Students of the University of Mkar, Benue State, on Thursday visited the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution to have a first hand experience on how the Institute operates.
The students from the department of International Relations, numbering about 24, led by two lecturers, Mr. Felix Jor and Akaam Richard, were on the spot assessment of the Institute to boost their knowledge on peace-building and conflict resolution.
Educating the students on the operational method of the Institute, the Director General of IPCR, Dr. Bakut T. Bakut, represented by Dr. Emmanuel Mamman, told the students that the Institute is an agency of federal government, established through an Act of the National Assembly to provide quality advice to the government on how to manage and resolve conflicts.
He explained the mission and vision of the Institute to the students, adding that whatever they take away from IPCR is of important value and authentic information.
He lectured them on why war shouldn’t be encouraged and also the important of participating in an election, saying that young people should be interested in election and good governance.
Explaining the structure of IPCR, Dr. Mamman gave the breakdown of the seven directorates and units under the directorates.
He also mentioned the functions and operations discharged through the directorates and units, adding that the operations are sometimes overlapping.
Dr. Mamman explained further that the functions and operations of the Institute go beyond internal, but also extend to external.
He disclosed that the Institute provides relevant resolutions to conflict that could escalate to international dimension.
He also told the students the role of the Institute in election monitoring and how it analyzes issues before and after elections.
Fielding questions from the students, Dr. Mamman advised them to pick interest in what is happening in the country, develop ideas and discourage what could promote war.
The students were, however taken round some offices, the Institute’s Library and others after presentation of books and group photograph.
Earlier, the leader of the team, Mr. Felix Jor, explained that the agency was chosen because of its strategic mission, vision and mandate.
