Nigerians were jolted to their bones yesterday when the news of the sudden and brutal deaths of the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Bar James Ocholi (SAN), his wife and son broke.

Nobody wishes for that type of death especially not a family that has just recently been made a ministerial family with the reward to their father by the APC led government for his efforts and contributions pre-2015 elections as the Minister of State for Labour.
The story is that the family was on a private visit to Kaduna State and about 57km to Kaduna, the fatal crash occurred. One version; Sahara Reporters claims the escort vehicle behind the SUV conveying the Ocholis radioed their driver alerting him to a flat tire and he in panic, slammed on his brakes causing the following escort SUV to ram into the lexus sending it somersaulting.

The other version from the FRSC claims the SUV had a blown tire while on high speed and somersaulted on its own.

Reports have it that his Driver, Chief Detail, Orderly and PA survived the crash yet only the nuclear family members died, thus begging for more questions.

The road in question is said not to have bad surfaces rather, is well paved and drivers on this road are known to speed, so bad road as an Environmental Causative Factor can be eliminated leaving us with the Human and Mechanical Road Crash Causative Factors.
Road crashes globally are known to be caused by these three causative factors, either as a solo or combined factor. But in this case, our lack road crash investigation capabilities will hamper the determining factor of the crash that could be valuable in preventing future occurrences. And it seems like some parties are deliberately feeding the public with balderdash regarding the circumstances surrounding this crash.

For starters, the SUV in question is a recent model Lexus LX570 which comes equipped with lots of safety features especially the TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) which should trigger an alarm followed by a warning light on the dashboard in the case of a low tire pressure so any alert driver should be able to detect the low pressure without being 'panicked' as said of the minister's driver.

Moreover he should be assumed to have experience in driving in a convoy that can come under attack without any warning, so if
being warned of an ordinary low pressure can destabilize him, I wonder how he will react when he hears a gunshot while on motion. Or did he see the warning and deliberately kept driving on the high speed tempting fate?

I had written about 'Oga-Driver' syndrome as an issue with road crashes in our nation in my book; Fundamentals of Safer Road Usage, a book endorsed by the FRSC and LASDRI. This is because most 'ogas' do not even know much about their cars, nor driving dynamics. They just over-trust their drivers and forget that they should also be paying attention no matter how busy they are because it is their lives that matter. Sadly as in this case, the life of two generations. This point is important because as an attentive
passenger in a vehicle, one should be able to even detect a flat tire when a car is on motion from the vibration felt throughout the car, the wobbling and the driver struggling to maintain steering control.

On one return trip from Asaba to Lagos, I noticed all these coupled with the noise I was hearing from the tire. I told the driver to stop and check but he assured me he had been driving for ages so has the experience and that he changed his brake-pads recently so it was the pads rubbing against the drum of the wheel. But I kept telling him he was wrong. The other passengers started abusing me so I kept quiet and started praying for the car to pack up safely so that my life would be spared and the driver and others would learn their lesson. Trust me, after our stopover at Ore, the noise and vibration soon became unbearable and the car was now wobbling so the driver of the Hiace bus was now forced to pullover to
inspect. Believe me, it turned out that the wheel-nuts were not properly tightened after the brake job so the constant motion and pressure of the bus had generated enough heat to melt two bolts from the drum and as the driver used his wheel spanner to remove the now bad wheel and put the spare tire, two more bolts broke off from the drum thereby rendering the bus immobile as it was now evening and the welders and vulcanizers around there had closed for the day. I made sure I collected a refund from them and boarded
another vehicle from there to Lagos. The lesson from my experience is to always pay attention whether as a driver or as the driven in either a private or commercial vehicle.

