Tony Osauzo, Benin
The Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Esohe Ikponmwen, on Tuesday, cautioned those who attained success through crooked means, saying that such feats do not last.
She gave the advice at the commissioning ceremony of a twin multi-million naira new Signature Law Hub and Legal resource centre in Benin-City, built by Olayiwola Afolabi Esq.
She said, “The only way to success is to love the Lord God and the only success that endures is the type that Afolabi has achieved.
“It is a good feat for a young man to accomplish this (edifice). As a young lawyer he has grown to join the league of big lawyers.
“There is nothing like success, nobody wants to associate with failure; we recognise hard work. Hard work pays, humility pays and respect pays”.
She, therefore, charged the bar and bench as well as leaders to always imbibe the virtues of hard work, humility and respect for all, irrespective of status and calling in the society.
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Justice Ikponmwen described the human rights lawyer as a dynamic, resourceful, humble and respectful gentleman who has never looked back in achieving set goals since his incursion into the wig and gown profession shortly after his youth service in the state in 1991.
She noted that Afolabi like the Biblical Moses who suffered for the people of Israel, has stood firmly for the less privileged in the society and in the process demonstrated his prowess in the legal profession with his God-given talent which also paved way for him in many great manner.
At the event, Afolabi awarded a year scholarship to Master Elamah Zion-Brown and Miss Izuagie Jennifer, who are students of Saint John Model Secondary School and Fugar Mixed Secondary School all in Etsako Central council area of Edo State, for emerging as best students of their schools.
He said God’s kindness and grace upon him have remarkably assisted to stand him out since his sojourn into the legal profession and in the state.
He stated that he came to Edo State to serve his fatherland as a member of the then NYSC with ‘Ghana Must Go Bag’, pointing out that, “This building for me does not represent a show of personal aggrandisement, far from it. In this City of Benin I bought my first car, I had my first land. I built my first house.
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“However, this one is different; this edifice is a testimony to the fact that there is no height that cannot be attained, no milestone that cannot be reached by a determined heart has God.”
He said the edifice to be developed for digital resource centre to assist young lawyers and public commentators in engaging in contemporary legal issues and gain valuable knowledge that can be transmitted to the job of building an egalitarian society, would also serve as a coordinating base for extensive network of practice.
In their separate remarks, Principal of Saint John Model Secondary School, Osmhi Augustine and his counterpart from Fugar Mixed Secondary School, Mr. John Obah expressed appreciation to the host for his kind gesture towards both students and honour done to the schools.