A Good Man, Ohwovoriole, Takes a Final Bow

As the burial ceremony of the late Chief Milton Ohwovoriole, SAN, commences today in Ughelli, Delta State, Iyobosa Uwugiaren pays tribute to the life and time of the legal luminary

If the earth that would cover the late Chief Milton Paul Onamegwolo Iriferife Ohwovoriole (SAN) this week would be graceful and soft, it is because he represented humanity throughout his life time.

A ‘good man’ he was, the legal icon, who would be buried this week in his home town, Agbon Olomu, Delta State, was happy with his life and the world around him. Even while struggling between life and death at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, he was still looking out for others and helping them. He was quite different from negative people. And to many of his children, his faithfulness, generosity, dependability, kindness, moral integrity and fatherliness, were immeasurable.

A legal luminary, scholar, politician, traditional ruler, businessman and philanthropist, the late Ohwovoriole meant different things to different people.
For the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, who expressed shock over the demise of the 80-year-old Senior Advocate of Nigeria, his death was a great loss – not only to the family and Urhobo nation – but to the people of Olomu Kingdom and Nigeria Bar Association (NBA).

“Chief Milton Ohwovoriole (SAN) was a distinguished legal practitioner, who served the society in several capacities, including as Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Ikeja branch and former President, Urhobo Social Club”, the governor said.
Okowa described him as a man of great determination and perseverance, and said as a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he contributed significantly to the various victories recorded by the party in Ughelli South and the state.

“Late Chief Milton Ohwovoriole was a courageous leader, who always stood for truth and at every point in time, spoke his mind on any issue irrespective of who was involved”, Okowa added.
In the same vein, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege described the deceased as one of the shinning lights of the Urhobo Nation and Delta State in the legal profession, saying, he would be greatly missed.

“The news of the demise of Olorogun Milton Paul Ohwovoriole, SAN came to me as a rude shock and a surprise. His immense contributions to the development of the state and country will remain evergreen in our hearts. He was one of the first holders of the prestigious Senior Advocate of Nigeria title from Delta State. Little wonder, he was an inspiration to many,” he stated.

Also eulogising the deceased, the Asaba Branch of NBA, in a statement by its secretary, Mr. Collins O. Osagu, said Ohwovoriole was a purposeful and cerebral leader.
“It is with a heavy heart we announce the demise of an icon, Chief Milton Ohwovoriole (SAN). Before his passing, Chief Milton Ohwovoriole, SAN, was an active member of the Nigerian Bar Association, a legal guru, an advocate par excellence. He was a man of impeccable pedigree, intellect, distinction and of course, a purposeful and cerebral leader.

“As a distinguished bar man, he crafted a remarkable legacy, and left his mark in the sands of time in the legal profession as well as all other endeavours”, the Delta NBA said.
The Akpohor and Akpile of Olomu Kingdom, was born on June 15, 1940 into the Ohwovoriole dynasty of Agbon-Olomu in present-day Delta State. A direct descendant of Alaka, the founder of Olomu Kingdom, his father, H.R.H. David Gbeke Ohwovoriole was the Ohworode of Olomu Kingdom. While his mother, Ayoron is from Oviri-Olomu and also a descendant of the co-founder of Oviri-Olomu.

He had his early education in Olomu and Ughelli, where he attended the Modern school. In spite of his noble background and the comfort that came with the royal lineage, Chief Milton’s higher aspirations motivated his departure from the village to Lagos, where he joined the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) as a constable in 1958 at 18-year.

In the course of his service with the NPF, he was posted as an orderly to a judicial officer, where he had another major encounter with the legal profession – the first being when he was a youth and witnessed his father sitting as the President of the Customary Court, Umolo.

These experiences, a senior family source said, inspired his decision to study law at the University of Ife – from where he graduated with Honours in 1971 and in 1972, he was called to the Nigerian Bar after completing his studies in the Nigerian Law School. And in pursuit of excellence, he obtained his Master’s Degree in Law from the University of Lagos in 1975.

He voluntarily retired from the Nigerian Police in 1976, after 17 years of meritorious service during which time he went on peace keeping missions overseas such as in Congo and rose from the rank of constable to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police at Force C.I.D, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Upon his retirement from the police force, he set up his private practice after brief stints with the late Chief Morohundiya and Chief Gani Fawehinmi, who later took silk. Chief Ohwovoriole also lectured at the Nigerian Law School in 1980s. His experience as a detective during his years in the police force enhanced his teaching of procedure at the Nigeria Law School and court-room practice, where he was said to have earned a well-deserved reputation as a “forensic examiner and one of the foremost criminal lawyers” in Nigeria.
As a legal practitioner, his law chambers at Ikeja, Lagos, was a full service law firm – offering a vibrant practice and opportunities to countless number of young lawyers, who were fortunate to gain employment in his firm.

Chief Ohwovoriole was an active member of NBA. He led the Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association as the Chairman between 1985 and 1987 and he was later appointed “Life Patron” of the Branch in recognition of his huge contributions to the branch.

At the national level, he was a member of the Council of Legal Education and the Body of Benchers. His conduct of several landmark cases, courtroom prowess as well as contributions to legal practice and jurisprudence, saw his rise to the pinnacle of the legal profession with his conferment of the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1991.

The late Chief Ohwovoriole was a philanthropist. He believed and invested in human and societal development, contributed immensely to the advancement of his community and for many decades, awarded scholarships and sponsored the educational pursuits of the less privileged persons, who are now pillars in diverse fields.
In his lifetime, he was a serial entrepreneur with investments in real estate, school facilities, international trade and even entertainment. The series of albums waxed in his honour by leading Urhobo musicians in the late 80s and early 90s bear testimony to his interest and desire to promote and spread Urhobo culture.
His colleagues will remember him not only as an intellectual juggernaut but also for his invaluable contribution to the law and humanity.

A promoter of Urhobo’s interests, he was twice the President of the prestigious Urhobo Social Club, Lagos. He was the Akpohor and Akpile (Prime Minister), the 3rd in line in leadership hierarchy of Olomu kingdom.
Chief Ohwovoriole was a devout Christian and most of all a family man, who did not spare any expense to see that his children received the best of education in Nigeria and overseas. Before his death, he witnessed the successes of his children in their chosen professions.

He lost his first daughter, Mrs. Ovigue Omene (nee Ohwovoriole), who was born by Madam Lydia Oru, in August 2000. He is, however, survived by brothers, sisters, wives, Mrs. Rosaline Oborayerue Ohwovoriole (Nee Arumala) from Umolo-Olomu and Mrs. Christiana Ohwovoriole (Nee Okoriko) from Okpe –Olomu.
He is also survived by many children including an architect, a chemist, computer network analyst, utilization revenue manager, banker, electrical engineer, registered nurse, educationist, software engineer and five lawyers made up of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a Chief Magistrate, a President of District Customary Court, two others in vibrant private practice, grandchildren and a great grandson.