Yushau A. Shuaib

By Yushau A. Shuaib

It is not about politics, product launch and cheap publicity. It is about image, reputation and editorial judgement. It is a choice between propaganda and public relations. Since information influences our attitudes to life, the kinds of message we receive from organizations and individuals to a large extent is of great concern to our livelihood.

Information comes in different forms. While information that is not subjected to manipulation can be positive and negative like electoral victory and earthquake or economic prosperity and financial scandal, other news are processed and manipulated by concerned interests to draw public attention. The result of some of the processed information may also be encouraging or off-putting. In an effort to maintain objectivity and balance stories, the press allows contenders and competitors in public and private sectors to express themselves freely. This genuine generosity to utilize the media platform is abused by charlatans who have little idea or lack experience on the ethics of public affairs and the operation of the press. The media is awash with individual egocentricity, personality clashes and commercialized reportage. Yet as good as some of the subjects may be, the truth is not easily decodable from the surface.

The desire to gain sympathy and acceptability of the target audience, for the sole purpose of winning patronage and support, make the roles of spokespersons, as intermediary, inevitable in any given society and corporate organization. While most spokespersons are expected to have undergone some training on ethics of mass communication or in the alternative acquire some experiences in public affairs and media practice, what we get from some of their activities are balderdash.

Cheap publicities that have lately and largely invoked public discourse are handiworks of propagandists who defend the indefensible acts through fabrication, intimidation and excessive exaggeration to manipulate public opinion. Propaganda which many are not willing to associate with even though rampant as the outputs of some spokespersons, is used to sell bad products, hoodwink the consumer and pollute the air in most uncharitable and wicked mien. It may not be necessary that one must acquire basic elementary knowledge of mass communication, decency in choice of language and action for the purpose of winning public support could have been better deployed to, at least, give credibility and respect to the spokespersons and their principals.

On the other hand, public relations is the most acceptable process of establishing and sustaining mutual and beneficial relationship with the general public by abiding to the strict code of professional practice. A PR practitioner gauges the public mood, conducts research and responds appropriately to issues in the most dignified and matured manner. A respected spokesperson, exemplified by trained public relations practitioners, gives sincere advice, undertakes genuine reconciliation and handles assignments professionally. He/she takes risk in defending his principal, organization and their programme/products with pride, conscious of the fact that there is tomorrow for men and women of honour.

The influence of propaganda in creating newsworthiness on its principals and opponents has pushed to the background development journalism that could have addressed our economic and industrial needs. There is little the editors and other news gatekeepers can do to ensure that what they receive is accurate, factual and authoritative information because of the official designations of the sources, though they can easily identify propagandists from public relations persons. It may also be of importance to note that naked propaganda, sometimes as comic relief and melodrama, sells the media because bad news is truly the news for readership appeal and commercial purposes.

It was in realization of importance of monitoring and regulating the practice and activities of masscommunicators that professional bodies are established to update members and new entrants on the rudiments, best practices and latest thinking in the field. The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and Nigerian Press Council (NPC) were also established for that purpose. But unfortunately the NIPR, due to its internal wrangling which was recently resolved, has failed to assert its power to regulate, monitor and sanction quacks who give the profession a bad name. We must be impressed by the activities of other professional bodies that have effective internal mechanism to control influx of ill-qualified and inexperience persons into their folds like the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN), Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Association of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria APCON and Nigerian Guild of Editors. A credible professional body can reprimand chief executive officers of private enterprises and even heads of governmental organisations who flout the code of conducts of their respective offices. It happens in civilized world to serve as a deterrent.

The failure of relevant bodies to checkmate officers responsible for information dissemination is one of the great dilemmas the nation faces today. Instead of engaging on issues of development and beneficial to the society, what is churned out by expected spokespersons of public and private institutions are abusive language, libelous statements, threatening directives, intimidating harassment and childish expositions. It has gone to a situation that those that were highly respected but who find themselves as spokespersons, especially from the media and civil society, have like chameleons changed overnight in defending the indefensible as they refuse to advise their principals on the implications of their utterances and actions that are detrimental to public good. Most of them seem to be scared stiff to advise their bosses as they append their signatures on handouts in the name of press statements without bothering to digest the contents. Probably due to the survivalist instinct of chop-i-chop they shamelessly condone unethical, illegal and in some cases unconstitutional demeanors just to be relevant not minding the dent on their professional integrity and social responsibilty. Surprisingly such officers after leaving the office disown their bosses of being dictatorial.

While propagandists can engage in anything just to remain relevant, it is painful the constraints facing some genuine PR persons in discharging their duties. The PR professionals deserve our sympathy as they are mostly ignored or sacrificed for official exigency. The relevant professional bodies too like Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Association of Corporate Affairs Managers in Banks (ACAMB), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) should ensure that their registered members are protected as they operate within the tenets and code of their bodies.

This article was originally published in Guardian February 26, Thisday February 26, Triumph February 27, Leadership February 27, Economic Confidential March, New Nigerian March 1, Sunday Trust March 4 and Sunday Champion March 2007

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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

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