The former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has harped that diplomacy remains a vital tool of governance and leadership in any society.
Obi, speaking at the inaugural lecture of the Emeka Anyaoku Institute for Diplomacy at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, congratulated the university authority for establishing the Institute which he described as enabler for the learning of the art of diplomacy.
Obi said that diplomacy is not just vital for international relations, but is good for local governance and leadership, especially in a highly populated and diverse country like Nigeria, where the skills of negotiation and dialogue have become imperative to bring the different components of the nation together.
“Nigeria’s cohesion and trust are at their lowest level today. In future, effective governance in the country will require specific skills to re-unite and rebuild trust among various parts of Nigeria.
“Consequently, skillful diplomacy, negotiation, and dialogue become the first assignments of the next incoming Leaders of our country,” Obi said.
Speaking, chairman of the occasion, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, admonished that Nigeria must first look inwards and prioritise its local relationships by strengthening its political union and economic integration, before considering external relations.
Present at the event with the former President were the former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku; the incoming Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo; the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe; Senator Uche Ekwunife; Senator Ben Obi; Chief Simon Okeke; the keynote speaker Prof Akin Idowu Osuntokun, and the host of this great event, the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof Charles Esimone.
