Former governor of Imo state, Senator Rochas Okorocha, has continued to receive encomium from government of some African countries over his role in free African child education
Senator Okorocha had through his Rochas Foundation, provided education opportunities to so many indigent Africa children who have been given free education opportunities at the Rochas College Africa
The commendations came when the Ambassadors of two African countries, Congo Democratic Republic (DR Congo) and South Sudan, paid separate visits to the former governor, who is also the President of Rochas Foundation, to pass goodwill messages as well as their president’s appreciation of Okorocha’s extention of his free Africa child education programs to their countries
The Rochas foundation, it was gathered has given free education to university level to 15 DRC indigent students, as well as 10 students from South Sudan who are currently studying at the Rochas School Africa International in Imo state, Nigeria
Speaking during the “Thank you “visit, Senator Okorocha eppealed to African countries to prioritise the education of orphans and those from poorest families who cannot afford formal education.
Okorocha also asked the African Union (AU) to key into the initiative and encourage member countries to design a framework that would take care of education of children who are suffering due to other factors like war.
Speaking on Thursday when he received the Ambassadors of the Republic of Congo, Jacques Obindza, and Paul Molong Akaro of South Sudan, during their separate visits at the Okorocha’s Foundation in Abuja,
The former governor, who noted that children from poor homes have a lot to contribute to the political and economic development of Africa if trained, assured his visitors that his pet project will produce numerous Africa Governors and presidents in the future, stressing that they are given the opportunity to learn in so many fields of endeavor that would shape them to become future leaders in their various countries .
“The major problem of Africa is illiteracy and poverty. So we are coming in to change the story. We have over 14 million out of school children who have been left unattended to as a result of poverty.
“We are advising African nations to adopt Okorocha’s Foundation to enable the helpless children fulfil their dreams. The AU should come and see what we are doing and see how they can support this venture.
“We have over 25, 000 children in our Foundation across Nigeria and Africa. So the Foundation is a uniting factor for Africa. The children here talk Africa and think Africa. So we want to strengthen this relationship,
“Here you have seen these children, some of them want to be President, governors, Doctors, Engineers, mentioned them because opportunities have been given to them. Education is no more a means to life, education now is life itself.
“So, we in Rochas Foundation, despite the efforts that we had made, engaging over 25, 000 kids, graduating over 6, 000 but it is still like a drop in an ocean, so you can imagine in my whole life time, if l go at this pace l might be giving like 100, 000 or more, but that is just a drop in this ocean of illiteracy and poverty that is why we are urging nations to adopt this non governmental approach. It helps to arrest the situation and that would help everybody.
“So, l want to thank you and thank Mr. President just that we are looking forward to seeing him. These children want to see their President. President Zuma came here as a sitting President, President Sirleaf Johnson came here as a sitting President, we are still waiting to see the President of South Sudan, we don’t know what that would be in their lives.” he said.
Earlier, the Ambassador of Democratic Republic of Congo, Jacques Obindza, who expressed his government’s appreciation of the gesture Okorocha had extended to it promised that his country would sustain the tie with the Rochas Foundation for sócio political and economic development of African countries
Ambassador Paul Molong Akaro of South Sudan also in his remarks expressed the joy of his country’ government in the gesture extended to them by the Okorocha Foundation.
The Ambassador who blamed internal crisis as well as the COVID 19 pandemic for missing the opportunity to send more students in 2018, 2019 and 2020 assured that the country will not fail to meet up in further requests by the foundation
