A SHORT BUT BEAUTIFUL & IMPACTFUL LIFE: Family, Friends, Colleagues & Associates Pay Tribute to Adeola Oluwashola Keshinro

 

 

To live in the hearts of those who love you, as the saying goes, is never to die. On Thursday, September 3, 2024, a bright star, which had blazed across the firmament of this mortal plane for 42 glorious years, finally sailed into the great beyond – leaving those who had been privileged to gaze at its brilliance and bask in the afterglow of its splendour during its time on this side of eternity to wonder at the meaning of it all, as well as to reflect nostalgically on what might have been.

 

Until her passing into glory, Ms. Adeola Oluwashola Keshinro was a Partner at the law firm of Synergy Attornies. Her stewardship during the 17 years she spent at Synergy, the quality of her service there, the scope of her impact and influence, her personal attributes as a lawyer, an administrator and a person, and the relationships she forged in the course of her brief lifetime, were the subject of an Evening of Tributes on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 as members of her family, her friends, former classmates (notably from her respective alma maters – the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, and the Nigerian Law School), and her colleagues at Synergy Attornies, among others, converged at the Agip Recital Hall of the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) on Lagos Island to honour her memory, reflect on her life and legacy, and offer prayers for the repose of her soul.

NEWSWIRE Law Events Magazine’s correspondent at the MUSON Centre reports that the event, which was anchored by Febechi Archibong, was graced by a number of senior lawyers, notably the deceased’s boss at Synergy Attornies, Mr. Abiodun J. Owonikoko, SAN, as well as members of the traditional institution.

 

The proceedings, which were punctuated by a sombre rendition of hymns and other songs by the Choir, began with opening prayers and a brief spiritual exhortation by Reverend Olowoshaye. Reflecting on the brevity and transience of man’s sojourn on this earth, and the life of Oluwashola Keshinro in particular, the clergyman urged the assembled mourners to re-order their priorities in light of our common fate, our faith in God, and our ultimate destiny.

His exhortation was followed by the reading of the deceased’s biography. Delivered by Mrs. Ella Tobi, a senior colleague of the late Ms. Keshinro’s, the biography chronicles highlights of the eventful life-journey of a young woman with a keen sense of her purpose here on earth, who pursued that purpose assiduously and with passion, faith, kindness and grace. The life of the deceased, Mrs. Tobi said, exemplified her optimistic outlook on life, but also her equanimity in the face of the vicissitudes of life – especially her battle with a debilitating health challenge.

 

Born in Lagos, Nigeria on the 12th of June, 1982, Shola (as everyone fondly called her) was the fourth of the five children of Mr. Alfred Olushola Keshinro (now of blessed memory) and Mrs. Stella Olaitan Keshinro. Her siblings (all females) are Funmilayo Keshinro-Olakanmi, Ademidun Keshinro-Esomojumi, Kemi Akin-Olamiti and Eyitayo Keshinro. Shola began her journey into formal education at the University of Lagos Staff School, which she attended from 1986 to 1992. Her intellectual precosity was clearly obvious from an early age, as she stood out among her peers. Upon leaving primary school, she proceeded to the Federal Government Girls College, Shagamu, Ogun State, for her secondary school education from 1993 to 1999, where she gained excellent results from her Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE). This was her ticket to entry into the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State in 2000, to study Law. She was no ordinary bookworm at OAU, as shown by her active involvement in the affairs of the student body of that venerable institution, and its Law Faculty in particular. She was the Secretary and Treasurer of the Law Students Society and the Justice Chambers, respectively, before graduating with a Second-Class Upper Division (Hons) LL.B degree in 2006. She was the proud recipient of the award for the Most Diligent Member of the Executive Members of the Law Students’ Society of the University in the 2003/2004 academic year.

