Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, last Friday commended Chief Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) for donating a bar centre to the Ondo Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, saying the gesture would strengthen the legal profession and democratic governance in Nigeria.
- +Aiyedatiwa commends Oyetibo over bar centre donation
Speaking during the unveiling and inauguration of the Tayo Oyetibo Bar Centre in Ondo City, the governor said the project reflected generosity, vision and a strong commitment to institutional development.
Speaking during the unveiling and inauguration of the Tayo Oyetibo Bar Centre in Ondo City, the governor said the project reflected generosity, vision and a strong commitment to institutional development.
According to Aiyedatiwa, the facility represents more than a physical structure, noting that it symbolises professional excellence, scholarship, philanthropy and the enduring ideals of the legal profession.
“By personally building and donating this Bar Centre to the NBA Ondo Branch, he has not merely erected a structure; he has established a lasting monument to scholarship, professional solidarity and the advancement of justice,” the governor said.
He added that the donation would leave a lasting legacy for generations of lawyers and encourage young practitioners to embrace discipline, integrity and service.
Aiyedatiwa also commended the leadership and members of the NBA Ondo Branch for sustaining institutional growth and promoting professional development within the legal community.
“Today’s ceremony transcends brick and mortar. It is fundamentally a celebration of values. It is about honouring scholarship, rewarding integrity, immortalising excellence and affirming the timeless principle that distinction earned through service deserves enduring recognition,” he stated.
In his remarks, Oyetibo said the project was conceived as part of efforts to strengthen the legal profession and support the administration of justice in Nigeria.
He disclosed that the idea emerged after the leadership of the NBA Ondo Branch, led by its Chairman, Henry Akingbesote, alongside Chairman of the Law Week Organising Committee, Remigius Akinbinu, visited him in his office on June 13, 2025.
According to him, lawyers remain custodians of justice, defenders of the rule of law and guardians of constitutional order, stressing that investment in the welfare and development of lawyers ultimately benefits society.
Oyetibo said the Bar Centre was designed to promote mentorship, professional development, intellectual engagement and unity among legal practitioners.
The facility includes a reception area, conference hall, library, cafeteria, lawyers’ lounge, FIDA office and document processing rooms.
The chairman of the occasion, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, commended Oyetibo’s generosity and dedication to the legal profession, while urging younger lawyers to sustain the ideals and legacies built by senior members of the bar.
Justice Moronkeji Ogunwumiju of the Supreme Court also appreciated the decision to dedicate the library in her honour and announced the donation of Nigerian Weekly Law Reports covering 2005 to 2026 to the library.
Earlier, Chairman of the NBA Ondo Branch, Henry Akingbesote, said the inauguration of the Bar Centre fulfilled a long-standing aspiration of lawyers in the branch.
He noted that the project symbolises unity, sacrifice and commitment to the rule of law and professional development.
Delivering a lecture at the event, former Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, SAN, urged lawyers to embrace technology, defend democratic institutions and adapt to the changing realities of legal practice.
Dignitaries at the event included Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice Segun Odusola; Justice Olabode Adegbehingbe of the Court of Appeal; Ondo State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Adesoji Afolabi; the Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, Oba Victor Kiladejo; Mrs Abiola Oyetibo, judges, lawyers and other distinguished guests.
