(Owerri, Nigeria) Liberia Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Professor Al-Hassan Conteh, has commended the Governor of the State of Imo in Nigeria, His Excellency Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha, for his selfless contribution towards humanity.

Ambassador Conteh, during a courtesy visit to the Imo State Governor recently, congratulated Governor Okorocha, on behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Liberia, particularly for his free educational program which targets less-privileged children from all other Africa.

According to a release from the Liberian Embassy in Nigeria, Governor Okorocha runs a chain of schools named the Rochas Foundation Colleges, spread in 11 of Nigeria’s 36 states.

The release says the Liberian Ambassador expressed gratitude to the Imo State Governor for the inclusion of eight Liberian students into his free education program. The eight Liberian students will be joining hundreds more from other African countries for the new academic year which begins in September, 2017.

According to the release, Ambassador Conteh’s commendation followed a tour of the new facilities of the Rochas Foundation College of Africa in the state’s capital, Owerri on Saturday, May 6, 2017.

The Rochas Foundation College for Africa-Owerri will be giving out admission to students from 10 African countries for Academic 2017-2018, to be later expanded to students from all 54 African countries.

Over 80% completed, the Owerri-based Rochas Foundation College is one of eleven educational facilities across the Federal Republic of Nigeria through which Governor Okorocha provides free secondary education for less-privileged children and orphans. Rochas Foundation Colleges are also located in other parts of the country, including Oyo, Kano, Plateau, Bauchi, Zaria, Yola, Sokoto, Enugu and Imo States.

During the courtesy call with Governor Okorocha which held at his residence in Owerri, Ambassador Conteh thanked him for investing in the education of under-privileged children.

“We also want to thank you in particular, Your Excellency, for including those eight Liberian students who, we understand, will be joining their colleagues from other parts of Africa next month ahead of the new academic year for orientation”, Ambassador Conteh said.

In response, Governor Okorocha noted that Liberia and Nigeria have a lot in common.

Identifying poverty as Africa’s common enemy, Governor Okorocha added: “That’s why I decided to put my everything into education, knowing that poverty in Africa is our common enemy. Those students from outside Nigeria will return to their respective countries after their academic journeys”.

He disclosed that 75% of the beneficiaries are orphans.  

Earlier, Rev. Mrs. Carol Ochemba, Technical Adviser to the President of Rochas Foundation, took the Ambassador and diplomatic officers on a guided tour of the new facilities which will be hosting the new batch of Liberian and other African students.

The Officers of the Abuja Mission who accompanied Ambassador Conteh to the residence of Governor Okorocha included Chief Cliff Nzeruem, Protocol Attaché of the Liberian Embassy, Mr. Nat Bayjay, the Minister Counselor for Press and Public Affairs, Mr. Daniel Rogers, the First Secretary/Consul, and Mr. Tunde J. Spencer, Political Counselor, and Ms. Saran Waritay, the Dietician to the Ambassador.

Rochas Foundation is a non-governmental, non-profit and non-political organization, incorporated on the 24^th of February 1998, with a firm commitment to the work of charity and philanthropy. It aims to “build a credible future for Africans and the world at large, by ensuring every child has access to free and qualitative education”.

Its vision is “to make quality education free and accessible to every African child regardless of tribe, class and religion.”

The Foundation rehabilitates abandoned children by providing free education in a way that is accessible to all, while providing them with food and clothing.