(Nigeria) Mr James Ocholi, SAN, Minster for Labour, State, died on Sunday, in a motor accident while travelling on the Abuja - Kaduna Road.
Also killed in the auto-crash involving his vehicle, a Prado SUV and another Lexus SUV, were his wife, Blessing Fatima and son, Aaron.
It was gathered that the son, died also on the scene of the accident, while the wife, who was rushed to hospital, where she was in coma, died after some hours.
Ocholi is from Dekina local Government area of Kogi state.
President Muhammadu Buhari in a statement by Garba Shehu, the presidential spokesman, described Ocholi's death as untimely, regretting that Nigeria has lost a key component of the change agenda.
He described the deceased as an accomplished and patriotic Nigerian.
"Barrister Ocholi was an accomplished and patriotic Nigerian, who was keen to accept the call to service at a time his country needed him," he said.
The president remarked that in the few months Ocholi had been in office, he had already begun to distinguish himself through his commitment and dedication to his portfolio.
He added that Ocholi had a long record of political association with him.
President Buhari also extended his condolences to the government and people of Kogi State, whom he described as having lost a distinguished and irreplaceable son.
This was even as he has also sent the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engineer David Babachir to formally convey the news to members of the deceased family as well as his church.
He prayed that God would comfort them and grant them the grace to bear the loss.
"The entire country mourns the loss of this great man, who has sadly left us when we need him most," he said.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has expressed shock over his death.
The National Secretariat of APC, said it received news of the death of the Minister for Labour (State), James Ocholi (SAN) and his son with great shock and sadness.
The APC National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni in a condolence message described the deaths as a monumental loss.
Buni prayed for the recovery of other occupants of the ghastly vehicle accident including the late minister's wife and driver who reportedly sustained serious injuries.
The APC National Secretary said the late Ocholi who was the party's former Deputy National Legal Adviser will be remembered for his selfless service to the country as minister, party, legal profession and his home state, Kogi.
While extending his condolences to the people and government of Kogi state, Buni prayed to Almighty God to grant Ocholi's immediate family the fortitude to bear the painful loss.
Profile
James Enojo Ocholi, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN),was born on 26th November 1960. He hails from Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi state. James Ocholi studied law at the University of Jos and was called to the Bar in 1986.
James Ocholi was a Public Counsel from 1987-1988 in the firm of D.D Peter Achimusi in Idah, Kogi State and thereafter left for private practice. In December of 2007, he was conferred with the prestigious title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
James Ocholi specializes in incorporation of companies; constitutional and commercial law, and conveyance; as well as private and public international law. He has worked as Consultant to Governments, parastatals, banks, financial institutions and corporate bodies.
He was the Deputy National Legal Adviser (interim) of the APC and later became the Kogi State Coordinator of Buhari/Osinbajo Presidential Campaign organisation.
From Grass to Grace
On the 26th of November 1960 the baby Ocholi was born to the couple, Mr. and Mrs. James Momoh Odoh at Idah in the present Kogi State in the then Northern Region of Nigeria, West Africa. He was the second child and the first boy in the family of four girls and two boys. However by reason of early death of the grandparents and uncles, the father took responsibility of the extended family as was the common practice in the African setting, so the house was always full. The resultant stress on his father’s purse meant the children lived marginally and barely had two meals a day. It was in this setting the kid went to public schools and subsequently to a mission high school in the area.
Pa James was a staff of the Native Authority in the Agric Department and rose to the position of acting treasurer. He was a devout Christian, an elder in the local church and a strict disciplinarian. The children therefore were not exposed to the usual vices associated with children in the neighbourhood. By virtue of the high school the young Ocholi attended he was further kept under strict moral discipline and subjected to good ethical behaviour such that he was not exposed to unwholesome self indulgence. Even if he had mischievous tendencies as all teenagers and adolescents do, the social atmosphere in the family prevented him from exhibiting any.
The Early Encounter with God
In 1974 while in class two of Ochaja Secondary School, Dekina, at an evening school meeting at the school assembly hall, a Christian staff nurse from a neighbouring town was invited to speak to the students. Ocholi had an unusual experience and for the first time he understood that being born to a Christian family did not make one a Christian so he consciously made a decision to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. He went forward in response to an alter call and accepted Jesus. This singular experience marked the turning point in his life. He suddenly realized that being brilliant in school is not just enough to guarantee success in life.
In 1978 the young Ocholi lost his father shortly after graduation from High School. As a result, he became the family’s breadwinner even when he was not old enough to marry. His meager salary of one hundred and twenty five naira per month was barely enough to put basic meals on the table for the entire family.
By sheer grace of God, the teenager (Ocholi) was able to secure a scholarship from the then Benue state Government and this enabled him to go through and graduate as a lawyer from University of Jos in 1985. He finished from the Nigerian Law School in 1986 and he was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 1986. After the one year compulsory Youth services in Calabar, Cross River State of Nigeria he declined offers of paid employment because he needed to cater for the younger siblings and the mother who had gone through difficult times while he was in school.
According to the young lawyer he remembered his little sister while in his final year who wrote to him wondering why his education was taking so long and asked “Brother, when will you finish University so we can eat meat”. So he discerned that the challenges waiting for him required an entrepreneurial approach.
By divine arrangement he had met his wife while in school and they were planning to get married and start a family after his National Youth Corps Service. It became obvious that he needed to make his way and strive for a successful career to meet the financial demands on him. He then started his practice in the small city of Ankpa the wife’s home city and the most commercial centre in Igalaland of Nigeria at the time. He had no start up capital and was barely able to put a table and two chairs as his only office furniture. It was at this critical time that he got married to his wife of over 21 years.