The Glorious Dawn Is Right Ahead- Senator Gbenga Ashafa’s 2017 Independence Day Message

The Glorious Dawn Is Right Ahead- Senator Gbenga Ashafa’s 2017 Independence Day Message

 “After rain comes sunshine; After
darkness comes the glorious dawn. There is no sorrow without its alloy of joy;
there is no joy without its admixture of sorrow. Behind the ugly terrible mask
of misfortune lies the beautiful soothing countenance of prosperity. So, tear
the mask!”
 – Chief
Obafemi Awolowo

As our dear country marks her 57th Independence
anniversary, I draw inspiration from the words of one of our founding fathers,
Chief Obafemi Awolowo as quoted above.
For so long, the Nigerian State has demanded
of Nigerians to be ready to sacrifice for the eventual benefit of all.
Nigerians have been asked to manage, to bear the burdern and sometimes be
willing to suffer until the ship of state arrives at the place of hope.
However, what we have experienced in the
past 2 years can be likened to darkness caused by years of decay, which led us
into the recession, which we are now coming out from. We are not only coming
out of the recession, we are coming out of it with a diversified economy, a
more entrepreneurial population, lesser dependence on crude oil, a more
informed people, a more solid foundation for our economy and the institutions
of state. We are making haste slowly, we are coming out a better country.
I therefore believe that there is no better
time than now for us as a country to come together as one in order to emerge
together into the “glorious dawn” that lies ahead. Our differences are many,
our tongues differ but we must be willing to come together to forge a road map
for this bright future together and through the legitimate institutions of
state.
Dear Nigerians, Lagosians and the Good
People of Lagos East, I urge you all to rally round the leadership at various
levels. I believe that this is the time to support our leaders with effort, counsel
and constructive criticism, as we work together to create the Nigeria of our
dreams.
Happy Independence day Nigeria.

Taxation Of Employee Loan | Theophilus Olufemi

Taxation Of Employee Loan | Theophilus Olufemi

BACKGROUND
September 15, 2017, the Chairman of the
Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue issued a public notice to the tax payers
in Lagos to clarify the tax implication of the interest on the loan granted to
employees by their employers.


DEFINITION OF EMPLOYEE LOAN
According to the public notice, employee
loans include the loans granted by an employer to its employees for specific
reasons with the expectation that such loans will be repaid in full to the
employer through a pre-agreed deduction from the employer’s salary, with or
without any interest.

LEGAL BASIS
Section 3 (1)(b) of the Personal Income Tax
Act (PITA) imposes tax on any salary, wage, fee allowance or other gain or
profit from employment including compensation, bonuses, premium, benefits or
other perquisites allowed, given or granted by any person to any temporary or
permanent employee. More often than not, an employer may offer loans to its
employees at an interest rate lower than the market interest rate or a zero
percent interest rate. This arrangement gives rise to a benefit which is
taxable in the hand employees.

EMPLOYERS’ OBLIGATION
It is mandatory that all employers compute
tax on the difference between adjusted Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) and the
interest rate applicable to loan given to its employees and remit this to the
relevant tax authority. Please note that adjusted MPR is MPR (this is currently
at 14%) minus 3%.
Employers are required to file, alongside
their annual returns, a schedule showing the information on its employee’s
loans and payment terms.

WHO IS AFFECTED
This provision will apply to directors and
employees of a company and will continue to apply even after the relationship
with the company has been terminated as long as the loan remains unpaid.

CONCLUSION
In the light of this clarification, it is
expected that employers will comply with the public notice as issued by the
Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue with immediate effect.

For further clarifications do not hesitate
to contact us me.

THEOPHILUS
OLUFEMI                             
08138214124, 08096257081
9, Military Street, Off King George V Road,
Onikan, Lagos Island, Lagos.

A New Dawn for Arbitration in Nigeria | Abayomi Okubote

A New Dawn for Arbitration in Nigeria | Abayomi Okubote


Nigeria has been ranked the 19th most
attractive economy for investments in Africa, according to the Africa
Investment Index 2017. It was reported that in 2015, Nigeria attracted a net
foreign direct investment of US$3.1 billion. This inflow of investments
unavoidably presents dispute and ultimately triggers a need for dispute
resolution. Arbitration is now recognized as the principal process of resolving
disputes in almost every aspect of commerce, investment and international
trade.


