Communication Day: Soludo, experts emphasise good listening as solution to crisis

…Nwosu urges bandits to heed calls for peace in Anambra

By Rose Oranye and Nkechi Ikenwoke

ANAMBRA State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo has stated that listening is essential in communication and should not be taken for granted as it gives room for progress.

  Prof Soludo, represented by the  Commissioner for Information, Paul Nwosu , stated this while addressing media workers on the occasion of   the 2022 ‘World Communication Day’ at St  Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, Awka.

  Nwosu  used the opportunity to appeal to those causing agony, pain and insecurity in the state to listen to the sense of reason and stop destruction of lives and properties.

  The commissioner further noted that marriages fail, while a lot of things are not going right because people don’t listen  from their hearts, even as he  urged media workers to learn how to listen well to avoid fake news.

  Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor, had earlier in a Holy Mass to mark the event, urged to be keen listeners and not deny others the privilege of listening.

Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ), Anambra State Council, Dr Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, observed that lack of listening makes media workers report things that cause problems and called on the state government to work towards engaging journalists  in a communication that will enable  good listening to tackle the problems  of the state.

  Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese Most Rev Dr Paulinus  Ezeokafor, who focused on the theme of this year’s event, ‘Listening with The Ears of The Heart,’ in his homily ,  remarked that it is easier to talk than to listen and that listening is quite different from hearing as it entails hearing to understand, and as such, Christians must begin to listen to the voice of their inner beings, which helps them to listen to the voice of God and dwell more on His words.

  He emphasised that it is important to build a listening Christian community, since listening is crucial to societal communication, hence, leaders should listen to the downtrodden, the poor and the needy must be listened to in order to attain set goals, objectives and a better society.

  The event was also attended by the Commissioner for Culture, Entertainment and Tourism, Mr. Don Onyenji, the Acting Managing Director of the Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), Mr. Gab Okpalaeze, NUJ State Chairman, Dr. Odogwu Emeka Odogwu and the organiser of the event , Rev Fr Dr. Martin Anusi, among others.

  Major highlight of the occasion was a brainstorming session with the lead speaker, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Anambra Newspaper and Printing Corperation (ANPC), Sir Chuka Nnabuife, who spoke on the topic, ‘Listen with Your Heart to Communicate Better’.