The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ado Ekiti Branch, yesterday, April 23, 2012, started its annual Law Week with the 2nd Aare Afe Babalola Lecture, titled: Law, Security and Social Order in Contemporary Nigeria; delivered by the Deputy Governor of Delta State, Prof. Amos Agbe Utuama (SAN), a Professor of Law.
Delivering his welcome address, the Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ado Ekiti Branch, Barrister Owoseni Ajayi, said the central theme of this year’s Law Week was arrived at for obvious reasons. According to him, apart from retaining some specific events on the maiden edition of last year, other interesting, educative and professionally rewarding new programmes have been added to that of this year. He said highlights of such new programmes include Moot and Mock Trial Competition between students of Afe Babalola University College of Law and students of Ekiti State University, Faculty of Law. Barr. Owoseni appreciated the untiring efforts of the Founder and President Emeritus, Afe Babalola University, Aare Afe Babalola for his financial and logistic support not only for the success of this Law Week, but ensuring that the Ado Ekiti Branch of the NBA competes favourably with, if not better than other branches.
In his opening remarks, the former Minister of Education and Ambassador to Germany, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, said the NBA, Ado Ekiti Branch, is a virile Association doing all it could to put right the wrongs in the Nigerian society. He commended the Association for its initiative and the pensive choice of this year’s theme and the Guest Lecturer, Prof. A.A. Utuama. The Chairman congratulated Aare Afe Babalola. He without reservation said Aare Afe Babalola is the right man to be so honoured by the Association in Nigeria.
Delivering the lecture, Law, Security and Social Order in Contemporary Nigeria, the Guest 
Lecturer, Prof Utuama stated some measures that could help strengthening our laws, security, institutions as well as social order in view of the contemporary security challenges Nigeria as a country is facing. According to him, “We must embark on deliberate Constitutional review that will enable constituent States of the Federation gain more control of their respective resources subject to payment of taxes to the Federal Government for common services and facilities….Genuine devolution of powers from the Federation to the States in order to quicken our developmental efforts. This will remove the feeling of marginalization which is pervasive throughout the country under the present Constitution. The Police must be strengthened, re-trained, re-oriented, and also decentralized. In every state, the Police should be assisted by neighourhood watch, that is, a system allowing organized groups of people to prevent crimes. In other words, the vigilante groups, where they exist, need to be re-trained for intelligence gathering only and put under the effective control and supervision of the police…” Prof. Utuama therefore said, the suggestions will improve the lives of our people who are living in almost sub-human existence in condition of abject poverty and fear due to the high incidence of insecurity and for whom life is one long unbroken story of want and destitution.
Responding, the Honoree, Aare Afe Babalola praised the Guest Lecturer, Prof. Utuama for putting up such intellectual product even in his tight schedule as the number two citizen of Delta State; and for addressing the issue of security in Nigeria. Aare also commended the efforts of the NBA for the organization of the programme, the choice of the right topic at this period in Nigeria and the preference for Prof. Utuama, a professor of law. Aare who spoke in retrospective said the pedagogical aspect of law was a thing of reliability during the presence of white lawyers. As he stated, learning was deep then, but now things have taken a downward slope; there is a gradual decline in the system. Aare therefore charged all the Senior Advocates in Nigeria to maintain the standard and qualities as these would enhance the rule of law in Nigeria. He said the survival of Nigeria depends greatly on the members of the Bar and the sustenance of the rule of law.
In his response, the Chairman of the occasion, Prof Tunde Adeniran, commended the intellectual prowess of the Guest Lecturer for putting up such a wonderful lecture. He appreciated the NBA for organizing such a befitting and thought-provoking lecture. He said the lecture addressed the legal process and the state of security in Nigeria. He advised that the legal process in Nigeria should be used to right the wrong of the past and create a new social order. He therefore appealed to members of the NBA to maintain the administration of peace for if there would be peace in Nigeria, this will depend on those charged with the duties of the administration of justice.
Responding on behalf of the Governor of Ekiti State, the Head of Service, Hon. Yemi Adaramodu, who represented the Governor, said Aare Afe Babalola is a man that we cannot fathom his generosity. As he stated, the NBA, Ado Ekiti Branch made the right choice in Aare Afe Babalola. He thanked Aare Afe Babalola for establishing ABUAD in Ekiti State. He said ABUAD has helped the State in a lot of ways. He congratulated the NBA for the prominent roles they have been playing in the state. He said the roles of the Bar and delivery of justice in Nigeria is paramount.
Other activities for that day were the donation of Law books on American Jurisdiction by Adebanji Dada, the Promoter of Advocates of Rule of Law and Human Dignity Foundation and erstwhile Student Union President, University of Ibadan. And presentation of an award, Eminent Lawyer Award to the Guest Lecturer, the Deputy Governor, Delta State, Prof. A.A. Utuama.