Filmmaker, Ayo Shonaiaya, was today November 27th, called to the Nigerian bar. The prolific movie maker who trained as a Lawyer in the UK, announced his graduation from the Nigerian Law School this evening. He shared this photo of himself in his robe and wrote;
”One thing I realised in Nigeria is, nobody cares if you’re a UK Lawyer for 19yrs, you are NOT a Lawyer in Nigeria until you go to the Nigerian Law School, Pass the Nigerian Bar Exam and get Called to the Nigerian Bar! Well, today I did just that. Started in Bwari in the FCT (Bar1), then proceeded to the Law School Lagos Campus (Bar2), studied very hard, showered with cold water on Campus, attended classes everyday (sometimes till 7pm!), served Externship in Court and Chambers for 3 months and survived 2 health scares. But in the end, today I thank God, my wife & children (my greatest joy and supporters club), my Mum, my brothers and sisters, my friends, my mother inlaw Felicia, my children “in Law” Ire and Foza, fellow students, Lecturers, my guys (awon temi) non-academic staff at Lagos Campus, Life Benchers who signed my form, and of course MYSELF, for pushing myself against all odds to do this.
Why did I do this? 2 reasons: (1) To initiate legal reform in some areas of Law in Nigeria, especially Entertainment Law, and (2) Never to disappoint my children in anything I do, as they all believe I’m the coolest Dad in the world! Now that I am officially a Nigerian Lawyer, we start work next week. From now on, whatever you see me do, say or initiate in the Legal space in Nigeria, just know that I’ve been working on this for a long time and it is for the ultimate good of this Country. Thank you very much, e se gan ?
