Former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, has described the late Professor Alfred Bandele Kasunmu, SAN, as a distinguished legal icon who contributed immensely to the development of the Nigerian Bar through his integrity, scholarship and leadership.
Ayorinde, a holder of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), and who is also Chairman, Board of Partners at BA Law LLP, in a tribute to Kasunmu, who died at the age of 92, recalled that when he was elevated to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2005, the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) was led by some of the most formidable figures in the history of the Nigerian legal profession.
He listed among them the late Bankole Oki, SAN, the Alaagba of Lagos; the late Chief Richard Osuolale Akinjide, SAN; Kehinde Sofola, SAN; Professor Ben Nwabueze, SAN; Chief Thompson Okpoko, SAN; Chief G.O.K. Ajayi, SAN; Alhaji A.G.F. AbdulRazaq, SAN; and Debo Akande, SAN, among others.
According to him, the lawyers were “formidable men of great character and learning,” while Kasunmu was an integral member of the distinguished group that led the Bar with integrity and distinction.
“Professor Bandele Alfred Kasunmu was a part of this eminent group who led the Bar with integrity and distinction,” Ayorinde said.
Recalling his experience of sitting among the legal giants, Ayorinde said it was an awe-inspiring experience to listen to their views on matters affecting the legal profession and the country.
“It was a feeling of awe to sit amongst them and listen to their well-informed views on issues concerning the profession and Nigeria in general.
“In fact, it was considered a privilege to be called upon to share your opinion on matters being discussed,” he said.
Ayorinde described Kasunmu as a lawyer who had a “most distinguished career at the Bar,” stressing that his contributions extended beyond legal practice to academia, public service and legal scholarship.
He also paid tribute to Kasunmu’s role as a family man, saying the late professor’s qualities were evident in his children.
“He was a family man whose qualities shine brightly in his offspring,” he said.
Ayorinde commiserated with members of Kasunmu’s family, particularly his wife, whom he described as “lovely and amiable,” and prayed for the repose of the late legal luminary’s soul.
Professor Alfred Bandele Kasunmu, SAN, was born on 23 May, 1934, in Lagos to parents from Ilesa, Osun State.
He received his early education at Elizabeth Fowler Memorial School, Reagan Memorial Baptist School and Baptist Academy, Lagos, before proceeding to University College London, where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degrees.
Kasunmu was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1964 and began his academic career in the same year as one of the pioneer lecturers at the Faculty of Law of the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University.
His academic career later took him to the University of Lagos, where he joined the Faculty of Law as a senior lecturer in 1971.
He was subsequently elevated to the rank of Professor of Law.
Between 1973 and 1975, he served as Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, where he was part of the generation of academics who helped establish and strengthen legal education in Nigeria.
In 1975, Kasunmu moved into public service following his appointment as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State, a position he held for three years.
His elevation to the rank of SAN followed on 25 January, 1978, making him one of the early members of the Nigerian Inner Bar.
Kasunmu was also a Notary Public of Nigeria and remained active in legal scholarship and advocacy for several decades.
As a prolific legal scholar, he was joint author of several influential legal texts and published numerous scholarly articles covering a broad range of legal subjects.
His legal practice also spanned several areas of Nigerian law. He represented prominent expatriate and domestic clients before courts at various levels and appeared as counsel before arbitration panels in Nigeria and abroad.
Kasunmu’s passing marks the loss of a member of an eminent generation of Nigerian lawyers whose careers helped shape the country’s legal profession and public institutions.
For Ayorinde, however, Kasunmu’s legacy extends beyond his professional accomplishments to the values of integrity, learning, leadership and family that characterised his life and career.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Chief Ayorinde.
