OKEY WALI: CONSCIENCE OF THE BAR

Born as Okechukwu Emmanuel Wali on the 29^th October, 1958 in Rumualogu, Akpor in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. He began his primary education at the Port-Harcourt Township School and completed it at St. Paul’s Primary School Diobu, Port Harcourt. After obtaining his First School Leaving Certificate in 1973, (No thanks to the civil war that kept him away from school for three years, 1967-1969) he enrolled at the Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Borokiri, Port- Harcourt, where he obtained his West African School Certificate in 1978.
Upon completion of his secondary education, which he topped with the higher school certificate (H.S.C) obtained in 1980 at Baptist High School, Port Harcourt, Okey Wali travelled abroad to attend the prestigious University of Buckingham, United Kingdom and graduated with Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B.Hons) in 1983. He returned home for the mandatory one-year vocational training at the Nigerian Law school, Lagos, where he added the Barrister at Law (B.L) Certificate to his academic acquisitions in 1984.
Between 1984 and 1985, he completed the mandatory National Youth Service Corps programme, practicing in the chambers of Chief  Bola Akingbade, of Bola Akingbade & Co, of No. 20, Oba Adesida Road, Akure, Ondo State.
After the NYSC programme, Okey Wali joined the law firm of C.C.L. Williams-Chukwu & Co, at No 19, Station Road, Port Harcourt, where he spent five years, learning the ropes and acquiring vital skills, encompassing solicitor practice and courtroom advocacy. In 1990, Okey Wali took the step of courage by establishing the Law firm of Okey Wali & Co. (St. Francis Chambers) at No. 35 Aba Road, Port Harcourt, and amidst devotion to diverse responsibilities as would be seen hereunder, Okey Wali, SAN. Has run that chambers till date.

LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

He became the Secretary of NBA, Port Harcourt branch, in April 1992, a position he held till April 1994. He was elected to the National Executive Committee of NBA in, a position he holds till date. Okey Wali was appointed to the Disciplinary Committee of the NBA Port Harcourt in May 1996 and held that position till May 1997. He became a member of the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, Rivers State in 1997 and held the office for ten years. In April 1998, he was elected Chairman of the Port-Harcourt branch of the NBA and held forte till his tenure expired in April 2000. Between 1999 and 2000, Okey Wali, SAN, was a member of Criminal Justice Committee of Rivers State. His membership of the Council of Legal Education of Nigeria spanned eight years, between 1998 and 2006.

Okey Wali, SAN, was appointed Notary Public in August 2007, and Deputy chairman, Rivers State Judicial Service Commission. He was also appointed Hon. Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Rivers State and elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), all in the same year.

He has been the Chairman of the Criminal Litigation Committee of the section on Legal Practice of the NBA since September 2010. He was the Alternate Chairman of the NBA’s Technical Committee on Conference Planning that organized the famous Port Harcourt Annual General Conference, 2011. Mr. Wali was in 2010, appointed Alternate Chairman of the Legislative Advocacy Working Group of the NBA. A position he holds till date.

In 2011, he was made a member of the Honourable Body of Benchers and the General Council of the Bar.

Okey Wali, SAN, is a member of four professional bodies; Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association, Commonwealth Lawyers Association, and Juris Cradle.

Membership of Professional Bodies

Member – Criminal Justice Committee Rivers State – 1999-2000

Member – Council of Legal Education of Nigeria – 1998-2006

Member – Bar/Bench Forum, Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch – 1999-till date

Member – Rivers State Transition Committee on Employment Generation and Poverty Alleviation – 1999

Member – Nigerian Bar Association, Committee for the Review of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – 2000.

Chairman – Honour and Awards Committee of Nigeria Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch – May 2000 – May 2002

Member – Nigerian Bar Association, Committee for Continuing Legal Education – 2003-2004

Chancellor – Juris Cradle 2004-till date

Member Pioneer Governing Council of the Section on Business Law of the Nigerian Bar Association – 2004-2006

Member – Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch

AD-HOC Committee on the Review of NBA Constitution- 2005

Member – Disciplinary Committee of Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch – May 2005-2010

Member – Presidential Panel of inquiry into the Conspiracy and Murder, involving Kingsley Chimezie and others  2005- 2006

 THE PRESIDENT OF THE BAR

Upon his election in August 2012 as the president of the Nigerian Bar, he is ran vigorously with the six cardinal points of his campaign promises which are professionalising the Bar, continuing legal education and professional development, enhanced institutional collaboration and relations with regional and international bar associations, human rights programmes, branch capacity building and institutionalisation of best and anti-corruption practices. This has made most of his programmes and opinions on bar and national issues to revolve round these cardinal points, this is glaring in his first summit as the president of the bar in a two day Peace and Security Summit with the theme Comprehensive and sustainable peace and security in a plural society: Extreme Challenges to Nigerian internal security. As the conscience of the bar he has never stop informing his professional colleagues of their duty and patriotism to the bar and the nation at large and he is so clear on the issue of corruption and how the bar will not tolerate any form of professional misconduct thereby putting lawyers on their watch.

His hobbies consist of volleyball, music and reading. Okey Wali is a devout Christian and is married with children.

References:

Okay Wali.htm

Lawyersinnews.com

2012 campaign bulletin of Okay Wali.