Justice George Oguntade assumes office as new Nigerian high commissioner to the UK

NIGERIA'S new high commissioner to the UK retired Justice George Adesola Oguntade has arrived in London and assumed office taking on the new title of ambassador to St James Court.

Becoming the first substantive high commissioner since Dr Dalhatu Tafida was recalled in 2015, Justice Oguntade has resumed duties at Nigeria House in Northumberland Avenue in central London. Over  the past two years, the UK has had two acting high commissioners, with Ambassador Kunle Bamgbose serving in that capacity before handing over to Simon Ogah who occupied the seat until he was recalled earlier this year.

Born on  March 10, 1940 Justice Oguntade, is a retired Nigerian jurist who served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria from May 19, 2004 to May 10, 2010. Originally from Epe in Lagos State where he completed his basic formal education, he attended Ijebu Ode Grammar School until 1958 after which he worked as a court clerk at the High Court of Justice, Ibadan between 1958 and 1961 before he left for the United Kingdom for further studies.

He graduated from Holborn College of Law in 1964 before he proceeded to the Nigerian Law School in 1965. Justice Oguntade was called to the Nigerian Bar on January 15, 1966 after which he worked in private law practice for 14 years and in September 1980 was appointed a judge of the Lagos High Court

Between September 1987 and May 2004, Justice Oguntade served as the presiding justice for several state courts of appeal in Nigeria until his appointment as justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on May 19, 2004. Having attained the statutory retirement age of 70 years, Justice Oguntade retired from the Supreme Court Bench on May 10, 2010.

On September 16, 2015, he was appointed chancellor of the Lagos State University Governing Council by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. He arrived on London on October 8 and he has officially resumed duty, with Dr Kabiru Bala serving as his deputy.

Jumoke Ariyo, the general secretary of the Central Association of Nigerians in the United Kingdom (Canuk), said: "His Excellency Ambassador George Adesola Oguntade arrived in London on 8th October, 2017. He has since resumed duty at the Nigerian high commission on Northumberland Avenue, London."