DR. BABATUNDE AJIBADE, SAN NEW YEAR MESSAGE.

Today, one year ends and another begins. A page in our individual lives closes and another opens.

As we move on to start the new year, it is important that we take stock of the past. 

As humans, it is important that we look back at the gains made in 2019 as well as the losses suffered. It is also important that we consider all that happened in 2019 and do what we can to build on those gains and to avoid the mistakes that led to the losses.

As lawyers, we must ask ourselves the question, “where are we going?” As a profession, we must ask ourselves, what is our relevance today and what will it be in the next few years? We have to further ask ourselves what we can do to remain relevant in the future, beyond 2020 or 2021. Once we have answered these questions, we then should task ourselves to do the things that need to be done.

Personally, I believe that 2019 has been a very challenging year for the profession. We witnessed unprecedented threats to the rule of law and this should concern every one of us. We should be worried about the challenges we are facing as a nation and as a profession. Of course, there have been some gains made in the past years but in general, the profession and the country are not faring well. From the state of the economy to the several issues relating to the rule of law, to issues relating to welfare and standard of living of lawyers and the generality of Nigerians, I believe that we can do better.

In this new year, I want us to do better. I am committed to doing better and I implore all lawyers to commit to doing better. 2020 must signal the dawn of a new legal profession. We must unite to confront the challenges that confront us as a profession. We must build a profession that our children and their children will aspire to be part of. In so doing, we will be doing our part in changing the nation.

Let’s do better.

Happy new year.

Dr. Babatunde Ajibade, SAN