Covid-19: Many lawyers will take to entrepreneurship – Oshiniwe

Anthonia Oshiniwe began his journey as a professional lawyer first with the Kwara State Polytechnic when he went for Diploma in Law from 2000 to 2002. She later obtained Higher National Diploma (HND) certificate in Public Administration in the same institution from 2003 to 2005. She later proceeded to the University of Ilorin for her PGD in 2005 and graduated in 2007 before going for her Masters Degree in Strategic Studies from University of Ilorin between 2007 and 2009. Oshiniwe, however, returned to study Law in 2012 at the same University and graduated in 2016. She went to the Nigerian Law School in 2017 and was called to Bar that same year. A prominent member of the Kwara State chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), she shares her views on the issue of practitioners surviving the Covid-19 period among other issues of interest in the polity in this WhatsApp interview with ACTING EDITOR, MUMINI ABDULKAREEM. Excerpts:
The legal practitioners have been going through torrid times just like their counterparts in other sectors because of the ravaging pandemic. How has the survival been for the junior lawyers?
Well, I will say the young lawyers are not exempted from the challenges thrust upon the country by the pandemic just like their counterparts in other sectors and even senior colleagues. But by and large, I must say it’s quite challenging a period for the nation at large and we just have to live with it because it’s already here with us.
With the present situation of things, how do you see the outlook for the year and what do you think is the way forward?
For now nobody knows what the year has in stock for us as we have just exhausted the first few months of the year. But what is apparent is that things are no longer the same in terms of how the stream of our finances has been affected. Recently I see a lot of young lawyers venturing into entrepreneurship and I think that’s the way forward now for many young lawyers including even senior ones.
As a FIDA staff, what is your view about the rampant cases of rape in Kwara and what do you think can be done to curb it?
Cases of rape are now so alarming and the main reason is because we don’t prosecute as we ought to. When there’s a case of rape, most of it doesn’t even go beyond the security agent. This is because families wade in to plead and they eventually opt to settle it out of court. The ones that manage to get to court also face the same fate. The parents of the victim (where it’s a minor) or the victim herself (as an adult) suddenly wants to withdraw. This is because there are pressures everywhere and the delay in investigation and court proceedings also makes the complainant tired. The way forward is to make sure those accused are prosecuted timely and also there should be continuous advocacy and sensitization in the society. That is the issue.