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20^th Anniversary of Hon. Justice Akpata’s Passing Marked with Memorial Book Launch in Lagos

The world of legal arbitration as an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism was the focus of attention on Monday, December 16, 2019 as members of both the Bar and the Bench converged on the Agip Recital Hall of the MUSON (Musical Society of Nigeria) Centre in Onikan, Lagos for the launch of the book, THE NIGERIAN ARBITRATION LAW IN FOCUS.

Chaired by Dr. Wale Babalakin, SAN, Senior Partner at the law firm of Babalakin and Co, the event also coincided with the 20^th anniversary of the passing of the retired Supreme Court justice and erstwhile Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Hon. Justice Ephraim Omorose Ibukun Akpata, JSC.  The book, authored by two of the leading arbitration lawyers in Nigeria, Mrs. Obosa Akpata (a daughter-in-law of the great jurist), and Mrs. Olusola Adegbommire, is the updated version of a book published 22 years ago under the same title by the late Justice Akpata.

As explained by Mr. Uyiosa Akpata in his remarks of welcome, this Second Edition of THE NIGERIAN ARBITRATION LAW IN FOCUS casts much light and offers contemporary insights on the issues which Justice Akpata’s pioneering and seminal book had raised, at a time when the field of legal and judicial arbitration was still uncharted territory as far as Nigerian jurisprudence was concerned.  He commended the authors, Mrs. Akpata and Mrs. Adegbommire for bringing those issues to the attention of a new generation of legal practitioners and adding to the (albeit still scanty) corpus of work in the field of arbitration. He also saluted the widow of the late jurist, Ma Akpata, who was the Mother of the Day at this event, for her resilience and for holding the torch for the entire Akpata family.

In his remarks, Dr. Babalakin spoke of his relationship with the late former INEC chairman, describing the great man as a mentor of his, a pillar of integrity in the legal world, and a consummate judicial champion with a passion for the supremacy of the law and the authority of its institutions in the good ordering of society. Although a voice laden with great moral authority was silenced 20 years ago with the departure of Justice Akpata from this mortal plane, Babalakin said, his legacies remain indelible, and his contributions towards the entrenching of a democracy anchored upon the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights cannot be disputed.

Speaking in the same vein, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, (who sent a representative to the occasion) expressed the joy and pride of the government and people of the state on this occasion. He recalled with nostalgia the life and meritorious service of the late Justice Akpata, both to the judiciary of Edo State and of Nigeria as a whole, expressing satisfaction that he had reached the peak of his judicial career at the Supreme Court. Gov. Obaseki congratulated the authors in particular, and the large and illustrious Akpata family in general, on the launch of a book which he was sure would be of immense benefit to all lawyers – especially those considering a career in the growing field of arbitration – as well as judges, whose workload would be greatly reduced as more and more people explore alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms such as arbitration and mediation, as against the adversarial, contentious and often interminable process of litigation.

NEWSWIRE Law & Events Magazine’s correspondent at the book launch reports that the life and times of the late Justice Ephraim Omorose Ibukun Akpata (Rtd) JSC, as well as his timeless legacy in Nigerian jurisprudence, were the focus of a short but moving tribute by Mr. George Etomi, FNIALS, NPOM, himself a son-in-law of the great jurist.

Thereafter, Mr. Babajide Ogundipe gave a brilliant review of the Second Edition of the book, THE NIGERIAN ARBITRATION LAW IN FOCUS, noting, among other things, that the authors had done a fantastic job of juxtaposing contemporary trends and new developments against the legal status and environment of arbitration which the late Justice Akpata had explored over two decades ago. This juxtaposition, Ogundipe said, has given the subject of arbitration a new freshness, and illuminated little-understood concepts of the law – without detracting from the gravitas of the earlier edition.

In their respective remarks, the co-authors, Mrs. Obosa Akpata and Mrs. Sola Adegbommire, who are both members of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators UK (Nigeria Branch), thanked the chairman of the Institute, Mr. Tunde Busari, SAN, for his immense support and invaluable contributions towards the success of the book project. They felt compelled to embark on this project, they said, not just because of the importance of the subject, but also because Justice Akpata’s seminal work had been well ahead of its time, and the insights the late Supreme Court Justice offered were timeless and therefore needed to be applied to the demands of our time, as far as arbitration laws in Nigeria are concerned.

Their remarks were followed by the unveiling of the book and the formal presentation of copies by members of the high table, to the admiration of attendees.

NEWSWIRE’s correspondent also reports that one of the highlights of the launch was a special joint announcement by the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association’s Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL) Seni Adio, SAN, and his immediate predecessor, Olumide Akpata, that a copy of the book would be purchased every young lawyer in the SBL – a total, Olu Akpata said, of almost 800 copies!

Other launchers of the book, such as Mr. Ayodele Akintunde, SAN; Mr. Wale Atake, SAN; Mr. Godwin Omoaka, SAN and Mr. Tola Ogundipe, an accountant who underscored the importance of arbitration even beyond the scope of law, paid glowing tribute, both to the memory of the late Justice Akpata and the authors who had brought the benefits of his profundity of thought, originality of ideas, erudition and foresight to a contemporary audience. Some launchers also spoke of the man’s core principles and the vigour and diligence with which he pursued those principles, as well as his belief in the power of personal example, and the many ways in which they benefited from their personal association with him.

In his humorous vote of thanks, the Managing Partner at the commercial law firm of Templars, and a son of the late jurist, Mr. Oghogho Akpata expressed the gratitude of the Akpata family – both nuclear and extended – for the turnout at this event, as the event drew to a close.

See photos below: