Festschrift on Yusuf Ali

The collection of crème de la crème of the society that gathered at the prestigious Ladi Kwali Hall recently, says a lot about the man Yusuf Ali, SAN. The battery of distinguished Nigerians came from various walks of lives covering: religions, royalty, community, legal, government, association, academia, professional, sport, commercial and industrial leaders as well as politics. They gathered to honour an obedient servant of Allah, a man of wisdom, humility personified, a colossus of the Nigeria judicial landscape, and a quintessential gentleman.

The occasion was the public presentation of a two-book volume: Two Decades of Forensic Advocacy at the Inner Bar – A Festschrift in Honour of Yusuf Ali.   Professor Wahab Egbewole, had this to say, as part of his welcome address; This project informed by our perception of the honouree as a person, whose work must be showcased for the upcoming generation to learn and be inspired from. The introduction on the book reads: Whilst it is the initiative of professional colleagues to honour one of their best, the books also serve not to only documents the lofty heights to which Yusuf Ali, SAN has attained in his chosen profession, but also the indelible mark and the legacy he has stamped on the Legal Profession in Nigeria.

A Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice M. Ogunwumiju, who represented, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, at the occasion described Ali; as a gentleman, who has shown the depth, of knowledge, creativity, erudition and research in his briefs, thus becoming an exemplary lawyer and intellectual powerhouse, with the mark of diligence and excellence.  He concluded, “I always admire the level of work that goes into what they do in his Chambers.” In a remark, Mr Olumide Akpata, the president of the Nigerian Bar Association, described the book presentation as the NBA’s proud moment. He posited “Ali’s enviable and impactful life in the legal profession has challenged all of us on the need to play our parts in nation-building. In the life of every great lawyer, there is this compelling need to contribute useful materials of this nature to inspire the younger generation of lawyers.”