‘I admire Gani’s consistency’

Alero Akeredolu is the first woman to publish a law report, the Supreme Court Monthly in Nigeria. The university law lecturer who combines teaching and publishing law books, shares the challenges involved and other legal issues with Bukola Olajide and Dolapo Ekanade. Excerpts

Why did you take up the challenging task of law reporting?
The idea of availability. It was a personal thing. I was formerly practising with Adaramaja & Co. in Ibadan. My brother-in-law , Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, had an office in Oke Ado in the same area where I worked. Most of the time, I shuttled between the two chambers because the senior advocate’s office had a functional library which had law reports we needed in our chambers. We did not have and could not buy those law reports because of the cost then. Gani Fawehinmi’s law reports were the only ones consistent and available then.

The prices of law reports were off limits and if young lawyers were to be encouraged to read the law reports which they needed to excel in law practice, law reports must be affordable. My husband is a publisher. One day, he looked at copies of the reports and said, “these books they are selling for so much shouldn’t cost so much to produce and sell.’’ I said, “don’t you think it will be a good idea to sell at the factory price if the work costs too much to produce then?” After praying for sometime and discussing with other people, we started in 2001.

From your experience, would you call it a lucrative business?
Law reporting business? In fact, when people see me, they say “ Madam, millions are rolling in.” I say “Amen, I receive it! It is on its way.” But right now, we are still investing.

What major challenges have you encountered so far on the job?
Definitely not sourcing for materials. The judgments are available, it’s the aspect of editing that is the major challenge. When we started, I had to bring in professional proof readers. I just concentrated on editing the legal aspect which includes summarizing, bringing out the facts, issues and the ratio in each case. Until recently when I got a junior, I have done most of these things myself. The challenge is reading all the books every time to catch up with the demands of the job. Those days, I would carry law reports in the car. Wherever I went, I had one law report or the other with me.

Don’t you think the market is saturated with so many people publishing law reports?
Each law report has its own catchment or edge. People believe law reporting is very lucrative and when they venture into it, they discover a different situation. Only those ready to stick with it actually remain in the business at the end of the day. You have to be really determined to face the challenges in law reporting, that is why I really admire Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s consistency. You have to be ready to wait for the long term returns as you strive to get better in the business. You have to catch up with the lawyers’ demands. People would come in and ask, “why not add this or do that?” This would help to develop your skills. You keep revising your work to stay in the market. Lawyers are our regular customers, so we always have them in mind. Others from political science get interested once in a while.

How do you combine marriage and motherhood with your profession, law reporting, editing and publishing?
Looking at all I am involved in, I can say it has been easy to cope because in all, I am my own boss, even in lecturing, right from when I was in the private university till when I got to the University of Ibadan. I am able to arrange my hours and chambers work. At home, it still remains a current challenge to manage everyone. Having an understanding husband has been my saving grace but sometimes, I say, “well, that’s my cross, I started it and it’s a lifetime commitment, I better adjust.” As far as law reporting is concerned, my husband has been our support, because his printing press is available. So even when we cannot fund our work, he understands that we still have to come out.

As a law lecturer, how would you rate the current standard of legal education?
Many say the standards are falling, but I would attribute it to the society itself, the environment we are presently in and its effect on people. For example, the television and the internet take a lot out of many students now. You have to be really disciplined to carry on with academics with all these distractions which were not available during our own time. The present- day law students have too many things competing for their attention.

This is one of the reasons I sent my own children to the boarding school. I did not want to be fighting with them over what time to read. Once you are slack from the secondary school, you might not be able to cope with the challenges law students face; we then end up having half-baked lawyers. For those that are disciplined, it is the individual that encourages himself and not the society that encourages him.

Are you part of those advocating the review of lawyers’ salaries?
Renumeration should be reviewed but we also have to consider the resources generated by the principal of that firm. For instance, if you consider a law firm that generates less than N500,000 or even N250,000 a month, which most firms may not even make. By the time the principal calculates his expenses, he might not be able to pay his juniors up to N20,000 in a month and since there are no available jobs, most juniors have no choice but to manage with whatever they are being paid. My own quarrel would be with those who can afford it and yet refuse to pay reasonable salaries to their juniors

What other dreams do you hope to achieve by publishing law reports?
Mainly to excel. And to contribute to law development in Nigeria by keeping lawyers and other professionals abreast of the ever-changing face of the law, not only through law reporting but also by publishing the works of renowned law authors. They feel more comfortable when a colleague publishes their work because a lawyer is presumed to know the law and what constitutes a breach.

Kogi Election Petition Appeal: The Silks speak

The Court of Appeal Abuja division last Wednesday upheld the decision of the Kogi State election petition tribunal that nullified the election of Governor Ibrahim Idris. The maiden appeal which came promptly within few months of the tribunal’s decision generated reactions from prominent lawyers. brings you excerpts.

Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN:
The Appellate Court’s decision is already suspected. The Court of Appeal is the final court and I believe they have done well. There is nothing anybody can do. INEC made a fool of itself by removing the Action Congress candidate Abubakar Audu’s name when they had no power to do so.

Iwu should be sacked. I wonder why President Umaru Yar’Adua is taking so long at arriving at a decision. He (Iwu) should never be allowed to conduct any election in Nigeria again.

Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN:
It is a welcome development. And it has shown that it is not business as usual. The judiciary has once again creditably acquitted itself and has shown in no unmistakable term that it is really the hope of not only the common man but also that of the big man. It is unfortunate that huge sums of money have been allowed to go down the drain just because the participants, particularly those who held sway at the relevant time have allowed their personal interest to becloud their decision and sense of justice.

It is more unfortunate that we cannot call back those who were responsible to come and pay their expenses.

It will still be INEC that will conduct the elections whether Iwu is in or not. Even if he has not considered the judgment a vote of no confidence on his credibility and honour. He should be shown the way out if he himself has not considered it fit to leave at this point.

Chief Adeniyi Akintola, SAN:
The judgment has shown that we are making progress. It is also an eye opener to manipulators. One thing is clear, by the time we finish in all the election petition tribunals across the country, electoral process will never be the same again. Those used to rigging will begin to devise another process. Iwu still leading INEC is the sad aspect. Nigerian politicians are a set of people with no principles or values. They ought to have gone to the president and National Assembly and ask for one thing; that President Umaru Yar’Adua should dissolve the present INEC.

Any politician contesting under INEC is unserious.

Mallam Yusuf Alli, SAN (Ibrahim Idris’ Counsel):
The court has made its decision. As law-abiding citizens, we will abide by the court’s decision because we believe in the rule of law.

Mr. Kanu Agabi, SAN (INEC’s Counsel):
The judgment is sound and we are grateful. We will go back to be a better body than we have come.