Another incident I will point out was when someone I know occupied a senior government position so he had a pilot car and an official car. Each time is visited him and would be in the car as his driver drove I noticed that he was always panicking and didn't have a good control of the car. I pointed these out to his principal who I knew. He was lamenting that he was searching for a better driver so he can relegate this one to another position. One day we went for a function and the driver in his characteristic manner hit a child
walking by the side of the road with his side mirror. Luckily the boy was not injured. After settling that issue, 'oga' promptly told the driver to get into the back seat and he drove expertly if not for anything, to show the lad how to drive very well especially when driving a politically exposed personality.

The truth of the matter is that drivers of PEPs should be trained on defensive and advanced driving techniques, including the bosses because emergencies do not write application letters before striking.

For the Ocholis, we are told four other people survived and three died. But with his position as a Minister, we know that most probably, only his orderly and driver would have been the other non-family members riding in the same car with him. In as much as the car is a seven-seater, I doubt if the Chief Detail and the
PA were also in the same car with them. If they were not, what exactly happened?

Part of the sad realities of the 'Oga-driver' syndrome is that most, I repeat, most of our Nigerian ogas and their families do not wear seat belts. Only the staff seating at the the front do so and in most cases just to appease the men of the FRSC. If only they were wearing their seat belt, believe me, they might be alive by
now.

Research shows that occupants not wearing their seat belts and unsecured goods inside a car involved in a crash transform into deadly projectiles bouncing around the crashing car posing more dangers to those well strapped and also in the case of a roll over like this, get ejected from the car. Remember that this SUV
in question is a late model LX570 with all the safety features as evidenced by the deployment of all the airbags. One other good thing I noticed was that the the tire on the rear of the car having a uni-directional thread was mounted in the proper DOR (direction of rotation) that will help improve traction and check against aquaplanning thus showing that there was a modicum of attention to detail in the usage of the car.

The factor of overspeeding can never be over-emphasized.

I like the fact that on all Cross-over, SUV and even MPV vehicles, there is a visible warning that these cars are not to be driven at speeds or maneuvers as you would a regular sedan or sports car. So anyone driving a tall, heavy SUV as if you are driving a sedan is just courting an avoidable trouble which can happen when
you least expect it. The pictures of the remnants of the SUV in this case show that the crash occurred when the car was on a very high speed.

It is general knowledge that drivers of VIPs in Nigeria especially those with back up escort cars mostly drive at breakneck speeds while on intra and inter state trips even when unnecessary.

There is even a possibility that that level of car was riding on run-flat tires meaning that a loss of air pressure in a tire should not be an issue as the car can still safely drive for over 50 more kilometers till the car can get to a professional vulcanizer for fixing. So a well informed driver, receiving or seeing the low tire pressure warning won't be bothered that much except to reduce his speed a bit lower.

Then most Nigerian's accident response methods are so crude, elementary and sometimes outright dangerous to victims of accidents especially road crashes. There is an absence of standby trained emergency personnel. Even the security details of PEPs are meant to have been trained in first aid and evacuation. It is pathetic that from the pictures we all have seen of a victim I assume to be Bar Ocholi lying on his stomach covered under leaves. When he should have been kept in the recovery position because only a certified medical personnel can confirm that he was dead at that point. A victim placed on the recovery position stands a great chance of coming out of unconsciousness and making good recovery than one left to lie on his stomach or his back thereby probably blocking his nasal tract from allowing air go into
his body. Was CPR even performed on them?

Also, our medical system is an apology as most hospitals are either not well equipped, staffed or lack professional discipline so treat patients improperly. Imagine the story of the state of the first hospital Mrs Ocholi was taken to. There are chances that had she gotten prompt, better medical aid she would have
survived.

I hope this incident will force our 'ogas' at the top to sit up with their responsibilities and create better enabling environments for all and sundry in all facets of our nation starting from the President because, you might delude yourself that you are untouchable but believe me, you never can tell when everything will rather work against you and make you or your family members experience what the ordinary man on the street goes through on a daily basis.

