From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Businessman and Investor, Aham Rochas has urged Nigerians to be emphatic and tolerant in the quest for peace.
He disclosed this when receiving members of the Coalition of Northern Nigerian Ethnic Youth Leaders (CONNEYL) recently at the Aham Rochas group headquarters in Abuja.
“Although there is beauty in our diversity our strength comes from our unity and unity is achieved through empathy,” he said.
“If I do not care about what you’re going through then we can’t be united, until somebody from Kwara state starts to fight for people from Abia state and for what matters to them in Abia or someone from Lagos starts to fight for people in Borno or somebody from Sokoto starts to fight for the people in Imo there can’t be unity.
“Until we see our fellow brothers in pain and do not give them our voices or call out an injustice against them, then what happens is every one would think that the other doesn’t care about their pain, we can’t have unity that way.”
Speaking at the event, Barrister Faruk Mohammed, Coordinator, Coalition of Northern Nigerian Ethnic Youth Leaders (CONNEYL), stated that the group identifies with Aham Rochas because he is seen as a forerunner in the movement for the emancipation of the youth in Nigeria.
The group inducted Aham Rochas into the coalition of Northern Nigerian Ethnic Youth Leaders’ Hall of Fame. By the epithet of the coalition, he was called five (5) star general Comrade Engr. Mr. Ahamefula Brendan Rochas.
After the induction, the group also conferred on him the award of the Icon of Humanitarian Service and Nation Building, for his excellence and visionary leadership with a presentation of an award plaque and certificate.
Speaking at the event, the Barrister Mohammed stated that, “We confer on you this award because of your visionary leadership and as an inspiration to all Nigerian youths. You have lifted so many families out of poverty through direct employment and indirect ratio of labour.”
Accepting the award, Aham Rochas said: “I am motivated by this kind gesture and this award will only go to ensure that the Aham Rochas Foundation would do more in terms of nation building and peace building by extending the bridge of unity.
“We will continue to give voice to the voiceless, starting with the North with Abuja as a starting point, and we would achieve this with a good working relationship with the IDP camps.
“Also our foundation offers free education, with six Rochas foundation schools in the north and six also in the south. We urge the coalition to bring forth kids who are orphans or financially challenged to come over for exams so they could resume schooling by September 2021.”
Aham Rochas commended the group for their good work and promised to partner with them for the purpose of nation building.
The Coalition of Northern Nigerian Ethnic Youth Leaders (CONNEYL) is into advocacy campaign towards promoting a peaceful coexistence among the different ethnic group in the region, considering the multi-ethnic nature the country.