Okenla

Chief Olanrewaju Adesina Okenla (14 May 1922 - 29 September 1981) was a Nigerian lawyer. Okenla held a B.Sc. in Economics. In addition to his work as a lawyer, he was the founder and chairman of Okenla Paramount Establishments and worked in the hotel and film industries.
Professional career
Okenla's law career was focused on working as a defense attorney, rather than as a prosecutor. He often did pro bono work for clients who could not afford to pay his fees. He was also interested in politics and was one of the founding members of the Action Group in London in the 1950s. He initially studied and qualified as a nurse before obtaining a degree in economics at the London School of Economics. He then attended law school at the University of London. Although offered the option of working as a barrister in England, Okenla chose to settle in his hometown of Ijebu Ode. Okenla was also interested in acting and he started the Yoruba Operatic Drama Club with Chief Hubert Ogunde while living and working in Sapele, Midwestern Nigeria.
Okenla was also a writer. Much of his work was unpublished, but focused on Yoruba as a written language and on the influence of Latin and English on the Yoruba lexicon. In 1972, Okenla wrote an autobiography entitled My Life to mark his 50th birthday.
Family life
Okenla had 29 children of his own. He enjoyed children and would distribute sweets to children around his hometown in Nigeria. During school breaks, he would take his children on trips to see the world and familiarize them with different cultures. He encouraged hard work. Okenla was a strict disciplinarian and a devout Christian. His children were encouraged to memorise Bible verses and study the book of Proverbs. Okenla died of cancer in 1981 at the University of Nebraska Teaching Hospital in Omaha.

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