By: Bukar Raheem
Surely, many Nigerians never heard of Alhaji Lai Mohammed before the famous merger of the coalition of opposition parties in Nigeria, to form the APC, preparatory to the 2015 general elections.
Fondly called Lai, Nigeria’s current Minister of Information and Culture had sublimely existed in Public Relations circles in the country for years, in the operative capacity of a pro-establishment mouthpiece, before his job as APC national publicity scribe.
However, Lai, also an author became a familiar character and singsong in millions of Nigerian households when he emerged at the turbulent time of opposition politics in the country as APC’s National publicity Secretary. His popularity timely, understandably, and sensitively soared, on the crest of the popular desire of Nigerians to oust from power in 2015, the then government of the ruling PDP perceived to have squandered its goodwill from the people.
Mounting the opposition APC publicity horse, Lai proved his mettle beyond doubts, as an icon in propaganda and talented party publicist. In the perception and judgment of many Nigerians, he was paired alongside with the famed war-time German propagandist, Josef Goebbels and some even claimed he dwarfed his performance records.
Lai’s soft, but scathing and piercing prose or rebuttals, would constantly and instantly set the direction or agenda of his party on emerging political trends. It impressed even his ardent opponents a great deal. His play with Latin, Greek cum French dictums and phraseology in raising and analyzing national issues excited all and sundry.
His ingenious campaign advertisement graffiti spurred angst and frustrations in the then ruling PDP. A missive from him against the then government in power was more painfully bitter than a poisoned arrow. As an “attack dog” of the party he was (quoting learned men) “not jurisdiction barred,” as his invectives on the government or the PDP, were as strong as he hurled at the judiciary.
It was therefore not a difficult case when the APC sauntered unto victory with President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) as Nigeria’s new helmsman and nominees considered for the federal cabinet. Barring internal scrambles by politicians’ for ministerial appointments, but Lai’s inclusion was an unmistaken message to all Nigerians of Buhari’s intention to have an articulator of his government’s policies and actions. Lai’s designation as Information Minister confirmed the guesses right.
But barely two years into his new job, has Lai appeared to have regrettably lost steam on the job of projecting Buhari’s policies and programmes. As if his docility is not injurious enough, Lai has indulged in the “blame- game,” always passing the buck to PMB’s opponents or detractors for the deliberate negative publicity foisted on Buhari’s neck to discredit his administration.
Lai’s complacence is not all that is wrong with Buhari’s information machinery. When he attempts to do it at all, it is done selectively. That is, selecting which areas of blisters on Buhari or the Presidency is worth attention. What Buhari’s media handlers don’t often miss is sending condolence messages on behalf of Buhari at the demise of VIP’s in Nigeria or tragic incidents that have national colouration.
Today, and unexpectedly, Lai comes on air to blame the opposition PDP for the negative publicity on Buhari. Bullshit! That’s not the quintessential, brilliant and lucidly loquacious Lai Mohammed Nigerians knew or the APC could vouch for his oratorical skills and writing prowess, which earned him the ministerial job as government’s chief spokesman. He has suddenly become as cold as impotent ash, gleefully consenting to opposition PDP’s trifling of government policies and programmes unchallenged or illuminated.
While launching the Federal Government of Nigeria Information App (FGN/ IAPP) in Abuja recently, Lai lamentingly averred that opposition and corrupt elements, with illicit wealth are battling Buhari’s administration by “distorting our messages and obfuscating our activities’’.
Yet at another meeting with Resident Information Officers (RIOs), the minister engaged in another session of lamentations and implicitly indicted his office thus; “Government is doing so much, yet people keep saying they do not know because we are not communicating through the right channel’’.
An Africa proverb says, unless there is a crack on the wall, the bedbug would not find space to hide. The minister and his retinue of subordinates have abandoned the information dissemination needs of the Buhari government. It accounts for opposition’s mischievous trivialization of the achievements of the present regime.
It is this neglect of core responsibilities that former President Olusegun Obasanjo (OBJ) castigated the Buhari administration at the Akintola William annual lecture in Lagos and it never merited his attention. In the said lecture, OBJ sought to pull down the government and rubbish the efforts of Buhari in repackaging Nigeria, a mess OBJ is substantially culpable. OBJ unjustifiably attacks the policies, programmes of government, without sparing the president’s personality and it is greeted with resounding quietness by his media handlers.
“ We cannot continue to do the same thing and expect things to change. That will be a miracle which normally doesn’t happen in normal national economies,” OBJ insultingly blustered.
Furthermore, the irritant Senator Shehu Sani, the Senate Committee chairman on Local and Foreign Debts, speaks glowingly about Buhari’s infliction of pain and suffering on Nigerians in the guise of reforms and the comments go unchallenged.
Sani, who represents Kaduna-Central Senatorial District at the Senate, puffed; “If you keep reforming and reforming and the people are suffering and dying, you may reach the Promised Land alone because by that time everyone has died. Of what use would that be?”
Currently, refusal of the Senate to confirm the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, citing implicative security report on him is in circulation. They claim Magu has failed to pass the integrity test, as they apparently dragged President Buhari’s personality into the intrigues of his non-confirmation. That the president’s integrity is dragged into a matter as sensitive as the choice of who heads the anti-graft agency does not merit the attention of his media handlers.
Lai’s silence at this auspicious time is not golden, as there are several of these issues lingering and they impinge negatively on the image of government. In truth, President Buhari’s administration has reached a stage where those saddled with its information management should be disseminating facts and figures about the policies and accomplishments of the government, instead of wailing about negative publicity from opposition.
Nearly two years in office, Buhari has showcased a lot and even the opposition is amazed. Besides, no one is expecting that the opposition would take the responsibilities of Lai and his other colleagues in positively projecting the milestones of Buhari or market the policies of his government. It must be drummed to their understanding that publicity anywhere in the world is expensive business and Lai is aware of this immutable truth. He must be prepared to sponsor his own version of the positive story of government to reach and illuminate Nigerians.
Indeed, propaganda naturally weighs in favour of the strong and those in government are not insulated from this reality. It stresses the imperative to sponsor such services to ensure that the media, (including the new platforms) truly convey the intended messages to the Nigerian people in a language and manner discernible to everyone.
Raheem, a public affairs analyst writes from Kaduna State.
