Former Military Administrator, Daniel Akintonde mourns Akinjide

The former Military Administrator in Ogun State,Col Daniel Akintonde(rtd) has lamented the loss of former Minister of justice, Richard Akinjide who passed on in the early hours of Tuesday,saying the deceased exit was loss to the Nigeria nation.

Penpushing reports that, Akintonde in a statement pointed out that late Akinjide had gone to rest with wisdom, knowledge and solution to Nigeria political problems, stressing that his demise was not only a loss to Nigeria, but to the world.

‘One of the great old pillars is gone to rest but with wisdom,knowledge and solutions to our political issues. What a loss to the nation, generations and the world. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Wish we all celebrate his works, past and not the negative or unsubstantiated  stories’,Akintonde wrote.

Penpushing had earlier broke the death news of the Senior Advovate of Nigeria(SAN), and the oldest lawyer in the country, as well as Minister in the second republic under the civilian  administration of late Shehu Sagari ,at about 3.00am on Tuesday

The legal luminary who was also a former Minister of Education in the Government of Prime Minister Tafawa  practiced law for over 60 years and has stated severally that there is no retirement in legal profession.

Penpushing reports that,he was born in 1930 in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital, attended St. Peter’s Primary School, Aremo in Ibadan, before proceeding to  Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife from where he passed out in Grade One (Distinction, Aggregate 6).

The late Akinjide in 1951  travelled to the United Kingdom  for his higher education, wher he  studied for his LLB degree in Law at the University of London and also obtained a certificate in Journalism,and called to the English Bar in 1955.

The deceased was subsequently called to the Nigerian and the Gambian Bar.and became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1978,while on return to Nigeria, he practiced briefly under S.L Durosaro before setting up his practice of Akinjide & Co.

Penpushing also reports that, he was a contributor to West African Pilot and Daily Times, as a result of his love for journalism,and he also taught International Commercial Arbitration at post-graduate level at the University of Ibadan.

The deceased was a member of the Judicial Systems Sub-Committee of the Constitutional Drafting Committee of 1975-1977 and later joined the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1978,an became the Legal Adviser for the party before he  was later appointed the Minister for Justice, and it was under his watch that Nigeria temporarily reversed executions of armed robbers and the Abolition of a decree