Arbitration:
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Nigeria Branch has described the late Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Richard Akinjide has a strong supporter of the institute saying it received with total submission to the will of God, the sad news of his demise.
In a statement signed by the Chair, CIArb Nigeria Branch Mr. Olatunde Busari, (SAN) the body noted that Akinjide who was born on November 1, 1931 “was a distinguished Senior Advocate of Nigeria and an outstanding pillar of the legal profession in Nigeria.”
Chair, CIArb Nigeria Branch Mr. Olatunde Busari, (SAN)
The body noted that in his quest to improve the efficient delivery of Justice, he joined the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) in 1990 and became a Fellow of the Institute. “As a pioneer member of the Nigeria Branch of the CIArb, Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN was one of the spirited founding members that worked assiduously at ensuring that Nigeria was accorded a Branch status by the CIArb.”
The institute said he was “an active and strong supporter of the Nigeria Branch and served as a member of its Training Faculty. For many years, Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN was one of the leading arbitrators in the field of Oil and Gas and has published many articles and awards to his credit. He, together with many of his ilk, contributed in no small measure, at ensuring that Arbitration gains prominence as an effective and efficient method for resolving commercial disputes in Nigeria.”
The body also noted that as an elder statesman, “Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN left indelible prints in the annals of history of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He served as Minister of Education in the First Republic under the administration of the then Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa. He also served as a member of the Judicial Systems Sub-Committee of the Constitutional Drafting Committee in 1975-1977. He also served the country as Attorney General and Minister for Justice during the Second Republic, under the administration of President Shehu Shagari.”
While expressing the wish that Akinjide is still alive, the institute said however that it pleased the Lord to “call him to eternal glory after a commendable service to country and mankind. Though he is no longer with us, we are consoled that his legacy lives on. Indeed, the Branch has lost a rare gem.”
The institute then conveyed its heartfelt condolences to “his daughter, Jumoke who is also a member of the institute and the entire Akinjide family. It prayed for the repose of his soul asking that “the Almighty God will give all, especially his family, the fortitude to bear this loss.”
