SERMON DELIVERED BY VEN. C.O. AYEJOTO AT THE 2008 LEGAL YEAR THANKSGIVING SERVICE

ARCHBISHOP VINING MEMORIAL CHURCH CATHEDRAL. G.R.A.. IKEJA
SERMON DELIVERED BYVEN. C. O. AYEJOTO AT THE YEAR 2008 LEGAL YEAR THANKSGIVING SERVICE ON THURSDAY 4™ SEPTEMBER 2008 AT 10.00 AM

PRAYER:
We pray for those who serve within the Judiciary System - the Barristers, lawyers, judges, magistrates, all court official and all those whose responsibility it is to see that Justice is administered fairly, and to all who are here to dedicate this year to you.
Give them wisdom, integrity, courage and dedication, so that they may discharge their duties faithfully through Jesus Christ our Lord.

TEXT: Ps 19:7-8:
The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes
The fear of the Lord is clear enduring forever
The judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

THEME: JUDICIARY SAVE NIGERIA
The law is a binding decree, a universal principle, governing authority, commands and regulation. It is very important to note that the word Law has its root from God, contained in the Bible as a "rule of life"; moral ethical principles even though some lawyers will say law has nothing to do with morals - that is debatable. The law is meant to guide people to do things right, for good governance to achieve success and peaceful existence in the society. For example, the Decalogue or commandment contained in the book of Exodus chapter 20:1-17 READ.
1. God spake all these words, saying,
2. I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4. Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that /s in the water under the earth:
5. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.



7. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
8. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9. Six days shall thou labour, and do all thy work:
10. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
12. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
13. Thou shalt not kill.
14. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15. Thou shalt not steal.
16. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
17. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shall not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Ex 20:1-17(KJV)
These rules or laws were given to people that represented us at that time - The Jews. Also, there are other rules outside the commandments contained in the Bible like Torah that covers Agriculture, business, family life, social and moral issues, as well as religion. Efforts of Lawyers in the society however, these rules of the Bible are said to be moral rules and divine laws which ordinarily had no force, because they cannot be enforced ordinarily without making them to be state laws.
The Lawyers by their strong effort either expressively or by implication posited these moral rules or the commandments of God into the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Criminal and Penal Code, Criminal code governing the Southern Nigeria and the Penal code governing the Northern Nigeria. For example, Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on right to life, which provides that nobody should kill another unjustly, is from the book of Exodus 20:13 which say "you shall not commit murder" and this is affirmed in our criminal code and penal code. Also, Section 393 of the Criminal Code on stealing is from Exodus 20:15. Thou shall not commit adultery; the law on sexual offences is also from the Bible. No wonder some judges in some cases base their authority on the Bible. Our lawyers, you have done well! But we need more of your efforts. There is need for you to revisit Chapter 2 of our constitution which is not justifiable and is presently a cosmetic provision. We need laws that will revive our society from corruption, make us wise as we have in our text that will bring joy to our hearts that will give light to the eyes and warn us and be more rewarding.
This is because God's law and guidelines are light for our path rather than chains on our hands and feet. The law of the Lord points to danger and warns us, points to successes and guides our conduct and order to promote unity.
Permit me to briefly link the legal profession with the priesthood vocation. Lawyers in the early years were called to the Bar at the Church Chancel by the servants of God. Both therefore have related duties towards humanity. While Lawyers keep on defending human rights (i.e. the last hope of the down-trodden citizen), the priests in their vocation (though not profession) are supposed to save lives spiritually especially as CURATES.
One can therefore argue that both lawyers and priests are partners in progress in every human society. Hence there is need for integrity and all possible Justifiable character demonstrated in all ramifications.

PROBLEM OF ENFORCEMENT
Nevertheless, Nigeria state has good laws legislated against misconducts of citizens and the state officials in our criminal codes. I.C.P.C. LAWS, E.F.C.C. LAWS, F.E.P.A., Money Laundering Acts e.t.c. but people are violating all these laws day in day out with very little arrest and punishment. What are the reasons? JUDICIARY SAVE US
Someone might say that the Law Enforcement Agents are not serious because they are corrupt too. Some were arrested and later released after inappropriate settlement, may be money changed hands. Take a look at our elections; good candidates are always marginalized out of favour for corrupt candidates either to cover up the loots of former leaders or to continue the corruption for the interest of the godfathers. The Electoral System that allows impostors and fraudsters to retain possession of political positions and power in spite of Judiciary pronouncement to the contrary should be looked into.
There is no justice in the land. The Bible says in the book of Isaiah 61:8 "For, I, the Lord, love justice, I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth and will make them an everlasting covenant". In this verse, God emphasized the importance of justice in the land. What is justice? Justice means free the innocent and punish the offender particularly an unrepentant offender - Isaiah 3:10-11.
I want to personally appreciate the wonderful role of the lawyers in participating fully in the on-going process of constitutional and electoral reforms which I believe they will continue until democracy is fully enshrined and imbibed by all individuals and corporate bodies. Justice is the administration of law that determines what is right, based on principles of equity and correctness.


