No Nation Has It All Perfect

No doubt, I had a fun filled time in the US but  I must say I missed home-my family, friends and real Nigerian home-made food. Being someone that never really stayed idle, a workaholic in other words, being lazy which ought to be relaxation, made me sick. When next I am coming into the States, I will have a lot properly planned out to keep me super busy all day with a better arrangement on means of transportation so that getting around is easy.

Having said that, today's post does not try to justify the inefficiencies in the Nigerian system but tries to draw our attention to the fact that, other nations also make such errors and it doesn't get blown out of proportion like we do here. Although, the Nigerian authority should note that they still have a lot of work to do. So they shouldn't read this post and be like, 'You see! Others also make mistakes'.

The Power of Social Media

 Happy Friday fam! I hope you enjoyed last week's post by our guest blogger, Jumoke Sijuwade. If you missed that post, just click here. We left it here just for you.

Today on the blog, I wish to bring your attention to a tool we all have in our hands and within our reach all this while yet had no clue that it could be our access card to the rest of the world in terms of publicizing the ills of the nation, the pains that we face, the calamity that has befallen us. A tool that has proven to be the hope of the hopeless.

Some times we feel so helpless especially in a country like mine where it feels like nothing works. Actually, some things do work but really, the people barely feel the impact of whatever it is that is working. Those who may be able to attest to what works are mostly the elites in the society.

In the midst of all the crisis, the people seek for a way to get their voice heard. I hate violence and I will never be an advocate of using the sword so mightily that it leads to blood shed. Rather, I am an advocate of the pen. That is quite understandable considering my profession as a writer. But, without any form of bias, the reality is, the social media is a powerful tool.

The recent development in the country has shown that the social media is our voice. It is our friend and our only source of comfort. I am speaking of how the hash-tag #BringBackOurGirls got the attention of not just the Nigerian Government but got the international communities' attention that our Government is now forced to listen.

As much as we do not have the details and we may not be certain if the girls are truly missing or not, the reality is if they are, some families are grieving and the rest of us are in fear. With the social media, we have solicited for help and the entire world is taking us super serious. Within the week, the First Lady of the United States joined the campaign when this picture was shared on her instagram page.

At this point, I have complete faith in the social media. Let us stop using the social media for just gossips and begin to use it to send out important messages that will bring us the help we desire. Hopefully, the girls are brought back alive and then, who knows? Maybe, like a colleague said, we should have #GiveusStablePowerSupply.

Till next week Friday when I post another major post for you, keep checking the blog regularly for posts. You can subscribe via email so that you be among the first to get the posts. Add me on your google+ circle (Oma Ehiri), follow me on facebook with the same name, follow me on twitter, @omateddy and then on instagram, @oma26.

Have a great weekend

Oma!

Women in Journalism (WiJ) Conference 2014

 The countdown to the Women in Journalism Conference 2014 has begun with exactly three weeks and two days left to go.

The conference is a brief reminder for women to come together and initiate a workable structure that will not only seek to break a timeless divide in the global quest for equality (in all ramifications) but also to drive affirmative actions in the pursuit of an authentic 21st century Media- a media where female journalists, especially in Africa, signal to the world that more than ever they are ready to stand up as a formidable force in the profession.

There are certain unique challenges facing journalism today, including how we arrive at truth in an era of abundant and unverified information, and the demand to objectively present information fair-mindedly.

A vast array of both local and international keynote speakers have confirmed their attendance to WiJ2014 and will be mightily involved in the break-out sessions designed to discuss and answer if not all your questions, at-least a judicious number of them.

With regards to registration, kindly note that if you do not have a confirmation for your registration, chances are, you may have supplied an incorrect email address, hence, a confirmation mail sent to a wrong email. Such complaints should be forwarded to enquiries@wij2014.org for it to be treated. To however confirm your ticket, reservation(s) can be checked following these steps below:
 

1. Log-in to your account in the wij2014 website at www.wij2014.org
2. Highlight the Conference Menu on the Main Menu bar
3. Highlight Reservation menu
4. Click on My Reservation menu from the sub-menu option. This opens the reservation(s) you've made.

Remember, nothing trumps the good old fashion of word-of-mouth communication however intimate New Media has become. So zealously talk about this conference to your friends, share with colleagues at work and anticipate with us as WiJ2014 unfolds before our very eyes.

To stay updated please connect on Twitter @wijnigeria and you can like the page on Facebook- Women in Journalism 2014.