Government Of Imo State
Press Release
–
.As Governors Tambuwal, Umar Ganduje Commend Him Over Rochas Foundation Colleges
A foremost statesman, His Excellency Alhaji Maitama Sule has described the governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha as the direct successor of the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, because his actions are uniting Nigeria and he is using one of the most effective tools of uniting the people, which is education.
Alhaji Maitama Sule had spoken weekend at the graduation ceremony of the Rochas Foundation College Kano, adding that what Governor Okorocha is doing with education is very very important because a man’s contribution to national development is determined by his level of education.
Hear the elder statesman, “the wish of every father is to see his successors. I have seen a worthy successor in Okorocha. He has taken after great Nnamdi Azikiwe. Azikiwe made the greatest contribution to Nigerian’s independence. Azikiwe, Sarduana of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa, and Obafemi laid the foundation of Nigeria’s unity and Okorocha is now the symbol of that Nigeria’s unity. He is the direct successor of Azikiwe. His action is uniting Nigeria and he is using the most effective tool of uniting people, which is education”.
He continued, “Okorocha is our Tafawa Balewa, Awolowo, Azikiwe and Ahmadu Bello. Okorocha, I am proud of you. I love you. You are uniting Nigeria through education”.
The ceremony which saw the graduation of four hundred and sixty six students also witnessed the presence of Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Ibrahim Saminu Turaki, the Deputy-Governors of Kano and Gombe, Speakers of Kano State House of Assembly and that of Imo, and a good number of Emirs including that of Lafia, Alhaji Mustapha Agwai II.
In his speech, Kano State Governor, Alhaji Ganduje said Governor Okorocha has made a lot of sacrifices for the unity of Nigeria adding that at the time he joined the merger that gave birth to APC, was one of such great sacrifices.
He said it was against the backdrop of that development that other progressive governors saw the glaring spirit of unity in him, and allowed him to become the chairman of the APC governors’ Forum remarking that Rochas Foundation Colleges across the nation had laid the foundation for free and compulsory education in the country.
He commended Governor Okorocha for building one of the Rochas Foundation Colleges in Kano and then donated one Costa bus to the college, assuring too that the government in the state would give every available support to the college.
Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Tambuwal described governor Okorocha as an exemplary Nigerian who is contributing to the greatness of Nigeria through education and then challenged other Nigerians with the means to follow the good examples of Governor Okorocha.
Governor Okorocha who spoke amidst tears of emotion explained how he was moved by the number of children hawking on a day he went to Kano and with the encounter he had with some of them, he then decided to establish the Rochas Foundation College Kano which has become a success story today.
Governor Okorocha told his audience, “children cannot chose the family they are born into, and even the most-gifted children are unable to flourish in a world mired by poverty and hardship, where education is available only to the children of the wealthy. And who knows whether one of these children hawking on the street could be the one to find the cure to HIV and other dreaded diseases. That is the idea behind the Rochas Foundation Colleges across the nation”.
His words, “Poverty does not have to mean hopeless future. It is my vision that by 2025, one million children would have received a world class and completely free education at Rochas Foundation Colleges. There are already five colleges set up throughout Nigeria, Kano, Ibadan, Owerri, Jos and Ogboko. Each year a further one thousand children enroll. That is my joy and my salary”.
In Kano, Governor Okorocha had also met with the leadership and members of the Kano State House of Assembly, who assured him that they were going to give the college all the legislative backings it might need.
Sam Onwuemeodo
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