Whilst the practice of arbitration is
rapidly growing and several arbitration institutions are being established in
Nigeria, the country’s judiciary has been viewed as “interventionists” or
rather not supportive of arbitration. It is on this score that Nigeria remains
one of the least arbitration destinations in Africa. This view may not be
unconnected with the previous decisions by some Nigerian courts, showing lack
of support for arbitration. As confirmed by the 2015 QMUL Survey, the most
important factor influencing the choice of the seat for arbitration is the
‘formal legal infrastructure’ at the seat – the courts playing a crucial role
in the legal infrastructure.

However, the anti-arbitration approach by
some of the courts is not determinative of the judicial fabric in Nigeria. For
example, the Court of Appeal in Aye-Fenus Ent. Ltd. v. Saipem Nig. Ltd [2009]
2 NWLR (Pt. 1126) 483, held that “parties to a transaction choose their
Arbitrator for better or for worse to be the Judge both as to the decisions of
law and decisions of fact in dispute between them. Thus, none of them can when
the Award is prima facie good on the face of it, object to its
decision whether upon the law or the facts, simply because the Award is not in
his favour.”

Also, the High Court of Lagos State in Guinness
Nigeria Plc. v. NIBOL Properties Ltd
, [2015] 5 CLRN 65 took a similar
pro-arbitration approach, when the learned judge held that “I am in total
agreement … that there is a live Judicial Policy of ascribing priority to the
upholding of Arbitral Awards, by the regular Courts … and that there is a
narrow compass that attracts the Courts to override this Policy by setting
aside an Award. This argument is valid and pivotal for a Court to keep in mind
in this type of matters for reasons espoused in the Case Law”.

Notably, the incumbent Chief Justice of
Nigeria (CJN), recently issued a Directive [dated 26 May 2017] requesting all
heads of court in Nigeria to invoke their powers under the respective rules of
court, to issue Practice Directions in the following terms:

“1. That no court shall entertain an action
instituted to enforce a contract, claim, or damages arising from a breach
thereof, in which the parties have, by consent, included an arbitration clause
and without first ensuring that the clause is invoked and enforced.
2. The courts must insist on enforcement of
the arbitration clause by declining jurisdiction and award substantial costs
against parties engaged in the practice.
3. A party who institutes an action in
court to enforce breach of contract containing an arbitration clause without
first invoking the clause is, himself, in breach of the said contract and ought
not to be encouraged by the courts.”

The foregoing represents a significant
development in the arbitration practice in Nigeria and the Chief justice of
Nigeria should be commended for this pro-arbitration approach. Whilst the
Directive will have the effect of a soft law on the courts, the fear of
sanction against a judge who fails to comply will be a compliance pull towards
the observance of the Directive and appears to be the solution to the perennial
problem of courts refusing to abdicate jurisdiction where there is a clear-cut
agreement to arbitrate.

In the closing paragraph of the Directive,
his Lordship noted “…the time saving nature of an arbitration
proceeding encourages heightened commercial and economic activities and foreign
investments and therefore needs the support and encouragement of the
judiciary.” 
This is a good response to the backlash given to the Nigerian
judiciary by the English Court of Appeal in IPCO v. NNPC (No
3)
 [2015] EWCA Civ 1144 & 1145, where the court held that “Nigerian
judicial system has not kept pace with the need to give effect to the
principles underlying the New York Convention”

I believe the Directive will foster the
development of arbitration in Nigeria and is a good signal to foreign investors
on the pro-arbitration approach of our courts under the incumbent CJN’s
dispensation.

Abayomi Okubote 
PhD Candidate – International Arbitration, 
Queen’s University, Canada

Source – Linkedin 
Nature Of Matters Handled At The Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse (LMDC)

Nature Of Matters Handled At The Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse (LMDC)

The LMDC handles various types of cases. They include but are not
limited to the following;

·       
Banking disputes
·       
Business/Commercial
·       
Construction
·       
Maritime
·       
Telecommunication
·       
Energy
·       
Civil Rights
·       
Education
·       
Employment
·       
Matrimonial Causes
·       
Family Disputes
·       
Custody
·       
Insurance
·       
Intellectual Property/Technology
·       
Labour
·       
Personal Injury
·       
Product liability
·       
Professional liability
·       
Professional malpractice/negligence
·       
Real property
·       
Securities
·       
Shipping/Transportation
·       
Libel and slander
·       
Administration of Estate
·       
Accident and tort
·       
Medical negligence
·       
Contracts enforcement
·       
Small claims
·       
Landlord and Tenant amongst others
Mediation and other forms
of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) can NEVER replace the courts but should
be seen as part of the court system which is primarily aimed at resolving
disputes. ADR is achieving Justice by Consensus and the hope of the LMDC is
that only cases which should be in the courts get to the courts.

