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My first-ever visit to Anambra amidst security challenge

By Olusola Oladipo

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My first-ever journey to Anambra State in South-eastern region of Nigeria was not only daring but also intriguing.
It lends credence to a popular quote from one of Africa’s globally revered Novelist and Poet – Prof. Chinua Achebe.
Achebe opined that “The world is like a mask dancing. If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place.”

Therefore, l decided to have a better view of the society by temporarily changing location for two weeks.
Indeed, the earliest visit to Anambra has to do with capacity-building workshop on journalism, leadership and digital media organized and sponsored by Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM) in conjunction with Diaspora Digital Media (DDM).
In line with the training schedule, it effectively commenced on 25th November and would end on 6th December 2024 in Awka, Anambra State.

The workshop is geared towards empowering COPDEM’s State Publicity Secretaries in the organization’s unrelenting efforts of promoting and protecting democracy, good governance and the rule of law in Nigeria.

It is crucial to note that Anambra State is created on 27th August 1991 having its headquarters in Awka. The State is reputed to have produced the first President of Nigeria in person of Nnamdi Azikiwe. Indeed, Nigeria, Africa and the world have been blessed with prominent indigenes of Anambra too numerous to mention. Some of them are Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-ojukwu, Alex Ekwueme, Emeka Anyaoku, Louis Ojukwu, Cardinal Francis Arinze, Chinua Achebe, Dora Akunyili, Chuba Okadigbo, Nwafor Orizu, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Pete Edochie, Peter Obi, Chimamanda Adichie, Allen Onyeka, Innocent Chukwuma, Valentine Ozigbo, Chukwuma Soludo among others.

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Importantly too, the security challenges in Anambra which is a part of South-eastern region has its origin in agitations for secession from Nigeria which is being managed.

The first bullet against my journey to Awka, Anambra came from my wife as she sternly noted that the adventure is a risk of life.
Her statement reminded me of the popular saying that ‘nothing risks, nothing gains’ which further emboldened me.
After all said and done, my explanation and determination to embark eventually won her consent. I took permission from the workshop organizers to be absent on the first day of the training due to an official appointment I had in Lagos same day. I was back to IIorin, Kwara State being my base same Monday and got set for the journey the following day Tuesday, 26th November 2024. We set out for the journey at 8:50 A.M.

Little did l know that I was actually embarking on the longest road journey so far of my life. We traversed four different States that included Osun, Ondo, Edo and Delta.

A journey that was scheduled to take eight hours ended up with fourteen hours. It took that length of time because of delays in filling our vehicle tank at petrol stations, bad roads, traffic logjams on the way among others. At this juncture, governments at all levels are enjoined to pay serious attention to the bad roads in order to save passengers’ economic time, life and properties.

Indeed, help came my way through one of the passengers who gave security pieces of advice and how to navigate my way to my destination. Eventually, I got to DDM Villa being venue of the workshop few minutes after 11:00 P.M.
In conclusion, it is generally considered that those who made it to the training are not only daring but exploring.
Indeed, the workshop has been engaging on various subject matters that touch on journalism, leadership and digital media.
And it promises to have the capacity of participants well-built on target areas.

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Olusola Oladipo is the Chairman, COPDEM National Media Committee


For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook

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