A group of Executives led by the National President of the National Association of Proprietors of Private schools in Nigeria (NAPPS) stormed Rochas Foundation College of Africa (ROFOCA) recently, on an official visit, during their national conference held at the Imo International Conference Center (IICC), Owerri, Imo State, South-East Nigeria.
By Paul Chukwuma
Dr. Mrs Sally Adukwu-Bolujoko rubbing minds with Amb. Anthony Ororho during the visit. (Photo: Kingsley Osiri)
The team of executives led by the National President, Dr (Mrs.) Sally Adukwu-Bolujoko alongside the BOT Chairman Dr Saidu Meji Yawa, National Deputy President of NAPPS Chief Yemi Otubele, all Six Geopolitical Zonal Presidents, members of National Executive Council and state Chairmen of NAPPS made a brief stop at the Rochas Foundation College, to see things for themselves, interact meaningfully as well as identify with the educational principles guiding the establishment of the school.
The Dean of the college, Ambassador Anthony Ororho who received the NAPPS members welcomed the team in his usual phraseology to “African Union Junior Chambers, Rochas Foundation College of Africa” while reminding them that hoisted on our walls are flags of the 54 member countries of the African Union signifying that ROFOCA was set up two years ago to accommodate future leaders of Africa. He further stated that ROFOCA is a place where African leaders are bred with the intension of handing over to them, the baton of African leadership in the near future. With this, he believed that the vision of the founder of Rochas Foundation to unite Africa and make her the center of the world; a position it has always occupied, shall come to fruition.
Speaking during the occasion was Emmanuel Yanga, a South Sudanese and the Head Boy of the school who beamed a spotlight on the woes of Africa and blamed it all on lack of selflessness and love for one another. He narrated the story of the founder and his early beginnings before he conceived the idea of “Reaching Out and Touching Lives” through his legacies of free education to African children who are deprived of education due to regional crises or pandemic diseases killing or separating them from their parents and guardians. He believed that the founder’s humble childhood brought him to the basic understanding of the plight of millions of African children while highlighting the conflicts going on around the continent today as the reasons a lot of children are dying of starvation, are displaced and are out of school.
According to the Head Boy “violence against violence can never work but if you give education we can see a world full of tranquility, peace, joy and unity”. He called on all to emulate their father H.E Owelle Rochas Okorocha in bringing unity, peace and progress to Africa especially in Nigeria and learning to live our lives for others and not live for ourselves alone. He ended his speech by saying that “the most selfless and self-fulfilling thing anyone can do for himself is to help others”.
Speaking in the same vein, Zulaika Toure, a Sierra-Leonean and the Head Girl of the College was full of praise for the President of the Foundation “for his kindness towards African children and in particular children from very poor background who apparently have lost all hope.” She extolled him for looking beyond religious and cultural lines in lending a helping hand to the people who are in need. Miss Toure opined that the founder’s vision of African unity will be achieved through free and qualitative education of the African child, and, expressed optimism that Africa will surpass America if it is united.
On a different note, Dr Adukwu-Bolujoko said that she was overwhelmed by the monumental educational project she witnessed in ROFOCA saying that they “are far from the kind of dreams she had dreamt”. According to her, she had lost hope that such dreams were possible in her lifetime. She made mention of some African nationalists like Kwame Nkrumah whose dreams and deeds were according to her, “selfless and nationalistic. And now to see even such a greater selfless gesture for the thriving humanity was to rekindle her hope for a greater Africa.”
Adukwu-Bolujoko said that she gave up on her dreams because Africa used to be the cradle of civilization but suddenly began to fall from civilization until she became primitive again. She ascribed the glorification of money to the lowest form of primitivism, saying that the desire to acquire money brings man to the lowest level of thinking, maintaining that “if any man wants to make money he is of all men most wretched.” She reminisced on the unity of Africa and the inter-country consumption of music and culture, borderless trade and business deals as well as common media propagated information in the past. For her the sudden collapse of the African unity was the quest for ephemeral power and pursuit of wealth.
She asserted that a man should aspire to make impact and serve other men and not money, and, reminded everyone that no one was created for himself. That we all must learn to take steps at giving support to children who are in need of it, saying that is the only way to earn the love and respect of people. “Posterity does not remember the rich man who lived for himself and family alone but the man who gave himself selflessly to serve other peoples’ needs, she argued. She eulogized His Excellency, Owelle Rochas Okorocha for having earned the love of Africans for a lifetime maintaining that posterity will never forget him.
While she wondered how the President is able to carter for these children providing toiletries, books, food and shelter for all of them who now see him as and call him daddy, she had asked God to keep her alive to see the impact ROFOCA students will make on Africa in fifteen years time. She urged the Dean and staff of the college continue to render their best in the training of these students even if they are not being paid for it. She maintained that seeing the children refer to themselves as brothers and sisters regardless of differences in religion and country only sends the message of hope for Africa that one day Africa will be great again. She further urged the students to keep being obedient to their teachers and be serious with their studies while reminding them that the future will be bright for those who work hard today.
In his Response, the Dean of the college. Amb. Anthony Ororho thanked the members of NAPPS for their time especially, the President of NAPPS whose kind words were rather encouraging and insightful. He urged NAPPS to carry the message of “One Africa,” as envisioned by the Founder of the Rochas Foundation to all parts of Nigeria and beyond. He prayed God to make the unity in NAPPS greater than it has ever been, while wishing Dr Adukwu-Bolujoku success in her tenure as the NAPPS president. “You will make in-roads in NAPPS, and in the educational system of Nigeria,” the Dean said.
He equally begged NAPPS “to help bring back the teaching of History in our schools as it plays a great role in teaching our kids some of the ideals and dreams of our past and altruistic nationalists.”
Afro-Global Education Deliveries 