YENAGOA – Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State on Monday led top government officials and political leaders to celebrate the conferment of the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on two distinguished sons of the state, Fedude Zimughan and Preye Agedah.
The duo were among the 57 new SANs sworn in by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, at the Supreme Court in Abuja earlier in the day. Their elevation marks the first time since the creation of Bayelsa 29 years ago that two indigenes attained the rank in the same year.
Speaking at a reception held in their honour, Governor Diri described the conferment as another milestone in the history of the state, bringing the total number of SANs from Bayelsa to 11. He noted that while some local government areas had produced multiple SANs, others were yet to be represented, urging lawyers across the state to aspire for the prestigious legal title.
“This is a historic day for Bayelsa. From nothing after the creation of our state, we now have 11 SANs,” Diri said. “Fedude Zimughan is from my mother’s local government, Ekeremor, which has now produced four SANs, while Preye Agedah, my secondary school classmate, is the first from my father’s local government, Kolokuma/Opokuma. This shows that God perfects everything in His time.”
The governor challenged legal practitioners in Yenagoa and Southern Ijaw to strive for elevation, stressing that the state has the talent and capacity to produce more senior advocates in the coming years. “It is not rocket science. We have people with the brains and wherewithal to attain such heights. Let us be seen to be lifting one another rather than pulling ourselves down,” he added.
Present at the ceremony were the state Chief Judge, Justice Matilda Ayemieye, National Assembly members from Bayelsa, former minister Alaowei Broderick Bozimo and his wife, Justice Roseline Bozimo, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Biriyai Dambo (SAN), as well as top political and judicial figures.
Governor Diri congratulated Zimughan and Agedah, urging them to remain good ambassadors of Bayelsa and the legal profession.