One final question, as a Minister, I guess there were about three vehicles in his convoy, where were the other cars that could have quickly rushed both the living and the dead to the hospital and mortuary and spared the huge man in blue the indignity of laying there in the dirt like just one slab of meat?

Rather, the helpers and security men were more concerned with removing the plate number of the SUV after the crash.

Just my two Kobo.

May the souls of the dead rest in peace; Amen.

Source: http://www.naijacarlovers.com/2016/03/blog-post_7.html?m=1

nice analysis

Well detailed and properly constructed piece of advice/recommendation/insight.

But this does not justify the huge amount of money Buhari budgeted for spare tyres, C-caution, fire extinguisher, plug spanner and others.

Good write-up. Hope the powers-that-be take note. RIP to the departed.

This is an intelligent write up. I kept asking myslf if it was two cars that's was involved in the he crash. Cos some newspaper said the car was a Prado but I saw a Lexus in the pic of the crash. And also how come four persons survived and three died all in one car?

Good write up. May God have mercy on their souls. Rip

Very intelligent write-up. Lalasticlala this will help Nlers more than Ebube Nwangbo and her mini skirt hitting front page or the frequent glorification of snake killing on Nairaland!

Nice Analysis... RIP to Barr Ocholi and his family. .

This man is very good and intelligent

Nice observations...Thumbs up!!

Very insightful...daalu rinne!

it is a pity

naijacarlovers:


One other good thing I noticed was that the the tire on the rear of the car having a uni-directional thread was mounted in the proper DOR (direction of rotation) that will help improve traction and check against aquaplanning thus showing that there was a modicum of attention to detail in the usage of the car.

Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com

But closer look at that tire also shows it as bald from overinflation.

The mechanic that serviced the car especially vulcanuzer should be arrested.

ok

Double wahala for dead body

.

Wise and very sensible write-up.

One way or the other, we are all guilty of these nonchalant attitude towards a safe use of vehicles n roads.

Defensive driving should be preached by a traffic control officers. They should stop harassing road users.


Imagine the 'very tiny' fire extinguishers found in most vehicles. These CAN NOT fight fire because they don't have the capacity to do so. We just put them in our vehicles coz of road safety, police n the VIO plus the Lastmas....

Another is that SEAT BELT. In lagos, passengers sit on the hook of the seat belt because they've either been worked upon or just lost their safety purpose.

Let's think right n do things right.

Let's stop this '9ja mentality'- Nothing dey hapun! Walai, plenty dey hapun, e just never reach your side.


There are always Bigger Messes along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway...


No life is superior than another. We are all human!

Let's live a safe life!


-ademoladeji

That sahara reporters analyses is very funny and doesn't make sense,SUV is not good on high ways,that is why you can never see any world leader using SUV but our senseless politician are hell bent on using it just to prove they are richer than bloody civilians

This same news keep trending just because he is a prominent figure. Thousands have died in more devastating manner, how many were spoken of How many that their news reached the break of dawn?
Smh...Humans and rationale

Just passing

Una well done

Brb pls

It is well

So they not yet get the DEVlL who push their car down

The gods of the road had been vexed for Prof. Osibande lying before the supreme God that PDP did not build any road for 16 years, unfortunately twas someone's life had to go for the hard lessons to be taught. From all the analysis on Nairaland, twitter, facebook, FRSC etc., non of them pointed to bad road.

ichidodo:
The janjaweede hired an absolute rubbish of a driver....probably because 'im na im village person' ..now look where that has left him.

Why are you mocking the dead? This is totally un-African. You must be a blinking idiot for doing this

Hmm

Very educative....

nice write up. This is a nice postulation, I just wonder if the FRSC conducts road accident investigation because improvement for accident prevention and mitigation can be better understood after professional investigations. Thus we could understand what exactly happened,as accidents could be caused by not paying attention to minor details too.
Anyway, we are only concerned now because it was a minister. I still know that a lot of buses have jumped into the lagoon from 3rd mainland bridge and no one said a thing.