Footnotes:* Standing Conference
of Mediation Advocates (SCMA) *The Lagos Multi- Door Courthouse Law (LMDC)
2007* The LMDC Practice Direction on Mediation Procedure* The Multi Door
Courthouse Code of Ethics for Mediators* Guidelines For Enforcement Procedure
*Guidelines for Court referrals to Alternative Dispute Resolution *Principles
of Alternative Dispute Resolution by Stephen J.Ware *Effective Mediation
Advocacy by Andrew Goodman.*The Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse Neutrals’ Handbook.
Follow us on;
Facebook Page: fb.me/dmediationlawyeristng

Twitter: mediationlawng
For Lawyers – Should My Firm Outsource its Legal Case Files to Other Lawyers?

For Lawyers – Should My Firm Outsource its Legal Case Files to Other Lawyers?

This is a
question that is making the rounds in legal circles around the world lately.
Many firms have questions about their case files which keeps on piling and
piling upon each other, with few associates to work on them. In other words,
they are all overworked and need solutions. Fast.


ILLUSTRATION
KUA LP is a
commercial business advisory law firm in Lagos. It keeps getting newer clients
by the day because of its excellent legal services. It has seven lawyers, two
paralegals, a secretary, and other miscellaneous staff. However, even though it
is getting bigger clients who are in need of swift, top-notch legal service,
the lawyers of the firm are thoroughly overworked because of the amount of
files they have to handle. They know they need more lawyers, but they cannot
afford to start expanding their space to accommodate newer lawyers. They come
to work very early in the morning and leave very late, yet they are unable to handle
all their daily tasks. Some are furious with the senior partner, thinking of
quitting. They are not getting enough time with their families; they are not
taking care of themselves and spending time with their families even though
they make loads of money.

What should they do?

ANALYSIS
The
aforementioned scenario encapsulates the dilemma many busy law firms find
themselves in. There are more work than there are lawyers on hand to do the
work. They are groaning under the weight of work needed to be done. They are
burning out. And in case you don’t know the terrible effects of burnout, kindly
check out articles about professional burnout and the type of terrible problems
it can bring for people.

Still, it boils
down to this question: WHAT CAN THEY DO?

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
Legal
outsourcing may be the solution that can save their time and their lawyers from
going out of their minds. Law firms may get a lot of work to do but have little
manpower to do so. They may also not have enough funds to think of expansion.
They groan under the weight of their work. So, the solution would be to
outsource the legal work. Free themselves of the drudgery of having to do a lot
of the work themselves, thus leaving them free to handle the ones that truly
needs their attention.

FACT
There are many
lawyers living across Nigeria, some with extraordinary skill sets, who are
either unemployed, or seriously underemployed in firms that use their time and
pay them peanuts. Some of the lawyers sit around the office with little or
nothing to do. They want to be stimulated intellectually; they want to be
challenged. However, they do not find avenues that can challenge them fully.

SOLUTION
In the
foregoing, I have highlighted the two groups that legal outsourcing work can
easily benefit: overworked law firms and under-worked lawyers seeking for more
opportunities.

The solution is
to bring these two sets together.
The law firms
doesn’t have to hire those lawyers they are outsourcing their legal work to.
They are merely engaging them on short, contractual, work-by-work basis. They
get paid by their clients, forward the work to intellectually deserving
lawyers, pay those lawyers perhaps a fraction of what the clients pay in return
for great legal work, and the finished product is forwarded to the client. That
way, law firms are free to do their normal work, get more clients and make
great turnaround time on the briefs they handle, while not compromising on the
quality of work done and the health of the firm’s practitioners. They also
expand their circles and give other lawyers that opportunity to expand.

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS?
What if I give
the files to this lawyer and he absconds with it? What if they try to snatch my
client away? What if they ?????? The what-ifs are much, agreed.

SOLUTION TO THE POSSIBLE PROBLEMS
You can always
protect yourself. Besides that, it would be stupid for a lawyer handling a file
on an outsourced basis to try to take a client. After all, the client belongs
to the firm and had hired the firm to do its work because of the trust placed
on the firm. Not only that, there is a saying that you do not shit where you
eat. Since these outsourcing contracts can potentially lead to the financial
stability of the contract lawyer, it would be crazy for such a lawyer to try
anything funny. Also, it is unprofessional.

Finally, the
law firms can create a watertight contract of engagement agreement and throw in
terms that will protect the firm against unnecessary competition by throwing in
non-compete clauses and other protective shields. I have done this myself.

