We, the professional offspring and Associates-in-Chambers of Kanu B. Okpaleke & Co. have strived to pen down what you stood for in our lives, but each time we fail because we could not muster the emotional stamina to refer to our own very legal icon in the past tense. We unapologetically take full responsibility for this inescapable quagmire; especially the emotionally traumatizing loss of your doting daughter and heir apparent in the legal parlance, the late Barrister Olivia Ngozi Okpaleke in 2019.
Born in Zaria in 1941 as the first child of Chief & Mrs. Jason Anago Okpaleke of Umuikpa village in Ndiokpaleke, Orumba North LGA, Eze Kanu Brown Okpaleke, a lawyer, attended Ibo Union School, Gusau, Zamfara State from where he proceeded to National College, Aba for his secondary education.
He obtained his Higher School Certificate from Hope Waddel College, Calabar in 1960. With this, he secured admission into the University of Nigeria Nsukka in 1961 where he graduated with LL.B (Hons.) in 1965. He was the best graduating student in Company Law. He was survived by his wife, Ugoeze Tyna Okpaleke, children, brothers, sisters, aunts and cousins.
Young K.B. (as he was fondly called) did his pupilage in the law office of Nwizugbo & Co. Legal Practitioners at Lagos after his Call to Bar in 1966. He thereafter relocated to Abakaliki, Ebonyi State to establish the law firm of Kanu B. Okpaleke & Co. in 1967.
Until his transition to eternal glory, he was a titanic legal colossus in Ebonyi State and beyond; a consummate and visionary vibrant Bar leader who admirably chaired the Abakaliki Branch of the NBA for 8 years. He co-founded the Abakaliki Recreation Club, which he serially chaired as its pioneer President from 1971 until he became its Board of Trustee Chairman and subsequently the life Patron.
Barrister Kanu Okpaleke, a philanthropic maestro whose exploits in the realms of charity earned him the much coveted Paul Harris Fellowship Award of the Rotary International, was an exemplary lawyer noted for his impeccable neatness and clean habits. He was the first lawyer in Ebonyi State to own and develop his residential building in the G.R.A in 1983; a father of all young lawyers whose benevolent disposition is second to none; an embodiment of the finest virtues in the legal profession.
Barrister Kanu Okpaleke was appointed a Notary Public in 1980 and was a member of the Ebonyi State Law Review Committee. He was a Patron of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, Ebonyi State Branch and past President of Abakaliki Rotary Club as well s a Charter Member of Rotary International Abakaliki.
Eze Okpaleke was a Chairman of the Law Review Committee of the Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers. He was a former Councilor of the Abakaliki Legislative Council in the then Anambra State. Being an illustrious son of Arochukwu ancient kingdom in diaspora, the Eze Aro conferred on him with the honour as Ugwu Aro of Arochukwu kingdom.
Eze (Barr.) Kanu Brown Okpaleke received his certificate of recognition as the Traditional Ruler of Ndiokpaleke in 1996 after a unanimous coronation and installation; hence his title of “Ohanyereze 1 of Ndiokpaleke”. Consistently with the customs and traditions of Arochukwu ancient kingdom, the remains of our titanic hero and inspirational mentor had been committed to the mother earth.
In line with the tradition of the legal profession, Eze Kanu Okpaleke will be accorded final professional special court session by the Chief Judge of Ebonyi State and his brother judges, the Magisterial Bench of the Ebonyi State Judiciary together with the lawyers from the NBA branches at the High Court premises, Abakaliki tomorrow, December 14, 2021.
His funeral ceremony in line with native law and custom holds sway on the December 17, 2021 at his Palace in Umuikpa village, Ndiokpaleke.
Adieu, the ever amiable K. B. as in Kings Bench! Your professional offspring hereby bid you good night in this evening!
WRITTEN BY BARRISTERS OKEAGU OGADA AND EMEKA UWAKWE