- Prof. Egodi Uchendu,
Director of the B.I.C Ijomah Centre for Policy Studies and Research, UNN.
Despite the cancellation of the booked venue for a witchcraft conference to be held in Enugu state, the organisers insist that they are proceeding as planned and will announce a new venue soon.
She said that the protest and campaign by the Christian Association of Nigeria and Christian students in the University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsukka will not deter them from holding the academic conference. “Freedom of speech is a fundamental human right. CAN and others are free to express their opinions just like we have the freedom to have an academic conference on witchcraft”, Mrs Uchendu, a professor of history said.
“I’m delighted that the conference is generating the debate it should across the nation.
Nigerians should look critically into the subject of the conference and identify how it’s impeding our national existence and personal experience”.
She absolved the UNN of blame for the cancellation of the booking for Energy Centre, as venue for the conference, billed to begin 26 November.
She said the centre is owned by the Federal Government and is domiciled in the UNN.
Prof Uchendu said;
“UNN DID NOT deny us use of Energy Centre. Energy Centre did. Energy Centre is a Federal organ domiciled in UNN. It’s not controlled by UNN. Their decision to deny us their venue may not even be known to UNN”. The conference on witchcraft has generated controversy since it was announced that it would take place in UNN Nsukka.
Students, believing that witches and wizards would descend on UNN, during the conference, printed posters decrying the plan. They were joined by the Christian Association of Nigeria, which escalated the opposition and urged Christians in the South East zone to embark on prayers to dissuade the organisers from holding the conference. Chairman of CAN in the South-East zone, Bishop Dr Goddy Okafor demanded that the programme be called off immediately.
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