With quite a reputation behind her, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala appears to mean different things to different people across the spaces she has straddled. This is why I paused for a moment of contemplation when a professional colleague working in a multilateral institution abroad sought my opinion on the candidacy of Nigeria’s first female Finance minister and also Foreign Affairs minister, for the post of Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

This prodding brought to mind in recall the phone call I had received on the evening of Wednesday, March 20, 2013 from her when she was Finance minister, complaining about an article I had written about her and a number of appointments that had then been made in the Nigerian economic sector in a major national newspaper. While I had thanked her for the call, I refrained from tendering an apology for what I still consider as the objective commentary, I made in that article.

Along the line, so many things happened. I was eventually retired from public service. Feeling unfairly treated, I went to court. It was to my utter shock to later discover that prominent civil servants, including directors in the service, were behind the dishonest recommendation for my disengagement from the civil service. Some of the intrigues, episodes and persons behind that ordeal are documented in my book ‘An Encounter With the Spymaster.’

Although reinstated by the court five years later, I have since voluntarily retired from the federal civil service. Meanwhile, three years after the court order for the payment of my entitlements, some civil servants are still dilly-dallying over this directive. In life, one must always be grateful to the Almighty God for sparing one’s life and giving the direction that leads in making one better off than how one was in the past.

However, back to my friend’s request, I understand that the WTO is an intergovernmental organisation, established to promote and regulate international trade, and its Director-General performs both managerial and advisory roles, with member-states being ultimately left to make their own decisions. Surprisingly, no African has served in the top position in the WTO since 1948 in its precursor organisation, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The current Director-General of WTO, Mr Roberto Azevêdo has announced his decision to step down on August 31, which makes the position potentially vacant, and in need for the recruitment of a new head.

President Muhammad Buhari must have considered Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s pedigree and credentials before nominating her as Nigeria’s candidate for the WTO top job. Even though she has not served in any capacity in his administration, the president might have acknowledged her contributions as Nigeria’s first female Finance minister, during which time she spearheaded an ambitious debt relief negotiation with the Paris Club of Creditors during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2003. The efforts of her team led to the outright cancellation of $18 billion of Nigeria’s total debt stock, and a series of other measures eventually leading to the reduction of the country’s external indebtedness from $35 billion to $5 billion.

Similarly, in her second coming as Finance minister during the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan between 2011 and 2015, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was responsible for leading aggressive but praiseworthy reforms that enhanced the transparency of the government’s accounting systems, which strengthened our public institutions against corruption. She introduced the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMS), the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Management System (IPPMS), and the Treasury Single Accounts (TSA), which are now being fully implemented by the Buhari administration.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala had an impressive over 25-year career at the World Bank, rising to the position of the Managing Director in charge of Operations of the foremost financial organisation. In 2010, she was made Chair of the World Bank’s successful drive to raise $49.3 billion in grants and low-interest credit for the poorest countries in the world.

Still, after her last official engagement in Nigeria, Okonjo-Iweala has been quite preoccupied as a global finance expert, helping many multilateral and multinational organisations with their developmental ventures in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America.

She is a World Health Organisation (WHO) Special Envoy for Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator and was recently appointed as an African Union (AU) Special Envoy to mobilise international financial support for the fight against COVID-19. She also currently chairs the boards of the African Union’s African Risk Capacity (ARC), the Nelson Mandela Institute, and the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja.

In the business world, outside the African continent, she is a Senior Adviser at Lazard and sits on the boards of Standard Chartered PLC and Twitter Inc. She further serves on the advisory boards of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Harvard University International Advisory, the Oxford University Martin School Advisory Council, Women’s World Banking Africa Advisory Board, and the International Commission on Financing Global Education. Also, she is on the advisory boards of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Tsinghua University, Beijing’s School of Public Policy, the CARICOM (Caribbean) Commission on the Economy, and the Tax Inspectors Without Borders (an initiative of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), among others.

More so, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has immunised 760 million children globally and saved thirteen million lives since its inception in 2000. Through Ngozi’s leadership of GAVI, world leaders have pledged an additional US$ 8.8 billion for the vaccination of children, far exceeding the initial target of US$ 7.4 billion. The project will ensure the immunization of over 300 million children including the creation and distribution of the COVID vaccine globally and mostly in Africa.

With a growing concern that what Africa needs is trade rather than aid, to fight poverty, hunger and disease, a savvy bridge builder and go-getter in the person of an Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the right figure who can broker numerous agreements that would promote fair trade. In fact, the core objective of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCTA) in creating a single continental market for goods and services, with the free movement of business persons and investments across the globe could be easily achieved through her watch.

In a recent media interview, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said the WTO is a most important global multilateral body with challenges that require reforms. She said: “I believe it is relevant for the economic development, growth and sharing of prosperity in the world. I want the (WTO) job because I have the skills and the organisation needs some reforms to make it relevant for times we are in and I have a reputation as a strong reformer.”

