Mr Niyi Akintola, SAN has shaded the immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Akpata in his recent statement.
Akintola stated that Akpata is a transactional lawyer and has never practised law and that the scenario at the NBA AGM was not surprising.
Akintola said this on a live radio program in Ibadan yesterday.
“That boy (Olu Akpata) is a transactional lawyer, he has never practiced law, he’s a businessman so the scenario at the bar conference is not surprising… Did you see any Supreme Court judge at the conference? He called former CJN ostrich! No notable senior member of the bar was at the conference because we all resolved not to have anything to do with the boy”.
Akintola SAN, further declared that Egbe Amofin, the umbrella body of Yoruba lawyers before Akpata’s election had distanced itself from him, and also maintained that position throughout his administration.
He however lamented to some betrayers doused the force of their boycott.
He said, “We at the Egbe Amofin took a unified stance not to dignify that boy with our presence. Unfortunately, some of our people who took that decision alongside of us betrayed that trust.
That decision was reached here in Ibadan. Chief Olanipekun was the Leader of Egbe Amofin, and I was his Vice. I and Chief Olanipekun have religiously abided by that decision, however, some of our boys and girls decided to go their ways because they wanted to be in government. They wanted positions”.
Akintola further lamented what he called poverty of values amongst lawyers.
He said, when we came into the profession, we held our elders in high esteem. Their words were laws. Whatever they say, we follow. But this sore soke generation came up and they stepped out to ruin the legal profession.
The immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Akpata hasn’t responded to the statement and allegations made by Chief Akintola, SAN.
