The Catholic Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria, CAMPAN, Ahiara Diocese, has assured the Bishop of Ahiara Diocese, His Lordship, Most Rev. Simeon Okezuo Nwobi, Cmf, of unflinching support to elevate the diocese. They promised to work and cooperate with the Bishop and the Directorate of Media and Social Communications to move the diocese to an enviable height globally.
CAMPAN made this known in address delivered by the president of the Association, Ben Osuagwu, during the 2024 World Communication Day, held at Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral, Ahiara on Sunday May 12, 2024.
President Osuagwu expressed gratitude to God for giving the diocese a substantive bishop after thirteen years of the recalled of pioneer bishop, Most Rev. Dr. Victor Adibe Chikwe. He said that the Association is happy to celebrate this year’s World Communication Day with Bishop Nwobi with the topic ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE WISDOM OF THE HEART: TOWARDS A FULLY HUMAN COMMUNICATION.
He urged the Bishop to continue where the Pioneer Bishop left the Diocese before his recall, pointing out that It was his records of achievements that made many people outside Mbaise desired to be appointed Bishop of Ahiara Diocese not minding the fact that it is a rural Diocese.
See full text of the president’s address below;
ADDRESS BY BEN OSUAGWU PRESIDENT, CATHOLIC MEDIA PRACTITIONERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA, CAMPAN AHIARA DIOCESE AT MATER ECCLESIAE CATHEDRAL AHIARA ON THE 2024 WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY ON SUNDAY MAY 12,2024
PROTOCOLS
We members of the Catholic Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria CAMPAN Diocese of Ahiara Mbaise primarily express our gratitude to God for giving us a substantive Bishop – His Excellency Most Rev. Dr. Simeon Okezuo Nwobi after 13 years of the recall of our Pioneer Bishop, the Most Rev. Dr. Victor Adibe Chikwe. Today, we are happy to say that Oke Ezuola. Eme nwanyi ka-emere ibe ya obi adiya nma. May all Glory be unto God Almighty in Jesus name, Amen. Right from the first day of the appointment of the Bishop, we never believed in anything auxiliary. Even during our courtesy visit to His Excellency Most Rev. Nwobi we never attached anything auxiliary and in our news reports on the visit, we said Bishop of Ahiara Diocese.
Your Excellency, the Bishop, we are happy to celebrate this year’s World Communications Day with you with the topic ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE WISDOM OF THE HEART: TOWARDS A FULLY HUMAN COMMUNICAION. I believe with this topic the church has realized the importance of heart to heart relationship in communication. We thank the Church for setting aside a day for media practitioners to relax and meditate on the way forward in their profession. World Communication Day is a day of spiritual and intellectual harvest for us media practitioners.
The present situation makes this year’s celebration very unique. We assure you our Bishop that we media Practitioners of Mbaise extraction will work and cooperate with you and the Directorate of Media and Social Communications to elevate our Diocese globally. The Diocese must surely come back to its enviable position as a primus inter paris Diocese in Nigeria.
We believe that you will continue where our Pioneer Bishop left the Diocese before his recall. It was his records of achievements that made many people outside Mbaise desired to be appointed Bishop of Ahiara Diocese not minding the fact that it is a rural Diocese. This time around, with your past experiences, people will see it as an urban and most peaceful, developed Diocese in Nigeria.
We believe that very soon other Dioceses will be coming here to copy or study the model of the growth of the Diocese.
As today is a day set aside for us to interact and relax our nerves, we wish to state that the communications activities in the Diocese should be taken more seriously. At this point, may we once again express immense gratitude to the Rev. Fr. Professor Walter Ihejirika , Rev. Fr. Professor Innocent Uwah, Rev. Fr. Jude Deus Osondu and Rev Fr Benjamin Ogbonna for their efforts to sustain and improve communications programmes and activities in the Diocese. They are wonderful. We in the CAMPAN believe that if one of the major events held last December was coordinated by them, the event would have had adequate media bliss and that event was the Consecration/Ordination of the Bishop. The Publicity was a complete SHAM. If the event was handled or coordinated by the Priests vast in media activities, it would have been great. Our quentential Diamond Scholar, teacher, father, the Rev. Monsignor Theophilus Nwalo is a media guru. The Rev. Monsignor Ben Chima is also another media guru. These priests can serve as consultants working with Frs. Ihejirika, Uwah Osondu and Ogu to shore up the image of the Diocese.
The Communication Department of the Diocese should be encouraged morally and financially and above all should be well equipped to meet modern standard. We believe there are professionals there and some of our media professionals in the conventional society can be hired to assist and make their contributions. The Guide Newspaper of the Diocese is almost dead. It requires more professional touch. The paper should be looked into for effective and modern journalism practice. It is true that it is a religious newspaper, it should carry more societal stories so as to attract more readership.
The Diocese was terribly blackmailed during the 13 years of Bishopric blackout and crisis. We must prove them wrong. That was why some of us took it upon ourselves to fight with our pens on the ill treatment metted to Mbaise people. Thanks to Mosignor Nwalo for the encouragement here two years ago.
We plead for a place here in the Diocese where we will have as a temporary office. We cannot be holding our meetings outside this place. Very soon we will organize a function and we plead with our digital Bishop to be with us and give us his blessings.
We are proud of Mbaise our land. We are proud to be called Mbaise. All bad names being called us by others are because of our dogged, forthright, and honest approach to issues.
We commend the priests of the Diocese for not wavering during the dark period. We also commend the flock of the Diocese for remaining steadfast and true to their faith. God is on our side. We must continue to march forward. God bless us all.
BEN OSUAGWU
PRESIDENT
CAMPAN, DIOCESE OF AHIARA
