By Ejike Emmanuel and Sanni Oluwaseun
The Department of Political science, University of Jos, has held a national conference to mark the 50th anniversary of the African Union (AU) at the ASUU secretariat, permanent site, University of Jos.
The two-day conference with the theme: “Assessing Progress, Challenges and Opportunities” saw paper presentations from participants who were mainly scholars drawn from various Nigerian universities and other institutions of higher learning.
As the conference focused on African Union (AU), papers presented at the two-day event, looked into the benefits of African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) noting “it has served the continent well”.
One of the speakers, Professor Sylva Ngu, from the Department of Public Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, talked on “Institutional and Instrumental Arrangement for Promotion and Protection of Minority Rights Under the African Union in the Last Fifty Years: A Descriptive and Analytical Perspective”.
He submitted that every treaty should contain a clause binding the parties to it to avoid any form of violation.
On gender issues, Mrs. Nenpominyi Gowon Adelabu of the Department of Political Science, University of Jos advocated the reduction of maternal mortality as according to her, “lots of women die through child birth and pregnancy related diseases”. She called on AU to adopt a multicultural policy to ensure good health for women.
A six-member panel chaired by the Dean of Postgraduate Studies, University of Jos, Professor W.O. Alli focused on the assessment of AU since it was established as OAU in 1963 and the way forward.