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
Law firms may
get a lot of work, but instead of overworking associates, legal outsourcing may
be the stunning solution. That way, the law firm does great work fast through
its contract lawyers and still retain the confidence of the clients. The
partners and the associates can also have some personal me-time on their hands
to attend to other matters and pressing issues without having to groan because
of the work of demanding clients that want their work done at the speed of
light.

Isn’t this a
great working solution for lawyers and legal service providers in Nigeria?
Wouldn’t it be great for lawyers to be able to work in collaboration with other
lawyers who may desperately need to be stimulated by certain work?
About the Author:

Kingsley
Ugochukwu Ani is a corporate lawyer with particular emphasis on IP, Real Estate
& IT areas. He can be reached on aniugochukwu@gmail.com
and +2347035074930. He is also a writer and business development strategist.

Photo Credit – Here
5 Emerging Trends in Estate Planning

5 Emerging Trends in Estate Planning

Estate planning is a pertinent factor to take into consideration for the
disposition of an estate upon the death of the owner. Because of the
unpredictability of beneficiaries and estate laws across states, it is necessary
for each person to plan their estate so as to forestall any unwanted issues
relating to its disposition upon their death. These trends will be discussed
below.


General Note: nobody can say with
certainty when they will die. You can just walk out of your house to go to the
gym and a car will knock you down, thus ending your life. Or you can die in
your sleep. This list is endless. So, because of the unpredictability of the
human condition, everyone needs to create estate plans to secure their estate.
These means are listed below.

Create a Lifetime Gift
Estate holders can easily create lifetime gifts of material possessions
and landed properties to their intended beneficiaries to enjoy same before
their death. Once done, these gifts will not be subject to probate and its
accompanying estate taxes since the title in the properties involved had
already passed to its intended beneficiaries and so does not form part of the
estate to admitted into probate for disposition and federal taxing purposes.
And you will also have the satisfaction that you passed on a particular gift to
the person you want to pass it on to and they can even enjoy it while you are
still alive.

Create a plan for your Digital Assets (if you have one)
Holders of “Digital Assets” now create a plan for it. Currently, assets
exist both in the physical and digital sphere. Bitcoin wallets (alongside other
emerging cryptocurrencies), e-money wallets, online stock accounts,
money-making blog and website accounts with their corresponding payment systems
and passwords, Paypal accounts, Skrill and Neteller accounts, are simply some
out of the huge species of Digital Assets that float around on the Internet.
And these can be potentially worth thousands
if not millionsof dollars. In planning estates, holders of such
assets can create a document which harmonizes the details of all these
accounts in one place and then possibly put such document under the care of a
trusted attorney so that potential beneficiaries can access them when the need
arises.

Create
Letters of Instruction
Although
estates originally involved the creation of wills and the inclusion of every
conceivable item to be handled as it pertains to a person’s estate, a new
current mode is fast encroaching on wills. Clients can now create letters of
instruction and leave them with their attorneys. This simplifies inheritance
instructions more easily as estate holders can use this to outline the mode the
person to dispose of their property will have to follow, put together a list of
all assets (whether tangible or intangible), and possibly add in any detail and
instructions he wishes for the executioners to follow in managing the estate.
Holders can even include personal messages to friends and family.

Create
an Estate Dynasty Trust
Estate
dynasty trusts is another way of easily securing an estate. This can be created
in order to pass wealth from generation to generation without incurring
transfers taxes like gift and estate tax. This can potentially last for more
than a hundred years. Usually, it is rich people who have a lot of assets that
plan their estate in this way to protect their accumulated wealth from being
used wastefully by wasteful dependents.

Estate
planning serves as a means for people to hand down their legacies to their
beneficiaries and also to possibly cut down the costs of estate taxes on their
estate. Taking note of emerging trends and regulatory changes aids in
accomplishing such an objective. Plus, you will be content that should anything
happen to you, your assets are protected and will be used in the way you want
them to be used.

About
the author:
Kingsley
Ugochukwu Ani is a corporate attorney with particular interest in Reals Estate,
IT & IP law. He is also a writer and business development strategist. He
can be reached on aniugochukwu@gmail.com
and +2347035074930

What Lawyers should note about the Lagos Multi-door Court House

What Lawyers should note about the Lagos Multi-door Court House



Important
Points To Note About The Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse (Lmdc) Especially For
Lawyers And Mediation Advocates (Ii)

ENFORCEMENT
OF SETTLEMENTS
·       
Section
16 of the LAGOS MULTI-DOOR COURTHOUSE (LMDC) 2007,
settlement
agreements reached at the LMDC and duly signed by the parties are enforceable
as contracts between the parties and when such agreements are further endorsed
by an ADR Judge, they become enforceable as judgments of the High Court of
Lagos State.

