Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has shed light on his motivation for accepting a role in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.
The legal expert stated that he agreed to join President Tinubu’s administration with the aim of making a meaningful contribution to the country’s progress and development.
Over the weekend, Fagbemi delivered a speech in Ado-Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti state, during a reception organised by members of the Emmanuel Chambers. The event was hosted by Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, the leader, and founder of Afe Babalola University.
The event was marked by the presence of Prominent lawyers in the country including Chief Akin Olujimi, SAN ; Chief Niyi Akintola,SAN ; Adebayo Adenipekun,SAN and the national secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Ajibola Bashiru.
As the second attorney from the chambers to be appointed Attorney General of the Federation after Chief Akin Olujimi, the minister disclosed his active engagement in soliciting feedback and insights from stakeholders. This collaborative endeavor aims to construct a blueprint for the nation’s justice system, in harmony with the president’s overarching goals for the country.
Expressing gratitude to his colleagues and friends for arranging the reception, he underscored the immeasurable and unparalleled contributions of Afe Babalola to his success and accomplishments in the legal field. He pledged not to let down the chambers in his new position.
According to him, ‘I did not submit any application nor lobby to be made the minister. I know a lot of people have been insinuating and I can say that I don’t know anything about the ministerial nomination. The president told me that, ‘ don’t allow anyone to deceive you, I want you that is why I appointed you. In fact, I did not have a CV as of the time I was nominated because I have never needed it in my life and when I got to the DSS , they were surprised I didn’t have a prepared CV.’
‘I have accepted this responsibility and all I need is your advice. We cannot all be saying the way they(Politicians) have been doing it we don’t like it , then you leave them. I am not a politician but we should be there to make a change in our country.’
Read also: ‘Serve Nigeria With Integrity’, Tinubu Charges New Ministers
‘Getting to a position is not the issue but maintaining the status of such a position is the issue and that is why I said it is a challenge because I know hopes are high. As I mentioned earlier, you don’t just come out and say this is what I will do, you must also follow up with how you will do it. And that is why all the critical stakeholders are being engaged to have their inputs, harmonize their views, then come out with what I will call a blueprint, in line with the Mr President’s Renewed hope agenda.’
Regarding the appeal for national transformation put forth by speakers during the event, Fagbemi placed strong emphasis on the requirement for seamless collaboration among the three tiers of government. He stressed the need to amalgamate ideas for the nation’s productive growth and development.
‘The issue of transformation of the country is not a one man business. People make the mistake of thinking that it belongs to the federal government alone, that is not correct. The correct position is to appreciate the fact that Nigeria is a federation and when you talk about a federation, each segment has to man its post.’
‘In order to have any meaningful impact, progress and development, you need to engage each of these tiers of government to be on the same page and sing from the same hymn so that we can all present what I will call comprehensive development or progress in the nation,’ he said.
Addressing the gathering, Afe Babalola, the founder of ABUAD, paid tribute to Fagbemi’s remarkable accomplishments in the legal field. He lauded Fagbemi’s journey, which began as a corps member in his Emmanuel Chambers in 1985 and culminated in being conferred with the prestigious rank of SAN at the youthful age of 37.
He implored the new Attorney General to harness the power of his office in instigating a fundamental shift in the country’s political landscape through the formulation of a new constitution. He asserted that this approach was vital for addressing the prevailing challenges affecting various sectors in the nation.
The renowned lawyer said, ‘I know Lateef Fagbemi, he is an uncommon man doing uncommon things and achieving uncommon results. He is a pride to the chambers because he had learnt how to turn things around.’
‘While the government may be studying the situation, the truth is that Nigerians are becoming more and more impatient. The age long adage is that we should not treat leprosy with the drugs meant for scabies. I repeat that what we need is a New Constitution.’
‘I believe that with his experience , Lateef Fagbemi can turn things around and build a new Nigeria through a new constitution under which politics shall no longer be regarded as a transactional business.’
Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti state, in recognition of the accomplishments of Babalola’s chambers in the legal field, which included producing two Attorneys General, urged the minister to persistently uphold the core principles of justice, fairness, and the rule of law in the nation.