Gocop Lokoja 2024 I Missed the Gathering of the Giants
- Katsina City News
- 03 Oct, 2024
- 140
Muhammad Danjuma
Publisher/ CEO Katsina Times
Since I joined GOCOP, this is the first time I missed its conference, not because I wished to miss it, but because of a certain emergency that made it inevitable for me to miss it. A proverb that is found in both Hausa and English says 'man proposes, God disposes'.
On my office calendar, I usually designate 1st to 6th October as GOCOP conference week, and plan my office's budget accordingly.
I had wished to be in Lokoja to meet the veteran journalists whom public sensitization and enlightenment have become part of their blood, and vowed to continue on this part till they breathe their last.
Why did I say till they breathe their last? Because they had been in the profession since their youth, and they kept changing along with the changing landscapes of the profession. They have become like the eagle which at a point in its life, when old age tries to catch up with it, it has to make key transformations in order to renew its lifespan.
The major reason why I hate to miss GOCOP conferences is because being in the midst of these veterans makes me a learner in the profession.
My journalistic experience cuts across states of Northern Nigeria and news media that mostly speak in the language of Northern audiences. At GOCOP conferences, each participant is a moving article in himself, on account of the roles he has played in particular geographical areas and in particular news media.
During these conferences, one gets to meet experienced journalists that have played key roles in entrenching democracy in this country, having fought battles with successive military regimes.
Each time I meet them during the conferences, I interact with them and learn lessons from their experiences.
This makes me feel at home during any GOOCOP conference, being in the midst of my friends and professional associates who are too numerous to mention, but I miss you all.
I also admire the leadership style of Maureen. During conferences, her eyes scan the environment very observantly, and she is always ready with answers to any comment, positive or negative.
To witness these interesting associations, I booked a flight to Abuja but something very urgent came up that I had to cancel the travel schedule.
God-willing, we will meet next year or when any other important schedule brings us together before then.
Katsina Times
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