The purpose of
this interview session is aimed at drawing from wealth of experience and
knowledge. Our inspiration is from the words of
EUGENE
C.BLACKARD:
‘’Never be afraid to
ask for direction on how to practice law more effectively. Everyone is afraid
to look foolish but the practice of law is a collaborative endeavor. You don’t
get to practice law by yourself’’
CYNDEE
TODGHAM CHERNIAK:
‘’Embrace
the fact that in your first year of practice that you are still learning. Law
school does not teach you everything that you need to know to practice law-far
from it’’
ABOUT WHYTE HABEEB IBIDAPO
HE IS A LAWYER;
UNITED NATIONS AWARD WINNER, AFRICA INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION AWARD WINNER,
COCA COLA/ THE NATION CAMPUSLIFE AWARD WINNER, PROMASIDOR RUNNER-UP FOR THE
BEST FUTURE WRITER IN NIGERIA, I-HUSTLE CAMPAIGN INITIATIVE AMBASSADOR AND
EDITOR EGBA YOUTH AWARDS FOUNDATION.
SIR, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US YOUR FAMILY BACKGROUND, AND
DOES IT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOUR CHOICE OF LAW?
I am a product of a family that survives on the divine
words of God and produce of hardwork. My family is a nuclear one domicile in
the ancient city of Abeokuta, Ogun State.
It is a simple family.
I would say to an extent, my family influenced my
choice of law. Choice as regards to the fact that they love what I chose as a
profession for myself; I was thoroughly and modestly encouraged in all ramifications.
I grew up as a writer in the house. I was
mandated by my father to always stay awake to listen to the 9’o clock NTA
Network news daily. After listening to news, I am to write exactly what have
heard in a higher education note for my father to read when he is back from
work. My father relies on my writing and he discusses the issues with me.
I
have been up to date on events happening around Nigeria through the network
news from the age of 12. Knowing a lot about my country actually motivated
strengthened the faith I had in my choice of ambition. The moment I was made a
news reporter to my busy father, it marks the beginning and the best of
influence my family had on my ambition that later turned to be my career.
SIR, WHO WAS YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCE WHILE GROWING UP?
Hmmm....biggest influence? I have never considered
anyone’s influence as the biggest. Although, I grew up believing that the
elderly ones are better influencer than my peers. I am still growing and am of
the mind that every person that has come across my way and helped me better as
a person had influenced. No biggest influence yet because I am still growing.
SIR, WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO STUDY LAW?
The happenings in my country influenced my choice of
law. The only profession that I can think of while growing is LAW. I have
watched and read how lawyers have influenced the development of this country. I
have also read how lawyers have made great efforts to keep this country and
most especially the way lawyers have triumphed in politics is overwhelming. I
bear witness to the fact that lawyers have greater impact than any other
profession in this country. Whichever way you want to look at it, lawyers
dominate. Our influence in this country inspired me more.
SIR, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT ANY EXPERIENCE YOU HAD AS A
YOUNG LAWYER?
Experience is a product of happenings. As a Young
Lawyer, my experience is still ongoing but one thing that I have come to
understand is that as a young lawyer, one must learn to embrace the fate of the
dark hour. Young lawyers are in folds; so also our experiences are in folds. My
first year as a young lawyer was quite interesting and it gave me the lead of
what I wanted in the profession as a whole.
During my first year, I made bold decisions on what I
wanted and the kind of practice that I desire. My experience then happened to be my National
Youth Service year. Here, I got attached to a law firm that the law practice in
general was exposed to me. My boss really trained me because I showed keen
interest in the profession. I had a boss that encouraged me with all the things
that I found to be difficult. My boss and other practising lawyers in the law
firm were my family. I had no reason to feel like a Corper. My boss pays me for
overtime in the office. He encourages me a lot. I started going to court the
following day I resumed office. He helped me and made me understand that money
should not be my motivation if I want to make it big in the noble profession. I
can hardly remember anytime I regretted law practice in my first year as a
lawyer. The beginning really matters for a young lawyer and this is where
seniors are needed mostly.
The challenging part of this profession is making it.
It is not easy to get it right in this profession. It requires extra hardwork
and focused mindset. Any young lawyer that is money driven
would never be relevant in this profession.
