The campus to campus outreach “STUDENTS ASSETS NOT THUGS” 4th day session took place today 14th December, 2018 in the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) with a good turn up from students.
In attendance was Special Assistant to the governor of Enugu State on students Affairs – Hon. Ilogebe Chidi; the keynote speaker: Mr. Humphrey Onyima, the Publisher/CEO of Leadership Scorecard magazine; Administrator Enugu State Students Bureau: Mr. Abah Joe Idenyi; Secretary to the Enugu State Sports Council: Mr. Chinedu Asogwa; the resource person: Mr. Igboke Onyebuchi Okadigbo; the Vice President Ohaneze youths: Comrade Achonye Obinna; Minister Udochukwu: NANS PRO; Comrade Obetta Emmanuel; NANS Secretary, Comrade Kingsley Nwosu, former SUG President, Dental School of Health: Comrade Ezenagu Victor and a host of other students union leaders.
Hon. Ilogebe welcomed the students by extending greetings from the governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who thought it wise that students should be enlightened about the act of governance and should not be used as thugs during elections which is the reason why they are in UNN to educate students on the dangers involved in electoral violence. He promised the students that their expectations will be met at the end of the programme. Comrade Udenyi expresses happiness that the sensitization is being carried out in Enugu State for the first time in the history of Enugu since 1999 and he believed that there will be no violence or thuggery come 2019 general elections and beyond.
Mr. Onyima while speaking to the students, expressed his happiness to be in their midst. He made reference to the last concluded UN General Assembly session where resolutions on disarmament through peace advocacy were reiterated by providing a more robust and holistic approach in curbing violence and installing peace especially through diplomacy and dialogue. He continued by saying that Boko Haram terrorists came into existence as a result of youths mobilization as thugs during elections. Furthermore, he said that the non-violence campaign is geared towards reaffirming the endless benefits of peaceful behaviour in the electoral process and also seeks to draw a conspicuous line that separates peaceful patriotic participation from desperate violent participation in the electoral process and to set a new agenda with the aim of creating a paradigm shift in the nature, structure and pattern of participation in the electoral process. Finally he advised the students to imbibe peaceful conduct, explore the benefits of peaceful behaviour and conduct themselves peacefully at 2019 elections, so that they will not be deceived, used and dumped after the elections.
Mr. Asogwa the resource person gave a detailed lecture on electoral violence, the causes and ways to prevent it. He explained electoral violence to include acts such as assassination of opponents, threats, coercion and intimidation of opponents, voters or election officials. Electoral violence in Nigeria has made democratic consolidation problematic and has also made it difficult for Nigeria to be referred to as a democratic state. He mentioned some causes of electoral violence to be corruption, inadequate voters’ education, unemployment, inadequate security to mention but a few.
In conclusion, he stated that the extent of violence and rigging associated with elections in Nigeria is posing a serious threat to the national quest for stable democratic transition as well as the attainment of the long term goal of consolidated democracy. For the nation to be able to achieve this and strengthen democratic institutions and deepen democratic ethics, politicians, their supporters and the electorates should shun all forms of electoral and political violence and apprehended perpetrators of electoral violence.
