Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN Gave his all to Nigeria

Senior Partner at Templars and immediate former Chairman of the NBA Section of Business Law, Mr. Olumide Akpata, has offered condolences over the demise of Chief Richard Akinjide SAN. In a statement issued this morning, Mr. Akpata eulogised the late Silk. His full statement is below:

They say that all good things must come to an end, and we have just discovered that the life of the great Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN was not an exception to that rule. Nonetheless, we give gratitude to the Almighty God for blessing our world with Richard Akinjide, SAN, who gave his all to the legal profession and to Nigeria, and recently passed on to glory to rest in the bosom of the Lord after his excellent works here on earth.
 
I express my deepest sympathies to the family, friends, and colleagues of the Learned Silk, as well as the entire NBA for the colossal loss suffered through the exit of this rare gem.
 
Chief Akinjide was a man of many parts. During the lifetime, he was not just a very talented and cerebral lawyer who worked on most of the groundbreaking matters of his time, and whom many lawyers aimed to emulate, he also played strategic roles in the socio, political and economic development of Nigeria. He was also a trained journalist and a contributor to some of the most-widely read newspapers of his time such as West African Pilot and Daily Times. He also lectured International Commercial Arbitration to post-graduate students at the University of Ibadan; and was a member of the Judicial System Sub-Committee of the Constitutional Drafting Committee of 1975-1977.
 
He was also a respected politician. He played significant roles in the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1978, and later became Attorney-General and Minister of Justice under President Shehu Shagari. He also served as the President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
 
The Learned Silk was a perfect example of the “City Practitioner” whom in his work titled “Advocacy, Ethics and the Bar” he described as “the super elites of the profession. To this class, nothing but the best is acceptable. They are, unfortunately, few, but the number is growing. There are Silks and non-Silks among them. This class wants to be at par with their counterparts in England, France, Germany and the USA. They update their knowledge on a regular basis … and operate with up-to-date well-stocked library. They are very ambitious, innovative and are determined to succeed”.
 
Chief Akinjide lived a fulfilling life, which had positive impacts on the world around him, and I pray that he continues to rest in the bosom of the God Almighty for eternity.
 
With sincere sympathy,
 
OLUMIDE AKPATA