The African Council for Communication Education (ACCE, Nigeria Chapter), in consultation with hosts, Department of Mass Communication, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka has postponed her 23rd International Conference/AGM indefinitely, due to ongoing ASUU Strike.
The Conference with theme, “Communicating Science, Technology, and Innovation in Times of Economic Distress, Terror, and a Global Pandemic”, was initially scheduled to hold from October 25th to 28th, 2022.
The postponment was made public in a statement jointly signed by Prof. Nnamdi Ekeanyanwu, Prof Ezekiel Asemah and Dr Obiorah Edogor, National President, National Secretary ACCE, and COC, ACCE-UNIZIK 2022 respectively, made available to newsmen in Uyo on Tuesday.
ACCE regretted that the protracted strike has shut the nation’s public universities since February 2022, causing majority of members and potential participants untold economic and psychological hardship and therefore incapacitated to attend.
“The postponement is caused by the protracted ASUU National Strike that has shut the nation’s public universities since February 2022, causing majority of members and potential participants untold economic and psychological hardships.
“The Conference/AGM will, however, reconvene three months after the NEC of ASUU calls off/suspends the National Strike. This is to enable the ACCE National Council, Conference Organizing Committee of UNIZIK, as well as ACCE members and potential participants prepare to attend and by so doing make the Conference/AGM a huge success.
“The exact dates will be announced by the ACCE in due course, but the programme schedules subsist. With this announcement, the abstract submission for the conference will now continue until the date ASUU suspends the National Strike.
“The main theme of the Conference remains “Communicating Science, Technology, and Innovation in Times of Economic Distress, Terror, and a Global Pandemic”. Professor Bruce Mutsvairo of the University of Utrecht, Netherlands, will deliver the Lead Paper while the nation’s top science and nuclear agencies will facilitate special sessions”. The release stated
The release also indicated that ACCE by this move, is making a statement in support of ASUU in its struggle to salvage what is left of Nigeria’s battered public university system as well as condemning, in strong terms, the FG’s management of public universities and its unfortunate disdain of anything education in Nigeria.
“Quality education plays a huge role in the development of any country and the earlier the Nigerian Government realises this, the better for the country.” It added
