Obituary: Professor Jadesola Akande

[Toyin Falola]

Professor Jadesola Akande is dead,

 

She was Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Jadesola Akande is a distinguished jurist, a widely proclaimed Academician and a renowned contributor to women development. One of the few female academic pillars in Nigeria.

 

A second class law graduate of the University College, London, 1963, she was called to the bar at Inner Temple, London. She returned to Nigeria in 1965 and worked in the West Regional Civil Service as an Administrative Officer/State Council for one year before proceeding to do the then Statutory three months course at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos.

 

For fourteen years thereafter, she taught law at the university of Lagos Law School during which she also worked as a staff candidate for both her Masters Degree (LLM), 1968 and Ph.D., London, 1971 .She currently runs the Family Laws Center, a part of Ford Foundation funded free Legal Aid Center for poor people which she initiated in 1984.

 

She was the widow of Chief Debo Akande.

Prince Charles Dickson
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Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7224
512 475 7222  (fax)
http://www.toyinfalola.com/
www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa
http://groups.google.com/group/yorubaaffairs
http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
 

[Dr Hakeem Tijani]

Sorry, it is Chief Debo Akande that recently passed not Professor Jadesola Akande, the former vice chancellor of Lagos State University.

Adieu Chief Debo Akande! May your gentle soul rest in peace!! May the Lord forgive you of all your wrongs!!!

See below culled news report from Sun Newspaper-

Mourning Jadesola Akande tackles Gani Fawehinmi....‘Employ more women in your law firm’
By Ola Agbaje
Tuesday, August 24, 2004

•Chief Gani Fawehinmi and Prof. Jadesola Akande, during the condolence visit PHOTO: ORJI KELECHI

Woman of the Sun Index

Former vice chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU) and widow of Chief Debo Akande (SAN), Professor (Mrs) Jadesola Akande stunned everybody when she challenged Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) on his chambers’ attitude to women.

Professor Akande’s activism came to the fore even in her moment of grief as she stoutly confronted Fawehinmi on the dearth of womenfolk in his employment.

Fawehinmi, who had in his entourage over a dozen male lawyers during the condolence visit to the widow, had barely finished the introduction when the amazon who had been watching with keen interest as she shook hands with them one after another, suddenly asked: “Where are the ladies among them? I think you should have more ladies in your chambers.”

Not expecting the sliding tackle from the mourning woman, Fawehinmi waited momentarily, apparently to gather his thoughts for the right response before he quietly replied: “Ah! I know you’re going to accuse me. There are four ladies among them now. But we shall improve on that. We shall employ more of them. I can assure you. We can do better and we will do better.”

Convinced of the sincerity of her visitor’s response, Akande then encouraged him to do just that as, according to her, “some ladies in the legal profession are quite good and hardworking. It would be unfair to deny them their due simply because of their gender.”

After the exchange, Fawehinmi then turned to Akande’s daughter, Justice Adenike Coker, saying, “as you can see, you’re born by two great people with rare quality of character. Your father has left a legacy of impeccable integrity and principled life. You should be very proud of him because that is what we all pray for. Whenever we die, we should leave sound legacy that our children would be proud of.

“Your mother is a rare woman with impeccable integrity, highly courageous and principled. Coming from both of them, you have a great challenge to sustain their legacies. And I believe you’re up to the task, especially, as you operate from the bench.”

Though, Akande’s challenge to Fawehinmi came as a surprise to many people, especially, at this period in time, some however, believed that the former university administrator has always been an evangelist of women’s rights which she preaches with passion anywhere she finds herself.

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Dr. Hakeem Ibikunle Tijani 

Associate Professor of History

Morgan State University

Baltimore, MD 21251

443/824-6512

hti...@jewel.morgan.edu

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Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:53:55 -0500
To: yoruba...@googlegroups.com
From: toyin....@mail.utexas.edu
Subject: Yoruba Affairs - Obituary: Professor Jadesola Akande

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Express yourself wherever you are. Mobilize!

[Ojo-Ade, Femi]

Huun,
'Won tun ni Debo Akande lo ku. Gbogbo e je iyalenu fun wa.
Ire o.
Ojo-Ade

________________________________

From: yoruba...@googlegroups.com on behalf of Dr Hakeem Tijani
Sent: Tue 4/29/2008 5:31 PM
To: yorubaaff...@googlegroups.com; yoruba...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Yoruba Affairs - Re: Obituary: Professor Jadesola Akande

Sorry, it is Chief Debo Akande that recently passed not Professor Jadesola Akande, the former vice chancellor of Lagos State University.

Adieu Chief Debo Akande! May your gentle soul rest in peace!! May the Lord forgive you of all your wrongs!!!

See below culled news report from Sun Newspaper-

Mourning Jadesola Akande tackles Gani Fawehinmi....'Employ more women in your law firm'
By Ola Agbaje
Tuesday, August 24, 2004

*Chief Gani Fawehinmi and Prof. Jadesola Akande, during the condolence visit PHOTO: ORJI KELECHI

*
Woman of the Sun Index <http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/womanofthesun/index.htm>

________________________________

<http://leadershipnigeria.com/> For God And Country

http://pcdbooks.blogspot.com/
<http://pcdbooks.blogspot.com/> Yours In High Regards
234-08033311301, 08057152301


--
---------------------------
Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7224
512 475 7222 (fax)
http://www.toyinfalola.com/
www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa
http://groups.google.com/group/yorubaaffairs
http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue

________________________________

Express yourself wherever you are. Mobilize! <http://www.gowindowslive.com/Mobile/Landing/Messenger/Default.aspx?Locale=en-US?ocid=TAG_APRIL>