OLAWALE FAPOHUNDA, SAN EULOGY FOR LATE HONOURABLE JUSTICE JOHN OYEWOLE ADEYEYE, CHIEF JUDGE, EKITI STATE: FULL TRANSCRIPT

1. Your Excellency, Mr. Governor, the Right Honourable Speaker, Justices of the Court of Appeal, My Lord, the Acting Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Honourable Justice John Oyewole Adeyeye’s beloved family, Mrs. Rebecca Modupe Adeyeye, Tomiwa, Teniola, Mowa, Omolola, and Omotunde, My Lords, distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.
2. I have come here today to pay my respects to perhaps this finest disciple of humility, decency, and integrity in public office. Someone who firmly believed in words and deeds that high public office is a call to service. That public office and the values of which Ekiti Kete is known can be mutually reinforcing.
3. For more than 30 years, Honourable Justice John Oyewole Adeyeye had a larger-than-life presence on the bench — a brilliant legal mind with an energetic style, incisive wit, and some may say a strict jurist who did not suffer fools gladly. For the lawyers who appeared before him, the watch word was preparedness. You had better come to his court prepared. He will no doubt be remembered as one of the most consequential judges to serve on the bench of the High Court of Ekiti State. Tonight, we honor his extraordinary service to our State.
4. Now, I know this is a celebration of Justice Adeyeye’s life. There are some who might say we should not dwell on other extraneous matters. I disagree. We should use this somber moment to talk about issues that concern the institution, to which Justice Adeyeye dedicated his professional life and in which he worked over and above the call of duty to ensure that it continues to function as the beacon of justice.
5. We did not advertise it, but every so often since I left office, Justice Adeyeye and I would talk about the state of our justice system. He was particularly in a hurry to ensure that under his watch, the Ekiti State Juduciary stood tall in the community of States’ Judiciaries.
6. I cherish the memories of Justice Adeyeye for many reasons, including what we were able to achieve together during my tenure as Attorney-General of this State. I am grateful for his large heart and his willingness to accommodate my many radical ideas for the reform of our justice system. Together, we have at least four important interventions that contributed significantly to the positive image of Ekiti State as a reference State for best practice in juducial reform.
7. First, in furtherance of the State governments commitment to strengthening the place of women in public life, we achieved plurality on the bench of the High Court of Ekiti State. Justice Adeyeye’s willingness to support and accommodate the appointment of female candidates in both the public and private sectors is noteworthy. This is more so when it is realised that for many years there was only one female Judge on the bench.
8. There was also his unwavering support for virtual proceedings in our courts, even at a time when there was wide skepticism about its constitutionality. How can we possibly forget his leadership role in the establishment of the Customary Court of Appeal in Ekiti State. He also paved the way for the establishment of the much talked about Small Claims Court, which, in many ways, has enhanced access to justice for indigent persons living in Ekiti State. These are enduring legacies.
9. Justice Adeyeye was particularly concerned about the conditions of service of judicial officers, including judicial remuneration. Although the immediate past president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, SAN and I have been recognised for our roles in achieving the upward review of judicial remuneration, both of us have always acknowledged the support and advice given to us by several eminent jurists including Justice Adeyeye.
10. We did not agree on everything, and our disagreements did not go away during our private conversations. However, we learned from each other, and we never doubted each other’s sincerity or that when all was said and done, we were on the same team. We shared a fidelity to the ideals for which our justice system should aspire – the effective and efficient delivery of justice to our people irrespective of gender, economic status, or any other attributes.
11. On the issue of judicial appointments, Justice Adeyeye believed that fairness was about ensuring all the senatorial zones in Ekiti State were represented on the bench of the High Court of Ekiti State. He never hid his desire to respond to the current imbalance in the composition of the bench. Justice, according to him must also be seen in the ability of the people of Ekiti State to see that their sons and daughters are active participants in our collective drive to achieve a justice system that works in the interest of all Ekiti Kete.
12. We also had our debates on the issue of the age of candidates aspiring to the bench of the High Court of Ekiti State. Justice Adeyeye believed that the dream of any candidate should not be truncated on the basis of age. His Lordship was particularly supportive of careers of the High Court bureaucracy, including Registrars and the Magistrates.
