Olumuyiwa Jibowu

Sir Olumuyiwa Jibowu
Born	Abeokuta
Died	01 June 1959 Ibadan
Education	Abeokuta Grammar School and Oxford University
Occupation	Jurist
Spouse	Mrs Celia Jibowu(nee Alakija)deceased; Lady Deborah Jibowu-MBE
Children	Mrs Olufemi Esua(deceased); Chief Olufunmi Jibowu(deceased); Mrs Oluyinka Awogboro; Dr Bunmi Jibowu(deceased); Professor Taiwo Lawoyin; Mrs Funso Taiwo & Mr Ayo Jibowu
Parents	Mr Samuel Alexander Jibowu and Mrs Mary Jibowu

Olumuyiwa Jibowu (August 26, 1899 - June 1, 1959) was a Nigerian jurist who was the first African to serve on the Supreme Court of Nigeria. ^[1]

Life and career

Justice Samuel Olumuyiwa Jibowu was the first surviving male child of Samuel Alexander and Mary Jibowu. He was born on August 26, 1899. Olumuyiwa Jibowu attended Abeokuta Grammar School and Oxford University, England. He was called to the bar in 1923 at Middle Temple, London. He later became a puisne Judge at the High Court in Benin city and in 1957, he was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Lagos High Courts and the Southern Cameroons.

Commission of Enquiry

In 1956, Justice Jibowu was appointed to head an enquiry into the management of the Cocoa Purchasing Company, a semi-governmental company formed to compete against expatriate firms and to act as an agency for loan disbursement. The report of the commission detailed instances of corrupt practices by officials of the company. The company was used a conduit of patronage benefiting allies of company officials and for^[2] the furtherance of the political activities of its leaders.^[3] The critical report led partly to the abolishment of a loan scheme that was open to cocoa farmers.

References

1. ^ ["Past Justices of the Supreme Court." http://supremecourtnigeria.com/quicklaunch/pastjustices2.html ]
2. ^ Kathryn Firmin-Sellers. The Transformation of Property Rights in the Gold Coast: an empirical analysis applying rational ...Cambridge University Press, 1996. p 136 ISBN 0521555035.
3. ^ Jonathan H. Frimpong-Ansah. The Vampire State in Africa: The Political Economy of Decline in Ghana, Africa World Press, 1992. p 86. ISBN 0865432791