ABEOKUTA, Ogun State — It was a barrage of prayers, praises and applause on Saturday as Barr. Monday Mawa celebrated his 6th year of legal practice and commissioned Templum Chambers in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
L-R: Chief Registrar,Ogun state Judiciary,m.o Oke; Justice Olugboyega Ogunfowora; Barr.Monday Mawa,Mrs.Mawa; Baamofin of Egbaland, Chief Afolabi Fashanu, Judge Tajudeen Ogunsewa, NBA Abeokuta Branch Chairman, Barr, kayode Aderemi
Speaking at the two-in-one ceremony, Ogun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Oluwasina Ogungbade said the caliber of dignitaries at the event reflected the kind of person Mawa is. “To draw prominent people here shows that he deserves to be honored,” Ogungbade said. He added that Mawa has utilized the privilege he acquired positively in the course of practice, and that Saturday’s achievements are a testimony to the celebrant’s sterling qualities.
Chairman of the occasion and Baamofin of Egbaland, Chief Afolabi Fashanu, recalled meeting Mawa during his National Youth Service Corps year. “I was not ready to take corps members again after having three in my chamber. They were navigating aimlessly and I said there was no point having them because they were not serious,” Fashanu said. “It was Barr. Habeeb Ajayi that interfaced with Mawa then. I saw some kind of seriousness in him. He was given a trial and he indeed made the change. He was always ready to learn. He never disappointed me. He deserves these attainments and I pray that you will continue to soar higher and higher.”
Global President of the Baptist Boys’ High School Alumni Association, Hon. Justice Olugboyega Ogunfowora, described the law office as “the birth of an institution dedicated to the service of justice, the protection of rights, and the advancement of the rule of law.” He charged lawyers at the newly opened Templum Chambers to prioritize integrity, mentorship and service to justice.
Ogunfowora congratulated Mawa on six years of practice and commended his “courage, vision, discipline, and industry.” He said lawyers must serve as “ministers in the temple of justice” and that success should be measured not only by financial gains but by “the quality of service rendered, the integrity maintained, the younger lawyers mentored, and the positive contribution made to the administration of justice.”
The judge stressed that law is a dynamic profession requiring continuous research and ethical conduct. He urged senior lawyers to use chambers as “training grounds” for young counsel in advocacy, drafting and professional ethics. He also called on legal practitioners to address access-to-justice challenges by protecting the vulnerable and strengthening public confidence in the legal system. He prayed the chambers would “grow from strength to strength” and be known for “excellence, integrity, industry, and sound advocacy.”
Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ogun State Council, Comrade Wale Olanrewaju, described Mawa as a radical lawyer who has stood to support many people. “He has made significant history that we are witnessing today, and we are so proud. On behalf of Ogun NUJ and other media practitioners in Ogun, we congratulate you,” Olanrewaju said.
Also in their remarks, Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abeokuta Branch, Barr. Kayode Aderemi, and Chief Registrar of the Ogun State Judiciary, M.O. Oke, lauded Mawa’s outstanding qualities. They described him as progressive-minded and genuinely happy about other people’s progress.
State Pastor of Winners Chapel, Pastor Testimony Afolabi, offered blessings on the edifice, the lead counsel and lawyers at the chamber. He said the name “Templum Chambers is in tandem with Bethel, a chapter in the Holy Bible,” adding that all work to be handled in the chamber has been laid before Almighty God.
Addressing the gathering, Mawa recounted his sojourn and that of Templum Solicitors. “In 2013, I was at Barrister Afolabi Fashanu’s chamber for my service year. I give thanks to the senior advocate for allowing me to learn and work at the chamber. All that I learned and attained today are by the grace of God and Chief Fashanu’s benevolence,” he said.
“On June 2020 we started at Isale igbein,in an office and in 2025 our landlady increased our tenancy from 1.3 million to 3.5 million. We were looking for a place to rent, but God gave us a place of our own,” Mawa said. “Within six years, we had become lawyers to prominent personalities including traditional rulers. They have reposed trust in us because of our integrity.” He expressed gratitude to his team for standing by him and sharing in the happy moment.
Highlights of the event included the opening and tour of the chambers by dignitaries and guests. Other prominent personalities at the occasion were Hon. Justice Tajudeen Ogunsewa, N.A. Abass, Baale of Agejo Chief Olusoji Oduntan, among others.
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