- Prof Kasumu-led BOSAN begs CJN, judges, others not to attend a May 23 lecture organized by BOSAN splinter group
Forty years after it was established to promote highest standard of professional ethics amongst its members, the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) appears to have suffered a major crack.
Leader of BOSAN, an assemblage of silks in Nigeria, Professor Alfred Bandele Kasunmu, SAN made the disclosure in a public notice.
He said the unity of the body is under threat with the operation of a splinter group operating as Abuja branch of BOSAN under the leadership of a respected silk, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN.
The splinter group, according to Prof Kasunmu, is planning to organize a lecture on Thursday, May 23, 2024 in Abuja without the knowledge of BOSAN.
Kasunmu, SAN, has begun a campaign to disown the Abuja branch of BOSAN and its activities.
Already, it has reached out to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, top judges and senior members of the bar and bench not to attend the programme of the splinter group scheduled to hold Thursday this week.
It is not clear why the leadership of the respected group could not privately engage the purported leadership of the splinter group in a discussion before coming to the public.
In a notice signed by Professor Alfred Bandele Kasunmu, SAN, to disown the group and its activities, the Leader of BOSAN said there is only one legitimate Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
According to the notice, the group led by Chief Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo, SAN, has been organizing various events such as seminars, lectures, and dinners without the approval or involvement of BOSAN’s leadership.
These activities have continued despite the fact that BOSAN’s constitution does not provide for the existence of branches, groups, or chapters anywhere in Nigeria.
Professor Kasunmu highlighted several instances where Chief Awomolo’s group has acted independently, including organizing a dinner and lecture for retired Justices of the Supreme Court without consulting the Leader of BOSAN or the Secretariat.
He said the group has also been using a corrupted adaptation of the BOSAN logo, which the notice deems misleading.
The notice emphasizes that BOSAN was founded about forty years ago by Chief Fredrick Rotimi Alade SAN, OFR, and his contemporaries to be free from governmental and external influences.
The Body’s primary objectives are to promote professional responsibility, integrity, and the highest standards of professional ethics, etiquette, and discipline among its members while ensuring the independence of the Judiciary and the rule of law.
The notice further said that Professor Kasunmu had provided a brief history of BOSAN’s leadership, explaining that the Attorney-General of the Federation serves as the Chairman (if he is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria), and the most senior living Senior Advocate of Nigeria acts as the Vice-Chairman and Leader.
The notice stresses the importance of maintaining seniority to preserve the honour and privilege of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
The notice calls upon the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justices of the Supreme Court, President and Justices of the Court of Appeal, all Heads of Courts and their Judges, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and retired Justices/Judges to disregard the invitation sent by Chief Awomolo’s group for a lecture series scheduled for May 23, 2024, titled “2023 ELECTIONS: A POST-MORTEM.”
In conclusion, BOSAN urges all its members to work towards maintaining a coherent Body and advises against lending credibility to the activities of any splinter group within BOSAN. The notice also pleads with members of the public, particularly Legal Practitioners, not to accord any recognition to the illegal group and its activities.
Below is the full text of the statement.
BODY OF SENIOR ADVOCATES OF NIGERIA
SECRETARIAT: Room 18, Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus, Victoria Island, Lagos.
TEL: +234-704-4444124, +234-809-8828282
PUBLIC NOTICE
THERE IS ONLY ONE BODY OF SENIOR ADVOCATES OF NIGERIA (BOSAN)
The attention of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) has been drawn to the recent activities of a body which describes itself as PRACTISING IN ABUJA or BODY OF SENIOR ADVOCATES OF NIGERIA, ABUJA, under the leadership of Chief Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo, SAN.
The said body has continued to organise seminars, lectures, dinners, and such array of activities without recourse to the leadership of BOSAN.
These activities have continued, notwithstanding the fact that the constitution of BOSAN does not provide for the existence of branches, groups, or chapters anywhere in Nigeria.
For instance, on Saturday, 22 October 2022, BOSAN organised a befitting dinner/lecture for the present Chief Justice of Nigeria in Lagos, and a good number of Justices of the Supreme Court and Senior Advocates were in attendance, including Chief Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo, SAN.
Immediately thereafter, Chief Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo, SAN, championed the organisation/staging of another dinner and lecture for some retired Justices of the Supreme Court, without any recourse to the Leader of the Body or the Secretariat.
Apart from the myriad of parallel activities being organised by the said body, it has also gone ahead with a corrupted adaptation of the BOSAN logo, with the caption “Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria” appearing underneath.
The logo, which is grossly misleading, has been imposed on the several letters of invitation being distributed to various senior members of the legal profession, as an invitation to one of its lecture series scheduled for May 23, 2024, titled “2023 ELECTIONS: A POST-MORTEM.”
