Legal practitioners urge immortalisation of late pioneer CJ, Kawu
Legal practitioners in Kwara on Thursday called on the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to immortalise the late legal icon, Hon. Justice Saidu Kawu.
The practitioners made the appeal at the public presentation/book launching of History and Development of Judiciary in Kwara from 1960 to 2020 in honour of the late Justice.
It was reported that the book was written by Justice Ahmad Abdulyakeen.
They said that, though the late icon was not a local man, but charity begins at home in terms of honour.
Mr Abdul Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, said the bar has been greatly challenged to do something worthy in honour of the honouree.
“This gesture by the author is a wake up call for members of the bar to immortalise the legacy bestowed on the members by the late icon.
“It is not too late, we have to do something now that we have been reminded that we have to honour him.
a“We have to start from home even though he is not a local man, he ended up at the Supreme Court and he made his contributions which are indelible.
“So, he should be immortalised both at the local and international levels,” Fagbemi said.
The Chairman of the occasion, who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Malam Yusuf Alli, said the book written was seen as a clarion call to honour those deserving of it.
“He represented the best judiciary can ever produce anywhere in the world who possessed the four qualities of the judge posited by Aristotle.
“He was a judge that encourages young and bright lawyers whose contribution cannot be eschewed.
“In view of this, his memories and history should be immortalised for generations to come to benefit from it,” he said.
The book reviewer, Chief Joseph Bamigboye, SAN, said that a lawyer’s library is incomplete without the book and it is almost a research material for students.
The Chief Launcher, Dr Abdulraheem Oladimeji, Founder of Al-Hikmah University, urged judicial officers to emulate the honouree who will be remembered for protecting the sanctity of judiciary in the state.
Author of the book, Abdulyakeen said he wrote it as a contribution to Kwara judiciary.
“It is my contribution to write the history of Kwara state judiciary in his honour, because he has contributed a lot.
“As a student of history, we were not there when he served as the pioneer Chief Judge of Kwara, but his contributions are there to encourage and motivate all of us.
“So, particularly as a person, I decided to put pen on paper as a way of honour,” Abdulyakeen said.
The event was graced by icons in the judiciary and other fields, including Justice Mustapha Salami; Vice Chancellor, Unilorin, Prof. Abdulkareem Age; Alhaji Yakub Gobir; and Amb. Abdulfatah Yahya-Seriki.
They all donated to the book launch.
