Before emerging as the running mate of
President Muhammadu Buhari last December
after the primary election of the All Progressives
Congress, Oluyemi Osinbajo, professor of law and
Vice President of Nigeria was known as an erudite
law teacher. Even though he had served in
various capacities and even rose to the position
of Attorney General of Lagos State, he remained
relatively unknown to many of his country men
and women. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and
Senior Partner in leading law firm – Simmons
Cooper Partners – Osinbajo knows his onions
when it comes to the business. He became a
professor at only 33 – a rare feat especially in the
legal path.
Born on March 8, 1957 in Lagos, Nigeria’s new
Vice President had excellence built in him even
as a young school boy. Starting out from Corona
Primary School, Lagos, before moving to the
prestigious all-boys institution – Igbobi College,
Yaba, Lagos, between 1969-1975, his academic
prowess led the way for him through these
stages. Adeoba Prize for English Oratory, Elias
Prize for Best Performance in History in the West
African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination
in 1973, School Prize for Literature, and African
Statesman Intercollegiate Best Speaker’s Prize
were some of the academic awards he racked up
while still in secondary school.
Higher education would come for him at the
University of Lagos shortly where he continued
the tradition of academic excellence and earned
a degree in law. Though finishing in Second Class
Upper division, Osinbajo won the Graham-
Douglas Prize for Commercial Law at graduation
from his department. He would later bag a
Master of Laws from the London School of
Economics in 1981.
Osinbajo’s journey into fulltime academic and law
practice began shortly afterwards when he was
hired as a legal lecturer at his alma mater several
years back. By 1983, he had risen to the position
of senior legal lecturer at the institution. There
was more on the way for the soft-spoken scholar.
Five years later he was appointed an Adviser to
the then Attorney-General of the Federation and
Minister of Justice, Bola Ajibola under whom he
served for many years.
For his hardwork and commitment to promoting
the law practice, Osinbajo was made the Head of
Department of Public Law, University of Lagos,
after serving under Ajibola. In 1999, he became
a member of cabinet, Lagos State Ministry of
Justice, remaining in the system before finally
climbing to the topmost position in the ministry.
While still in public service, Osinbajo enacted a
number of reforms in the Lagos State justice
system which has today brought about ease for
many ordinary citizens who could not easily
afford legal services or seek redress against
injustices meted to them. The establishment of
the Directorate for Citizens’ Rights which
provides free legal services and legal
representation to persons in this category, is a
huge testament to how effective those reforms
were.
Osinbajo did not stop there. He went on to bring
more critical issues like the hiring of judges, their
wages, training and discipline to light. These
changed the face of the justice system in Lagos
completely. Today, there is the Office of the
Public Defender and the Citizens Mediation
Centre – a refuge where ordinary citizens in
Lagos regardless of tongue and religion can seek
legal help.
Upon completing his assignment at the Lagos
Ministry of Justice in 2007, the love for the
classroom took Osinbajo back to the Department
of Public Law of his alma mater where he
continued to impart knowledge into practising
and aspiring lawyers in the institution.
In total, Nigeria’s new Vice President has over 31
years of litigation experience, taking on and
turning around some of the toughest cases in
favour of his clients. He has conducted very
important constitutional and precedential cases
before many courts in the country including the
Supreme Court.
Osinbajo has received several awards for his
selfless contribution to the development of the
law practice and entrenchment of justice in the
country. He belongs to a host of notable
professional bodies including the Nigerian Bar
Association, International Bar Association,
Nigerian Body of Benchers, and Council of Legal
Education in Nigeria.
A devoted Christian and promoter of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, the Vice President was until his
latest elevation the resident pastor of the
Redeemed Christian Church of God, Olive Tree
Parish, Banana Island, Lagos. He is married to
Dolapo, a leader of women and granddaughter of
Obafemi Awolowo, former Premier of the Western
region. Their union is blessed with three children.


www.punchng.com/politics/inauguration-special/osinbajo-from-scholarship-to-leadership/

Wow!!!