“The National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, is a prince of the Sokoto Caliphate… you hardly hear him or see him throw his weight around…”
-Ochereome Nnanna, Vanguard Columnist.

Within a week, last week to be precise (March1-7, 2014), the name of the National Security Adviser to President Jonathan suddenly became an item in opinions and features. Most of them actually wanted him to be visible and outspoken on security operations, especially over the barbaric atrocities being committed in a section of the country.

Some respected columnists also questioned the silence of NSA over recent security challenges.Writing under his weekly column in Thisday, Olusegun Adeniyi asked if Sambo Dasuki has a phone number of any editor in Nigeria, while Steve Osuji in his column in the Nation simply asks: “Boko Haram: Where on earth is the NSA?”

Since they are not faceless writers, their articles were well-intentioned and wakeup calls on security situation in the country though some of the assumptions on the person of the NSA were on wrong premises.

This writer has a memorable encounter with Sambo Dasuki by virtue of being a syndicate writer. Sometimes last year I honoured an invitation to speak at a Media Seminar organised by Netherlands Embassy for top security spokespersons, media practitioners and right activists. In attendance were Gen. Chris Olukolade of Defence Headquarters, Frank Mba of the Nigeria Police, Dapo Olorunyomi of Premium Times, Manir Dan Ali of Trust, online bloggers including Tolu Ogunlesi and Japheth Omojuwa among many others. Immediately after, I penned my experience in an article on Debating Government Media Relations which was widely published.

Surprisingly, a week later, I received an invitation from a top security officer to meet the NSA. Having been careful of avoiding any ‘Wahala’, I am conscious of my writings on security. While I asked for the prayers of my family for safety, I did an online search on Sambo Dasuki.

What I found out were revealing: The American trained security strategist, Dasuki was Aide-de-camp (ADC) to Military President Ibrahim Babangida. Former Military Governor of Kaduna, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar in an interview with the Punch last year narrated how some forces aborted his attempt with Dasuki to install Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of June 12 election. He also disclosed how they jointly confronted General Sani Abacha from playing hanky-panky with Nigeria’s destiny.

Along the line, Dasuki escaped from Nigeria and lived in exile when he was hunted for his audacity and refusal to take an offer in the administration of General Sani Abacha. His millionaire father, Ibrahim Dasuki who was the Sultan of Sokoto and the most powerful traditional ruler in Northern Nigeria, was deposed by Abacha and banished to Kaduna for the ‘sin’ of his forthright son. The father, who clocked 90 year last year, is still alive.

All his life, as a royal prince, Dasuki has never been ambitious and would rather take a bow than playing dirty. He voluntarily resigned his appointment as Managing Director of Nigeria Security, Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC) when he was not comfortable with President Olusegun Obasanjo’s attempt to privatise the firm against security implications.

At the time of his appointment in June 2012 by President Goodluck Jonathan, the Boko Haram insurgency was very active in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Kogi and most states in the North-East with attempted incursion towards Southern parts of the country. With emergence of Dasuki, the activities of the insurgents have been restricted to a few states in the North-East. An active advocate of constructive dialogue and engagement with different groups towards peaceful resolution of crises, Dasuki nevertheless believes decisive and aggressive confrontations are inevitable against rampaging and brutal undesirable elements.

After the online search, I sought the advice of members of Media and Information Committee on Emergency Management (MICEM) where I was once the Secretary. The verdict was similar: Sambo Dasuki doesn’t believe in cheap publicity; he will rather expand resources in facilitating positive public perception on other security arms who are expected to be active and visible on the field. He hosts occasional interactions with critical stakeholders including civil societies, media and politicians for better understanding on security issues. In such encounters, he sincerely expresses his positions on realities on the ground, while charging his audience to be responsible and responsive in their information against undermining national security and national interest. A stickler to time, he can never be late to any assignment. In fact most time, I learnt, he arrived long before the commencement of events.

With those information, I had the courage to honour the invitation. To my comfort I wasn’t the only person invited to the meeting. There were some activists and members of NGOs too. When he looked at me, he asked: “Why are you very critical in your write-ups?”

I responded that writing is my hobby and PR is my profession. I am therefore conscious of whatever I write. At the end, he appealed to us to be fair and kind in our comments and writings and that we should always consider the nation first. He urged us to always channel our grievances and recommendations on national issues to appropriate authorities including his office whenever necessary.

Dasuki is polished and eloquent as he talks passionately about the Office of the President which he believes “deserves the respect of every Nigerian as the symbol of our nation and integrity.” He holds the view that there is nothing wrong with opposition politics if it is geared towards the sustenance of democracy and devoid of destructive antics that may create confusion and security breaches in the land.

