1.The entire 1981 Class of the Nigeria Law School (81 Setters) felicitates with your Lordship, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, CJN, GCON,on your graceful retirement as the 19th Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

2.We are very proud of your Lordship’s remarkable achievements and exemplary leadership of the Nigerian Judiciary as the Chief Justice of Nigeria ( CJN) in the past two years. You are a worthy Ambassador of our Class and we all take collective pride in the fact that you are one of us.

3.Right from our days back at the Victoria Island, Lagos Campus of the Nigeria Law School, you had left no one in doubt that you were destined for the topmost echelon of the legal profession through the judiciary.Your dedication to duty, maturity, integrity and focus have always defined you.

As a State Counsel in the Oyo State Ministry of Justice, you distinguished yourself by your industry and diligence. In the High Court of Oyo State, your Lordship succeeded in laying the foundation for a sterling judicial career as a brilliant and incorruptible Judge. At the Court of Appeal, your Lordship exemplified the excellent virtues of an outstanding Justice whose primary concern was nothing but the doing of justice to all manners of people,irrespective of tribe, gender,station in life,religion or language.

Your Lordship’s elevation to the Supreme Court in 2011 therefore did not come to us as a surprise, for it was a further confirmation of your track record as a trailblazer. Our Class was therefore delighted when your Lordship was appointed the Chief Justice of Nigeria in 2022, a position that was richly earned. In the short span of just two remarkable years in the saddle, your administration as the Chief Justice of Nigeria was action-packed, reformative, innovative, and eventful.

As your Lordship takes a well deserved bow on your retirement from the Bench as prescribed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, we are proud of the fact that you are leaving behind a stronger Judiciary, a united Supreme Court and a well-funded Bench. The passage of the Bill for an Act to Prescribe the Salaries, Allowances and Fringe Benefits of Judicial Office Holders in Nigeria and for Related Matters, the enactment of the Supreme Court Rules, 2024, the historical attainment of the full complement of 21 Justices for the Supreme Court, the landmark decisions of the apex court,and many more,all speak volumes of the evergreen legacies of your Lordship’s outstanding administration. There is no doubt that your leadership and commitment to justice have left an indelible mark on our nation’s legal landscape.

On behalf all all our 1981 Classmates.( 81 Setters), I congratulate your Lordship and I wish you a blissful retirement in good health and with peace that passeth all understanding.

Prof. Mike A.A. Ozekhome, SAN, CON,0 OFR, FCIArb, LL.M, MA,PhD, LL.D, D.Litt, D.Sc, DA,JD, DHL.

CHAIRMAN.