Debo Akande
By Reuben Abati
It can be said of Chef Debo Akande, SAN who died in London recently and whose remains will be interred in a few days, that he was undoubtedly, a distinguished citizen, a legal practitioner of the very first rank, and a man with a consuming passion for public affairs. I got to know him in the course of my work as a journalist and public affairs commentator. He was an avid reader of Nigerian newspapers, and an unrelenting critic of our national politics. On many occasions, the phone would ring and it would be Chief Akande on the line. And I would know that he had either read my article or a story in the news and he wanted to express his views. He had the courage to push his ideas on any issue at all; he was not the kind of person who could be deceived or cowed. He never asked that I should change my position on any issue, he only had a way of getting his views across in a very clear and precise manner.
It is no wonder therefore that Chief Debo Akande was always the editors' delight. Editors sought his views on key issues of the day and he obliged his audience with his many gifts of erudition, experience and political savvy. If he was impressed with any piece, his opening line would be "Aburo" (my brother). If he felt very strongly about it, he would put his pen to paper. Or he would grant an interview. In his later years, he granted more interviews than he wrote articles.
In fact, the weekend that his death was announced, The News magazine came out with a fresh interview which he had just granted on the Bola Ige case, one of the many cases in which he was involved in his last moments. I still recall, with great fondness, his last contribution to the opinion page of this newspaper: a short piece entitled: "Advice to New wigs" (The Guardian, May 21, 2004). The piece was vintage him. It was a speech he had delivered at this year's Call to Bar ceremony n his official capacity as Chairman of the Body of Benchers. A brief commentary but a good advertisement for precision writing, I mean that kind of writing in which the writer makes every word count and there is a total absence of ostentation.
Debo Akande was a true professional, He was a living representative of the ideas which he pushed in his "Advice to New Wigs". He was a disciplined legal practitioner known for his thoroughness in the court of law, and his capacity to turn forensic cross-examination into an art. Always impeccably dressed, with a trademark bow tie on formal occasions, Akande was committed to the development of the law. He served the NBA at the highest levels, and was until his death a life member of the association, and the Chairman of the Body of Benchers. His likes brought respectability to the legal profession in Nigeria. Under General Abacha, he had served the Constitutional Conference as its Secretary, but when it became obvious to him that the military government was neither interested in the rule of law nor the progress of the nation, he tendered his resignation and walked away. During the June 12 crisis, he was one of the more articulate voices defending the rule of law. He was a different kind of radical. He did not carry placards; he was not an agitator. Indeed, he had the air and manners of an aristocrat but without the haughtiness. He was an aristocrat of ideas; and throughout, he was associated with those causes which advanced the challenges of nationhood.
Early in the year, I ran into him at the lobby of a hotel in Benin. He was trying to get the keys to his room from the receptionist. I had just arrived, looking for a room. He had explained to me that he was in Benin for a case he was handling for an oil company. The following day, he would leave Benin for Abuja on another engagement. I had pointed out to him that I always admire his generation, for whom hardwork is a virtue. There are too many young men and women in this country today, whose ambition is to harvest without sowing, enjoy without toiling, and grow without much effort. Akande belonged to a disappearing generation whose faith about life lay in the very opposites. But that evening, he was not in the mood to discuss inter-generational politics. He expressed concern instead, quite characteristically about the state of the nation and my articles on Obasanjo! He was definitely a busy man whose attention was constantly in demand by clients, professionals, the church, junior Nigerians, and political groups.
The Nigerian Bar Association has tried to use the circumstances of his death to draw attention to the need for lawyers and all executives to take stress management seriously. Executive stress is perhaps the biggest problem facing the productive class in Nigeria. We are perpetually under tension; it is a miracle how life expectancy in our land is still as high as 45 considering our circumstances. Nevertheless, I am not too sure that Chief Akande would have loved to live his life differently. He was a very deliberate man who conveyed a feeling of contentment. He was very well married too. In fact, I got to know his wife- Professor Jadesola Akande- before knowing him. In the early 90s, the NGO community in Nigeria was very vibrant and significantly well-organised. Courtesy of such organisations as Africa Leadership Forum, USAID, UNICEF, CEDPA, AIDSCAP, JHU/PCS, NCPEA, HealthWatch, UNDP etc, I developed active interest in development issues.
Professor Akande was/is a regular and influential presence in those circles. She expressed strong concern about issues of women empowerment, justice and the need to raise the profile of women in society generally. In 1999, she was one of the key designers of the programme for the political empowerment of women through an insistence on affirmative action and the growth of a women political party. Like her husband, she is quiet but firm. Like her husband also, she usually raises the quality of discussions, with a talent for superior argument. Her photographs in the media since her husband's transition convey the depth of her grief. May the Most High cover her with His wings of Grace, grant her strength and be her comforter.
Shortly after the publication of "Advice to new wigs", I had received yet another letter from Chief Debo Akande. Attached to his letter was the photocopy of a piece that I had written in this column: "Religion as Obstacle" in which I complained about how religious activities on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have become a regular source of frustration to motorists and commuters using that route. Chief Akande had taken the trouble of sending the piece to Pastor Adeboye of the Redeemed Church. He told him: "Greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The attached is sent to you for your attention and action and to let me and the public know what you will do to avoid it next month." The note is signed Debo Akande, concerned Xtian". Then in the copy sent to me, Chief Akande had written as footnote: "Above is what I did about your attached article. Had a similar experience in Sheraton, Abuja when they held something there and created chaos for in and out-going cars on Sat. 29. I shall write him about it. Regards." The note to me was simply signed "Debo".
I have reproduced this correspondence simply to illustrate the kind of man Debo Akande was. Despite his busy schedule, he was concerned about the plight of his compatriots. He did not complain or whine about it; he tried to do something to correct an abnormal situation. Many of us in this country are very good at moaning; we tend to leave everything to providence. Akande was a focussed, self-driven personality. He was at peace with who he was, and clearly was not one of those personalities whose lives are governed by the fashion of the moment. After reading his letter, I was deeply touched. I asked my secretary to file it away. The letter is beside me now and as I look at Chief Akande's wriggling handwriting in blue ink, I am touched by the unpredictability of life.
He was involved briefly in partisan politics having served as a member of the Federal House of Representatives in the Second Republic. He was also a strong Yoruba personality who was always proud of his ethnic identity. Since my interaction with him was mostly at the level of public affairs, I am not in a position to comment on his shortcomings if he had any. But of him, it can be readily said that he left a good name. Having a good name is the best legacy that any individual can leave behind. There are many in our land today, and they are in the majority, whose names are associated with negative values. But Debo Akande was different and special. He will be greatly missed.
