The organisers of the witchcraft
conference have insisted they are marching ahead and will announce a new venue
soon despite the cancellation of the booked venue.
Professor Egodi Uchendu,
director of the B.I.C Ijomah Centre for Policy Studies and Research in a response
said 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.
Uchendu, a professor of
history said “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”.
She absolved the UNN
from 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.
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.
