Buhari, Gov Bello, APC mourn late James Ocholi

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed shock and sadness over the death of the Minister of State for Labour, Barrister James Ocholi, SAN, on Sunday.

Ocholi’s body under a tree after the accident along Kaduna-Abuja road on Sunday. Inset: James Ocholi

Ocholi died alongside his wife and son in a car crash along Kaduna road, Abuja.

He was a governorship aspirant in PDP but later defected to the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) where he became the party’s governorship candidate in the Dec. 3, 2011, governorship election in the state.

In a statement by Garba Shehu, the presidential spokesman, president Buhari described Ocholi’s death as untimely, regretting that Nigeria has lost a key component of the change agenda.

He also 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.

President Buhari also extended his condolences to the government and people of Kogi State.

Also, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi expressed shock over the sudden death of the Minister of State for Labour, Mr James Ocholi, which he described as a monumental loss for the state and the country at large.

The Governor regretted that Ocholi would surely be missed by all. While condoling members of his immediately family, political associates, friends, colleagues and APC over his death, Bello said that the vacuum left behind by the deceased would be difficult to fill. He prayed for the peaceful repose of Ocholi’s soul and urged all those he left behind to see his death as an act of God.

Also reacting, the state Treasurer of the APC, Mr Ismail Adesayo, described Ocholi’s death as very unfortunate.

He described the late minister as a fine leader who meant well for the people and development of Kogi state and Nigeria. Adesayo lamented that Ocholi died when his service was most needed in the state, praying to God to grant him eternal rest and the family the fortitude to bear irreparable loss.

He also prayed to God to have mercy on the state by putting a stop to sudden deaths of political headlights in the state.

In the same vein, the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) described the death of the Minister for Labour (State), James Ocholi (SAN) and his son as 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.

Meanwhile, the FRSC has said that it the remains of the late Minister of State for Labour, Mr James Ocholi, has been deposited at the morgue of the National Hospital, Abuja.

Bisi Kazeem, the Spokesperson of FRSC, confirmed in Abuja that the corpse of the minister was taken to the hospital along with two other casualties.

Kazeem explained that the deceased lost their lives in a crash that occurred at Kilometre 57, along Kaduna-Abuja highway on Sunday.

“The minister and two other occupants died eventually, while four people were injured,’’ said the spokesman.

However, Kazeem did not give details of the other victims of the crash.