Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State will on May 7 deliver the maiden edition of the Prof. Miriam Ikejiani-Clark Memorial Lecture of the Political Science Department, University of Nigeria Nsukka.
Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Abada, the Head of Political Science Department of the University, disclosed this in Nsukka on Monday while briefing newsmen.
Abada said that the title of the lecture is: “The State and Management of Farmers/Headsmen Conflict in Nigeria: Lessons from the Benue Valley’’.
Abada said the department decided to honour and institute a memorial lecture for Ikejiani-Clark because of her numerous contributions to the country and political science in particular.
“It is in recognition of the sterling qualities and contributions of Ikejiani-Clark that the department deemed it necessary to immortalise her by instituting a lecture series.
“Governor Ortom of Benue State will deliver the maiden memorial lecture on May 7th at Princess Alexandria Auditorium (PAA) by 11.00 a.m.
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“Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, the UNN Vice-Chancellor, will be the Chief host of the occasion,’’ he said.
The don said that before Ikejiani-Clark’s death in 2011, she had held positions such as Dean, Faculty of Social Science, Head of Department of Political Science and Coordinator of Postgraduate Programmes, among others.
Abada said that the erudite professor also held public appointments, In 1983, she was appointed commissioner of land, survey and town planning during the administration of Governor C.C. Onoh in old Anambra State.
Late Ikejiani-Clark was also appointed a Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from 1995 to 1997, the don said, adding that it was during her time that the popular Dei Dei Building Material Market Abuja was established.
The head of department said that some of the books published by Ikejiani-Clark to advance the frontiers of knowledge included Nigeria Political Imperative: Desperate for Nationhood and Stability 1983 and Anatomy of the Biafra Revolution 1993.
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He said that she also authored the book – Azikwe, the African Revolution 1989, among others.
Abada, who is the chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in UNN, said that the department was inviting the general public to the lecture.
He said that the lecture would help to proffer solutions to constant clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the country.
The don named a former Governor of Abia, Dr Orji Uzo Kalu, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, the Managing Director of Innoson Motors and Sen. Stella Oduah among distinguished Nigerians that would receive excellence awards from the department.
NAN reports that Prof. Emmanuel Ezeani, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the lecture and Dr. Chinedu Ike, Local Organising Committe Secretary were present during the briefing. (NAN)