BUILD PEOPLE, NOT THINGS, BEAUTIFY PEOPLE, NOT FLOWERS By Julius Akinlaja

1. That I had reflected on Governance in Lagos State recently and I have decided to write this piece of my mind to his Excellency, Mr. Raji Babatunde Fashola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. I am compelled to write tills article because the adage says that the morning shows the days. My learned brother is 14 months Old as" a Governor of Lagos State. He was sworn for 48 months tenure implying that we have 34 months left.

2. That I admire Mr. Governor for his youthfulness, his erudition and soundness of mind but 1 have to cast gate him for misplaced priorities.

3. That I am showing him a yellow card now because his half time is only l0 months away and he has not come up with any meaningful development to the people of the State. I learnt he is building roads and he is not building our children. He is taxing people and amassing money to be shared among the political elites and he is following the footsteps of a political horse, Alhaji Bola Tinubu and not administrators. Like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin and Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande.

4. Chief Awolowo had laid the foundation of what a sound Government should be and no other foundation can be laid by any other progressive westerner, and that is my personal opinion and not minding the position or theory of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Meredith Adisa Akinloye and the disciples of their school of thoughts who believe that you only build things and not people and you use people to trade and made profits from them, and this is the gravamen of slave trade. Human beings are things or article of trade and should be exploited for profit
purpose despite their humanity.

5. Thai in Lagos State presently, 1 flunk it is only in Ikeja that street lights works, it is only in Ikeja and Lagos that we have the concentration of court rooms. It is only Ikeja and Lagos that the Roads are –being upgraded and repaired constantly: Ikeja and Lagos had General Hospitals. In Ojo where E lives. I have not seen pipe borne water for the past 15 years. The road from Okokomaiko to Ajangbadi was cut by erosion into two, we boarded bus and stop at Olopomeji Bus-Stop, and from there, you either request, for a canoe or you walk on the culvert to Ajangbadi. It is that bad and yet you claim we have a local Government and a State Government -operating in Lagos State. In Ojo Local Government, the federal monthly allocation is matcheated on the table and the political leaders and the Executive Administrator takes their share to their respective homes. Yet you did not deem it fit to effect a change in leadership at OJo despite numerous petitions to that effect.
Ojo Local Government with a population of One Million has no General Hospital, no post- Office, no millennium school, no good roads except, federal Express road which is always congested.

did not fall. You are training these Street urchins to become future robbers if you did not stop them and divert their attention to lawful and legitimate occupation. It will be difficult for them torevert to "normal occupation" after getting easy money to build
their family foundation. As a senior brother, you owe this youngsters that duty.

F. The Creation of State police Is a policy that must be accomplish. You cannot depend on the federal police to sanitise the polity. Most policemen serving in Lagos State came from their different State of origin and their personal purpose of coming to Lagos is to make money either through corruption or offering protection and assistance to law breakers and that is why we have selective application of Laws in Lagos State; and in all my Year of practice; I have not seen any Police Officer charged for an offence under S.I 30 of the criminal code thought it is a prevalent
offence in all our Police Station.

G. Section 130 of the criminal procedure law, state as follows: Delay to take person arrested before a court; Any person who, having arrested another upon a charge of an offence, willfully delays to take him before a court to be dealt with according to law is guilty of a misdemeanour, and is liable to imprisonment for two years. .

And as an interim measure the KAT Brigade can be enlarged in population and jurisdiction to prosecute offenders against state Laws and Local Government Bye laws and that means you have to abandon your government stances of "milking or cashing" on every situation by fixing reasonable fine or jail term for offences committed within
Lagos State.

II. Finally, the Government should build peasant hostels, lodging or accommodation, where indigent citizens can rent by paying a maximum rents of six months. Presently, in Lagos State, you cannot rent a shop or a room without paying two years rents, agreement and Agency fees to the prospective Landlord. This procedure constitute a veritable block to indigent citizen who wanted to take to honest living but has little capital. The Rent Control Edict is not working because you cannot fix a price on something you do not own. This Government owes us that duty.
I have spoken to your Excellency through the squib Magazine because I believed as a lawyer, you will probably be a subscriber to Squib Magazine and if not Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele and the learned Attorney- General will come across this piece. I will conclude this piece in April 2011 (if 1 am still alive) by withdrawing my yellow card or flashing you a red-card. I have spoken my mind and sorry o, if have not spoken well.