With the foregoing, I strongly believe that if what the WTO is looking for is ‘a candidate with vast experience in international relations, encompassing trade and/or political experience, a firm commitment to the work and objectives of the organisation, proven leadership and managerial ability; and demonstrated communications skills,’ then Nigeria’s Okonjo-Iweala is not only the strongest African contender but she is a bold reformer, skilful negotiator and finest globally acclaimed developmental economists needed for the job.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Founder of the Economic Confidential and Author of ‘An Encounter with the Spymaster’
www.YAShuaib.com

The post WTO: Africa’s Chance and the Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Candidacy appeared first on YAShuaib.

President Muhammadu Buhari and VP Yomi Osinbajo

The Presidency: Osinbajo and Unquestionable Loyalty
By Yushau A. Shuaib

In September 2008, about 9 years ago, this writer published an article title “If Yar’Adua Doesn’t Die!” (https://yashuaib.com/politics/if-president-yaradua-doesnt-die/) It was a response to strong insinuations in the media on the plight of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who was alive then but some commentators were already expressing views on expectations after his likely demise.

We are currently witnessing a similar scenario as the national discourse has shifted to debates on the ailing or recuperating President Muhammadu Buhari who left the country on January 19, 2017 for medical vacation in London after handing over power to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to act as President.

The media is awash with views of Nigerians as well as patriotic commentators over the transfer of power and the commendable progress made so far in the absence of Buhari. Meanwhile, spin-doctors and political manipulators, in their different shades, have joined the debate, mostly on cyberspace. In some cases, the issue is coloured in sectional sentiments, political undertones and religious undercurrents.

In fact, there have been gossips on the motives behind recent fasting by some Christians in the South as well as speculations on massive prayers by some Muslims in the North over the ill-health of the president. Some scenarios are disturbing, as some comments attempt to create rift between Buhari and Osinbajo who have so far shown maturity, sincerity and respect in their mutual relationship.

President Buhari does not only trust Osinbajo, he assigns the law professor and church pastor to oversee the economic sector as the Head of the Economic Team. In fact, sensitive offices and strategic positions within that sector including the Chief Economic Adviser are domiciled under the Office of the Vice President. In more than two occasions, President Buhari has officially, through legislative mandates, handed over power to Osinbajo to act as Nigerian President.

Aside from the recent controversial and illegal disengagement of a female chartered accountant, Mrs Maryam Danna Mohammed from Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) and the replacement of the boss of the agency with an aide of the Vice President, Professor Osinbajo has demonstrated, to some extent, unquestionable loyalty to President Buhari in his utterances and actions. A politically conscious person, Osinbajo has not behaved otherwise. As a legal luminary, acting President Osinbajo knows the implication of wilful disobedience to court orders by Buhari’s administration, especially on several bails granted to some personalities who are still being detained illegally, he nevertheless refused to act or intervene professionally on the legal dilemmas probably to prove his absolute loyalty to the administration. In tandem with the style and language of his boss, Pastor Osinbajo has consistently re-echoed the message of the administration on war on terror and the aggressive rhetoric on the anti-corruption campaigns.

As a loyal public officer, Osinbajo has embarked on local tours and hosted several meetings towards addressing seeming economic and socio-political challenges. The deliberate efforts, in the absence of the president, have so far strengthened local currency, the Naira, boosted oil production and stabilise the polity. In most occasions, he insists that he is a representative of the president. For instance, when he travelled to the heart of Niger Delta to appeal against militancy, Osinbajo said he was there as an emissary of Buhari to offer “a new vision” for the oil-producing region.

There is all certainty that Professor Osinbajo would have sought the consent of his boss and/or members of the Federal Executive Council in taking some of the far-reaching decisions which are being commended. We should therefore encourage the administration to be focused without creating a division between Buhari and Osinbajo while making comparison.

There is always the fear that political sycophants may feast on such divisive and distractive debates to create avoidable complications which almost consumed two previous administrations. The political imbroglio between President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar as well as cabal-infused impasse between President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Vice President Goodluck Jonathan were triggered by reckless sentiments from supporters

It is always painful any insinuation that questions the loyalty of a subordinate and doubts the strength and competence of the boss. Such a dilemma merely creates feeling of betrayal and instigates a crisis of confidence that can distract and derail a focused administration. In our clime, there is a thin line between sanity and insanity among political fans (fanatics) whose supports are based on ethnic, religious and sectional sentiments.

We should therefore, support the brilliant strides of acting President Osinbajo in sustaining the tempo of progressiveness and pray for the safe return of President Buhari to carry on the task of greater nationhood.

Yushau A. Shuaib
www.yashuaib.com
yashuaib@yahoo.com

The post The Presidency: Osinbajo and Unquestionable Loyalty 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.