Olanipekun Breaks Silence, Says Body of Benchers Doesn't Supervise LPDC
- Wole Olanipekun, chairman of the Body of Benchers, says the body does not interfere with the activities of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee
- His comment comes days after the Nigerian Bar Association called for Olanipekun’s resignation in the wake of a petition filed against a lawyer in his chambers before the committee
- The NBA had, in a petition sent on July 20, asked the LPDC to prosecute Adekunbi Ogunde, a partner in the law firm of Olanipekun
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FCT, Abuja - A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and chairman, Body of Benchers (BOB), Chief Wole Olanipekun, has explained that the BOB does not supervise the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
Chief Olanipekun spoke on Wednesday, JCuly 27 against the misconception that the BOB has oversight over the LPDC and interferes in its proceedings.
Source: Twitter
His clarification also followed a letter written by the NBA president, Olumide Akpata, at the weekend asking that he (Olanipekun) step down as BOB chairman.
According to Akpata, this was to avoid undue interference in a petition against a partner in Olanipekun's firm, Ms Adekunbi Ogunde, before the LPDC.
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In an earlier July 20 petition, the NBA also asked the LPDC to consider whether the partners of Wole Olanipekun & Co. are not liable to be disciplined alongside Ogunde for soliciting a brief from SAIPEM Contracting Nigeria Ltd, which already had the law firm of Henry Ajumogobia, SAN working for it.
But clearing the air on the issue at the call-to-bar ceremony of newly-inducted lawyers, Olanipekun clarified that the LPDC does not influence the outcome of matters brought before the BOB.
His words:
"The Body of Benchers does not and will not interfere with any of the proceedings or outcome of such proceedings before the LPDC.
"It is important to point out that the LPDC is not an avenue for dealing with perceived enemies or ventilation of grievances against fellow lawyers on personal issues.
"The decision of the LPDC is known as direction, and any appeal against the direction goes directly to the supreme court."
Recall that a former chairman of the LPDC, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), had resigned in protest in February following perceived interference by the BOB, then under the chairmanship of Justice Bode Rhodes Vivour.
Ukala noted in the letter, said:
"The independence of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee is paramount in the scheme of things for maintenance of true discipline in the profession.
"It is best that things are kept that way no matter the leadership of the Body of Benchers, for the time being, the personal interest of any member and indeed, no matter whose ox is gored."
Nigeria's 1999 Constitution an unrealistic document - Wole Olanipekun
Meanwhile, Chief Wole Olanipekun had in 2021, described Nigeria's 1999 constitution as amended as a lie, and an unrealistic document that needs a replacement and not an amendment.
Olanipekun said that Nigeria's highest legal document is deceptive and unrealistic.
He made the comment while delivering a paper at the 13th convocation lecture of the Redeemer’s University titled, “Beyond the Pandemic: Creating a new normal.”
1999 constitution was written in a hurry - Gbajabiamila
On his part, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila said the 1999 constitution was written in a hurry.
The speaker who tried to highlight some of the challenges of the constitution said the document lacked what it takes to actualise the common aspiration of the citizens.
However, Gbajabiamila noted that just like in Nigeria, there is no perfect constitution anywhere in the world.
Source: Legit.ng
