BY IKENNA OGBU / ENUGU
Vice Chancellor of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Professor Aloysius Okolie, has called for peace in the country, saying there is no meaningful development in an environment where there are rancour and insecurity.
Speaking at the Orientation exercise for the 2022/2023 students of the Institute For peace, Conflict, and Development Studies, (IPCDS) of the university in Enugu on Friday, Professor Okolie said the time haf come for all citizens to put on the amour of peace.
Professor Onolieze urged Nigerians to see them themselves as Ambassadors of peace in any space they are operating from.
“Without peace there can’t be meaningful development in any nation. The family needs peace, Nigeria needs peace, Africa needs peace, and the world needs peace”, he said.
Represented by the Director, ESUT Business school, Professor Fred Eze, the VC, urged the new Course participants to take their studies very seriously, assuring them of the institute’s readiness to ensure that they graduate at normal time.
He promised that the university would continue to give IPCDS the necessary support so as to realize the core objectives of the institute.
The VC, who expressed satisfaction with the Director of the Institute, professor Felix Asogwa on the manner he has been piloting the affairs of the Centre since inception, urged him to keep the flag flying as an Ambassador of peace.
Professor Okolie, said (ESUT)under his watch would keep marketing IPCD$, seeking partnership with the private sector with a view to strengthening its
Earlier in his remark, the Administration Officer of the institute, Mr. Chiedozie Nwafor, took the Students through the history and information of the Institute which began operation in 2019.
Also speaking, the Director of the Institute, Professor Asogwa, assured the students that the learning center would fo its best to ensure that committed students graduate as specified by Nigeria University Commission (NUC), that is record time of Master Degrees,18 months and PhD, 3 years respectively.
Professor Asogwa explained that the school began in Accra Ghana, through the initiative of the West African Network for peace building (WANEP), a leading regional peace building organization founded in 1988 in response to civil wars that plagued West Africa in the 1990s.
Asogwa stated that although other universities in South East geo-political zone and elsewhere had struggled to host the regional institute, but ESUTH was lucky to be awarded to host the Institute.
According to him, “PCDS of ESUT is a multi – disciplinary, research based establishment designed for capacity building for those involved in peace building and development”
He noted that as a multi- disciplinary field of study and practice, it serves Nigeria and Africa by equipping practitioners, scholars, students and stakeholders with requisite intellectual and research skills.
“fundamentally, the institute offers Msc Degree in peace and conflict Studies, Msc in peace and conflict Management (MPCM), Executive as well as Doctor of Philosophy PhD in in peace and conflict Studies”, he said.
The Director further told the students that “peace is so important in every human endeavor. Having gained admission into the institute, you have joined promoters of peace and development. The institute has many professors and qualified lecturers”
He urged Nigerians to always use dialogue, constructive engagement and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in resolving conflicts, ratter than confrontation or use of force
A breakdown of the 2022/2023 session shows that there are four Postgraduate Diploma, [PGD], 19 Masters of Science (M.Sc.) and 326 Doctor of Philosophy [Ph.D.] students.
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