Saturdays to Remember

By Vanessa Obioha

Vanessa Obioha

I'm a bit selective when it comes to media trainings. The few I have attended in the past didn't leave quite a good impression on me. Often times, I find the facilitators poorly informed. There was this particular scenario where a facilitator told the class that they should stop writing lengthy articles because nobody reads them. She cited New York Times as a good example to follow. I found her observation erroneous because I'm a subscriber to New York Times and they publish lengthy articles which I enjoy reading.
Due to my past experiences, when my boss mentioned the Advanced Skills Clinic to me, I was skeptical. Hope it wasn't going to be another waste of time. However, I decided to give it a try. After all, it would only last four weeks. I can survive that!
My impression of the man, Femi Akintunde-Johnson who every participant in the training calls The Coach started from the introductory messages on the group chats.
I was impressed by his command of English and the concise manner in which he passed the messages across.
Yet, the doubting Thomas in me would not give up. So I arrived at our first meeting in my full detective regalia, looking for flaws. I was greatly humbled at the end of the class.
In many ways, the coach proved to be a man who knew his onions well. At first glance, he looked ordinary, but wait till he opens his intelligent mouth. I liked the fact that he gave practical examples and allowed everyone to express their views even when they are obviously wrong. He was also modest enough to accept an idea that challenges his own beliefs.
What I wasn't counting on however was his sense of humour. It came in very handy as it enlivened the class.
Though he brought guest speakers from different arms of the media to address us on some topics, the Coach's lectures were my favourite part of the training. It was the ease and patience with which he taught that captivated me most.
As the class comes to an end, I'm overwhelmed by mixed feelings. On one hand, I got my Saturdays back; on the other hand, I will miss the four hours of exciting intellectual exchange.

- Vanessa Obioha (reporter with ThisDay) is (Graduate of September, 2018 ADC-2 Workshop/Training)