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Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Femi Fani-Kayode, has dissociated himself from the purported conferment of the Senior Counsel of Nigeria (SCN), also known as Blue Silk, designation on him by the Nigerian Law Society (NLS).
His position was conveyed in a statement issued on Friday by his Special Assistant on Media, Lizzy Okoji, who described the development as an unfortunate administrative misjudgment.
She insisted that Fani-Kayode neither authorised nor approved its acceptance. She explained that her principal’s representation at the event by members of his staff did not amount to his personal endorsement or acceptance of the designation.
According to the statement, his staff attended the event following an invitation sent to his office by the society in the course of his official engagements.
It said the circumstances surrounding the representation and subsequent communication of acceptance were regrettable and occurred without any intention to misrepresent Fani-Kayode’s personal position or professional convictions.
The statement also raised concerns about the legal and professional implications of the purported conferment, particularly in relation to the statutory framework regulating the legal profession in Nigeria and relevant judicial pronouncements on the conferment of professional ranks outside the established legal framework.
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It said Fani-Kayode regarded the issues with utmost seriousness and respect for the rule of law.
The statement stressed that, as a legal practitioner of more than 41 years’ standing, the ambassador would not knowingly engage in any act capable of violating the law, undermining the integrity of the legal profession or bringing it into disrepute.
It also cited his family background, noting that he came from a distinguished lineage of three generations of legal practitioners and remained committed to upholding the law, professional ethics and the established traditions of the legal profession.
Fani-Kayode, according to the statement, unequivocally repudiated the purported conferment, and maintained that neither his representation at the event nor any communication made on his behalf should be interpreted as his personal endorsement or acceptance of the SCN designation.
The statement said the clarification was intended to formally establish his position, dispel misconceptions arising from the incident and reaffirm his commitment to the rule of law, professional ethics and the dignity of the legal profession.
