Former First National Chairman and founding member of the New Patriotic Party, Mr. B.J. da Rocha, has passed away. Family sources say Mr. Da Rocha was rushed to hospital around midday Tuesday and died shortly after. The news has shocked many bigwigs of the NPP including 2008 flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo. Nana Addo told Joy News Mr. Da Rocha was instrumental in resolving the differences between himself and Alan Kyeremanteng who also contested the flagbearer slot of the party A national executive council meeting of the NPP was brought to an abrupt end as news of Mr. Da Rocha’s death broke. Mr. da Rocha played a significant role towards the formation of the NPP. He was a senior advocate of Ghana and was the First Ghanaian Director of Ghana School of Law. Da Rocha was also a founding lecturer at the Ghana Law School when it opened in 1958, and, with the exception of a break from 1969-1975, continued teaching until 1992, when he retired as the first Ghanaian Director of Legal Education. He was honoured in 1993 by the Ghana Bar Association for his immense contribution to Legal Education and the Legal Profession in Ghana. He was secretary of the Ghana Bar Association from 1958 to 1966. Source: Myjoyonline.com/Ghana