The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abeokuta Branch, has elected Kayode Aderemi as its new chairman.
Adeyemi, while accepting the new responsibility, described the mandate given to him by members of the Abeokuta Bar as sacred trust, which he and his team would not take for granted.
He stated this while assuming office alongside other members of the new executive.
He appealed to members of the branch to rally behind the new leadership for the progress of the association.
The new helmsman has also promised to run an inclusive and accountable leadership.
While speaking on the state of the nation, the new chairman condemned the recent massacre in Benue State, calling it a gross violation of the rule of law and sanctity of human life.
Aderemi urged lawyers under the Abeokuta NBA to focus on the purity of the exco’s intentions rather than occasional slip-ups in action.
“I was raised to see leadership as a call to serve. I understand fully that it is a privilege, not a right.
“In the course of our two-year tenure, we may err because we are humans. But I plead that we be judged by our sincere intentions and not by our mistakes,” he said.
He also extended a conciliatory hand to other contestants in the just-concluded election, praising them for their courage and commitment to the bar.
“To those of us who contested but did not win, you are my heroes. I do not see myself as better than you by any standard. Please, let us unite and uplift the Abeokuta Bar,” he added.
Aderemi further thanked elders, senior members, and colleagues at the bar for entrusting him with the responsibility of leadership, promising to uphold the dignity of the branch and pursue excellence in its affairs
While condemning the massacre in Guma and Logo Local Government Areas of Benue State, the chairman described the killings as “barbaric and primitive.”
“The rule of law is the bedrock of democracy and the guarantee of human rights. But in its absence, impunity reigns.
“That is exactly what we are witnessing with the Benue massacre.
“The brazen, barbaric slaughter of scores of humans in Benue is condemned in the strongest terms. It sets us back to primitive times when lives did not matter. This is unacceptable.” he said.
Aderemi further emphasised that Nigeria, as a democratic society, must continue to evolve through peaceful and legal channels of conflict resolution rather than extrajudicial killings.