President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday joined Nigerian Bar Association and National Judicial Council in celebrating with Chief Olufolake Solanke, first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), CON, and distinguished “lady of many firsts’’ on her 90th birthday.
The President shared the auspicious and historic occasion with Chief Solanke, rejoicing with family, friends and professional associates as they honour the renowned “Matriarch of the Bar’’, whose pedigree of virtue and excellence continues to awe and inspire, within and outside the legal profession.
President Buhari congratulated the Learned Silk on her many achievements in administration, politics and the legal profession, starting out as a Latin and Mathematics teacher, before going into a fruitful career, and scoring many firsts, which include Chairperson of the Western Nigeria Television Broadcasting Corporation (WNTBC) and first non–caucasian, African President of Zonta International in 1994, since it was established in 1919.
As the first Nigerian female lawyer to wear the silk gown turns a nonagenarian, the President believes she truly reached for the skies and carried many along, with vision, hard work and dedication to excellence.
President Buhari prayed that the Almighty God will sustain Chief Solanke in good health, grace and wisdom.