'Who Seats Where?" By Adesina Ogunlana

I was not there. But then I was also there. You see wherever a gecko is, there also my spirit is. So I was there when a mild but important drama happened in the court of Honourable Justice Ojikutu-Oshode on Wednesday 18th February 2009.
The drama involved two lawyers and one judge. Since only one judge sits at the High Court, the identity of the judge in question is obvious.
The first lawyer is a very senior member of the legal profession, actually a house-hold name – Chief G.O.K Ajayi S.A.N. The second lawyer is a state counsel.
As we all know, State Counsel especially those in Lagos and not properly advised, love sitting in the inner-bars of the courts. However according to my source, the lady lawyer in question used to come over to the inner-bar to sit mostly on the invitation of another well known lawyer, Alhaji Femi Okunnu S.A.N, who was in the same matter with Chief Ajayi.
On the 18th February 2009, Chief G.O.K Ajayi was in Justice Ojikutu-Oshode’s court. The lady state counsel was equally present. As usual, the lady soon found herself a spot in the inner bar to sit.
Chief Ajayi on this very occasion raised an objection to her presence in the inner bar, since she was not a silk. To Chief Ajayi’s surprise however, the judge said it was within her ladyship discretion to allow Counsel to sit in the inner bar, even when no silk.

A miffed Chief Ajayi demurred but the honourable judge insisted on her point, where upon Chief Ajayi moved his noble presence from the inner bar and chose a spot in the outer bar to carry on his work.

The great man’s silent and dignified protest was effective, destablising the composure of both the presiding judge and the “upstart” state counsel. The lady counsel, as if stung, packed her bags hastily and moved of the narrow corridor of privilege to the wide expanse of the commonality of the outer bar where she properly belonged.
Noticing her compliance, Chief Ajayi, as gentle as ever came back to the inner bar.
All this drama took place under six minutes. Moral: you don’t need to raise your voice to make a point.
N.B:
1. A registrar of the Ojikutu-Oshode court, has related an official version of the drama to one of our geckos. According to the gentleman, the state counsel was invited to the inner bar, only for the purpose of using the microphone mounted there (for electronic recording) and that once Chief Ajayi protested, the honourable presiding judge directed the state counsel to vacate the inner bar. I take that for what it was – an official version.
Well, in gecko land official versions of any event are eaten with large spoonfuls of salt.
2. for those who may not know of all counsel in our Ministries of Justice only the Honourable Attorneys-General, Solicitors-General, and Directors of Public Prosecution, silk or no, that can sit in the inner bars of our courts.