When accomplished individuals willingly participate and lend their expertise to an association, it can bring about a certain level of fortune or success. This is the fortune that the Nigerian Body of Benchers has come into. According to the senior lawyer, Olukayode Ajulo, the nomination of Justice Mary Odili and Chief Adegboyega Awomolo to the positions of Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively, of the Body of Benchers (BOB) has elevated the association beyond a simple congregation of legal minds to an association with great potential and vitality.
When it comes to legal matters, Ajulo can be trusted to give useful counsel. The man has distinguished himself in the legal profession, going so far as obtaining a teacher’s badge at prestigious tertiary institutions around the world, such as Adekunle Ajasin University at Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, as well as Egalitarian Basic Studies Institute at Kumasi, Ghana. So, when Ajulo applauds Odili and Awomolo for their positions of Chairman and Vice-Charman of BOB, it is a big deal.
And Ajulo is not wrong in his praise. Odili has demonstrated a robust grasp of all things law and order through her time in court. Her career is dotted with blazing positions such as the Justice of the Abuja Court of Appeal and the Presiding Justice of the Kaduna Court of Appeal. Moreover, when she retired from the courtroom in May 2022, she was the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
There is also Awomolo who is taking over the position of BOB Vice-Chairman. Counting out his remarkable career in the legal profession, he contributed significantly to the resuscitation of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) during the ‘90s. It is widely acknowledged that if Awomolo had not made moves to assist the NBA consolidation process, the association would not be as strong and stable as it is today.
So, Ajulo is right to state that Odili and Awomolo as Chairman and Vice-Chairman of BOB will usher the association into a new age of recognition and vitalisation.
