One set of faces at the reception!
I do not remember who uttered the words serving as headline for this story but it aggregated all the elements the event brought into view: the reality of Fortune Ochiga’s call to the Bar, given that he had to start all over after reaching the final year in the first round due to a shared error; the unseen presence of his late father; the sacrifices of his mother and the privilege of being the first lawyer from the huge and established Ochiga family in Ogene – Amejo, Edumoga District of Okpokwu LGA in Benue State.
Marking his call to bar under a symbolic tree shade at Jabi Park Wednesday July 8th, 2026 was bound to be an emotionally involving outing. Everyone wished his late father, Okpani Benedict Ochiga were not late. As Amb Nick Ella remarked, he would have overwhelmed the occasion with his individuality if he were. “If he were here, he would make this place remarkable”, said Ella.
At the table!
To ‘compensate’ for his absence, all kindred signifiers around Abuja made arrangements to be in attendance. But the morning rains that day introduced its own unanticipated dimension. Then, the confusion over timing. Still, it went fine.
The presence of Madam Rose Ochiga, the mother and chief provider since the demise of the father, was a morale booster. Ene, Rose, Esther and the six different families who came to bear witness to Fortune’s transition from Daddy’s boy to a barrister all made the day memorable. The pastor added his own – being most likely to be the only pastor in town who didn’t take a whole hour when asked to commit the event to God’s care.
Dancing time!
Pieces of advice flew from Ella, Adagbo Onoja, an elder whose name Intervention missed, the pastor, Ladi Ochiga – a non-tribe married to the family and so on. Amb Ella who is also a lawyer maintained there was hardly greater joy than passing through the Law School because of the way “they terrify you with their lectures and examinations”. He thus entertains no fears about Fortune hitting the ground running.
Barrister Fortune, everyone agreed, is not a young man to worry about because of the lessons he learnt from his first failed attempt at studying law. His mastery of the grammar of cultural courtesies and protocol pointed at a young man who knows his cultural onions and has no illusions or hook-up to any arcane ideas.
More faces!
Dancing time merged with eating time, all done in front of Jabi Lake as a silent, shy witness, obviously whispering its undeveloped majesty as a result of bare attention.
It would have been very interesting to hear the story of each of those called to the Nigerian Bar that day. As that is not possible for any one, single news platform, the best or the only option is zooming on a case study as in this case!
In spite of the heights modernity has climbed, professions like Law and Medicine still carry fairly undiminished prestige in popular psyche. It seems it will take some more time for the contrary to happen. how else when Fortune born yesterday, for example, can now sentence Intervention to jail just by a speech Act to that effect.
