Baring any last minute change of mind, the family of the late Minister of State for Labour and Employment, James Ocholi, SAN, has proposed to commit the remains of the body, his wife and the son to the mother earth between Wednesday to Friday next week.
The proposal was made when the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige visited the bereaved family to inquire about the burial arrangement.
A reliable family Source told Vanguard that the family has presented the proposal to the government and that Senator Ngige was to convey the information to the presidency.
The family source said that the decision to bury the former minister immediately was because he died at a young age and that it was people that had lived old enough that their burials were delayed.
According to him, the death was pathetic and a blow to the family, friends and relations who were still to come to terms with the tragedy.
He also said that the burial had to be done as soon as possible so that there will be time to plan for the future of the four surviving children as well as reduce their pain and agony.
Vanguard was also informed by the source that because the late minister was a practicing and devout Christian, delaying his body and that of the wife and second son would clash with the Easter activities.
“It is only if it is a celebration of life for one that is old that we delay the corpse. The minister did not die at the ripe age so there is no way we could continue to delay the burial. His death is pathetic to us,” the source stated.
Recall that the late James Ocholi died on Sunday alongside the wife and second son in a ghastly motor accident along Kaduna-Abuja road where he went to attend a church programme.
As at Tuesday morning, sympathisers were still trooping his residence at No. 4 Dagash Street, Kado Estate, Abuja wearing gloomy faces while the security people especially the police have been having hectic days to control the traffic at the adjoining streets to his residence.
Meanwhile Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has Condoled with President Muhammadu Buhari, the governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige over the tragic death of the Minister
This is just as the leadership of the United Progressive Party, UPP, in a statement signed by its national chairman, Chief Chekwas Okorie has described the late Ocholi as an embodiment of patriotism.
The Comrade Ayuba Wabba-led faction of NLC in separate condolence letters to President Buhari, governor Bello and Senator Ngige said that the deaths of Ocholi and members of his family were big loss to the organised labour in the country.
The letter to the president read in parts, “In the brief moment we have worked together, I found Mr Ocholi earthy, humble, lively and knowledgeable. I had no doubt in my mind he was an asset in government-labour relations and certainly, he was going to play a more critical role in the future.
“His death is therefore a big loss to all of us.
“Your Excellency, although the full details are yet to emerge, the death of Mr Ocholi brings to the fore two issues I consider critical. These are state of our roads and executive speed.
“The economic challenges at the moment notwithstanding, your intervention will help save more lives. Time has come no doubt for the Federal Road Safety Commission to work hand in hand with executive drivers and possibly, their principals on speed control.”
Wabba in the letter to the Kogi State governor also commiserated with the people of Kogi State over the death of the Ocholis as he described the dead minister as “a civil, decent and humble man; a legal luminary; and an illustrious son of Kogi State, who brought to bear on his job, clinical efficiency and humanity.”
He said the late Ocholi was a trusted ally of labour, adding that “It is a shame, death has robbed us of this irreplaceable and priceless gem.”
Wabba appealed to the governor to immortalise the name of the minister.
In its condolence letter to Senator Ngige, the NLC described Ocholi as “a fine gentle man, down-to-earth, and shun of officialdom. His knowledge of Labour Laws, industrial relations practice and his warm disposition were invaluable assets in the administration of social justice and economic productivity in the country.”
Wabba in the letter said that the vacuum created by the death of “this legal luminary will be difficult to fill,” and prayed for the peaceful repose of the deceased.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the UPP, Chief Okorie in a statement in Abuja said that the members of the party were heartbroken over the death of three members of the Ocholi family who were returning to Abuja from a Church programme in Kaduna.
According to the statement, “A legal luminary, Ocholi was an embodiment of patriotism and a politician’s politician. We are saddened that he died at a time he was in active service as a Minister of the Federal Republic.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with members of the Ocholi family. We pray to God Almighty to give them the fortitude to bear the loss of their loved ones.
“We commiserate with President Muhammadu Buhari on the demise of his Minister and competent Change agent. We also condole the Government and people of Kogi State for the death of their illustrious son, his wife and child.”