In 2007, Shola proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, where the stardom that had been glimpsed in her early years, and at University, blossomed in all its dazzling glory. She emerged with a First Class distinction, and was named the Best Graduating Student in her set, as she famously carted home practically all the prizes on offer in that academic year – among them:

 

– The Sir Darnley Alexander Prize for the Third Best Student in Legal Drafting and Conveyancing in the August 2007 Bar Final Examinations;

– The National Association of Women Judges Prize for the Best Female Student of the Year in the August 2007 Bar Final Examinations;

– The Sir Adetokunbo Ademola Prize for the Best Student of the Year in the August 2007 Bar Final Examinations;

– The Justice Atanda Fatai-Williams Prize for the Best Student of the Year in the August 2007 Bar Final Examinations;

– The Dr. Taslim Elias Prize for the Best Overall Performance (1st Prize) in the August 2007 Bar Final Examinations;

– The Justice Mohammed Bello Prize for the Best Overall Performance in the August 2007 Bar Final Examinations; and

– The Council of Legal Education Star Prize in the August 2007 Bar Final Examinations;

In November 2007, as part of the mandatory National Youth Service programme, Shola joined Synergy Attornies, where she was accepted from day one with an advanced option to be retained after her service year, on account of her excellent record. She took that option and converted to a full-time junior associate on executive track in 2008. In 2009, she became an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and also became a Graduate Member of The Chartered Governance Institute of UK & Ireland, as well as a Graduate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ISAN) in 2010. In 2013, she completed her Master of Laws (LL.M) degree in Commercial and Corporate Law with honors from the Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom.

In the course of her work at Synergy, Shola rose rapidly through the ranks to become the Practice Administrator, a role in which she shared overall management of the firm with her Principal, Mr. A.J. Owonikoko, SAN. She was a model associate, as all hires in the firm after her promotion to senior associate, passed through her scrutiny. She was the standard to match by new entrants. She directly mentored many junior colleagues and paralegal staff, leading to every willing and capable paralegal who was able to take advantage of the firm’s fully funded scholarship to pursue university education either on a part-time basis, or (in the cases of deserving ones) on a full-time basis, a role she played until her passing.

On the 10th anniversary of her joining the firm, in 2017, Shola was offered a Partnership by her Principal in recognition of her qualities. By now, she was universally recognized as an exemplary advocate and a rather unassuming legal wizard in her own right. Her razor-sharp intelligence, so often testified to by her peers, was noticed and often remarked upon by Judges and acknowledged by learned silks, with (or against) whom she did battle in the court room. Even in her lifetime, the talent and diligence of Shola Keshinro already had the makings of legend.

Shola was humble and self-effacing to a fault. Too shy to take credit for her excellent work in and out of the court room as well as in client management, she projected a gentle, civil and calm mien that was endearing to all and hard to miss among her colleagues, young or old. She packed a mighty punch in her slight frame, and what she lacked in physical size was compensated for by the elephantine output of her brain.

 

An avid reader in her spare time, Shola loved expressing her thoughts and unique insights about the word around her in poetry. Board games were a favorite pastime of hers, as well as listening to audiobooks in her car, or on her phone or laptop.

 

She had an outsized influence on the lives of those who were privileged to know and work with her – and on the career trajectoroies of her junior colleagues in particular. A teacher and a mentor, she was in her element while imparting her vast knowledge into others through conversations or by sending softcopy and audio books to friends, colleagues and mentees. She also made sure to refer deserving staffers for trainings to enhance their professional growth.

Shola possessed a generous, philanthropic spirit; spartan and minimalist in her own lifestyle, she spent most of her funds on personal growth and development as she regularly enrolled in trainings, bought books, as well as helped the most vulnerable groups in society, such as widows and other less-privileged persons.

 

On the home front, Shola took inordinate pleasure in spoiling her nephews and nieces. Her favorite colours were black and white, and her favorite food was yam.

All in all, the biography reading painted a poignant portrait of a lady, indeed a princess – nay, a queen – who packed into a brief lifetime the accomplishments of many lifetimes. And yet, in spite of her towering pedigree, Oluwashola Keshinro was a gentle, kind, highly disciplined and principled woman who loved fiercely and was completely honest and loyal. She saw herself as merely a servant, never tired of giving her best in any capacity – whether a great task or a small chore. A stickler for time, she was always punctual, whether for professional or personal engagements. An exceptional manager of human and material resources, Shola gave unstintingly of herself to her family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances and anyone she came in contact with. She never failed to help anyone in her personal or professional capacity.

