…Says it provides opportunity to learn and opportunity to grow
The Periscope reporter

• There’s a drawing line between stage fright and failure, the Konngol graduates have crossed the boundary to success

The Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Kashere, FUK Gombe State, Northeast Nigeria, Prof Umaru Alhaji Pate has said that Konngol SilverTongue: Media and Language Training Institute (KSMLTI) is one of the best things Yola, Adamawa state is lucky to have, being the only Institute of its kind in the entire northeast Nigeria, pointing out that it is a window opening, an opportunity to learn and opportunity to grow scholarly professionally.

Prof Pate who is also the President, Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) and the Kaigamma Adamawa Sunday, said this during the 15th joint graduation ceremony of the Class 2020-B and Class 2021-A of the Institute in Yola.

The university don lamented how disgusting, shameful and embarrassing listening to some journalists lacking media training, reporting or casting news, how boring are the politicians arguing their points and teachers lacking the art of public speaking handling students in the classrooms and how events are obnoxiously organised without consulting event management professionals, which he observed are rare in the state.

The communication scholar and professional has commended Prof Abubakar Abba Tahir, the Kaakaakey Adamawa he called a colleague, for taking the bull by the horns to establish the media and language training Institute as a community service.

The Kaigamma Adamawa, who was impressed with the event management, where papers, testimonies and debates were excellently showcased by the certified participants, congratulated them for the acquired dexterity, thanked the Institute for finding him worthy to be invited to serve as special guest of honour and has assured maximum support for the success of the Institute.

Joining Prof Pate, the chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Salihu Baba Ahmed has commended Prof Abba Tahir for establishing the training Institute, congratulated the graduates for their amazing performances and invited the people to avail themselves with the needed training in Public speaking and events management

Earlier in his speech, the founder of the Institute, Prof Tahir thanked those who graced the occasion, commended Prof Pate, whose present he considered as akin to great expectation and glad tidings, especially with the motivational experience shared and congratulated the graduates whom he described as unique and one of the most serious classes ever in the Institute.

“Let me assure you that your instructors and alumni will forever remember your incisive individual speeches, your teamwork in the group projects, your seriousness with the training and indeed your award-winning testimonials, which have thrilled this audience today.

“In fact, your special graduation left this audience spell-bound, as we have been carried away by the great work of your graduation anchors – their emceeing was marvelous, a great testimony to the event scripting lessons and the mentoring class in emceeing!

“We cannot be more proud of your achievements and accomplishments today,” the founder said.

On the rationale behind the establishment of Konngol, the Kaakaakey Adamawa said; “nowadays, many university students no longer have confidence in themselves to the extent that they can hardly present and defend their undergraduate and even postgraduate thesis.

“At the workplace, many public servants find it difficult to craft and confidently present speeches before even familiar audiences.

“Many of them can write very well but the delivery becomes a nightmare.

“The culture of debates in our schools have almost fizzled out. And in institutions of higher learning, most students offering courses in the core sciences feel that public speaking is not their trade, but for those in the humanities and other fields.

“In the private sector where outspokenness is even more compelling, only a sprinkle of daring employees, buy into the quarrel with stage fright”.

These were some of the reasons that triggered the founder to get himself engagement in such a giant community gesture.

Prof Tahir added that “we have deliberately joined events planning and project management to our public speaking training because of the organic and largely inseparable connection between them.

“There is hardly any formal public speaking that happens outside the contest of an event or ceremony.

“Unfortunately, society takes events management and delivery for granted.

“If we are only conversant about the public speaking and ignorant of events management, we will continue to plan and organise our events and ceremonies with fundamental shortfalls.

“And even before we are born, we find ourselves in a project and right through our lives until we leave this world”.

The communication scholar explained that “conceiving a child is a project, his birth is a project, his upbringing is a project, his education is another project, his career projection is a project, his community engagement is a project, his retirement is a project and his death and funeral are all projects.

“This is a fundamental reason why everyone, regardless of background, experience or expertise also needs basic knowledge about project management”.

According to Kaakaakey, over 90% of the courses at Konngol were focused on practical mentoring to enable our graduates join the public speaking and events management industry with adequate sense of professionalism.

Prof Tahir has said that the Institute’s training is more of community service considering the cost, where he revealed that the earlier trainings, which involved staff of the media organisations in the state were totally free of charge.

He commended the First Lady, Aishatu Muhammadu Bihari’s for supporting the Institute by sponsoring trainings and managing events.

He said that the Institute has graduated candidates not only from Adamawa but also other states like Kano, Kaduna, Taraba, Enugu, Imo and Rivers, etc.

Highlights of the occasion include presentation of papers, poems, testimonies, eulogies and inter-class debate.

Certificates of completion were also presented to graduates who in turn presented gift to the Institute.

Receiving the gift on behalf of the Institute, the Director Operations, Dr Yusuf Mohammed, known as Captain, thanked the graduates for their generosity by means of appreciation and reciprocity.

The Captain said there is a drawing line between stage fright referred to as glossophobia and failure.

Glossophobia is described as being not a dangerous disease or chronic condition but a medical term for the fear of public speaking.

For those affected by glossophobia, speaking in front of a group can trigger feelings of discomfort and anxiety, which the Captain said could and have been cured in Konngol SilverTongue.

The Captain has congratulated the graduates for crossing the boundary between, to success and that which was being celebrated.

The Director Operations has announced that admission forms for the Class of 2021-C is now on sale and that classes begin in the second week of August.

In their welcome address and vote of thanks, Ibrahim Ahijo karlahi, the Class Governor 2020-B and Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim, the Class Governor 2021-A, expresed their limitless appreciation to the founder, the instructors, the entire management of the Institute and the invited guests for contributing to the success of the event.

Among the dignitaries present at the occasion include the Representative of the District Head of Yola the Chika Soro Adamawa, the Ma’aji Adamawa, the Dan Adalan Chika Soro, the Representatives of Provost FCE Yola and College of Legal Studies, Yola.

27 participants have graduated; Class of 2020-B 11 and Class of 2021-A 16.

The Periscope Global