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justices of the Supreme Court, President and Justices of the Court of Appeal, all Heads of Courts and their Judges, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and retired Justices/Judges to whom Chief Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo, SAN, has extended his invitation should disregard that invitation.
This disturbing development which is unpretentiously targeted at polarising and disintegrating the age-long Body, is, to state the least, illegal, in breach of the constitution of BOSAN and antithetical to the philosophical ideals underpinning the establishment of the Body.
A brief historical foray into the genesis of BOSAN will put the foregoing concerns into perspective. Right from the formation of BOSAN by Chief Fredrick Rotimi Alade SAN, OFR and his contemporaries about forty years ago, it was designed to be free of all governmental and other external influences.
This explains why till today, it remains a private organisation with the principal aim of promoting professional responsibility, integrity, and the highest standards of professional ethics, etiquette, and discipline amongst its members; while ensuring the independence of the Judiciary, the rule of law, and the promotion of the highest standards of professional practice in Nigeria.
At the time BOSAN was founded, its Leader (in the absence of the Attorney-General of the Federation, where he was a Senior Advocate of Nigeria) was Chief Rotimi Williams, SAN, CFR, as he was the first Nigerian to be conferred with the prestigious rank in 1975 along with Dr. Nabo Graham-Douglas, SAN.
Chief Rotimi Williams, SAN, CFR, chaired most meetings in the absence of the Attorney-General of the Federation or where the latter was present but had a specific role to play in his official capacity.
In fact, a good number of BOSAN meetings were held in Chief Rotimi Williams’ Chambers at Ilupeju, Lagos.
In the absence of Chief Rotimi Williams, SAN, OFR, the available Senior Advocate of Nigeria who was next in rank after him would stand in his stead at the meeting or event.
At the risk of restating the obvious, maintaining seniority has always been sacrosanct in terms of preserving the honour and privilege of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
With the passing of Professor Ben Nwabueze, SAN in October 2023, the leadership of BOSAN fell to my lot, as the highest-ranking Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Though the afore-stated tradition far predates the incorporation of the Body and enactment of a constitution in May 2011, same has been codified by the constitution, thus, providing for the Attorney-General of the Federation as Chairman (provided he is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria) and the most senior living Senior Advocate of Nigeria as Vice-Chairman and Leader.
Other officers are the Secretary, the Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer, the Financial Secretary, and the Programme and Publicity Secretary.
The Permanent Office of the Secretariat or Headquarters of the Body is situated in Lagos, as provided for in the constitution of the Body.
There has never been any rancour within the Body since its formation.
It is rather unfortunate that the activities of the purported body led by Chief Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo, SAN have continued unabated, despite the admonitions of Mr. Ebun Sofunde, SAN at the Special Court Session organised for the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria at the Supreme Court of Nigeria on 27th November 2023.
It will be recalled that Mr. Ebun Sofunde, SAN, who presented the address of BOSAN, being the most senior of the SANs present at the event, not only gave a summary of how BOSAN was founded, its traditions and lofty heritage, right from the time of Chief Rotimi Williams, SAN to date, but also emphasized the need to preserve BOSAN as one, in order for it not to lose its respect and credibility as a result of different groups from different cities or towns in Nigeria waking up, not only to establish their own branches but presenting and addressing matters and national issues from different perspectives, contrary to the intention of BOSAN’s founding fathers.
One would have thought that that address would lay to rest the activities of any splinter group within BOSAN, as being led by Chief Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo, SAN.
As recently as 10th February 2024, BOSAN held its meeting and annual dinner in Abuja, under the chairmanship of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince L. O. Fagbemi, SAN.
It is noteworthy that the events were attended by Chief Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo, SAN, who did not raise, even in hush tones, any plan of a seminar, lecture series, or the intention of the ‘Abuja Branch’ to hold or host such a seminar or lecture series.
While I plead with all members of BOSAN to continue to ensure a coherent Body as handed over to us by our past leaders, it is necessary to draw the attention of all Senior Advocates and lovers of the Legal Profession to the likely fallout of any polarisation, division, or dismemberment of BOSAN.
We should never let it happen. Thus, we trust that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justices of the Supreme Court, President and Justices of the Court of Appeal, all Heads of Courts and their Judges, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria and retired Justices/Judges to whom Chief Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo, SAN has extended his invitation should disregard such invitation, and be wary of lending any credibility to the activities of any splinter group within BOSAN, either through any encouragement or attendance at any event, ceremony or activity organised by Chief Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo, SAN under the name of BOSAN.
BOSAN also advises and pleads with members of the public, particularly Legal Practitioners, not to give or accord any recognition whatsoever to the illegal group and its activities.
DATED THIS 6TH DAY OF MAY 2024
PROFESSOR ALFRED BANDELE KASUNMU, SAN
LEADER, BODY OF SENIOR ADVOCATES OF NIGERIA