·       
Section
15(5) of the LAGOS MULTI-DOOR COURTHOUSE (LMDC) 2007
also
provides that, any Settlement Agreement or Memorandum of Understanding duly
signed by disputing parties shall upon being filed at the LMDC, be presented to
an ADR judge or any other person as directed by the Chief Judge, for enforcement
as the consent judgment of the High Court of Justice, Lagos State.
·       
Another interesting extension of the
enforcement provisions of the LAGOS
MULTI-DOOR COURTHOUSE (LMDC) 2007
Law is Section 4(1) b which allows Terms of Settlement and Memorandum of
Understanding reached by other ADR Organizations be filed at the LMDC and endorsed by the ADR Judge to
become the consent judgment of the High Court Of Lagos State.
·       
Such referrals to mediation under the
provision of the Law shall not require the consent of the parties to the
proceedings and after the Mediation session, the Mediator shall submit the
Mediation agreement to the High Court or Magistrate Court for endorsement and
enforcement within 3(three) days after execution by the parties.
Footnotes:* Standing
Conference of Mediation Advocates (SCMA) *The Lagos Multi- Door Courthouse Law
(LMDC) 2007* The LMDC Practice Direction on Mediation Procedure* The Multi Door
Courthouse Code of Ethics for Mediators* Guidelines For Enforcement Procedure
*Guidelines for Court referrals to Alternative Dispute Resolution *Principles
of Alternative Dispute Resolution by Stephen J.Ware *Effective Mediation
Advocacy by Andrew Goodman.*The Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse Neutrals’ Handbook.
Follow us on;
Facebook Page: fb.me/dmediationlawyeristng
Twitter: mediationlawng

How to make your wealth run in perpetuity

How to make your wealth run in perpetuity



Many people are worried about what to do with their
accumulated wealth. There are several cases of wasteful dependents squandering
the wealth of their benefactors once they come into possession of their
inheritance. Because of this, a lot of people are worried about how their
wealth will be spent after their deaths; they know that after they make their
Wills and those same Wills are read after their demise, they cease to have
control over the way their money will be spent after their death.


However, there are ways for a person to retain control
of his estate/legacy even after death. Create a Dynasty Trust.

What is a Dynasty Trust?
A Dynasty Trust is a long-term Trust that is created
by someone planning his/her estate specifically designed so that it can benefit
multiple generations of beneficiaries. This way, the wealth can practically run
in perpetuity. If and where created, the beneficiaries have no control over the
Trust property/investment; they are only entitled to shares of profits in line
with the instructions in the created Trust instrument.

Pertinent Facts to note about Estate Dynasty Trusts
1. Multiple generations of beneficiaries can benefit from
the proceeds of such a Trust as long as there are provisions about the line of
beneficiaries who will keep on inheriting.

2. They can outlive even the original
beneficiaries/descendants of a testator and pass onto even third generation
descendants, depending on the instructions enclosed in the  Trust instrument.

3. Trust properties can be excluded from the reach of
creditors since such Trust wealth is not the particular property of a
debtor/beneficiary. Thus, once a Dynasty Trust is created, the wealth infused
into such Trust automatically spills out of the estate of the Trust creator and
becomes a separate entity on its own. In other words, he can benefit from the
Trust but he does not own the property/wealth from which he enjoys.

4. Wealth can be protected from spendthrift beneficiaries
who may want to sell or mismanage the Trust property. After all, they can only
sell or mismanage something which is directly under their control.
Unfortunately, Dynasty Trust property is not under the control of any
beneficiary.

5. Dynasty Trusts can be funded with any assets which the
Trust owner has at his disposal as at the time of creating the Trust. However,
it is worthy to note that assets which can grow over time in value are the best
assets to be used for planning Dynasty Trusts. Eg: Landed property; up-growing
investments, etc.

6. Since Estate Dynasty Trusts are multi-generational, it
is always better to get a corporate Trustee to manage the Trust on behalf of
the beneficiaries. The reason is simply because corporations, unlike humans,
have no expiry date. In other words, corporations exist in perpetuity and even
if the original persons who had received the Dynasty Trust deed on behalf of
the corporation dies, others will automatically take over and continue with the
administration of the Trust estate.