By all accounts, she was a rare species of human – a life worthy of celebration, whose transition has robbed the world she inhabited of some of its beauty and colour. Needless to say, Shola Keshinro will be sorely missed.

This larger-than-life image of Shola was amplified in the personal testimonies that followed the biography reading – by family members such as her brother-in-law and namesake Shola Olakanmi, who described her as the candle that lit other candles without diminishing its own light. Olakanmi’s testimony was followed by the poignant reminiscences of the deceased’s sisters, Ademidun Keshinro-Esomojumi and Eyitayo Keshinro, who described a life of quiet heroism in the face of serious health challenges, and a wry sense of humour. Lady Edith Uduji, Secretary at Synergy Attornies, spoke of her as irreplaceable, while Joseph Abu, another colleague, described the uncanny ways in which Shola was able to anticipate the needs of others well in advance, and to respond to them accordingly. On her part, Titi Owonikoko-Fashodun praised Shola’s multifaceted personality – a writer of poetry with a love for mathematics which would have done credit to the profession of accountancy; a person of quiet moral authority who never had to raise her voice to make her point; and a deeply spiritual character with a strong connection to the divine and a keen awareness of her mortality. Other testimonies were by Olagbade Benson, a classmate at OAU; Ifeatu Medidem, another fellow OAU alumna (who knew the deceased as Sholly Kesh, Ms Kesh and Captain Kesh); and a representative of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN), to which her boss, Mr. Owonikoko SAN belonged. Had she lived longer, the BOSAN rep said, Shola might have become a SAN herself – and no one would’ve been more deserving of that prestigious rank. Shola’s discipline, her high moral sense and accountabiity, said Mr. Owonikoko, were only comparable to that of the great sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, SAN.

Even the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, whom the deceased had met on at least one occasion, couldn’t be left out of the tributes. In a moving message of condolences to Mr. Owonikoko and the staff of Synergy Attornies, the Governor Sanwo-Olu remembered Shola as a brilliant legal mind whose life-journey, though tragically short, was highly accomplished. His Abia State counterpart, Dr.Alex Otti, was ably represented at the event by the Administrator of the Abia State Eye Health Agency, Dr. Betty Emeka-Obasi.

 

The testimonies were followed by a brief interlude in which the Choir rendered a couple of popular Christian hymns – ‘Abide with Me’, and ‘Nearer to Thee’.

 

NEWSWIRE Magazine’s correspondent reports that one of the highlights of the evening was the formal unveiling of the Oluwashola Keshinro Foundation (OKF). The unveiling featured a short video showcase of the causes, symptoms and management of Systemic Lupus Erythematous (or SLE, or Lupus for short), the auto-immune disorder that cut short Shola’s life. According to Mr. Owonikoko, SAN – who spoke on behalf of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, the study of the disease and ways of helping its other sufferers, especially in Nigeria, would be at the core of the Foundation’s mandate. The OKF would also embark on other health support (via the Kesh Health Support Initiative) as well as educational support in the form of scholarships to indigent but qualified students in tertiary institutions such as Shola’s alma mater, OAU. Other prospective beneficiaries include widows, orphans and other vulnerable groups. The target fund, Owonikoko also disclosed, is N100,000,000 (one hundred million naira), while the initial take-off grant was N15,000 (fifteen million naira). A call for pledges yielded a cash windfall worth millions of naira from around the hall and virtually. An interactive website will aid the work of the Foundation and track its progress.

The Evening of Tributes came to a close with a vote of thanks by one of the deceased’s sisters, Mrs. Funmilayo Olakanmi, and a closing prayer by Reverend Olowoshaye.

 

The payoff of the Oluwashola Keshinro Foundation is ‘ *’Celebrating to Emulate.’* Indeed, that isu the greatest tribute anyone who knew, or knew of, Shola Keshinro, can pay her – as she lived a purpose-driven life worthy of emulation.