By Olivia Obijiaku
A Mass was celebrated in the premises of Vital Years School, Zaria Kaduna State, Nigeria, on Monday, 26th February, 2024 for the Founder of the school, late Mrs. Johanna Alisa, who died in her country, Ghana on 13th February 2024.
Delivering the homily at the Mass presided over by Rev Fr. Henry Atuma, a Professor at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Very Rev Prof Joseph Haruna Mamman conveyed that the deceased will be remembered as an educational missionary who brought education to Nigerians of different faiths, ethnicities and regions.
He likened her, a Ghanaian to St. Paul who brought faith to the Gentiles saying that “She came from Ghana just as St Paul left Jerusalem and went to Asia. She was a great woman of vision who had the interest of people at hand.
She believed that the only way to liberate people is by giving them education. When she brought education to us in Nigeria, she offered it to all, not only to Ghanaians, but Nigerians, not only to Christians but to Muslims; not only to Igbos, Hausas and Fulani but to everyone. She has liberated many people.
We are all sitting here today because of what she has done.”Going down memory lane, the homilist recalled that the school started in a small garage in ABU where she lived with her late husband and a Professor of French, Prof. BF Alisah.
Like the mustard seed, it has metamorphosed into the big field that has remained one of the best schools in Zaria for over two decades having produced many people who are well established in different fields of endeavor and in different parts of the country and the world.Fr. Mamman solicited prayers for the happy repose of the 80 years old deceased and charged workers, students and pupils in the school to maintain her legacies
