Bukola Olatunji, Omololu Ogunmade And Davidson Iriekpen
30 April 2008
Lagos — Two days ago, she was at the symposium organised in Lagos to commemorate the 70th birthday of the ailing Lagos lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN).
The first Professor of Law in the country, Jadesola Akande, even led dignitaries at the occasion including Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, to cut the anniversary cake.
Twenty-four hours later, she is no more. The former vice-chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), Akande, died yesterday morning in her sleep. She was 68.
Her Ikoyi home was besieged last night by sympathisers who expressed shock at her sudden demise.
Until her death, Akande was a leading voice in the human rights movement.
Family sources said the late ex-vice chancellor returned home that Monday night after partaking in the last lap of activities marking the 70th birthday of Fawehinmi, quickly went to bed never to wake up again.
Among the early callers at her residence yesterday were former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the President of Campaign for Democracy (CD), Dr. (Mrs.) Joe Okei-Odumakin, who wept profusely upon her arrival at the premises of the late Akande.
Her departure indeed took the human rights community by surprise.
Okei-Odumakin said Akande's death was shocking, terrible and tragic, adding that she dedicated a substantial part of her life to the struggle for the well-being and emancipation of mankind.
"Her death is shocking, terrible and tragic. Yesterday afternoon, she was full of life. She supervised the cutting of the birthday cake of Chief Gani Fawehinmi. It is difficult to talk about Prof. Akande in past tense. She was dedicated, focused and used all she had to fight for democracy. You knew how she was tear- gassed along with women who were protesting the death of their children in the Sosoliso Airline crash.
"She was somebody to look up to; somebody to lean on; somebody who would listen to you and allow superior argument to prevail. Her death was a tragic one. We have lost a great life wire. Up till her death, she remained in the struggle," she said.
Bemoaning the death of Akande, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) described her demise as a great loss.
Osita Okoro, who conveyed the message of the NBA President, Olisa Agbakoba, to the family of the deceased said: "This is shocking and terrible news. It is a great loss to the legal profession and Nigeria. She was a legal icon and an academic giant. May her soul rest in peace."
Reacting to her demise last night, the leadership of Pro-National Conference Organisation (PRONACO) said: "Prof Jadesola Akande will be remembered by PRONACO for drafting the people's constitution launched by PRONACO on May 22, 2007. PRONACO and the entire democratic movement will no doubt miss her fearless contributions to the renewed efforts at reforming the Nigerian polity."
The statement was issued by PRONACO's spokesman, Mr. Wale Okuniyi.
In his reaction, Lagos lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, said Akande would be remembered for the courage with which she pursued most of her public spirited fights against injustice in the society, especially after the death of her husband.
"I greet this great woman for the courage she had to carry on most of her public-spirited fights against injustices in the society, after the death of her husband," he said.
Former convener of United Action for Democracy (UAD), Mr. Bamidele Aturu, who was with the late Akande last Monday, described her death as shocking and a complete loss to the human rights community.
"She was simply wonderful and amiable," Aturu said.
The Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress (AC) described the late professor as a great woman who was the pride of women in Nigeria, saying "she was an erudite scholar of the finest tradition who was able to hold her own anywhere in the world."
In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, AC said: "She was an activist par excellence, a committed and a vigorous advocate of the peoples' course. Nigeria will not only miss her intellectual prowess and very deep capacity to achieve results, but will also miss her expressive face"
Born on November 15, 1940 in Lagos, the late Akande attended University College, London where she obtained LL.B (Hon.) in 1963 and was called to the Inner Temple, London.
She obtained her Ph.D from the same university in 1971 after completing her LL.M from the University of Lagos in 1968.
She also had a stint at the Centre for Management Studies CMD, Lagos, where she obtained a Certificate in Computer Management in1988.
She enrolled at the Harvard Institute of Management for a Certificate in Management in 1989.
Prof. Akande secured a Certificate in Gender Training from the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI), Arusha in 1993.
She was elected a member of the Senate, University of Lagos, between 1979 and 1981.
She also served in the Academic Planning Committee, Students' Welfare Board of the university.
She was a Research Professor at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of Lagos between 1984 and 1994.
The deceased was the Head of Academic Department of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (1984-1986) and rose through the ranks to the position of Dean, Faculty of Law, Lagos State University from 1986 to 1988 before her eventual appointment as Vice- Chancellor, LASU, where she served for four years.
She was reputed to have built the Law Faculty of LASU to such a laudable height which aided the institution to produce the best set of students at the Nigerian Law School for many years.
Akande was the Executive Director and Founder of a non-governmental organisation, Women, Law and Development Centre, from 1994 to date and Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) from 2000 to 2004.
She was also consultant to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) and African Unity (AU) on Gender Issues as well as an initiator of a family law centre.
She lost her husband, Chief Debo Akande (SAN), in 2005. She is survived by four children.
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