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We have heard of the great strides of late Chief Gani Fawehinmi,SAN, Femi Falana,SAN, Ebun Adegboruwa,SAN and many other great human rights activists. For the past few years, i have been monitoring Kunle Edun from a close quarter. His passion to help the less privileged and fight for the oppressed is commendable. The first duty of a lawyer is to be a change agent and public advocate for good governance.
Kunle Edun has been doing a lot with all the cases that he has filed against government institutions since the past 7 years. He is one of the few lawyers that frontally challenge government impunity without mincing words. He has won many of such cases while others are at the appellate level. All these he has done pro bono.
The bar needs selfless leaders like Kunle Edun and i consider the office of the Welfare Secretary as the most appropriate for him now. He has the capacity for new ideas and innovations. I would rather support a candidate whose track records fit into the office he is contesting, than just support any person just because the only credential the person has is that he is a humble and likeable.
The Nigerian Bar Association is in challenging times and we need men of passion, verve and courage to do the work. Kunle Edun has done very well as the National Publicity Secretary and i believe that he would also do more as the National Welfare Secretary.
The cases below are public interest cases, to develop our laws and the society.
1) Suit No. W/437/2013: Olukunle Edun vs. Gov. Delta State & Ors..first judgment to uphold and make applicable the provisions of the FOI Act,2015 to Delta State.
2) Suit No. UHC/186/2014: Olukunle Edun vs. Gov. Delta State & Ors. Successfully obtained judgment restraining VIOs from stopping private vehicles on the road and declared the issuance of Road Worthiness Certificate to private vehicle owners as unlawful. This case was actually commenced as a result of the numerous complaints of lawyers being stopped on the road by VIOs.
3) Suit No.W/01/2015: Okiroro Iki Ebieroma Esq. vs. Gov. Delta State. An unsuccessful attempt to declare as unconstitutional the restriction of movement of persons and vehicles on envirinmental sanitation days in Delta State. The appeal on this case is pending at the SC.
4) CA/B/378/2016: Olukunle Edun v. Gov. Delta State. Unsuccessful attempt to challenge the constitutionality and also stop the humongous sums and benefits being given to former Governors and Deputy Governors of Delta State as pensions and gratuity. Both the trial court and Court of Appeal held that the Claimant lacked the requsite locus standing. Appeal now pending at the SC.
5) Suit No.W/377/2015: Olukunle Edun vs. Gov. Delta State. Successfully obtained judgment under the FOI Act, 2015 demanding for information from the Delta State government regarding the 13% derivation receipts.
6) Suit No. FHC/WR/CS/90/2017: Darlington Ugo Ehirim Esq. v. FRSC. Successfully obtained judgment for a member of the NBA Warri wherein the FHC declared that the FRSC has no right to carry out their operations on roads belonging to States and municipal governments.
7) Suit No.W/256/2016: Frederick Tuoyo Egbe Esq. v. Chief Registrar, Delta State High Court. Lead counsel in unsuccessfully challenging the unilateral and unlawful imposition of court filing fees by the Governor of Delta State without complying with the provisions of the High Court Law. Matter now at the CA.
8) Suit No.W/386/2014: Michael Ukusare Esq & Ors v. Delta State House of Assembly. Lead counsel in another successful action under the FOI Act, 2015 pursued under the auspices of NBA Warri.
9) Suit No. FHC/ASB/CS/14/2017: Tareri Avwomakpa Esq. v. DG, DSS: Successful action challenging the unlawful remand of the Plaintiff (a lawyer) by the DSS.
10) Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/281/2019: Olukunle Edun vs. (1)Code of Conduct Burea(2) Mr. Danladi Umar. Pending action challenging the refusal of the Defendants to honour an FOI request for the assets and liabilities declarations of Mr. Mr. Danladi Umar.
There are more than 20 other pro bono public interest cases and appeals pending at the various High Courts, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court ,all bordering on the rule of law and pursuit of legal remedies for lawyers whose rights have/had been infringed upon.
Kelechi Nwosu
