Legal Practitioner and human rights advocate, Mallam Yusuf Olu Ali(SAN), takes to the gym to ease off stress.

An Ilorin based legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mallam Yusuf Olu Ali, ?is by every standard a reputable lawyer has chosen to be the defender of human rights and an anti- corruption crusader. A lawyer and a gentleman, Ali has contributed immensely to the development of the law profession and the institutionalization of the rule of law. An indigene of Ifetedo in Osun State, ?Ali has found peace practicing his legal profession in Ilorin, Kwara State due to the conducive atmosphere and the good nature of the indigenes. His contribution to good governance, peace and welfare of the people has endeared him to the hearts of the people. He leverages his position as a legal icon to contribute to accelerating socio-economic development in Nigeria at large.

When revealing to THISDAY his daily routines, Ali said that when he is not attending to legal matters, he takes time off to visit the gym to let out work stress. , "My day starts at 5am no matter where I am, either in Nigeria or abroad, depending on the time of early morning prayers called Salat Subuhi in various countries.

"If I am in Ilorin, I have a well kitted gym in my house where I exercise and if I am in Abuja, I also exercise in my Abuja home. Even, in the hotel I don't compromise exercise. The first thing I look for anywhere I stay is the gym and I normally have gym kits inside my bag."

According to him, "During working days, I will be in the gym for 35 to 45 minutes but at weekends and during public holidays, I spend longer time between one and half hours to two hours in the gym. The only time I skip exercise is during Ramadan because of the problem of dehydration, so I do not visit gym during Ramadan period and if I get to a place where there is no gym, I trek for one hour or one and half hour in the morning".

Aside his near addiction to exercise, Ali also takes pleasure in philanthropic activities. He lends financial assistance to the less privileged people in the society, irrespective of their tribe or religious leanings such that his Ghalib Chambers, along Unity Road, Ilorin, is always a Mecca of for the less privileges. From his humble beginning, when he started his legal practice with Chief Adegboyega Awomolo and Co in Ilorin after his compulsory one year National Youth Service Corps scheme, till when he opened his law office, Ghalib Chambers and Co at Taiwo area in 1984, Ali has been involved in sorting out various kinds of knotty of legal issues, particularly election petition matters across the country and he has a record of success.

On his experience, Ali who is the chairman, Nigeria Bar Association(NBA) Anti-corruption Committee told THISDAY that, "You have your high moments and low moments in legal practice. Usually, your low moment is when you lose the issue, especially when you think you have done everything you ought to do to win such case but you cannot win all cases.

"It is not possible even with the best preparation, some cases will just go the way you thought they should not go and to the glory of God, I have recorded successes than failures. At least at the ratio of 9 to 1. 90 per cent success to one per cent failure which is not bad. Professionally, it has been very fulfilling, rewarding, encouraging and very good for me,"? Ali said.

Success does not come without a price. Importantly, it requires a lot of hard work, perseverance and a conscious effort to upgrade one's self to meet new challenges and these are factors that makes Ali tick.

To contribute his own quota to welfare of the people, He single-handedly constructed a- multimillion naira and well equipped trauma centre in the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) which he donated to the hospital management. He also constructed and donated to the Osun State Government, a multimillion naira Ali Balogun Memorial Student Hostel at the Ifetedo campus of Osun State University.

"I think the act of given has to come naturally to you by God. God must give you the spirit of giving. If you do not have the spirit, even If you own the whole world, you won't give.

"Although, there are challenges of so many demands more than what your resources can cope with but within human limits, I try to assist as much as I can in various levels of assistance - be it in education, medical, religious and personal to colleagues, friends and families," he said.

The legal luminary urged the present crops of leaders across Nigeria to stay committed to their promises.

"Our political leaders should try and fulfill all their electoral promises because that is the hallmark of all serious minded persons. When you give your words, make sure you discharge on your promise and the present administration has been assuring us that they will not do anything less than what they promised so let's wait and pray for them."