The Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria ACSPN is indeed growing in influence and prestige with the consistency of its intellectually stimulating empowerment programmes, conferences and history series to develop the capacity of its members in media scholarship and career.
Ilaramokin, near Akure the Ondo State capital, Southwest Nigeria is where the latest one took its members drawn from the academia, especially scholars in communication and cultural studies as well as media practitioners of all genres for another Empowerment programme.
There I travelled with my ACSPN soulmates between Monday, 27th May and Tuesday, 28th May, 2019 for an intellectually stimulating event, not minding the rigour of Ramadan, still a week more to last. It was a refreshing journey for an exciting gathering with my scholarly journalism soulmates. For me, it was like a return to Brunei Darussalam, the Green Heart of Borneo Island, down in the ASEAN region of the world, where I have regularly toured in more than the past one decade, schooling and attending conferences and workshops on communication, broadcasting and media related themes.
Ilaramokin is a rustic township, some 25 minutes’ drive to Akure, when driving from Ibadan through Ilesha to Abuja. It’s the birthplace of the Lagos-based business mogul, Chief Michael Ade Ojo who has made fortune for himself in the dealership or franchise of popular Japanese auto brand, Toyota. He’s best known as Elizade Motors.
Here, the Elizade baron has committed his greatest gift to humanity, in the establishment of an expansive university of international standard, the Elizade University an unquantifiable investment in quality tertiary education dedicated to building capacity of the young and the ambitious in Nigeria. Indeed, in its elegance and virginity, verdant lushness and beauty, the Elizade University setting is similar to that of the Universiti Brunei Darussalam where I bagged my Master of Public Policy. The University name like that of his main business is derived from a combination of Chief Ade-Ojo and his wife, Elizabeth’s names.
The journey to Ilaramokin started with a notice from Kabir Alabi Garba of the Guardian, announcing on the platform of ACSPN, the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria that the Department of Mass Communication, Elizade University would be hosting another edition of the Empowerment Series of the association on Tuesday May 28th 2019, platform, calling on its interested members to indicate attendance interest so proper travel and logistics arrangement could be made for them.
Kabir, a long term friend since his early days at the Guardian in the late 90s is now a deputy editor at the flagship and a doctoral student of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos. Apart from being is the Southwest coordinator of ACSPN, Kabir also doubles as the chairman of the Lagos Chapter of the Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria as well as its South West Zonal Coordinator. Since 1998 that he joined the very competitive Guardian, he had distinguished himself as an Arts and Literary journalist.
Widely travelled, his multi-caps in journalism and media studies and practice which recommended him to be the ACSPN coordinator in South Western Nigeria is not a surprise but a validation of the adage that the reward for hard work is more work. It is amazing how Kabir copes multitasking in media practice and scholarship. I admire him for this
My first outing with ACSPN was sometimes around mid-2016 when I participated in one of its Empowerment Series in Lagos. It afforded an opportunity of meeting one of my best journalism teachers at the University of Lagos more than 30 years back, Professor Idowu Sobowale, who taught my third year mass communication class in the 1986/1987 session a course on media research methods, more or less Precision or Data Journalism of today’s mass communication programme in universities.
Professor Sobowale, now in his twilight years was the guest lecturer at that 2016 Empowerment Series where he spoke extensively of the needed synergy between the town and the town in journalism education and practice. That was an inspiring lecture and I looked forward to participating in other ACSPN empowerment series that I could afford to attend.
Unfortunately since then then, I had been unable to attend any other as I also narrowly missed the edition hosted by Crescent University Abeokuta very recently. For the Ilaramokin edition last month ending, I made sure nothing stopped me, making early or immediate confirmation, notifying my principal in the Strategic Planning & Corporate Development Department of Voice of Nigeria who based in Abuja, Edith Nelson Udo-Udo and securing necessary permission for a three-day casual leave from office. With that, I was free to go.
According to our travel plans, we were to drive to Ilaramokin in Kabir’s Toyota Sienna.We arranged to meet at the Lagos State Secretariat Muslim Community Central Mosque, Alausa in the Central Business District of Ikeja. The Dean of School of Communication, Professor Olatunji was to join us by 10.30 am , and we were drive to Shagamu to pick ACSPN National President Professor Lai Osho in Sagamu Ogun State for the journey to Ilaramokin. We all reached the agreed venue on time for the journey to Ilaramokin.
