Insecurity: Nigerian Students Gather in Enugu for Peace Conference

Posted by African Examiner Ignatius Okpara Tuesday, October 8th, 2013

Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

Worried by the alarming spate of insecurity in Nigeria, the catholic church owned Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu Tuesday put together a peace seminar for Nigerian students at all levels.

The annual seminar, with the theme: “Creating and Sustaining Responsibility” took place at the premises of the university in Enugu.

Students from different levels of education in the Nigeria as well as their teachers graced the event where experts trained them on how to embrace and sustain peace.

Speaking to the students during the exercise, Vice Chancellor of Godfrey Okoye University, Rev. Father Professor Christian Anieke, had stressed the need for the students to embrace inner peace.

The school boss, insisted that it would be extremely difficult for anybody that does not have peace to preach peace, because you cannot give what you don’t have he stated.

Professor Anieke, who received an award at the ceremony, over his contributions towards actualization of peace had enjoined all stakeholders in the education sector to always think of how to guarantee inner peace.

In a paper entitled “Security and Sustaining Peace in the Nigerian University: The Role of the Stakeholders”, the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University,

(UNIZIK) Awka, Professor Boniface Egboka emphasised that the theme of the conference could not be more apt in a world that is increasingly being ravaged by intra and inter-nations violence and warfare.

Professor Egboka, who spoke through an official of the ivory tower, noted that various parts of Nigeria were plagued by diverse forms of violence including Boko Haram Attacks in the far North.

He however, commended the Vice-Chancellor and Management of Godfrey Okoye University for staging the conference, and finding him worthy to be honoured with the award of Peace Advocate.

In her speech, convener of the peace conference, Sir Dr. Mary Gloria Njoku, had expressed appreciation to the Vice Chancellor of the Catholic university, for his support towards the actualization of peace in the country.

She charged participants to always embrace peace at all times, because it remained a useful tool for the development of the any nation including Nigeria.