What To Know About Late Senator Rose Oko

Oru Leonard

Late Senator Rose Okoji Oko was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party who represented Cross River North Senatorial District on a second term in the National Assembly, and the chairman, Senate Committee on Trade and Investment.

She was a member of the House of Representatives when she represented the Yala / Ogoja Federal Constituency in the 7th National Assembly where she was elected into office as the first female representative from her constituency in June 2011 and was Deputy Chairman House Committee on Education

She was also elected as the first female representative from her Senatorial District in June 2015 , and re -elected in 2019.

Rose Oko Early Life/ Education
Rose completed her elementary school in 1977 from WTC Primary School Enugu after which she attended Federal School of Arts & Science Ogoja in Cross River State to acquire her Higher School Certificate (Nigeria).

In 1981 she graduated with a 2nd Class Upper in B.A.(Hons) Linguistics from the University of Calabar, Cross River state. A Graduate Course in Linguistics shortly followed at The University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA.

During her educational career with the University of Calabar, late Dr Rose Oko also acquired an M.A. Linguistics in 1984.

By 1990 she graduated from The University of Port Harcourt in Rivers State where she acquired her Doctorate in Linguistics. Several years later in 2007, she enrolled in and graduated from The Management Institute of Canada where she acquired an MBA.

Early Career
Rose Okoji Oko started her career in the Nigerian Youth Service Corps as a tutor in Edgerly Memorial Girls Secondary School, Calabar in 1981.

Between 1982 and 1983 she taught at St. Patricks College, Calabar and in the same year moved to become a lecturer at the Cross River School of Basic Studies Akampka. She held this position till 1984 when she moved to the University of Calabar to become an Assistant Lecturer in the department of Language and Linguistics until 1986 when she was promoted to become Lecturer in the same department.

In 1989 at the age of 33 she was recognised for her years of service and started her career as a public servant when she was appointed as Commissioner of Education, Cross River State; a position she held till 1991. In that same period, she served as Chairperson Better Life Programme, Cross River Chapter from 1990 to 1991.

In 1993 she was appointed Director General, National Defence & Security Council, Cabinet Secretariat under the military presidency. She held this position simultaneously with the National Commissioner, National Electoral Commission (NEC) now known as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Between 1993 and 1994 she was appointed Director General, Provisional Ruling Council again under the then Military Presidency.

In 1995 she was appointed Director National Council for Refugees (NCFR), now known as National Commission For Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons. She held this position until 2002 when she retired as a public servant to embark on a higher calling of service to her people as a politician.

In 1999 Rose registered and formed part of the team to introduce the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to Cross River State as an inactive member of the party.

Between 2002 and 2004 after she retired from public service, she registered and introduced the National Democratic Party (NDP) to Cross River State and served as the Deputy Chairman South, Board of Trustees, NDP.

In 2003 when Nigeria held her first democratic election since the handover of power from military to civilian rule, Okoji Oko contested as a senate candidate, Cross River North Senatorial District under the NDP banner, but she lost to the PDP candidate at the time.

She continued to serve as chairman of the board of trustees for the NDP party up until 2007, when she ran in the country’s second official democratic election as a gubernatorial candidate for Cross River State, a contest she lost to the PDP candidate.

In that same year, she re-enlisted as a member with the PDP and in the 2011 democratic elections ran for Member National Assembly, Federal House of Representatives, Yala/Ogoja Federal Constituency and was successful this time.

In 2015 she contested and won the senatorial seat of Cross River North District on the platform of the PDP where she also contest in 2019 for a second term. A position she held until her death.

Late Dr Rose Okoji Oko who was born on September 27, 1956 an died on March 24, 2020 at the age of 63, will be greatly missed by her constituents and political allies for her generosity.