With Kabir as our chauffeur, Professor Olatunji at the back seat and I beside the driver, the journey started at exactly 10.30 am, taking us less than one and half hours to reach Sagamu where we picked Professor Osho to make a quartet on the scholarly trip. We arrived Shagamu and found our way to Prof Osho’s house, located in a quiet or reserved part of the pulsating Remo divisional headquarter town. His house in Shagamu still in its grey is a modest mansion of solid but conservative architecture.
As we arrived, It didn’t take Professor Osho, already dressed in buba and Sokoto with a fitting cap like Professor Olatunji too much time to join us in his expansive his expansive sitting room. As we drove out, Kabir noted the fertility of the tall coconut tree in his compound. That fetched him four balls of coconuts as Professor called his housemaid to bring from the lot that have dropped and kept inside. With our luggage neatly tucked in the boot jopined by the balls of coconut, we rode of out the compound with prayers.
Earlier, Professor Olatunji had volunteered to be a co-pilot to Kabir, promising he would take over the steering at Ipetumodu, the junction town of the e road from Ibadan, leading to Ilesha Akure and Ife. Ipetumodu is another University town where a son of the soil and prince of Ife established a private university, the Oduduwa University. Here, we stopped for Professor Olatunji to take over the driver’s seat, being more familiar with that section of the road to Akure.
It was not a dull journey at all as we exchanged thoughts and ideas on media studies and practice in Nigéria, the new unbundled structure and curriculum of mass communication programme just approved by the National University Commission which clinically stratified the course into seven departments for specialization and groundin. We also discussed the future of ACSPN as we spoke about post graduate studies opportunities in our various universities and the competence or adequacy of supervisors of doctoral studies. Our discussion also veered into ethical issues and cultural erosion in Nigeria.
Before we knew, we were in Ilaramokan and veered into to the town to locate Elizade University seemingly settled in a valley shielded by green foliage and tall trees. The University complex presented a magnificent picture. As we parked at the open car lot and alighted, we were bedazzled by a beautiful banner tied between two flag poles announcing the Empowerment Series. A number of the mass comm students were on hand to usher us into the complex as the HOD mass comm, genial Dr. Wole Adamolekun was the happiest to receive us in his modest office. He was soon joined by a coterie of other lecturers and a graduate assistant who were all awed by our timely arrival.
Adamolekun who retired as a general Manager from one of the subsidiaries of NNPC before launching fully into the academia proudly led us to the office of the Dean of Management Sciences, a very frank and homely scholar who was equally enthusiastic about our programme as he commended the HOD for raising the profile of the mass comm department. With pleasantries we left the Dean’s office for a trip into Akure to freshen up and rest from from toll of the near seven hour journey.
Already, Dr. Adamolekun had arranged a modest accommodation for us at Towlabs Suites in Akure. Driving into Akure from Ilaramokin was like going to Ikeja from Osodi. We were impressed by the arrangement. At te reception, we were handed keys to our rooms while our food orders were taken. Tat of Professors Oso and Olatunji were immediate while for Kabir and I, we asked it be prepared towards Iftaar as we were both fasting. We were led into our comfortable rooms. Before fully settling down, Kabir and I first settled our Dhur and Asr salaat prayers obligations in Qasr, which allows us to reduce the number of Rakaats of the two prayers from four to two and offer tem simultaneously.
That done, we went down to the restaurant to join Professsors Olatunji and Osho who had comfortably settled down to their meal of Iyan and mixture of egusi and ogbono soup with chilled juice and water. As it was not yet Iftaar, we just chatted along with them as they continued their demolition exercise. As they were completing the the Iyan demolition, the alarm for sunset prayer, Maghrib sounded indicated its Iftaar time. Our order came, same as our scholarly seniors. Kabir and I set to war on the Iyan and cat fish. My sweat glands opened and I was soon drenched while clinically operating on my iyan bowl.
Soon Professor Ayo Ojebode billed as the guest lecturer of the empowerment series joined us having driven all the way from Ibadan. Fair complexion, soft-spoken Ojebode is the Head of the Communication and Language Arts Department, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan. He made similar order and Professor Olatunji who is familiar with the terrain dashed out briefly to scout for pineapple and water melon.
