What I Do For Leisure: Some Thoughts For Young Lawyers Aspiring Greater Heights By Hameed Ajibola Jimoh Esq.

The legal profession is such a very wide discipline that careers therein are many and inexhaustible.

As young lawyers called to the Nigerian bar and enrolled as Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the day of call and enrolment is a day of channeling your path towards desired fulfillment in the legal profession. Except for some few who perhaps have had the opportunity of mentorship and or legal guidance, many are with serious confusion as to those areas of practice and achievements.

While many (if not the majority) always take the Corporate Affairs Commission as the first point of call, only very few could boast of appearing in a litigation matter in any court of law in Nigeria, without having guidance from seniors in the early years of two to three years after call to bar. Also, many young lawyers to my mind might have irrelevant items on their daily lists while they await their daily needs to be fulfilled financially. This paper is aimed at sharing some thoughts for young lawyers who aspire greatness in the legal profession by using what I do for leisure as a case study (my personal life).

First of all, I must say that the struggle for greatness and the competition for it are not a 100-meter dash. They take a great focus, passion, determination and prayers. These are the four (4) cores (FPDP). Also, you do not desire greatness and wake up a morning to have it. You just have to develop the focus. Your undying focus for such greatness will also be a push for determination to achieve it. Prayers’ warriors have nothing as ‘I CANNOT’ rather they have ‘hopes’ of achieving because to them, with God, all things are possible! So, as young lawyers, whatever position that you desire in your legal endeavours, you have a lot of roles to play. Frustrations will come your way, I know! Confusions will approach you, I understand! But be a strong-hearted! Move on and wear the hopes that you desire! Never give up! It pays and relieves you in not long a while, with patience and perseverance!

Furthermore, in your attainment of the desired focus or greatness, what you do for leisure also means a lot. This is much more convincing because your greatness might actually be quietly lying in what you take for just a mere leisure! For instance, assuming that in your leisure time, you would always prefer playing football matches or watching football matches. Did you find out those laws guiding football matches or the sports laws and those specific areas of laws that you could specialize in?! Assuming that you enjoy meeting people in social gatherings as at your leisure, have you considered those related but unnoticed areas of laws emerging from meeting people in social gatherings?! If for instance, you like to read and research at your leisure, have you considered writing impactful write-ups that would be appreciated by your readers?! Among others. In your leisure, I am convinced that there are links to greatness if you look closely!

In my own case, with utmost humility, throughout my university life, I had loved to write but I did not know how to write. I had ideas as to what to write but I did not know how to write those ideas and communicate same. I wrote an article then in my 100 level (year one) which was posted on the Lagos State University’s faculty of law’s notice board which was not removed because of its impact for about three years or more and kept receiving commendations from my co-students. Then in the university days, my leisure times were to read, write, research and argue laws with both lawyers and non-lawyers. It was for me, to give life to the theory of law that I learnt in the course of my research. In the course of reading and researching, I discovered a lot about the problems of the societies, the nation, and the people and what solutions have been proffered and to what extent have those solutions been effective. I read about Chief Obafemi Awolowo (Senior Advocate of Nigeria) (of blessed memory) many years ago too where he said that his success was actually in burning candles at night while other people are busy clubbing and partying and merry-making. All these reading and researching (though in my own little capacity), made me to read about some great men and their contributions to the society. Then, I developed the desire to also be great if some of them could be great as early as 20 years, 25years, 30 years, even below, of age! I felt that there would be no excuse for me too not to be great! Guess how old I am now and I have not even achieved up to meeting up with the predecessors who were great men?! Is that not belated?! But that notwithstanding, I would still do my best! These discoveries actually inspired me into problems-findings and solutions-providing.

I developed the ‘art’ of writing while I was in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) sometimes in the year 2014. I just started delivering paper presentations and improving in same when I observed that majority of the corps members, with due respect to them, were always in haste to return home but without doing anything. So, I felt that I should do something to keep them busy. Then, I started putting down my ideas and presenting them to the members. Later but before the end of the NYSC, it had already become part of me to always read and write to solve problems and to impact ideas into the societies. My group and personal projects which I carried out and was awarded the FCT-Minister’s Award of Honour (equivalent to the State Governor’s Award of Honour) also boosted my morale for community service. Since my passing out in the NYSC, I have made myself committed to the selfless service to humanity. Does the reader really know my goal as of the moment?! I would tell you! It is to serve humanity in whatever capacity that I can till I leave this world! In furtherance of these objectives, which I believe, that I have a purpose for living on this earth, I have just commenced registration of a Non-Governmental Association with the approved name by the Corporate Affairs Commission ‘STAND UP FOR SOMEONE’S RIGHT INITIATIVE’, which will soon commence operations upon completion of registration. To me, it is one thing to have an idea, it is another thing to have a medium of communicating such idea.

Guess what, dear honourable reader! Permit me to inquire something funny from you as an interlude to this tense condition, ‘is being already married to a Muslim lady a stigma and impediment to marrying an additional Muslim lady (as a Muslim)?! I am a married man already, yes! Ladies refuse to be taken as a second wife, even as Muslims! Yes, they have wish! I do not dispute! The religion (Islam) permits a man to marry more than a wife to a maximum of four in a home! I requested different Muslim ladies’ hands (one after another) in marriage (lawyers), with utmost sincerity and honesty but they refused! Why?! Guess what, because I am already married to someone! My research made me to discover that I really need a great lady or woman (lawyer) beside me to really deliver these great tasks of service to humanity! But alas! Ladies are refusing me only because I am married already to someone, except that there are other genuine reasons unknown to me! Sorry for bothering you on this, it was just part of my discovery in life which I deemed fit to share! Please as a public figure, do you have a personal life to keep secret?! I personally do not think so! While I am gone out of this life at that time determined by God Almighty, my Will as my last testament will be in circulation for all to read, just like I was able to obtain a copy of the Will left by Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) (of blessed memory)!

Finally, young lawyers must do well in achieving greatness in whatever they find as leisure and do reading and researching, as from that, there are many things in history (past, present and future) that they will discover to better their life. I would hope that this piece, notwithstanding that it is not safe from its shortcomings, has impacted in one way or the other and is useful for its purposes.

Email: hameed_ajibola@yahoo.com