I have always said it that there is nothing new in the
legal profession, what is rather new is the new face coming into the
profession. Something new can be brought as of value to the legal profession
through the new face.
HOW WAS YOUR FIRST JOB INTERVIEW?
So far so good, I have never attended any job
interview.
SIR, WHO IS YOUR MENTOR/ROLE MODEL IN THE LEGAL
PROFESSION?
I don’t want to be like anyone in the Legal profession.
I hope to be who Allah has destined me to be in the legal profession. I don’t
have Role Models. However, I have a lot
of Mentors and they are all father figures in the profession. I am confident in
saying Prof. Muhammed Akanbi, Pastor. John Olusola Bayeshea SAN, Alhaji Adekola
Mustapha, Chief S.A Akinbami, Alhaji Ibrahim Atanda , Mr. Kizito Roberts, Alhaji
Yinka Razaaq and Alhaji Mutiu Agboke are persons I cannot do without. I have
always had one thing or the other in relations to the legal practice to do with
them. There mentoring impacts in my life so far cannot be over emphasized.
SIR, IN OTHER COUNTRIES THEY ENCOURAGE TUTELAGE AND
MENTORSHIP AS A REQUIREMENT FOR EVERY YOUNG LAWYERS, WILL YOU SUPPORT A
LEGISLATION MAKING IT COMPULSORY FOR EVERY YOUNG LAWYER TO UNDERGO TUTELAGE
Tutelage is a very good thing. There is nothing wrong
in learning under anyone that knows better than you. It is a good thing to
learn from anyone that is doing very well in what you want to be the best in.
The law practice especially litigation has a lot techniques that are peculiar
to the practice especially the court aspects. It must be learnt. However, I do
not believe it should be made compulsory. It should be a thing of choice. No
one should be forced to do it. I should decide if I want it not that someone
would decide for me and no law should mandate me to do it.
Tutelage to some senior lawyers is a means of
enslaving the junior lawyers that want to learn from them. Many atimes, the
senior lawyers would place their junior colleagues on salaries that are
ridiculous and yet they want the best out of the junior colleague. Tutelage in
some offices in Nigeria is not worth it at all.
However, some firms are
encouraging in all aspects. The larger part in a whole is not encouraging. It
is slavery under the guise of learning the law.
SIR, HOW DO YOU THINK THE TUTELAGE PROGRAM BE ENFORCED
AND REALISTIC
Tutelage program do not need to be enforced. It should
be optional however Mentorship Partnership should be encouraged. Mentorship
partnership is a process that makes both the senior lawyer and the junior
lawyer to own a law firm together and share profits. This process would change
the face of the legal profession and makes the rivalry healthy. Here, no one is
a slave to anyone. Everybody’s money is on the table to create a better life
and no one would want to see his or her money not yielding returns. The junior
would learn better from his senior partner knowing full well that he has no
choice than to ensure the job is well done. Law firms that are using the
standard always thrive well unlike where the master and servant relationship
exist, there is always one trouble or the other. Someone is always feeling over
used and not getting enough remuneration as encouragement for work done or
services rendered while the other feel he has to discharge or get a work done
to his own satisfaction through another simply because he is paying salary. The
world has moved above this. We have a lot of law firms everywhere when lawyers
can come together and form a big law empire or hub where there would be various
lawyers handling various aspects under one office. We need to start thinking
and we need to start making difference. Let’s shift the burden and be
professional about law practice in Nigeria.
WHAT IS THE STATE OF WELFARE OF YOUNG LAWYERS IN
NIGERIA?
The welfarism of young lawyers in Nigeria is a bit
fair to an extent. Though welfarism as far as salary is concerned, is not
encouraging at all. Most times, it is a mockery of the profession itself and
yet the learned seniors do not see anything wrong with it. They are always happy
to continue a trend they are product of. They are quick at telling young
lawyers that they are learning when they know they are suffering. It is just
bad and I guess this would always happen day in day out until the young lawyers
decides to break from the yoke of complacency.
SIR, THERE IS A PROVERB THAT; ‘’ALL LAWYERS ARE
LIARS”. WHAT WILL YOU DO IF YOU AT A DILEMMA TO REPRESENT A CLIENT BUT HAVE TO
BEND THE LAW?
