- Becomes President Of Newly Upgraded OGUN Customary Court
Ogun State High Court of Justice, Isabo, Abeokuta came alive on Monday 2nd July, 2018 when 9 newly appointed Presidents of the newly upgraded customary courts in Ogun State were sworn in by the Chief Judge of Ogun State Hon. Justice Olatokunbo Olapade (CON KJW).
One of the newly sworn in customary Presidents is Barrister Oketola Olorunwo Sam-Obaleye, one of the beautiful daughters of a Christian icon, His Eminence, Primate Olorunwo of the Cathedral Church of C & S of Nigeria. He is also the Ba’Adura of Egbaland. She is a distinguished Lawyer. Others are Adeniji Adenike, Okikiolu Oluwatosin, Ademiju Omotola, Ikudairo Olusegun, Bello Muniru, Fiade Stella, Adeyemi Adebola and Awosanya Modupe.
Mrs. Obaleye is a legal researcher who has tremendous experience in Civil Litigation with special interest in Real Property and Corporate Matters. She is very proficient in drafting legal documents and gained cognate experience in the field of commercial law while in the firm of Dorothy Ufot & Co. SAN. She was a Lecturer in the Faculty of Law, Lagos State University, Lagos, Nigeria. She is a very determined Lawyer with exceptional passion for Litigation and Corporate Law practice. Her lvoe for the law is evident in her ability to conduct detailed legal research and deliver efficiently on every task. She possesses excellent communication skills which endears her to clients.
She has LL.B. B.L, LL.M.Adv. Dip, Commercial Law and Practice. She is a distinguished practitioner who stands extremely tall in terms of Intellect, ability, experience and professional accomplishments with nearly two decades in practice. She is seasoned in the areas of commercial agreements, litigation, arbitration, investments amongst other functions.
While in the Chambers of Dorothy Ufot & Co., Oketola Olorunwo Sam-Obaleye worked directly with Mrs. Ufot (SAN), and gained considerable experience in the Law of Leases and Mortgages, Land Law, Investment Law and Practice, particularly Investments, Divestments, Corporate Structuring and Restructuring, Corporate Finance, Project Finance, Arbitration and capital market transactions. She was also exposed to active litigation where she personally handled numerous contentious matters and excelled in the art of brief writing to the appellate courts.
In 2007, she established a non-governmental organisation (Total Women Empowerment and Re-orientation) to care for the needs of widows, the aged and down trodden in the society. This NGO has catered for thousands of less privileged in Nigeria. Oketola Olorunwo Sam-Obaleye also founded Strong TOWER Orphanage home in 2016.
The actualisation of the upgrading of the 3 customary courts is another plus for the Ogun State government under, Senator Ibikunle Amosun because in the history of Ogun State and Nigeria there has never been such a creation. It is the first of its kind. Ogun State is divided into 2 senatorial zones and each zone has 3 new Presidents in each senatorial zone making 9 in all. The zones are Egba, Ijebu and Yewa. Recently the Ogun State government upgraded the customary courts to Grade 1. Ogun State is the first to make the move to upgrade the customary courts to Grade 1.
Not only have the customary courts been upgraded they have been given wider powers and responsibility. Before now, lawyers didin’t use to appear in customary courts. But with the newly upgraded customary courts lawyers have been appointed to head the courts. Gov. Amosun approved the move and it is a plus for the Chief Judge of Ogun State, Olopade with this new developments, lawyers have to appear before these new upgraded customary courts. City People has it on good authority that since the upgrading, the judiciary in other states have been working on copying the move by Ogun State. The 3 Grade customary courts are based in Ake, Owode, and Wasimi.
The swearing in ceremony was colourful and well-attended as many royal fathers, high chiefs, prominent personalities stormed the event. His Royal Majesty, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, the Alake of Egbaland and paramount ruler of Egbaland was there. So also other Egba Obas and High Chiefs. Commissioners, Judges and Judicial officers came. The swearing was performed by the Ogun CJ, Olopade. A lot of Judges were in attendance. The Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General in Ogun State, Dr. Olumide Ayeni also attended. There were also SANs in attendance like Wemimo Ogunde.
She is one lady who likes to give back to society. She is the lady behind the Tower Foundation which was inaugurated in Lagos a few years back in the spirit of social responsibility. The word Tower is an acconym for total Women Empowerment and Re-orientation, a non governmental organisation which she set up to empower women, by encouraging a society rid of violence, abuse and neglect and it has a mandate to care for and propagate the message of empowerment for todays woman. The Tower Foundation also has noble ideals like protecting women and children from abuse, ensuring socio-political and economic advancement for women and promoting age-long virtues of hardwork, honesty, morality and enterprise through skill acquisition and financial empowerment.
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