuaded to step down, because it appeared to the “defenders of Yoruba” interests that he had the lowest chances of the trio, to clinch the chairmanship post.
A twist has entered the story though as Dayo Onakoya who had appeared agreeable to the idea of withdrawing from the race, suddenly after a lull of about three days, jerked his campaign machinery back to life, with text messages to various persons asking for their votes again.
The inconsistency has surely hurt his already lean chances even the more, as some of his backers have reportedly vowed not to have anything to do with him again. Reportedly said one of them-“How can you give your word to people that you are withdrawing from an elections and after that, come back to say you are running again?”
One sign that Onakoya is not a major contender for the post of chair, is the visible absence of a team of contestants, running under his umbrella. That honour is shared in the main by Adegboyega Kolade and Taiwo O. Taiwo who are now clearly the front runners.
Chijioke Okoli, the fourth contender in the race, is, the Squib can authoritatively disclose, having a ragged time in the race. He has dropped in the ratings as a leading contender, as the more politically experienced and connected Gboyega Kolade and Taiwo O. Taiwo, have, through their network of friends and patch work of alliances eaten deep into his support base in the “Otu oka Iwu” association of Igbo lawyers while he remains basically unattractive to the Yoruba groups and votes. It would appear that Okoli political sin is, running for the highest post in the Premier, too early in his political-career, considering his relative greenness in leadership circles in the Premier Bar.
He too is now more or less like Dayo Onakoya-a ‘solo runner’ without any or much “shadow cabinet”. Of all the aspirants in other categories of contest, only Rose Agbo (1st Vice chairmanship aspirant) is known with Okoli as being in his camp. That alliance cannot give him much mileage as Rose Agbo does not have the influence to attract a great number of votes to Okoli, since in her own category, she is no way a hot favourite for the post of 1st Vice-Chairman.
As at today, the two-main rivals in the contest are Taiwo O. Taiwo and Adegboyega Kolade. In the view of some analysts, both contestants are running “neck and neck”. Kolade and Taiwo are not new to each other when it comes to electoral contest.
Two years ago, both vied for the same office-1st Vice-Chairman. The winner by some 30 votes margin, of that contest was Gboyega Kolade. The question now is, will Gboyega Kolade, this year again defeat his rival Taiwo O. Taiwo for the post of chairman?
Chances are that, Kolade may repeat the feat, but if it happens, it is certainly not going to be an easy thing. This is because, Taiwo enjoys some strengths, that Kolade may find very hard to over-power.
The first is that, some of the main planks of the very structure that ensured Kolade’s triumph over Taiwo in 2007, such as Erasmus Baderinwa (out going chairman) and Kunle Uthman (who postures as a god-father of some sorts) are now backing Taiwo.
This is a formidable support indeed. Baderinwa’s support is crucial being the incumbent chairman and ordinarily should tilt towards his immediate surbodinate in office-Gboyega Kolade, the 1st Vice-Chairman.
It can be revealed that Baderinwa’s withdrawal of support for Kolade caught Kolade off-guard, because he thought that the chairman whom he has been very loyal to, including saving his neck from the axe of impeachment at a point, would reward him with his support in this election. Nobody should blame Baderinwa too much though: in politics there are no permanent friends.
As for Kunle Uthman, who is a socio-political ‘circulator’ in the Lagos Bar and as such well known in all the main sub-groups of the Lagos Bar, his support too will be quite helpful to Taiwo. The combination of Baderinwa and Uthman at this point is very interesting and shows their strong intention to install into power, their own men into office and as such remain relevant in the post-Baderinwa years.
Only three months ago, Uthman could not bear to hear Baderinwa’s name in his presence, so much was the level of his detestation of the chairman who he lavishly used to describe as an ingrate who marginalised his political benefactors like himself, and wedded himself overnight politically to a political parvenu, Mrs. Funmi Oluyede, an ex-officio member of the Baderinwa cabinet.
The second fact is that Taiwo himself is well known and presented as a political moderate, finds acceptability among older lawyers who consider him possessed of enough gravitas and respectable enough to lead the Premier Branch.
Like the heavy-weight that he is unlike Onakoya and Okoli who are running either solo or near solo, Taiwo has attracted under his platform a clutch of contestants in other offices. For example, Mike Idowu running for 1st Vice-Chairman is rooting for him, while another contestant for 1st vice-chairman, John Duru may also be for him. Funmi Oluyede running for the office of 2nd Vice-Chairman is also with him, likewise Opara (Mrs.) for the post of Secretary and Geraldine Wey for Treasurer.
Naturally all these other contestants will ask their own supporters to look the way of Taiwo Taiwo in the election, since the election is now taking the shape of a group contest more than an individual acceptability test.
However in spite of all the afore-mentioned, Kolade and not Taiwo, remains the man to beat in the election. What has continued to stand him in good was his long preparation for the contest, as well as the fact that he is neither a Johnny-Just-Come like Okoli, or an off and on presence like Dayo Onakoya and even more importantly, does not have any credibility problem, in all the offices he has held in the NBA, dating back to 1995/1996.
A dogged, active, spunky and easily accessible character, Kolade finds easy and wide-ranging-acceptance among the younger lawyers, the very type, a bar politician can count on to turn up and in large numbers too, at the polling booths to cast their votes.
Behind Kolade and in his team, are some contestants in other posts. With him is Seth Amafule (2nd vice-chairman aspirant and incumbent secretary) Prince Abimbola (Treasurer aspirant) Joyce Oduah (already returned unopposed as Social Secretary over Labake Adebimpe of the Taiwo Taiwo team, who was disqualified from the race by the Electoral Committee for lack of adequate attendance of branch meetings despite forged entries in the attendance register to the contrary).
None of Kolade’s team is anonymous politically and that would-certainly be of big help to the Kolade bid, especially in the non Yoruba votes. Kolade will also benefit from the desultoriness of the Dayo Onakoya campaign. Seeing the way the voting trend appears to be going decisively against their man, certain strong backers of Onakoya, who are a crop of past chairmen of the branch, resolutely opposed to the emergence of Taiwo as the next leader of the branch, are already throwing their weight behind Kolade, whom they considered a lesser evil to Taiwo.
All though a week, as it is said, is too long in politics, there is no doubting this reality-the race is now squarely between Gboyega Kolade and Taiwo Taiwo, with Okoli a rather distant third and Onakoya just taking a stroll in the political garden
Taiwo has improved considerably in the ratings and is largely responsible for the demotion of Okoli to the 3rd position and the reduction of the lead of Kolade over him from mid April to mid June.
But can he close the gap, and eventually overtake Kolade? Or, will history repeat itself?
We have to wait for June 14 2009 for the answer.