Felix Ikem, Nsukka
Enugu State will on Monday attract dignitaries from different walks of life as ace Nollywood actor and member Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Desmond Eliot, will storm Enugu to chair a summit on how to stop hate speech.
The round-table which is expected to find solutions to hate speech as well as promote national unity in the country would feature Prof. Okey Ibeanu, a professor of Political Science, University of Nigeria Nsukka and member of Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the keynote speaker.
Prof. Damian Opata of the Department of English, UNN, the President of African Scholars Network organising the summit in collaboration with Coal City University Enugu, told newsmen in Nsukka on Friday that Dr Pat Asadu representing Nsukka/Igboeze-South federal constituency in House of Representatives would be special guest of honour.
Opata said for sometime now hate speech has become an issue of discuss and dangerous tool by some unpatriotic people especially politicians that used it to create disunity along religious and ethnic line just to achieve their selfish interest.
The President of the network invited the general public to the summit that would be holding on May 28, 2018 by 10 am at Coal City University Enugu, Enugu State, Prof. Malachy Okwueze, the Vice Chancellor of Coal city as chief host.
The University Don said there was urgent need to stop hate speech in the country now in order to secure freedom of speech as well as prevent its abuse by those who want to hide under ethnicity and religion to achieve cheap popularity and create disunity.
Opata said other dignitaries expected to be present include,: Prof Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, Dean faculty of arts, Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu university and Prof Solomon lbileye of Federal University of lokoja, Kogi state.