By Adewale Kupoluyi I Tuesday, Oct. 08, 2024
IBADAN, Nigeria – The Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan, Prof. John Akintayo, is set to deliver a public lecture during the new year legal activities of the National Association of Catholic Lawyers (NACL), Archdiocese of Ibadan.
According to the President of NACL, Archdiocese of Ibadan, Michael Agbolade and the Chairman, Planning Committee, Chuks Maduka, the public lecture is titled, ‘Law Practice and the Judiciary in Contemporary Nigeria: Any Hope for Social Justice?’.
Akintayo is a legal practitioner and Professor in the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law. He obtained the Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Ibadan in 1988 and was called to the Nigerian bar in December 1989 after passing the Nigerian Bar Qualifying Examinations at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos.
The don attended the University of Lagos for the Master of Laws degree between 1990 and 1991 and Georgetown University Law Centre, Washington DC, United States of America for a specialised Master of Laws degree in International Global Health Law from 2008 to 2009 before he was awarded the PhD degree in Law from the University of Ibadan in 2013. Between 1989 and 1990, the don was Assistant Legal Adviser in the Legal Department of the then Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs, now Ministry of Interior, Abuja for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, and was into private legal practice and had a brief stint at the Legal Unit, The Polytechnic, Ibadan as a Legal Officer before he began his university teaching career in 1993.
The guest speaker’s research interests include constitutional jurisprudence with emphasis on the judicial system and legislation, the law relating to professional bodies, and comparative legal systems. The Professor had served as the 32nd Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ibadan Branch from June 2018 to June 2020. He has been a member of the Christian Lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria (CLASFON) since 1989 and was elected the 11th President of the organisation in 2021 for a three-year term before being elected a member of the General Council of the Bar in 2022.
He was appointed a member of the Governing Council of NBA-Human Rights Institute in August 2023, as well as a member of NBA National Executive Council. Akintayo has consulted for the governments of Oyo and Osun states on the revision of their laws and constitutional amendment (Oyo State), trade unions on diverse issues and the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) on strengthening anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria. The Dean was also a member of the expert group that prepared the Nigerian National Health Research Code, among others.
The New Legal Year Thanksgiving Mass is scheduled to take place on Sunday, October 13, 2024, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Oke-Padre, Ibadan, Oyo State, beginning at 9am, which would have as Chief Celebrant, His Grace, Most Rev. (Dr.) Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin, Catholic Archbishop of Ibadan. The programme is organised to inspire Catholics to discharge their duties effectively without bias, and is held to officially mark the commencement of activities in the courts, reawaken the commitment of legal practitioners, judges, and those saddled with the task of administration of justice. During this year’s edition, some members of the association would be given award plaques for their notable achievements in the legal profession and meritorious service.
Furthermore, Catholic bishops from the Ecclesiastical Province of Ibadan, judges, law enforcement agents, academics, legal luminaries, and retired judge of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Peter Ige (JCA), Patron of the association, and dignitaries from all walks of life, including the NACL Ibadan Archdiocesan Chaplain, Very Rev. Fr. Joachim Akee, are expected to grace the forum. It would be recalled that, during the last edition of the programme, the chairman of the occasion was Mr. Ayo Akinyemi, a consummate media practitioner, biographer, and public affairs analyst; the guest speaker was Chimezie Victor C. Ihekweazu, SAN, FCArb, FBR; while the title of the public lecture was, ‘Effective Justice Delivery: Pathway to Economic Development in Nigeria’.
At the occasion, the NACL President, Michael Agbolade had appreciated the bishops of the Ibadan Province for their interest in carrying the activities of NACL to their domains, which had not only made lawyers to come together to render service to society, but a unique opportunity for NACL to contribute to the administration of justice and the promotion of national development. Agbolade further noted the collaborative work of the association with the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) on prison apostolate, whereby there is drastic reduction in awaiting trial cases at the correctional centre.
The President added that education remains the bedrock of any nation while appreciating the government for embarking on the student loan scheme, which would greatly assist parents and guardians in the funding of the education of their children and wards.
The organisers of the event; the Ibadan Branch of NACL, is dedicated to promoting justice and upholding the rule of law by bringing together Catholic lawyers from across Nigeria to work towards the attainment of a just and equitable society.