Preservation of Family Wealth through Dynasty Trusts
If, when, and where such a Trust is created, it will
automatically serve to preserve the wealth which a person has accumulated in
his lifetime. To this effect, no particular child or beneficiary of the creator
of the Trust can lay hold of any property designated as part of the Dynasty
Trust as his own personal property. So, even if a beneficiary wants to sell,
use, or otherwise want to give out property which is the subject of an estate
Dynasty Trust, they can’t. The property will remain tied up for however long
the Trust creator wants it to be (this will be done subject to the laws against
perpetuity in the state of the Trust creator because no Trust can really run in
perpetuity; the Common Law rule against perpetuity). so, if a person wants to
preserve wealth for multiple generations, then Dynasty Trusts would be the
ideal answer to achieve this.
How Long Can An Estate Legacy Trust last?

Generally, such a Trust, if and where created in the
course of the estate planning by a person, cannot last forever. The reason is
because of the Common Law Rule against Perpetuity. Nothing created under the
Common (English) Law (for Common Law practitioners), can last forever. It must
have a specific duration, and this may be influenced by the applicable laws of
the jurisdiction where the Trust is being created.

Generally, where this Trust is created, it will end
twenty years after the death of the last beneficiary of the original Trust. Or,
it can be any other term, the point being that the properties must become disposable
after the passage of a certain period of time. But, depending on jurisdiction
and relaxation of policies, a Trust can last for a period of up to three
hundred years after the death of the creator of the Trust instrument. Terms of
the Trust will be instrumental in making this so.

Should I consider such a Trust?
If you want to leave a legacy for your future
generations, not just properties, then the answer is yes. The reason is because
of its long-term applicability as against properties bequeathed to
beneficiaries in a Will instrument of which ownership passes to the
beneficiaries who can then use the properties in the way they deem fit.

Who can create an Estate Dynasty Trust for me?
In order to get such a Trust, it is pertinent to hire
an estate attorney who has the legal and technical know-how to handle the
crafting of a Dynasty Trust that will encompass the vision of the settlor
leaving the legacy for his family.

Things to Note in Dynasty Trust
creation
Ø  A seasoned estate attorney
Ø  A knowledge of applicable laws
Ø  The Trust itself
Ø  Terms of the Trust couched in such a way as to
maximize the time for the enjoyment of the Trust interests before they become
alienable.
Ø  The Trustee to be appointed (in most cases this is
usually assets management companies or perhaps any firm with expertise in
handling wealth). As aforementioned, it is better to appoint a corporate
trustee over a individual person.
Ø  Trust manager
Ø  The beneficiaries and the chain to be followed after
the death of the original beneficiaries to the Trust.
End Note
If you want to expand your legacy, then a Dynasty
Trust may be just the right instrument that can bring that plan to light. It is
one of the major factors a wealthy estate owner can easily consider when
planning the dissolution of his estate subsequently.
© by Kingsley
Ugochukwu Ani L.P.
All Rights Reserved. This article is meant for
personal/academic purposes, not commercial use by the readers.
About the Author:

Kingsley
Ugochukwu Ani Esq. Is a corporate lawyer with particular emphasis on real
estate, IP & IT areas of law. He is also a content writer and a business
development strategist. He can be reached on aniugochukwu@gmail.com and
+2347035074930.

Passage Of The Chief Imam Of Lagos State, Late Sheikh Garuba Ibrahim Akinola | Gbenga Ashafa

It is with a heavy heart but in total
submission to the will of Almighty Allah that I received the news of the
passage of the Chief Imam of Lagos State, late Sheikh Garuba Ibrahim Akinola
who passed away on Sunday, the 24th of September, 2017 at the
age of 79.

The Late Sheikh was a good man who lived an
exemplary life in service of Almighty Allah and our dear Lagos State. He was
not only a religious leader but also a spiritual father and role model to many
Nigerians. His courageous sermons which revealed an in-depth knowledge of Islam
would remain a lasting legacy for generations to come. 
I enjoyed the benefit of having a
relationship with him since the period I served at the Lands bureau Lagos State
where his constant prayers and wise counsel until the time of his death
remained a source of support and encouragement to me.
Considering the positive impact he has made
in many lives, I am confident to state that his death is not just a loss to the
people of Lagos State but to the Muslim Umah as a whole and as such he would be
dearly missed.
While my heart and prayers remain with his
family members at this time of grief, it is my prayer that Almighty Allah grant
the gentle soul Aljannah Firdaus. Amin.