13. I have loudly argued elsewhere that Ekiti State should not settle for anything but the best. We should aim to ensure that at every hierarchy of our superior courts, we have judicial officers from Ekiti State who will undoubtedly stand out for the brilliance and integrity that we are known for. I believe I am not the only one who is concerned about our absence in the Supreme Court. I am certain that irrespective of how we decide to proceed as a State, whether now or sometime in future the question we will ask ourselves how it is possible that this land of the finest legal minds in the country – the land of Aare Afe Babalola, of Chief Wole Olanipekun leading an array of eminent Senior Advocates of Nigeria is unable to achieve one Justice of the Supreme Court more than a decade after omHonourable Justices Olajide Olatawura and Ekundayo Ogundare who were both Justices of the Supreme Court.
14. It is compelling that Justice Adeyeye and I constantly spoke frequently about the health of our judicial officers and the need for some form of State intervention to ensure that our judicial officers have access to the best medical facilities available in recognition of the all important work that they do. His Lordship always spoke about the need for a comprehensive health insurance cover for all our judicial officers. This was an idea that I regrettably could not accomplish while in office. It must now be obvious that this is an idea whose time has come. The fact that this State is blessed with one of the best medical facilities on the continent with a global reputation for excellence in my respectful opinion should make this an easy intervention to accomplish. We do not have to go to Sokoto to find what is in our ‘Sokoto’.
15. I will be doing great dishonor to the memory of Justice Adeyeye if I do not mention the tragic and indeed deeply disturbing hullabaloo that always seems to accompany succession to the office of the Chief Judge. The public interest and the very public nature of the discussions are particularly of concern and capable of causing unnecessary tension even within what should at all times be our hallowed chambers – where logic, rationality and decency should prevail.
16. For the avoidance of doubt and for the benefit of the non-lawyers in our community, the process for succession to the office of the Chief Judge should not be mistaken for that required for a traditional institution. The word “Chief” in Chief Judge is for illustrative purposes only. Meaning the head of court, it is not a traditional title. It would seem that some have taken this title by its literal meaning. Much of the talk on succession has been small, mean, and petty, trafficking in gossip, and phony conspiracies.
17. I will cite a vivid example of this unwholesome situation. A few months ago, while Justice Adeyeye was on a medical vacation in London, the immediate past president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, SAN received several calls authoritatively informing him that Justice Adeyeye was in a coma and literally hanging on to life. Maikyau and I were in Paris at the time. I was stunned at the authoritativeness of the story. Moreso since I spoke with Tomiwa Adeyeye on a daily basis. Without waiting to call the Adeyeye’s, we decided to travel to London and see Justice Adeyeye ourselves. I knew where he was staying because a close friend of mine in the UK had helped in securing his accommodation.
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18. The story turned out to be false. We found Justice Adeyeye literally up and about. He had even started to walk unaided. Maikyau, who was bewildered by the nastiness of it all, insisted on taking a picture with Justice Adeyeye, which he subsequently shared with those who were making inquiries. This picture went viral. I latter understood that some judges were not pleased with this public show of wellness. Now they know the background.
    The untimely passing of Justice Adeyeye calls on us all to be bigger and better than falsehood and fake news.
19. The judiciary has well laid down rules and traditions for succession. There is a reason why our high courts are so numbered. Except there exist compelling circumstances, this hierarchy must be followed in the interest of peace and stability of the judiciary. In the case of Ekiti State, given the well-known integrity and capacity of ALL our judicial officers, all are so qualified. It, therefore, makes the task of the appointor very easy by simply appointing the next in the hierarchy.
20. Permit me to further add the lesson here whether in our bid for succession or our desire for elevation, we should not lose our humanity and sense of decency. God’s will will always be done. If we need any reminder to that effect, we should simply reflect on the life of Justice Adeyeye.
21. Finally, I am aware of the concerns within and outside the Adeyeye’s family about what happens next. The question of what will happen to the family he left behind has been a recurring one. Justice Adeyeye’s life on the bench was a life of service. He eschewed material gains and was a person of strong faith. I am very confident in the assurance given by Mr. Governor that the Government and People of Ekiti State will not forget His Lordship’s contribution to the attainment of our reputation as a State where peace and justice reigns. Our Governor is a ” talk and do” Governor.
22. What better way to honor Justice Adeyeye’s life of service than by recognizing that there are some things bigger than money or fame or power. Principles that are eternal. Truths that are abiding. Values that should be enure irrespective of whatever high position we are holding.
23. But at this moment, I most of all want to think about his family, I send my deepest sympathies to Justice Adeyeye’s wife, Mrs. Rebecca Modupe Adeyeye and their loving family — a beautiful symbol of a life well lived.

May God bless the memory of Honourable Justice John Oyewole Adeyeye.

May God bless Ekiti State he served so well.

Olawale Fapohunda, SAN
December 4, 2024.