"An Evening With Justice Fatima Akinbami" Delights Atlantans

Fatima Akinbami, Esq., the newly appointed Justice to the Court of Appeal, Nigeria, was recently honored by several prominent Atlantans at an elegant‚ event at the Commerce Club.  "An Evening With Fatima Akinbami" recognized Justice Akinbami for her recent appointment to the second highest court in Nigeria and introduced her and her family to a group of Atlantans in the legal and business communities.

Justice Akinbami, who travels to the Atlanta area at least annually to visit her son and daughter-in-law Korey & Markesia Akinbami, was accompanied to the event by her husband Chief Kola Akinbami of Nigeria, and their son Folarin Akinbami, Ph. D., of England, son Kolapo Akinbami, Esq. of Manchester, England, daughter-in-law Lola Akinbami, Esq. of New York, New York, and daughter Yeside Akinbami, Esq. of Nigeria.

At the event, Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine's Publisher Pat Lottier and Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine Legal Columnist Brian Poe, Esq. announced that Justice Akinbami had been selected as the first international attorney featured in the magazine's monthly Attorney's Corner column. The event hosts unveiled a life-sized photo of Justice Akinbami and presented it to her at the ceremony's conclusion.  Lottier and Poe announced that the photo and column will appear in the February 2014 edition of Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine.

Atlanta City Council President Ceasar C. Mitchell spoke at the event. Mitchell also presented Justice Akinbami and her husband Chief Kola Akinbami with a special pin after she and Chief Akinbami attended his Bell Ringing Ceremony at Atlanta City Hall which he organized in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington.

Another highlight of the event was a gracious speech by Justice Akinbami after being introduced by The Honorable DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Asha Jackson, with whom Justice Akinbami has corresponded since meeting her on a prior trip to Atlanta.

Justice Akinbami also received honors from Southern Regional Council President Charles S. Johnson, Esq., who is also a Partner at the mid-town based Atlanta office of the international Holland & Knight law firm. John Williams, Co-Founder of the Atlanta Business & Entertainment Exchange, presented Justice Akinbami with a plague for her inspiration to business and legal professionals worldwide.

The Host Committee for the event was chaired by Korey Akinbami, CEO of Ducere Investment Group, Inc., and Markesia Akinbami, COO of Ducere Investment Group, Inc., who tapped Attorney Brian Poe, Chairman of Poe Simpson Law and Esquire Connect, LLC, and Pat Lottier, Publisher of Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine, to serve as their co-chairs.

The event was attended by several other prominent Atlantans including Atlanta Municipal Court Judge Terrinee Gundy, Spelman College President Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph. D., Star TV Legal Analyst Kirby Clements, Esq., Charlotte businessman Herb Gray and Taylor English Attorney and prominent Commerce Club member Morris O. Little, Jr., Esq., who welcomed event guests on behalf of The Commerce Club.

Korey Akinbami, CEO of Ducere Investment Group, Inc., and Markesia Akinbami, COO of Ducere Investment Group, Inc., sponsored the complimentary food and drinks for guests at "An Evening With Fatima Akinbami".  Ducere Investment Group's mission is to empower disadvantaged and disenfranchised individuals, families, and youths to take control of their destiny and function productively by providing them with the necessary skills to realize their dreams, through counseling, education, social skills training, motivation, and participating in the treatment of abnormal behaviors to become successful.

The Honorable Justice Fatima Omoro Akinbami attended the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria (Now Obafemi Awolowo, University, Ile- Ife, Osun State, Nigeria), where she obtained her LL.B in 1976.  After which she attended the Nigeria Law School in 1977 and was called to the Nigerian Bar as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1977.  She held various prominent legal positions until May 12 1999, when she was appointed a High Court Judge in the Edo State Judiciary. After 13 years of service as a High Court Judge in the Edo State Judiciary, she was elevated to the Court of Appeal and sworn-in as a Justice of the Court of Appeal. She aspires to be elevated to the Apex Court in Nigeria- The Supreme Court of Nigeria.