By Onyekachi Agu

The West African Broadcasting & Media Academy (WABMA) Media Foundation has expressed grave concerns over the two recent incidents in the Nigerian aviation sector which they described as a troubling pattern; sexual and gender- based violence (SGBV) and called for overhaul of the aviation sector

WABMA in a statement released noted that their position does not presume the innocence or guilt of any party, but condemned the disproportionate and gendered weight of state action borne by the woman involved, Ms. Comfort Emmanson, compared with the markedly lenient, conciliatory response accorded to a politically connected male offender, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall aka KWAM1— despite both matters arising within the same sector and under the same Constitution.

“In reality, the male offender committed a heavier offence by trying to obstruct a commercial aircraft from flying, effectively an attempted hijack. But he gets to be named an ambassador for the government. We also condemn the undignified handling of the issue on social media and the mass media, revealing deep-rooted norms around gender violence,” the Academy said.

In addition, the Executive Director of WABMA, Dr. Ken Ike Okere said “When power and status dictate who is protected and who is punished, the result is not enforcement — it is violence by procedure. Nigeria’s institutions must embody justice, not merely perform it.”

He noted that the Foundation believes that in the handling of these cases, it is apparent that due process, discretion, and enforcement have been applied in ways that humiliate, strip dignity, and inflict psychological harm, especially on a woman, and this constitutes institutional and societal SGBV.

Public humiliation, excessive force, and rapid criminalisation of one party, alongside indulgence and soft sanctions for another, erode public trust and normalise impunity.”

WABMA Media Foundation added “The handling of these matters have been consistent with the observed norms that WABMA’s project Amplifying the Voices of Leaders of Faith and Culture has been working to address with support from the Ford Foundation. While we are seeing significant changes, actions such as the ones surrounding these current cases show that there is still much to be done, especially among policymakers and social influencers.”

The Foundation made suggestions on how to reform the aviation sector by calling for immediate proportional redress- review and vacate the ambassadorial designation proposed by the Aviation Minister in respect of KWAM1 and make him engage in community service as a correctional measure;

Enforcement of gender-sensitive, trauma-informed protocols, equal enforcement and transparent accountability training and institutional reform as well as data, monitoring and public communication and urged regulators, airlines, security agencies, and the judiciary to act now to remedy harms already done and to prevent future abuses.

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Divine Adachukwu Onyekwena, has emerged winner of the 2025 Poetry Slam competition.

Organized by the Enugu State Literary Society in Collaboration with the West Africa Broadcast and Media Academy (WABAMA), the competition was part of activies to mark the 2025 World Poetry Day on March 21.

A spoken word artist, voice-over artist, event host, and English language teacher, Onyekwena overcome stiff competition from other 7 contestants to pocket home the N100, 000 prize.

Expressing he delight, Onyekwena said the vicroty is huge motivation and thank the organizer for putting up the competition. She commended her fellow contestants for their spectacular show adding that they were all winners.

“I feel excited! The invite came as a surprise; if not, I wouldn’t be here. Let’s say every event that led up to this was like a miracle. I actually came to have fun, and it didn’t matter to me if I won or not, because I knew there were good poets here. But then I won, and am happy!”

As the overall winner of the competition, Onyekwena was awarded a cash prize of ₦100,000. The prize was presented to her at the end of the competition, which was held in Enugu and featured participants from across the region.

Ezikiel Blessing Odorenyi came second. As first runner up of the competition, Odorenyi took home a cash prize of ₦30,000. In a surprise move, the organizers added an additional ₦30,000 to her winnings, bringing her total prize money to ₦60,000.

The 2025 Poetry Slam competition was held in Enugu, with participants from across the South East region with foremost Nigerian-American journalist and poet, Chika Oduah reciting some of her poems during the event.

Speaking on the essence of the Day and the competition, the Rector of WABMA , Mr Ken Okere said the competition was part of activities to mark the Global day and to create awareness and encourage younger generations to take to the spoken words.