Since then I have interfaced with some of the NGOs and the media towards a better understanding of security operations in the country. The recent inauguration of Forum of Spokespersons in Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA) under his office has so far reduced to the barest minimum the inter-agency rivalry in information management and encouraged designated security spokespersons to be proactive and timely in providing updates on security situations.

Professional security strategists do not need to be garrulous to prove that they are working but must work behind the scene to facilitate accomplishment of tasks. In fact respected Intelligence chiefs all over the world do not make much noise in the public because of the sensitive nature of their assignments. Even in this country, only a few Nigerians know the intelligent Director General of the Department of State Security (DSS/SSS), Ekpenyong Ita who delegates a professional Public Relations expert, Marilyn Ogar to do the necessary talking with timely updates.

In this challenging period of our life, we should encourage our security officers to do their job maturely and professionally while the designated spokespersons and political office holders do the talking.

This article by Yushau A. Shuaib was published in the print edition of  Economic Confidential, Thisday, the Nation, Nigerian Tribune, Daily Trust, National Mirror, Blueprint, People’s Daily, The Sun, Leadership and Vanguard in March 2014

The post Sambo Dasuki on Security Media Relations appeared first on YAShuaib.

Fani Kayode and Obasanjo

Fire for fire has no place in public relations practice just as fire brigade approach to public issues. This piece is not intended in whatever way to join the debate in the media war between Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, a retired military officer and Lawyer Femi Kayode, Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Public Affairs. It is a PR analysis of the contribution of an officer responsible for public affairs as epitomized in public relations practice.

Though in the Code of Ethics of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), it is recognized that each person has the right to reach his own judgement and in doing that he should respect the right of parties in a dispute to explain their respective points of view. Col. Umar received tremendous spotlights in the media by virtue of his past activities as a military governor and activist while Fani Kayode came to limelight by his past critical views and for being a son of prominent politician in the First Republic. Let me admit from the outset that President Olusegun Obasanjo is a man who appreciates constructive criticism laced with fact and data and cannot be easily cowed by harassment and intimidation.

Therefore the immediate response of his aide on public affairs, which generated a lot of furore, need to be critically examined from the professional angle. Public affairs as a unique aspect of public relations, is employed to establish goodwill and maintain mutual and beneficial relationship between an individual or an entity with its entire publics. The publics are therefore in the best position to assess and judge the impact of a message from the messenger whether it receives goodwill or ill feeling.

Since Col. Umar is a retired military man who may not be trained or assigned the responsibility for image laundering, I am constrained to comment on his Open Letter. But since Barrister Fani-Kayode is presently an image-maker of the government, this review is to examine his rejoinder whether it meets ethical and professional standard. It would not delve on the private and personal life of the SA, especially on the alleged escapades with a lady who threatened the life of Thisday Editor, Mr. Segun Adeniyi. In the lengthy article by the Special Assistant to President on Public Affairs, one may observe the use and misuse of high-sounding derogatory remarks such as ‘pathological liar, treachery, ingratitude, destructive fake, suffer form of delusions of grandeur and misguided sense of self-importance. These are not appropriate words to clear policy issues as they are against the Code of Ethics of International Public Relations Association (IPRA), which says a PR person ‘shall not employ method tending to be derogatory of others.’ It is only in propaganda, an instrument of defending the indefensible that one can exercise the right to distract and intimidate others to total submission.

The rejoinder also tends to join others with the petitioner in total condemnation, though without mentioning names. Mr. Fani Kayode referred to a former military leader, whom many thought is in the good book of the President in unfavorable terms. He mentioned that Col Umar “continues to manifest an inexplicably high degree of love and intimacy for the man that annulled June 12 and brought democracy to a halt, adding that it is the kind of affection that only a dutiful wife should have for her husband. He goes on to point out that, that is the obvious moral degeneration that Umar has now been afflicted with.” Those phrases to rational public may indicate that the retired military officer is either not married or involved in stunning and satanic intimacy with a man. Though such impression is disgusting, morally and spiritually objectionable.

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) warns an officer from using any manipulative methods or techniques designed to create subconscious motivations which the individual cannot control of his own free will. The media attack could not spare the suspected mentor and the petitioner over public misconduct, where the Public Affairs manager queried a donation of $5million USD by the said military leader to Col Umar to start his ostrich farm as whether the amount is not from those looted from Nigerian treasuries. He pointed out that Col. Umar could be counted as one of the principal beneficiaries of the rampant corruption that took place between 1985 and 1993.

