Some lawyers have described the late Attorney-General (A-G) and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), as a great mind, legal icon, prolific politician and elder statesman, who contributed significantly to national growth.
The lawyers, Messrs Chibuikem Opara, Valentino Buoro and Bayo Akinlade, said that Akinjide was a collosus, who impacted much on the legal profession.
Chief Akinjide, also a former Minister of Education and the oldest lawyer in Nigeria, died on Tuesday morning in Ibadan.
He was aged 89. In his reaction, Opara said that the late senior advocate of Nigeria made Nigeria proud as As attorney-general.
“During his time as the A-G, the supreme court was blessed with the best minds, at that time, the profession took a significant leap.
“The late Akinjide was a collosus in the profession.
“If you trace his contributions from the western region under the Shehu Shagari administration, he featured prominently in most of the significant cases.
“He shaped our legal profession. As the A-G, money was not his primary consideration; he focused on developing law,” Opara said.
According to Opara, the legal profession has lost someone whose shoes are too big to wear.
Reacting, Buoro said that Akinjide lived a fruitful life as a statesman, who expressed his views fearlessly.
“Every death saddens mankind because we are human; otherwise, I think that Chief Akinjide lived a fruitful life.
“He was a prolific politician, legal icon and an elder statesman of note.
“He was a contributor to the West African Pilot and Daily Times newspapers, and fearlessly expressed his views,” Buoro said
He noted that it was under Akinjide’s watch as the minister of justice that Nigeria temporarily reversed execution of armed robbers.
“As Chief Akinjide takes his well-deserved rest, we commiserate with his family and the legal profession.
“Our country will surely miss his contributions to national growth,” Buoro said.
Commenting, Akinlade, the President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Ikorodu Branch, said: “Another titan of the legal profession has left us.
“This is the time to study his life and emulate him.”