While on our iyan demolition mission, our host, Dr. Adamolekun came in. We were full of praises for him for his kind gesture. We satisfied ourselves. Some minutes more of chatting, Kabir and I excused ourselves to retire into our rooms to observe Maghrib and Ishai prayers, but not without making order for our sahur meal in the night preparatory for the following day’s fast. We had a sound sleep waking up early enough for our Sahur or study as the case may be. Our event the following day was to start at 10 am. So, we all agreed to leave the hotel by 9.00am because of the length of our trip from Akure to Ilaramokin as well as to have opportunity for some other protocols before the programme.
On Tuesday May 28th, we all gathered at the lobby by 9.00am as agreed distributing ourselves into Kabir and Professor Ojebode’s cars. While Kabir drove Professor Olatunji and I, Professor Osho joined the UI scholar to make the trip down to Ilaramokin where we were all welcomed with honour and dignity. A number of other communication gurus from various universities were also arriving and at about 10.15 the event began with the vice chancellor of the university, Professor Olukayode Amund arriving to formally declare it open.
The VC was full of praises for the Mass Communication Department which he conceded was really setting the university on high pedestal with the robustness of many extra-curricular programmes. His thoughts on media practice in the country were indeed instructive, challenging media practitioners to be more ethical and patriotic. After the formal opening protocols of speeches, the guest lecturer, Professor Ojebode, a scholar with intimidating credentials took the lectern to show depth and stuff about the theme that dwells on the virtues of qualitative research methods.
Like using a fine-tooth comb, he picked virtually on every strand of qualitative research method and how it differs from the quantitative approach to the admiration of students and scholars who appreciated his mastery with a lengthy standing ovation. After, five questions from the audience were asked. I was one. Mine was a further clarification of focus group research which he answered to my satisfaction as he did for others.
The lecture did not end without a pledge by the university to support the mass communication department in its bid to host an ACSPN conference in the future as well as corporate membership of the association. Professor Osho, as President of ACSPN thereafter made some closing remarks on the strides of ACSPN and itsa prospects in affect media scholarship in Nigeria.
Midway, Chief Dayo Duyile, long-term registrar of Nigerian Institute of Journalism who pioneered the Elizade Mass Comm Department entered the auditorium to a loud ovation of the students and faculty. He was given the honour of making some remarks and closing prayers.
The programme ended in some revelry and back-slapping, exchange of call cards followed by a photo session after which we rode to the University Guest House and Staff Club where Iyan and Efo riro were waiting for us. The Guest House, a short ride from the main academic area is set in staff residential area, offering a beautiful scenery of a verdant rainforest region. Its breeze was coolly soothing. While others ate, ours, Kabir and I on the last leg of amadan fast, were packed.
By 1.35 pm we bid bye to Elizade University, Ilaramoka for the return journey to Lagos as we came, now with Professor Olatunji first behind the wheels. He drove to Gbongan where Kabir took over and by 4.00pm, we were in Ibadan where we stopped at briefly to refuel, a wait that afforded Kabir and I to offer our Dhuur and Asr prayers. At 4.25, the Ibadan-Lagos leg of our journey began. We dropped Professor Osho when we reached Shagamu and we safely reached Lagos before 6.00pm with Professor Olatunji and I dropping off at Berger to find our ways to our difeerent destinations while Kabir went his way to Akute.
What a refreshing journey! Now, I crave a return or residency a residency in Ilaramokin like a dream sojourn to Gadong, Bandar Seri Begawan once more to soak myself in the purity of its freshness and lullaby of the whistling of its surrounding greenery as a media researcher and public affairs analyst that has been my preoccupation and life in the past three decades as a journalism and media practitioner, trainer, manager and strategic planner across media genres from National Concord to Voice of Nigeria.
Alhamdulillah for a safe journey to Ilaramoke, the birthplace of Chief Michael Ade-Ojo, where he birthed Elizade University as he nurtured Elizade Motors to a Toyota icon in Nigeria.
*Abdulwarees, an assistant director, Strategic Planning and Corporate Development, Voice of Nigeria volunteers for Muslim Public Affairs Centre MPAC Nigeria as Director, Media and Strategic Communications: korewarith@yahoo.com. 08090585723