The valedictory session to pay last respects for the late legal icon, Sir B.M. Wifa, on Friday, June 25 was marked by volley of tributes.
There was minute of silence when the body was brought into the Chief Judge’s Ceremonial Court with the session attended by state Chief Judge, other judges, legal practitioners and dignitaries.
The event was to bid farewell to the late legal icon in which the Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Port-Harcourt Branch, Prince Onyekwere, had described him as a consummate bar man and accomplished bar leader, saying that he was also a prolific writer.
According to him, there were no dull moments with him adding that he handled very many court cases and wrote many papers on judiciary and leadership issues in the country.
Having begun his law career in 1973 with A.S. Young Harry & Co., the late legal icon later started his own law firm and was conferred with the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) status in 1998.
He meritoriously served the bar in Rivers State and Nigeria, he said and as Chairman of the NBA his efforts together with others had resulted in the creation of a division of Court of Appeal in Port-Harcourt.
He said he had played key roles in Rivers State and the country and served the church and humanity adding that he lived a fulfilled and impactful life.
The legal profession shared in the pain and grief of the family, he said.
Also to pay tributes was Chief OCJ Okocha (SAN) who had spoken on behalf of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria in Port-Harcourt saying the gathering was in keeping with tradition to pay last respects to the respected legal practitioner.
Describing him as an eminent legal practitioner, he said that he was delivering the address with a heavy heart on behalf of Body of Senior Advocates.
The late legal icon had started his career with A.S. Young Harry & Co. before starting his own law firm, he told the audience saying many law practitioners had received his tutelage.
He was charismatic and ebullient, he also said saying he admired him in life and was a kind and senior legal practitioner and mentor.
Having worked as Secretary while the late legal icon was Chairman of NBA, Port-Harcourt branch, they were able to secure the creation of Port-Harcourt division of Court of Appeal and recalled how the late legal icon had supported and encouraged him in becoming the President of Nigerian Bar Association saying that he was a mentor, to him and very many others.
He said he would be missed sorely by everyone and had described him as an icon of the Nigerian Bar Association, Port-Harcourt Branch.
Chronicling positions he served, the leader of the Bar said that he became Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 1998 and was a prolific writer and an eminent citizen of Rivers State and Nigeria saying that for his contributions he was honoured by the state and country.
The representative of Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice had said the late legal icon advised him on virtue of hardwork and described him as a courtroom lawyer par excellence.
Saying he had a distinguished career he also said he was a true and active bar man and that the bar would miss him.
The governor who was represented by the Head of Service described him as an iconic leader and national treasure.
Governor Nyesom Wike’s representative said the governor had asked him to “convery to the widow and the family and the only daughter Dr Anita and her husband the profound and sincere condolences of the Government and people of the state to the family of the B.M. Wifa and of the entire Kono Community that had produced such an iconic leader who grew beyond the environment of Kono to become a national treasure”.
The governor was proud to associate with memories of the life and time of the debonair and venerable legal practitioner, he had said and recalled that the late legal icon was indefatigable and affable and did not seek much from government and stood by the government with his only wish for government to construct a road to Kono recalling that the governor had flagged-off the construction of the road even though the legal icon was gone in order to keep his promise.
Describing him as bold as lion he said his death was painful to government of the state.
Speaking in tribute, Chief Judge of the state, Honourable Justice Simeon Amadi, said no word would be enough to eulogize the late legal icon saying he succeeded in his chosen career and recalled how he had advised him to be a just judge.
He was one of the greatest cross-examiners in the country, he said and had showed respect for judges in spite of his place in legal profession and status in society and expressed condolences to the family.
He had responded to an application made and ordered that the body of the late legal icon be released to his family for burial.
According to details released by the family, the late legal icon was born on July 14, 1936 in Kono, a town presently located in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State and was raised in a polygamous home. He was second son of his late father, Moses Nwinenaene Wifa and eldest child of his mother, Maria Lewa Naabor.
She had named him Ebipnale which means ‘No questions!’ in Ogoni because at the time she had felt abandoned by members of her family who had rarely bothered asking about her well-being after her marriage to her husband. They had disapproved of her marriage because they had wanted her to further her education but with birth of her son she had felt she had found comfort and purpose.
The late legal icon was very close to his mother and had revered and called her his mentor and she had solely catered for his upbringing because his father was away on duty most of the time as Native Court registrar.
His mother had inculcated in him from infancy virtues of cleanliness, respect, integrity and hardwork which defined his life and when he started his elementary school in Kono in 1944, his brilliance was noticed by teachers and peers and he later completed his primary education at Native Authority School in Bori in 1950 and from there he had passed entrance examination to Methodist College in Uzuakoli in present-day Isukwuato Local Government Area of Abia State.
He had excelled in science and mathematics and dreamt of becoming a medical doctor but ended up reading law in Holborn College which was affiliated to the University of London and returned to attend the Nigerian Law School in 1972 after graduating in 1971.
He started out with law firm A.S. Young Harry & Co. on July 1, 1973 and had stayed there for seven years before starting his own law firm B.M. Wifa & Co. Epipnale Chambers, in 1979.
The late legal icon occupied several positions in the state and country including becoming member of National Executive Committee of the NBA, Disciplinary Committee of NBA, Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Port Harcourt branch, from 1986 to 1989 and member of Council of Legal Education between 1991 and 1993.
Other positions were the appointment as one of four legal practitioners in the state to sit as Sole Judges of Election Petition Tribunals to hear and determine election petitions from local government elections held in 1996 and as Chairman for the Revision of the Constitution of NBA in 2000.
He was also a member of the National Judicial Council (NJC) which is highest judicial body in Nigeria between 2006 and 2008 and was twice appointed as Commissioner in the state Judicial Service Commission and was Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice under Fidelis Oyakhilome.
He had also served as member of the Editorial Board on Laws of Rivers State and was appointed member of Elders’ Council of South-South Peoples Assembly and had received awards.
The late legal icon was conferred with the Officer of Order of Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR) in December 2005 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and was appointed same year as the Pro-chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Federal University of Technology, Minna.
He was also awarded with Distinguished Service Star of Rivers State (DSSRS) by Governor Nyesom Wike on May 27, 2017 and had received many other awards. He lived fulfilled life and was aged 84.
