Rochas partners University of Jos on out- of- School children
From Tongnaan Bawa Jos
Former governor of Imo State Rochas Okorocha, has announced a partnership between his education foundation, Rochas Foundation, and the University of Jos to tackle the issue of out-of-school children in Nigeria and Africa.
Speaking at the matriculation ceremony for the students of the University of Jos for the 2024/ 2025 academic session, Okorocha emphasized the importance of education, stating that it “remains the bedrock of the society”
He however noted that it’s worrisome that there are still huge numbers of out-of-school children in the country and Africa at large.
According to him, University of Jos has become a principal partner of Rochas Foundation, with 10% of the foundation’s 31,000 students from Jos, Kano, Bauchi, Zaria, Sokoto, and other parts of the country.
Notably, 311 of the matriculating students are from Rochas Foundation, with 68 of them from over 13 different African countries.
Okorocha advised the students to take advantage of the Federal government’s student loan scheme, emphasizing that education is “no longer a right, but education is life itself now”
He urged the students to take their studies seriously and focus on their future.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Tanko Ishaya, announced that 10,655 students have been registered into various degree programs in the university. He congratulated the students on being selected, noting that they are among the privileged ones who chose the University of Jos as their first choice.
Some of the foreign students who spoke with our correspondent, Emmanuel Yanga, from South Sudan who gained admission to study political Science appreciated God for connecting him with his father, Senator Rochas to enable him to be educated free.
” I am excited and grateful to God for connecting me to o my daddy, Rochas who has been a wonderful father that want the best for me in life, to see that I’m educated free. I pray God bless him and keep him for us all. I promise to work hard to make daddy proud”
For Aman Jemain, Student of Medicine and Surgery from Ethiopia, said words failed him when Rochas Foundation made a pronouncement to sponsor his education from the cradle to the university.
He said “Though I’m ambitious, but I have never thought that I would be here in the university of Jos to study, If not for our daddy. Jermain described Rochas has a God fearing, compassionate and loving person who doesn’t descriminate in any way.
The students called on other leaders to be passionate about the less privileged in the society who desire to educated and can not afford to acquire education.
Our correspondent reports that Rochas Foundation has been actively working to provide education to underprivileged children, with over 13,000 students benefiting from their programs across Nigeria and Africa.
Some of the countries are Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Niger, Cameron, South Sudan, Sierra Leone,Gambia,Togo and Zimbabwe among others.