Professionally, it is unfair and unjust to join a person and group in official rebuttal when they are not involved in the petition. Other disclosures, which are irrelevant to national discourse, were dropped in espionage bombshells. In fact from the revelation in the article, Gen. Abacha received good mention when the writer states that ” despite his (Umar) nuisance, Abacha did not lock up Abubakar Umar or, at worst, have him eliminated.” One start to wonder whether Abacha is not glowingly portrayed as a responsible and compassionate leader who rather than react negatively to perceived enemies he remained focused to avoid distraction.

The publicist seems to foreclose some personalities that may not be relevant even in 2007 when he said that “he (Umar) and the small group that he holds brief for, will never smell power in Nigeria again” It is not difficult to suggest those categories of personalities from the proceeding outburst. But surprisingly towards the end of the write-up, the writer was more professional as he states the obvious, that “as regards the specific issues raised by Umar in his open letter, we shall, at appropriate time, answer them point by point with facts and figures and not with sentiment and emotion.” It is expected that the rejoinder should have addressed the specifics instead of being temperamental. Since public relations is about goodwill and friendly humour, the rejoinder has a plus where it narrated the past existing rapport between the President and Col Umar with the latter taking the former to even peppersoup party at Chief Audu Ogbe’s house in a cordial affinity. Such humours are useful if only to retain friendship and brotherhood. As there were recapitulations on inexplicable love to somebody so also is on the allegation of Umar looking for contracts and for appointment as chairman of a government agency.

The most unfathomable is the way the lawyer rained a big curse from the Book of Proverbs where he said “‘He who repays good with evil shall never leave his household’ And so it shall be for this ungrateful, bitter and vengeful soul who goes by the name of Abubakar Umar” The Special Assistant should have been advised to update himself and broaden his scope of knowledge on the rudiments of public affairs’ practice. It may not be too late to learn the code of conduct and professional ethics of public relations even though he declared that “I am not the least bit concerned by what Umar or anyone else says or writes about me as long as I am doing my job . . . it is certainly not for Umar or anyone else to tell me how to do it.” Even as a lawyer, there are sanctions for flouting strict rules of professional bodies and regulatory authority. A successful publicist is not judged by power of oratory, expensive regalia and appearance with bodyguards, but by his ability to analyze critically with inquiring mind and sound editorial judgement. Amiability, humility and openness to criticisms, are not weakness but attributes of a good listener with a mission. The impression that Umar may not appreciate the biblical concepts because he is a Muslim is like playing religious sentiments. You don’t need to be a follower of particular religion before you appreciate their faith. Other Muslims who overwhelmingly support the President may feel unease with that intuition from the spokesperson. As a believer, Mr. Kayode should not have restricted his argument with quotations from the Bible but with the Koran too since his rival, a Muslim substantiated his argument from the two holy books. Balance and objectivity are desirable in healthy debate. It is regrettable that the style and approach adopted by Mr. Kayode are unprofessional, diversionary and so cheap that may impact negatively on the image of other public affairs officers and the profession.

Professional values according to PRSA provide foundation for Members’ Code of the Ethics and set the industry standard for the professional practice. These values are fundamental beliefs that guide on behaviors and decision-making process.

The professional values are vital to the integrity of the individual and profession a whole. The Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media) Mrs. Remi Oyo and even the sacked Villa Publicity Aides Garba Shehu and Dr. Stanley Makebu, could not exhibit that level of immaturity in handling public discourse. Had it been Barrister Fani-Kayode is assigned the portfolio of Special Assistant on Legal Affairs by his academic qualification or Special Adviser on Perceived Political Enemies by his present skill, those of us in PR profession would not have bothered.

The British Institute of Public Relations (IPR), in its Code of Professional Conduct advises spokespersons to have positive duty at all times as to respect the truth and avoid disseminating misleading information knowingly or recklessly which may frequently occur inadvertently. But it is not late for the officer to learn from others or be tutored on Ethics of the profession from Nigerian Institute of Public Relations or similar professional bodies to polish himself and the image of our dear President. The profession that does not require qualification and experience is propaganda…real propaganda to hoodwink gullible publics.

This article by Yushau A. Shuaib was originally published in New Nigeria Feb18, Nigerian Tribune Feb19, Daily Trust Feb23, Thisday February 24, Daily Champion February 25, Sun Feb26, Daily Times Feb25-26, 2004

The post PR Analysis of Fani-Kayode’s Rejoinder on Dangiwa Umar appeared first on YAShuaib.