Incase you are asked of his record and experience, tell them this and many more.
The administration of Dele Adesina as Chairman NBA Ikeja Branch stood tall first and foremost to unite the Branch and reposition the Branch for vibrancy and dynamism which has remained the hallmark of Ikeja Bar till today. The administration stood tall to check the excesses of military dictatorship and include strict compliance to the Rule of Law. The administration also at various times led delegations to the State House of Assembly to render sound legal advice on momentous issues.
The administration of Wole Olanipekun SAN as president and Dele Adesina SAN as Secretary, formed some of the major corner pieces on which the NBA holds itself today.
Dele Adesina SAN as General Secretary was instrumental to the registration of the NBA with the Corporate Affairs Commission as a Juristic person.
Dele Adesina SAN as General Secretary was instrumental to the introduction of the stamp and seal policy to check incidences of fake lawyers and to promote professionalism by members.
As General Secretary, Dele Adesina revived and published 8 volumes of the Nigerian Bar Journal. The editorial board of which was headed by Mallam Yusuf Ali SAN and Prof. Ernest Ojukwu SAN
Dele Adesina SAN was instrumental to the initiative for the setting up of NBA Continuing Legal Education programme for the first time in 2003 and Prof. Ernest Ojukwu SAN was appointed to pilot it.
When Dele Adesina was Secretary of NBA that administration with the approval of NEC and the AGC established the Section on Legal Practice (SLP) and Section on Business Law (SBL) and constituted the pioneer Council for the two Sections under the leadership of Mallam Yusuf Ali SAN and George Etomi Esq.
Dele Adesina’s administration as General Secretary was the first to focus on the falling standard of Legal Education in Nigeria by making a symbolic cash grant of Four Million Naira with the approval of NEC to the 4 (four) campuses of the Nigerian Law School existing at the time because NEC discovered following exhaustive discussions on the issue that inadequate funding was one of the major challenges of the institution. This marked the first and only direct pro-active/intervention of the NBA in Legal Education in Nigeria.
As part of strategic programs to address the welfare of members, the administration established 2 insurance schemes with Great Nigeria Insurance Company Limited, a leading insurance company in Life Insurance Policies (1) Group Personal Accident Insurance Policy and (2) Group Life Assurance Policy. Under the Group Personal Accident Policy, a member was entitled to payment of N200,000 in the event of any accident resulting in disability and N20,000 for medical expenses, for the Group Life Assurance Policy, a member was entitled to the sum of N200,000 in the event of death. Payment was made payable to the deceased dependants.
The administration set up a reward system as standard policy for remuneration of junior lawyers in Nigeria, breaking the country in to 3 Zones. Zone A comprised of Lagos, Abuja and Port-hacourt. Zone B comprised majorly of State Capitals while Zone C comprised of other areas or locations.
The history of the NBA will not be completely told without the mention of the legendary role played by Dele Adesina in 2002 when the Igwes were gruesomely murdered on the street of Onitsha. The mass protests by the Nigerian lawyers led by Dele Adesina as General Secretary shook the Nation and prompted the Government to take action against the killers.
These and many more are the track record and experiences that Dele Adesina SAN will bring on board to further reposition the NBA. The key members of that administration are with Dele Adesina SAN because they know that he made excellent contribution to the success of the reforms of NBA. Most definitely, if we are looking for the true definition of the word “reformer”, then we must look no further than the Dele Adesina SAN himself.
Team DASAN
