The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Branches in Rivers State have hailed retired Justice Obietonbara Owupele Daniel-Kalio for his service to the justice sector, describing him as “a jurist whose enviable career on the Bench exemplifies the noblest ideals of judicial service.”

Speaking at a valedictory session to mark the retirement of the respected jurist from the bench, the Chairman of the Committee of NBA Chairmen in Rivers State, Mrs. Cordelia Eke stated that “With over sixty distinguished Justices of the Court of Appeal and numerous famed jurists and legal personalities in attendance, this valedictory session is a powerful testament to the high esteem with which His Lordship, the Honourable Justice Obietonbara Owupele Daniel-Kalio is held across the Bench and the Bar. The Bar in Rivers State is deeply honored and proud to host this moment, made possible by His Lordship’s legacy of service.”

Eke, who doubles as the Chairman of NBA Port Harcourt Branch, noted that Justice Daniel-Kalio’s career was marked by distinction, adding that he garnered many awards during the process. Her words: “He consequently took on Legal Drafting trainings at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Lagos (where he was awarded the maiden Akinola Aguda prize for the best student), and at the London Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London.”

The NBA Port Harcourt Chairman noted that “Due to his hard work and dedication to duty, Milord was twice honored by the Nigerian Bar Association Port Harcourt Branch, first, with the maiden award as Best Judge in Rivers State, and later as the Judge of the Year. Our award-winning Judge was elevated to the Court of Appeal in the year 2012 when he was already the number-three Judge in the order of seniority in the Rivers State High Court.

“My Lord’s award-winning streak continued in the Kaduna Division where he was recognized for his exemplary service on the Bench by the Northern Youths Association of Nigeria, which honored him with the Sir Ahmadu Bello (Sardauna) Distinguished Leadership Award as JARMAN MATASAN AREWA/ICON OF NATION BUILDING. My Lord was subsequently honoured by the Government of Rivers State with the award of Distinguished Service Star of Rivers State, (DSSRS).”

The Bar Leader noted that Daniel-Kalio “leaves behind a legacy of truth, sincerity, godliness and justice. My lord is a Judge who never needed to announce his authority. Reserved, calm, and composed, he has always carried himself with a dignity deserving of the exalted office he occupied. In an age where loudness is often mistaken for strength, and where the lines of morality in judicial office sometimes become blurred, my Lord is a constant reminder that judicial authority is at its most potent when exercised with the fear of God and with restraint.”

According to Eke, Justice Daniel-Kalio embodied the principle of observance of procedural safeguards, “anchoring justice firmly on due process, discipline, and intellectual depth. This was evident in his judgements in several landmark cases.

“My Lords, to speak briefly from personal experience I must admit that I got to know Hon. Justice Daniel-Kalio first not in Court, but in a religious fellowship where I was always struck by his calm disposition and quiet presence. I was called to Bar, the year he was elevated to the Bench. Thereafter, whenever I thought of the image of a Judge – what a Judge ought to be, the Hon. Justice Obie Daniel-Kalio was a face that easily came to mind.”

She stated that Justice Daniel-Kalio “lived a quiet and contented life in service without fanfare or public notice, a rare virtue in this dispensation. Yet today, as he quits the stage, the ovation is loud with the unprecedented presence of Your Lordships in this Courtroom for his occasion.

“My Lords, the Hon. Justice Obietonbara Owupele Daniel-Kalio OFR, DSSRS, Justice of the Court of Appeal belongs to a category, and indeed an era, of Judges who society is in dire need of: Judges known to be incorruptible, contented, disciplined, and not given to excesses either in lifestyle or in Office. His retirement is undoubtedly a loss to the Judiciary.”

Noting that the jurist’s retirement is a loss for the bench and a gain for the Bar as he would find more time to attend Bar activities, Eke concluded: “On behalf of the Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt, Ahoada, Isiokpo, Degema, Okrika, Bori, Omoku, Okehi and Oyigbo Branches, we welcome Your Lordship back home. We wish you a fulfilling, peaceful, and rewarding years of retirement, and we promise to keep you meaningfully engaged in this new season of your blessed life.”