In the Lagos State Judiciary, a major challenge has recently been resolved, determination of when courts would or would not sit. How? A young man decided to use his brain and phone.
Tolani Rafiu is a Legal Practitioner who works as Legal Officer in the Lags State Ministry of Justice. He is a very intelligent counsel, brave, bold, firm, fair, energetic, resourceful and forthright.
Few weeks ago, Tolani created a Wats App Group for ALL Registrars of the Lagos State High Court. The platform is dedicated to the Registrars to serve as a means of disseminating information to counsel. Since the business of the court is for the court to sit on every judicial day, all that is expected of counsel is to visit the platform and see if there is a notification from the Registrar of the Court. If the court would not sit, the Registrar would have the notice on the platform at least 12 hours before the next judicial day (depending on the administrative schedules of the Judge). This laudable initiative has brought to an end the uncertainties lawyers in Lagos State face whenever they proceed to court (High Courts) for the day’s business.
Indeed, the Registrars and Lawyers Forum created by Tolani is not the first feather he got to his judicial hat. He is the Admin of the Lawyers Forum, a leading Wats App Group where legal issues (exclusively) are discussed. Tolani has been able to bring to bare his intellectual dexterity in the management of the group. The group boasts of Life benchers, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, erudite Professors of Law and Legal Luminaries. It probably would take only a Tolani to house these Legal Luminaries in one group with such harmony and comradeship, without losing the essence of the group. Lawyers Forum is the only WatsApp Group in Nigeria where THE ONLY THING DISCUSSED are legal issues.
In his foresight and visionary prowess, the Law and Society group was also created where the true essence of law is discussed, social engineering.
With these groups and some more which may not be immediately known, Tolani has isolated himself from the average Legal Mind whose turf is in identifying challenges and impossibilities. They do not see anything good in any situation and they are not willing to lift a finger towards achieving a possible solution to the apparent problems they have identified.
If only the judiciary has more of Tolani Rafiu, we may be heading towards Eldorado.
… and the NBA constitution prevents the likes of Tolani from contesting elective post into the NBA because they are not in “private practice”!!!