5th campuslifeworkshop

We started our journey with a visit to cocacola in order to see production process of coke and then headed for the Silverbird cinema where students never stopped taking snapshots. Students give their goodwill massage to the late Yar Adua and when ahead to trill themselves with Iron man II. Back at the Mainland Hotel students had their dinner as many made their own new delicacies and headed straight after little information from the Editor, Ngozi Nwozor.

Saturday morning started with breakfast and all made way for the workshop proper. Students trilled themselves as Ngozi Emmanuel sang ‘I have a dream’ and Afolabi Oni presented his poem ‘If I don’t marry you’ to the applaud of all students. Others also presented jokes and read out their short stories. The editor Ngozi Nwozor gave use useful writing tips and thereafter Mr. Clem Ugorji the Communication Manager of Coca Cola Nigeria Limited gave us a presentation on coke. Mr (The white man) when being as by Lateefat from Unilorin on how unhealthy coke can be gave a dramatic response that he had being taking coke seen he was six. He left the stage after predicting that Chelsea will win the FA cup final with smile brimming on ever students face. Mr. Jackson Akpasubi represented the MD of TCV, Mr Dele Alake, gave some highly significant tips on Leadership such that the questions didn’t stop pouring of students as it took the intervention of the editor to randomly select few students out of the many and we went for the COKE break.

Mr. Jim from NBC commenced the 2nd workshop with a reference to his hero, Steve Prefontaine, who ran with a limp and was 4th at the Olympic long distance but dead before the next Olympic. He spoke bluntly to students that leaders are made not born and emphasized the fact that we should write our tombstone. He told us how he moved up the ladder as a fitness trainer at porker and Gamble from a state university to become the CEO of that company and rounded off by saying we should be the diamond in the rough.

This edition of Campuslife workshop I will not have missed even for the millions in the world. Lets me take for granted the exotic food and drinks, the first class treatment in mainland hotel, the reception at the nation and the relaxation at the Siverbird galleria all this are side attractions. This 5th Campuslife workshop was extremely special because it was not just to tell us about the ethic of Journalism but how to be good leaders. One cannot say, when NBC/Campuslife-The Nation organizes workshop, it is to teach how to write and that is what some selfish cooperate enterprise do. They teach you to be useful for them and that is selfish, what NBC did again is to teach us to be useful for ourselves. We were taught practical leadership and its attribute. Many of us want to be leaders and we are already leaders on our campuses, but we have little or no knowledge of what leadership entails. They trained us to be useful for ourselves and our community, for them. If I’m asked to say anything to NBC, Campuslife, and The Nation, thanks will be an insult, we are grateful will be a debasement, we appreciate you will be utter disrespect. I am speechless. Have a bear hug. said Oni Afolabi OAU