Fani-Kayode disowns conferment of Senior Counsel of Nigeria rank

Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Femi Fani-Kayode, has disassociated himself from the purported conferment of the designation of Senior Counsel of Nigeria (SCN), also called Blue Silk, on him by the Nigerian Law Society (NLS).

Fani-Kayode, in an announcement issued on Friday by his Special Assistant on Media, Lizzy Okoji, mentioned he neither personally authorised nor authorized the acceptance of the designation.

He described the circumstances surrounding the conferment as regrettable, attributing the event to an administrative misjudgment by members of his workers who represented him on the occasion.

According to the assertion, his workers attended the occasion in the midst of official engagements following an invite despatched to his workplace by the society.

“The circumstances surrounding the representation and subsequent communication of acceptance were regrettable and arose from an unfortunate administrative misjudgment, without any intention whatsoever to misrepresent His Excellency’s personal position or professional convictions,” the assertion mentioned.

The envoy additionally raised issues over the authorized {and professional} implications of the purported conferment, significantly its consistency with the statutory framework regulating the authorized occupation in Nigeria and related judicial pronouncements.

He harassed that, as a authorized practitioner of greater than 41 years, he wouldn’t knowingly interact in any act able to violating the regulation, undermining the integrity of the authorized occupation or bringing the occupation into disrepute.

Fani-Kayode additional highlighted his household’s authorized background, noting that he comes from a distinguished lineage of three generations of authorized practitioners.

He reaffirmed his dedication to the rule of regulation, skilled ethics and the established traditions of the authorized occupation.

The former Minister of Aviation consequently maintained that neither his illustration on the occasion nor any communication made on his behalf ought to be interpreted as his private endorsement or acceptance of the SCN designation.

The assertion mentioned the clarification was issued to formally set up his place, dispel misconceptions surrounding the incident and reaffirm his respect for the dignity and integrity of the authorized occupation.