Governor Ortom to deliver first Prof. Ikejiani-Clark memorial lecture

Felix Ikem, Nsukka

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom will on Tuesday, May the 7th, deliver the maiden edition of Prof. Miriam Ikejiani-Clark Memorial Lecture, organized by the Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).

Mr Abada Ifeanyichukwu, Head of Department of Political Science at the university, disclosed this to newsmen in Nsukka on Monday, also revealing the title of the lecture to be “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 contributions to the country and to the field of 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,” he said, adding that “Gov Ortom of Benue State will deliver the maiden memorial lecture on 7th May at Princeness Alexandra auditorium (PAA) by 11am.

“Prof Benjamin Ozumba the Vice chancellor of UNN will be the Chief host of the occasion.

“Some prominent and notable Nigerians that will be given excellence awards include, Gov. Orji Uzo Kalu, publisher of the Sun Newspaper, Senator Stella Oduah, Chief Innocent Chukwuma (Innoson motors) among others.”

Until Ikejiani-Clark’s death in 2011, she was coordinator of UNN’s postgraduates programme, and the Dean, Faculty of Social Science, among other positions held in the institution.

She had also held public appointments, among whichn was her 1983 appointment as Commissioner of Land, Survey and Town Planning during the administration of Gov CC Onoh in the old Anambra State.

Late Ikejiani-Clark was also appointed a Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from 1995 to1997, it was during her time that the popular Dei Dei Building Material Market Abuja was established.

The head of department highlighted publications by the late Ikejiani-Clark to include 1983’s ‘Nigeria Political imperative: Desiderate for Nationhood and Stability”, ‘Anatomy of the Biafra Revolution’ (1993), and ‘Azikwe and the African Revolution’ (1989), among others.

Abada, who is the chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in UNN, invited the general public to the lecture, billing it as a step toward finding solutsion to the endemic clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the country.

Prof. Emmanuel Ezeani, Chairman of local organising committee of the lecture, and Dr Chinedu Ike, secretary, were among those present during the briefing.