Oluwatobi (Taiwo) and his twin brother, Oluwatoba Kehinde Ogunba were called to the Bar in 2016, to the admiration of their parents, Mr. Adekunle Ogunba his wife, Mrs. Omolara, family and friends. Legal editor, JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU examines the circumstances surrounding their choice of law as a career, their vision and expectations from the profession in which their father, Ogunba has excelled to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
The young Ogunbas, erudite twin legal minds Oluwatobi and Oluwatoba, attended the University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom for their Bachelor of Laws (LLB. Hons) Degree.
Thereafter, they attended Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom (Centre for Commercial Law Studies where they obtained their Master of Laws ( LL.M) Degree in Corporate Commercial Law.
They then returned to the country to attend the Nigerian Law School for their Barrister at Law ( BL) Certificate and call to the Nigerian Bar
They were called to the Nigerian Bar the same day, November 29, 2016 and since then, they have remained active in the practice of the wig and gown profession.
For Oluwatobi (Taiwo), being called to the Bar on the same day and time with his twin, Oluwatoba (Kehinde) gave him more confidence to take on his legal career head on, as he now knows that he has someone of a sound mind with his best interest at heart by his side on each step of the way in life.
Kehinde believes that being called to the Nigerian Bar on November 29, 2016, the same day with his Taiwo, was truly a rare privilege, special and fulfilling.
He said: “Having embarked on our journey to study law together and the experiences we had jointly and individually, it was truly rewarding to have qualified and commenced our legal careers at the same time.”
The twins stated that they had no regrets reading law even though initially, Taiwo was a bit skeptical about becoming a lawyer, however, this skepticism changed overtime because as he said “seeing the impact of my skillset, being of benefit to the clients I represent, I do not have any regrets studying law and as a matter of fact I do not see myself enjoying any other profession other than being a legal practitioner.
I am always keen to see how disputes develop, how they are resolved amicably or how they are even subjects of litigation. I enjoy the process as a whole and honestly do not think I would enjoy any other profession”.
However his brother, Kehinde sees law as a jealous and time-consuming profession which demands attention, good intellect and hard work to succeed.
“That being said, it is an incredibly rewarding experience to proffer solutions to clients’ legal issues or seeing a transaction through to completion.
In terms of litigation the reward is no less satisfying. It’s a blessing to practise law and put the little skills I have honed to good use.
“Thus, it really goes without saying that I have no regrets studying law and this is especially so as there are many transferable skillsets one gains from studying and practising law which are transferable to any other desired industry.
As such, I feel prepared for life within or outside law and would highly recommend law to any aspiring student” Kehinde stated.
While Taiwo genuinely would not have studied any other course but law, his brother, Kehinde said he would have probably studied Engineering because he has interest in fixing things, but he is not sure how he would have pulled through in the profession in view of mathematics skills required.
So, why did they settle for law? Taiwo explained: “I chose law because at the time, I was more fascinated with and inclined to subjects such as Literature in English and Government.
I knew it was not going to be out of place studying law considering the fact that I enjoyed those subjects.
“At the time I decided on Law, I had no idea of how the profession was. I always just remembered my father being extremely busy.
Yes, I might have been influenced indirectly to study Law, but it is certainly not because of the conferment of the rank of ‘Silk’ on my father.
For Kehinde, the attraction was similar. He said: “While in secondary school, I was always drawn to subjects that qualified me to study law and I excelled in them.
I also discovered my skill in researching, preparing and delivering well articulated oral and written presentations which furthered the indication that I could excel in law and in the legal profession.
Seeing my father get acknowledged by the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC), whilst I was in Senior Seconday School (SSS) Two was a very encouraging moment for me and further cemented my desire to study law as I felt I could similarly excel as he did. As such I can’t entirely refute his influence in my decision to study law.
“On whether they would like to go the Bench, Taiwo said: “ I have always had dreams and ambitions to be a litigator; I have never found the idea of becoming a Judge interesting, so I do not think I would be interested in becoming Judge after 10 years post call.
Kehinde view was similar. “My primary interest has always been tied to legal practice. With all due respect to the Bench, I find legal practice more interesting and the possibilities therein to be boundless.
More so, the idea of one being restricted from active practice once called to the Bench is one that frightens me. I would miss law practice too much to follow through with such a decision,” he said.
Speaking on the area of practice that interests him most, Taiwo said: “At the moment, I am currently handing a variety of cases so I am not exactly sure which one I find the most interesting, I am inclined to taking cases that deserve justice and that can be any type of case be it a probate action, recovery of debt or even maritime cases.
These are mostly cases that are commercially inclined, so I figure that is the area of law that interests me.
My approach to every case I handle is to give it my absolute best to the benefit of the client, I believe that is part of what it takes to be a renowned legal practitioner” he stated
Kehinde stated: “I commenced and have continued my legal career in Solola & Akpana (Barristers & Solicitors), and their unique practice offers associates like myself the opportunity to gain experience in different practice areas such as Energy & Natural Resources Law, Taxation, Labour & Industrial Relations Law, etc.
Whilst I’ve remain active in the dispute resolution practice (Litigation and Arbitration); my colleagues and family alike can attest to my passion for corporate commercial law practice.
“What interests me the most is the ability to explore and manoeuvre extant legal provisions whilst essentially structuring transactions in a way that best suits a client’s needs.
“The idea of providing the legal framework with which businesses can thrive in an economically challenging jurisdiction such as Nigeria remains a fascinating concept to me.
More so, the vastness of this area and unpredictability thereof is one I find to be most intriguing. This obviously is without prejudice to my love for litigation.
“Excelling in both areas of interests mentioned entails a relentless work ethic, having no doubts in one’s ability to deliver beyond clients’ expectations and a ceaseless drive to learn on a daily basis. This sums up the legal practice as a whole especially as it is an ever-evolving profession.”
Their role model in the legal profession? A no brainer. Tobi said: “My father is my role model and this is because I find it fascinating the way he makes being a Legal Practitioner seamless.
He always seems to have little or no difficulty in resolving issues and is a pertinent teacher to myself and my brother. I do not think I intend to be like him because I believe I should be do better than he is and I mean that in a good way.”
But Kehinde’s response was different. He said: “I don’t particularly have a sole role model in the legal profession. There are several successful and reputable lawyers that I look up to as they all have distinct features that set them apart.
Key features I look out for in these people and seek to internalise and emulate are their drive for success, intellectual prowess, academic achievements, and professional successes.
Luckily for me, my father, Adekunle B. Ogunba (SAN), is one of these distinguished role models. Quite frankly the list is endless but for brevity, some of these role models are the likes of Mr. Gbenga Oyebode, Mr. AsueIghodalo, Mr. Tope Solola, and Mr. Iboroma Akpana.”
Source: thenationonlineng.net