“Part of the objective of WABMA is to support people, and that’s why we partner with the Enugu Literary Society. March 21 each year is World Poetry Day, declared by the United Nations. And we marked it with two major events in one.

“First, hosted an international journalist, Chika Oduah, a Nigerian-American, who has a background in CNN and several other international media. She was the only international journalist who broke the Boko Haram story by going to Sambisa Forest herself. She produced the first documentary on that issue. She is very famous and happens to be a poet, dancer, and cultural curator who creates stories about cultures.

“She is doing a lot of work and also spending a year in Enugu, and we thought we should bring her in, so young people can see that you can be successful in mass media practice. So, we are going to be featuring her today.

“The second part of the event is the Poetry Slam. It’s a performance poetry competition, that’s why it’s called a slam. For those who don’t even like poetry, would enjoy it because it’s not about coming to read some scripted lines. The poet actually performed their work and put more life to it. It’s one of the best ways to introduce people to poetry.

“Many of us were introduced to poetry in a hard way by having to read Shakespearean sonnets and all that. And that turned many people off. But performance poetry takes people back to their origins, which originated from storytelling, folk tale, drama, and draws people back to poetry,” he said.

In his speech, the Head of Department, Mass Communication, ESUT, Dr Chidiebere Ezinwa commended ELS and WABMA for organising the programme stressing that the experience is enriching. He enjoined the students to see the need to take interest in poetry writing as a passion particularly as a tool in reshaping society.

Students and other participants interviewed depressed delight over the programmed adding that it has deepened their passion and disposition to poetry.

Highlights of the occasion were reciting

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Enugu – The Department of Mass Communication, ESUT, will collaborate with the West Africa Broadcast and Media Academy (WABMA) on mentoring and training of students.

The partnership which is aimed at giving the students the necessary exposure and raining needed o face the 21st century information and technology world, will see them being training in current media and communication courses with practical skills.

Speaking when the Mass Communication students visited the office during the 2025 World Poetry Day celebration on March 21, WABAM’s Rector, Dr Ken Okere said with over 40 professional courses they offer in the academy as well as their reach with other media practitioners, the students of Mass Communication Students in ESUT will benefit more.

He noted that the collaboration is part of his own way of supporting the department which he graduated from decades ago adding that the could help the department by providing a studio for them.

“WABMA is a professional communication training academy providing certifications and basic, intermediate, and advanced levels. We offer practical professional training in media and communications, so whatever degree you have from anywhere, you can come to WABMA and acquire practical skills.

“Skills such as broadcast presentation, journalism, investigative reporting, photography, video editing, digital marketing, AI communications, and many more. We have nearly 40 courses that we offer in WABMA, as I said, they are all skill-based to add to whatever academic qualifications you have.

“There is something called town and gown, which is the practice whereby universities collaborate with industries and organizations in the town. The university is the gown, where we are the town. Whatever is done in the university, there is a close community. If it does not benefit the wider society, it’s useless.

“In fact, all advanced nations have only advanced because of the practicalization of the research done by the academics, and that comes through collaboration called town and gown. Now, for WABMA, being a training media organization, we are interested in partnering with the Mass Communication Department of ESUT to enhance this town and gown dictum.

“And look out for ways we can support the department and ways we can help the students in the department with internships, skills in the industry, and the research done in the department can actually be practicalized for the wider society. And we already have a progressive Head of Department who is already thinking about it, and we would support the department in having a studio or other projects we can support in the department. Do not forget that I graduated from the department many years ago, so we need to support to to grow,” he stated.

On His part, the Head, Mass Communication Department, Barr. Dr Chidiebere Ezinwa noted that the department is open for collaboration with corporate bodies and media players in order to enhance teaching and learning.

He noted that WABAMA as a media institution will help the department achieve the goals.

 “We need these collaborations to equip the students with the requisite knowledge that will help them to be successful in life when the leave the classroom. An institution like WABAM offers the practical skills and this will give the students the leverage to excel.

“We are grateful to the management of WABAMA for this disposition and we are going to explore it,” Dr Ezinwa said.

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