Oshaji Blessing Temitope is a lawyer based in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital. She bagged her LL.B from Kogi State University in 2015. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2017. Temitope did her NYSC as a state counsel with the Ministry of Justice, Ibadan, Oyo State. She is presently with Olasehinde Adeseko, Ephraim Chambers, in Ilorin. She shares with ABIODUN BOLUJOKO her unforgettable experience.
My most memorable day was the day I was asked to go to court and handle matter single-handedly. Then, I was a corps member, serving in Ibadan.
On that fateful day, my principal gave me two case files to handle but surprisingly, I saw ten cases on the cause list which were to be handled by the state.
As a new wig, I did not know what to do. I put a call through to my principal who didn’t pick up, I became confused.
Later, I summoned courage. I successfully handled the first two cases for which I had the files. When the third and fourth cases were called, I said, ‘My Lord, I don’t have the case files here and for the fourth and fifth cases too.
The Judge flared up and started raining insults on me saying “What kind of a lawyer are you that don’t come to court with case files, what have you come to do in court then? This is not a market place where you buy and sell, you are supposed to be learned”.
That I will “call baptism of fire”. I felt very bad that my eyes was full of tears, but thank God for my eye glasses that shielded the tears.
I started pleading that the remaining cases should remain like that. She got fed up and asked me to pick a date and come back. I picked a date and went back to the office depressed, demoralised and destabilised. I told myself, if this is what the practice is all about, then I’m not set for it.
I went back to the same court the following day and a similar incident almost happen again, so I quickly said ” my Lord, I am a Corps member”. She said, ” oh I’m sorry “. Since then, I never forget my case files again.