The notion is that of a lay man. I need to say
emphatically that the law can never be bent no matter how hard you try. The law
is the law. However, it is not all the time that the law would favour a lawyer
during its application especially to a case at hand. When the law is not in
your favour as a lawyer, you should use your facts and drive home your point
for better consideration with the exceptions to the law. If both are against a
lawyer in a matter, the lawyer is expected to apply logic which is a product of
critical thinking. Good cases are lost in the court while the bad cases are
won. What makes this happen is the level of professional commitment and
diligence put into it by the lawyer handling it. Diligence is the hallmark of
legal profession.
SIR, CAN YOU TELL US HOW YOU HAVE BEING SURVIVING IN
THE LEGAL PROFESSION?
Survival has been through the grace of God. As a young
lawyer, I make do with whatever i get. The money is not flowing big as assumed
but the joy of doing what I set out for in life is overwhelming. I am satisfied
with the little I am making from the profession. There are better days ahead just
like every hustler as a pay day.
SIR, CAN YOU SAY THE LEGAL EDUCATION IN THE UNIVERSITY
AND LAW SCHOOL ADEQUATELY PREPARED YOU AS A YOUNG LAWYER FOR LEGAL PRACTICE IN
REALITY?
To an extent I would say the total education of law in
Nigeria from the University and Law School only prepares us for the legal
practice itself i.e. the learning of law and not the learning that is attached
to the society itself. There is a difference between knowing the law, what you
can become of through the law profession and what you must know about the
society itself. The law school only prepares you to have a mastery of what would
make you pass the bar finals and not what you tend to face after passing the
bar finals. I would suggest that a bit of advanced sociology or
psychology should be introduced in a way. This would help the young lawyer or
aspirant to the bar to know that there is more to the law we intend practicing.
If you cannot deal with society and the challenges therein, you can never make
it using the law as bedrock or a profession. There some arts that must be
learnt as a lawyer either through formal or informal education for one to be
truly noble. The Council of Legal Education can still make effort in this
regards.
SIR, WITH YOUR LITTLE EXPOSURE, WHAT ARE THE
REQUIREMENTS TOP LAW FIRM TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION BEFORE EMPLOYING A YOUNG
LAWYER?
I guess most law firms in Nigeria today prefer you to
have good academic grades both at the University and the Law School. The school
grading system is applicable with job employment too. However, you might find
those who never made good grades in top firm maybe because their parents are
well connected or paying clients to Principals of the top law firms. This is
the reality. You cannot take it away from us as Nigerians.
SIR, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT NIGERIA STILL NEEDS MORE
LAWYERS?
Every family deserves a lawyer.
SIR, DO YOU HAVE ANY PLAN TO START YOUR OWN LAW FIRM?
AT WHAT TIME DO YOU PLAN TO DO THIS?
I have started my own law firm though not a big one. I
started when I left NYSC and am also into Mentorship partnership with senior
lawyers. I am learning, I am working and am not under anyone’s salary. I intend
expanding when I have enough resources.
FINALLY SIR, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE LEGAL PROFESSION
CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA?
The legal profession can contribute to fight against
corruption through proper prosecution of alleged corrupt persons in court. If
prosecuting lawyers can secure the conviction of alleged persons, it would
serve as a warning to others with such a mindset. Lawyers should also desist
from shielding corrupt persons all because of money. When you make money from
someone who had stolen or looted from public treasury, you are still going to
spend such money in a defaced society where you would never get the value. It
is simple as that. Members of the Legal profession should also be diligent in
their duties and must not be found wanton in the discharge of their duties
especially in the appropriation of money or been used to siphon public funds by
clients.
''LIFE IS
BEAUTIFUL BUT IT IS EPHEMERAL. SET A GOAL AND STRIVE TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS
WITHOUT REGRETTING MAKING ANY EFFORT TO BE GREAT. PERSONALLY, MY OWN GOAL IS TO
BE AN ACHIEVER THAT WOULD HAVE HIS NAME ON THE LIPS OF ENDLESS GENERATION. SET
YOURS AND ACHIEVE THEM BECAUSE THE ABILITY TO ACCOMPLISH THE TASK AHEAD IS THE
BEGINNING OF BEEN A REAL MAN''.............
THE END
