When it comes to the issue of Lawyers and their health, we all must stop shying away from the reality. Year 2017 ending and beginning of year 2018 were terrifying to say the least. Take a few moment to consider these deaths: Justice Bashir Sukola of Kaduna State High Court; Hon. Justice A.C Chioma of Abia State High Court, Ikechukwu Ikeji Esq.; Oby Nwankwo; Justice Aromeh Benson Akogwu of Kogi State High Court; Chief Francis F. Egele SAN. The list is far from being exhaustive. Young, healthy, vibrant and very hardworking lawyers. Some reportedly worked the previous day or the day they died. Indeed we are not God but being healthy and strong one moment and dead the next calls for a serious rethink.
Lawyers all over the world overwork themselves and paying lip service to their health! this is the bitter truth. Let us take our health seriously. I am not sure how best to say this anymore. I adopt Oladeji Banjamin Olalekan’s adoption of Mobolaji Ojibara’s message to lawyers below:
What are you doing with your health?
How do you rate your health stamina?
When last did you go for medical check up to examine your body?
The admonition of DR. Mobolaji Ojibara (MIO) is succinct!
And so ahead of the upcoming NBA conference coming up in Lagos, I decided to service my car. Engine oil #6K , oil filter #5K , labour and diagnostic cost #10K. To cap it all I just filled the gas tank up with about #15K . Total cost #36K!
So on my way back to the office, a terrible thought began to form in my mind. I asked myself, how much have I spent this year to service my body? We have lost a couple of our colleagues to the cold hands of death. Some only complained of toothache and some of slight headache and then death struck! A young serving female lawyer died in Ilorin just a few weeks back after preparing amala for her husband the previous night, no headache, no toothache, she just slumped and died.
For how long will we keep thinking all is well with our health in spite of all odds? We read all day, running from High Court to the Court of Appeal, through to the Supreme Court. We drive through dust at times, inhale all kind of unclean air, sometimes dinking some water we don’t know the source, face computer and phone with our eyes everyday, exposed to phone radiation every hour and on and on and on.
If my car could gulp over #30K [Note: if you are like my rich friends who use Mandilas services, your case is different ….] at an instant just for fine tuning, don’t we think we deserve to diagnose and upgrade our systems.
Now who is doing the tough job, you or your car?
When last did you check up your system my dear 40yr and above old friends? Check your eyes, ears, vital organs like heart, liver and lungs. Check your cholesterol, blood-sugar level and do random urine analysis before you go for that conference. It could make A difference.
By Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara
What an epic thought from a natural leader who cares beyond parochial interest! I just love MIO.
MIO’s comment: Please let us pay more attention to our health irrespective of our age. This death thing does not seem to recognize age! The female colleague I referred to in my post is a serving female youth Corp member in the office of Yusuf Ali SAN in Ilorin. She was just starting her life!
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