Richard Akinjide, Former Justice Minister Dies
The Former Minister of Justice in the second Republic,
Chief Richard Akinjide,(SAN), who is the oldest lawyer in Nigeria today
has been reported dead but the cause of death still remain sketchy as at the
time of filing this reports. .
Penpushing reports that Akinjide who was also a former
Minister of Education in the Government of Prime Minister Tafawa
practised law for over 60 years and had stated over and again that there is no retirement in
legal profession.
The late legal luminary was born in 1930 in Ibadan, theOyo
State Capital, attended St. Peter’s Primary School, Aremo in Ibadan, before
proceeding to Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife from where he passed out in Grade
One (Distinction, Aggregate 6). .
Penpushing further reports that, in 1951 Akinjide travelled
to the United Kingdom for his higher education, wher he studied for
his LLB degree in Law at the University of London and also obtained a
certificate in Journalism,and called to the English Bar in 1955. .
The deceased was subsequently called to the Nigerian and the
Gambian Bar.and became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1978,while on
return to Nigeria, he practiced briefly under S.L Durosaro before setting up
his practice of Akinjide & Co. .
Goldmynetvonline.com also reports that, Akinjide was a
contributor to West African Pilot and Daily Times, as a result of his love for
journalism,and he also taught International Commercial Arbitration at
post-graduate level at the University of Ibadan. .
The late Akinjide was a member of the Judicial Systems
Sub-Committee of the Constitutional Drafting Committee of 1975-1977 and later
joined the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1978,an became the Legal Adviser
for the party before he was later appointed the Minister for Justice. .
