Bayo Onanuga and the cacophony of confusion

Cleaning up the mess of the last administration demands sheer magic for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Nigerians are practically almost eating from the dustbin for the first time as inflation erodes our purchasing power. The naira falls irredeemably against the dollar, fuel prices may hit the roof, food insecurity worsens, and infrastructure across the country is decrepit. The tales of woes and the fear of no immediate solutions are quite perplexing.

While this administration grapples with these mounting challenges, a few Nigerians are still clinging to the renewed hope promised. But, one of the biggest dilemmas of the present administration is its choice of communication managers and for a regime that rode on the back of a government of national competence- this selection leaves much to be desired.

So, Obasanjo’s outburst or outrage frontally addressed by Mr. Bayo Onanuga is amusing and interesting. While the content is reduced to a personal innuendos premise on historical bad blood between Obj and Tinubu, the substance of the outburst is irrevocably reflective of the realities that call for a reappraisal of the ineffectual ongoing reforms. Nigerians are sick and tired of the rhetoric that the reforms embarked on by the present administration would be difficult at first but will deliver the good. That was the same deceit Buhari and his men threw at us and eight years later, he is short of being branded the worst thing that would happen to the country after Gen Abacha.

Here we are with the trio of Bayo Onanuga, Sunday Dare and Daniel Bwala- the shortest-serving SSA Public Communications and Media at the presidency before that nomenclature was changed to maintain the needed psychological equilibrium in that space. Bwala addressed journalists as the replacement for Ajuri Ngalale while the big cats were away in Brazil. That misadventure was shut down and the trio declared spokespersons yet, it indicated a misnomer in that ecosystem.

This discordance tone from the highest communication circle speaks volumes. Among the trio, Mr. Onanuga is the oldest appointee on the job in terms of duration, and he should also pass as the most experienced media executive on that team. His pedigree in media demands respect and privileges, but sadly, he seems to carry on his job far below expectation and reckoning. His delivery questions the suitability of core journalists being spokespersons for top government offices.

Mr. Onanuga appears not debriefed that wartime is over and conquest is secured. Yes, some soldiers suffer post-wartime trauma and may carry wooden sticks like guns around and demand everybody to behave. It hurts so bad when people refer to a veteran journalist like the distinguished Bayo Onanuga as an attack dog. That is derogatory and unacceptable, but Baba must admit that the war is over and governance is here. Governance is marketing, and governance is making the opponents look stupid yet get applause from the governed. The spokesman is an elevated office and should not be rolling on the floor with pigs at the slightest provocation.

Mr. Onanuga did not come to this job with a weak resume but with a resounding journalistic pedigree- whether this experience translates into strategic image management and PR for a national government is another matter. Talking about holding a national government accountable, Mr. Onanuga has been on the other side and fiercely demanded better governance from the military as he edited and published newspapers and magazines, poking his fingers into the eyes of the then-military government in the quest for a better economy and better conditions of living. He took the fall for Nigerians and went on exile like some pro-NADECO chieftains in total revolt against oppression and bad governance by the military. So, the guy was a veteran of democracy.

However, the test of character is when the table turns. It is understandable that no man accepts this kind of job and willfully speaks against his principal, so nobody expects that, but can we elevate communication a bit above pedestrian engagement? Nigerians are sick and tired of people who should know better fighting over semantics, frivolities and issues of no national consequence.

Can we see more intellectual communication and robust engagement with the public rather than the media awash with insults between the government and Nigerians? It appears the position given to Bwala is apt because we want to see more of the spokespersons gaining initials to engage the press and the public explaining government policies, programs and projects rather than a bunch that will sit down the whole day looking for what somebody said against the president and look for equally damning language to match up.

The common practice among journalists who head government media desks is venom for venom as if the English language is to show how intellectually bankrupt a spokesperson can be. Yes, anybody can influence the media such that the assumed connections these journalists wield to shut out the press are archaic and rudimental.

Daniel Bwala is a public analyst and social critic of high reckoning, but will that add up to effectively engaging the media and the general public in touching the right cords? We are watching. Sunday Dare, another consummate media expert, but are journalists good public image makers? We are waiting for his outings.

It brings to mind Bar. Festus Keyamo. From a vicious and veracious presidential spokesperson during the campaigns, he has cleared any doubt that he is not just a noise maker but competent to manage the aviation industry perfectly. He has proved beyond reasonable doubt that a barrister can be versatile outside the courts and human rights activism.

The biggest challenge for this administration is the cacophony of confusion and poor handling of communication beyond the elections. Campaigns are promissory notes, but governance demands proof of delivery, and the customers are in a hurry to witness performance. So, away with shenanigans and bring Nigerians up to speed with the deliverables of this administration.