THE BIOGRAPHY OF LATE JAMES ENOJO OCHOLI, SAN (1960-2016)
It was Ralph Waldo Emerson that said; It Is Not Length Of Life, But Depth Of Life.
It is true that greatness is not measured by how long an individual lived, but by the deeds of that individual which transverses all and sundry. It is also true that life is not measured by duration, but by contribution. Late James Ene-ojo Ocholi fits perfectly into this assertion.
Birth and early life
Ocholi Enojo James was born into the family of Mr James Momoh Odoh, and Mrs Grace Hadija Odoh on the 26th November, 1960 at Idah where his father had sourjorned and worked for the Igala Native Authority as an Agricultural Officer. His father; Late James Momoh Odoh hails from Udanebiomi, a hamlet of Ogbabede Ward of Biraidu District of Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. The family relocated to Dekina where they lived, and where his father died at an early age.
The young Ocholi, who was the 2nd born and the first son of the family took up family responsibilities at a tender age after the death of his father in 1978 when he was barely 18 years old. He took on old jobs in order to feed his siblings and his mother and also taught as an auxiliary Primary School Teacher.
Education
Ocholi began his educational life at the Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) Primary School, Oguma in Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State from 1966-1972, and proceeded to the Ochaja Boys Secondary School, Ochaja in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State from 1973-1978 where he obtained the WASC in flying colours.
He proceeded to the School of Basic Studies (SBS) Ugbokolo in Benue State from 1980-1982 where he obtained the Interim Joint Matriculation Board Certificate. Late Ocholi proceeded to the prestigious University of Jos from 1982-1985 where he obtained the LL.B degree in Law and Qualified as a lawyer after the Nigerian Law School in Lagos, 1985-1986.
Spiritual Life
Ocholi gave his life to Jesus Christ and became born again Christian in 1977 when he was yet in Form 2 at Ochaja Boys Secondary School, a commitment he maintained in all sincerity throughout his life. He was a committed member of his Church, (Salem Family) for the best part of his life. He was an ordained Reverend and a District Superintendent Pastor, and served in different capacity in the Church. He was the first Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of Salem University, Lokoja. He served in several spiritual capacity, including being the president of the FCS at SBS Ugbokolo and served in several other roles in the Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International (FGBMFI) as the National General Secretary from 2009-2015 and its National Legal Advisor from 2015-till his death.
Ocholi was also a Trustee and General Secretary of Mission House International where he invested both his time and money in pursuit of the mission’s objectives.
Career And Responsibilities
The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, even if he eats but a little.
Ocholi James was in love with the Law and showed excitement at every opportunity to be in court and to argue cases before judges. But the beginning was not rosy.
Ocholi cut his teeth at the Bar during his NYSC where he served with Richard Efa and Co. At 52 Edgerly Road, Calabar, Cross River State in 1986-1987, and proceeded to serve for one year as a Pupil Counsel under D.D. Abutu and Co in Idah, Kogi State 1987-1988.
The young Counsel took a bold step of setting out to establish and head Ocholi James Associates at Ankpa, Kogi State in 1988, a firm that has continued till today with office at Gidado Street, Wuye District of Abuja, Nigeria. Interestingly, Barr Ocholi James lost all of his first ten cases at the early state of his practice but rather than despair, he went on appeal on all the ten cases pro bono as his clients were no forthcoming with legal fees. Ocholi won all the ten cases at the Appeal Court and his practice took a great leap.
Ocholi moved to Lagos in 1998 where he practiced and then moved back to Abuja in 2003. He was a Notary Public and was elevated to the distinguished legal rank of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on 12thDecember, 2007. Ocholi was a Litigator, specialised in Corporate Practice, Constitutional and Commercial Law, Election Law, Conveyance and Public International Law.
He held several positions of trust in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) such as General Secretary of NBA old Lokoja Branch and the disciplinary committee of the NBA, Abuja Branch. He represented NBA in several fora at the national level.
Political Career
At a prayer convention in 2010, Ocholi, San felt an urge to go into politics. After several consultations with his friends, stakeholders and political leaders, he joined the PDP in 2011 and contested for the Kogi State Governorship ticket. He moved to the CPC to pursue his ambition and secured the party’s ticket for the 2011 gubernatorial election. Even though he did not succeed, he kept his hope alive and attempted it under the platform of the APC in 2015.
As a loyal party man, he continued to serve in CPC diligently with President Muhammadu Buhari whom he had tremendous respect for. He was the Kogi State Cordinator of the Buhari/Bakare Presidential Campaign Organisation and Buhari/Osinbajo Presidential Campaign Organisation. he served in several capacities in the process of leading to the merger that produced the APC as a party, and became its National Deputy Legal Adviser, 2013-2014. He continued playing active political roles, taking step to build his party and to heal the political wound of Kogi State.
In November 2015, Ocholi James was appointed a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and deployed as Minister of State for Labour and Employment after a sterling performance during his ministerial screening on the floor of the Nigerian Senate.
In his brief but impactful service as Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Ocholi discharged himself creditably as a perfect negotiator, mediator and a team player. He was the chairman of two major negation committees for the resolution of industrial disputes in the Health Sector and the Oil and Gas Sector. The committees were making tremendous progress until his sudden transition to glory exactly one year ago.
Accident And Death
Ocholi James, SAN, honoured an invitation to a thanksgiving service as a guest speaker and to commission Church projects on Sunday, 6th March, 2016 in Kaduna. He was accompanied by his wife, Blessing, and son, Joshua. They were involved in a fatal car accident on their way back from Kaduna, in which only the three of them died in the convoy.
On this day in 2016, Ocholi Enojo James, SAN, a great intellectual, a brilliant lawyer, a seasoned negotiator, an astute manager, an exemplary leader, a distinguished Christian, a committed family man, a fervent patriot, a true nationalist, a peacemaker and a bridge builder, a friend of many and a generational mentor passed on to the glory of God.
A notable Nigerian Leader once said; there are many brilliant lawyers in Nigeria, including SANs, but what stands Ocholi out among them is that Ocholi was completely honest.
May the work and memory of Late Ocholi Enojo James inspire humanity for greatness.
– Onogwu Muhammed (Galacticus)
