There are times when complete silence on certain matters, isn’t quite golden, especially where there is need to put records in proper perspectives.
I should begin by thanking the reader for the patience required to read this rather long background. Depending on one’s disposition, the piece should suggest some multi dimensional insights preceding the drama you (the reader) may have been following in the last few days since my name was announced as Special Adviser on Public Relations and Strategy to H.E, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum, Governor of Borno State. The position would also show that I had predicted the drama and taken steps to avoid them.
Perhaps, I should at this early portion, refer you to an opinion I wrote in 2018, with the title, Unusual ”pardon”: A note of gratitude to Gov. Shettima. See link below:
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/unusual-pardon-a-note-of-gratitude-to-gov-shettima.html
The article was published on May 9, 2018 in the Daily Trust and Leadership newspapers. In paragraph 6 of that article, I had revealed that in October, 2017, I quietly tendered my resignation to then Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, with whom I had an excellent working and personal relationship. The resignation was not in response to any problem whatsoever. As I explained in paragraph 5 of that article, I felt it was time to leave Borno.
I also wrote in same article that I believed no one was indispensable since activities of government do go ahead even after Presidents and Governors die in office, let alone those they appoint. I believed I needed to leave for the following considerations.
Governor Shettima had won his second term and so did all APC candidates at the national and state assembly elections. Governor Shettima’s political opponents were no longer posing problems through the media and there were myno other media crises. Besides, we had a team of vibrant, highly determined, passionate and smart young men and women, some of whom I was mentoring, who were in our traditional and new media teams. They were and still very good. In addition, numerous projects like the Mega schools, industrial park etcetera, embarked upon by the Governor were also going on well.
More importantly, he was at peace with the Buhari presidency as against the problems we had to manage under the Jonathan presidency. I also believed I had seen so much, given my best and was at peace with most people. On the low side, I looked back to the years 2012, 2013 and early part of 2014, when unknown to many, some members of the Boko Haram had threatened to kill me for “defending government of infidels and regularly talking about them in the media”. Severally, they called with death threats. At some point, the then director of DSS restricted my movement to home and office, asked me to make my presence unpredictable in Borno. For years, I operated like that.
I was moving between Maiduguri, Abuja and Lagos. No one understood my movements. On his part, Governor Shettima directed an extension of security around my rented apartment in Maiduguri. On the high side, I looked back to when the leadership of the Borno Elders Forum through its late chairman, Ambassador Gaji Galtimari and the secretary, Dr Bulama Mali Gubio called repeatedly to honour, commend and thank me for working with the forum all through in the darkest days when the forum had to, most of the time, prepare and distribute media statements in trying to protect the rights and dignity of Borno citizens in defiance of neglect and affront from the Jonathan presidency.
I also looked back to the fact that I had in all the years worked closely with Nigerian based and the international media to bring to the world’s attention, the security and humanitarian situations in Borno to the extent that some aspects of then military, particularly under the Jonathan era did threaten me. I also looked back to all my works with different commissioners and heads of government agencies in trying to solve serious problems whenever they arose because in my view, reputation management begins with fixing problems to avoid bad press.
On relationships with my colleagues, journalists in Borno State, I looked back to the fact that in that year, 2017, I had worked with the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Borno State to successfully host the best event ever held by the NUJ in its history.
I believed the momentum was high for me and it was the best time to quit. I told then Governor Shettima that I had decided to relocate to the UK for the purpose of filling some gaps in my education and professional certification in public relations. My plan was to be there for few years in order to prepare myself more adequately, for a corporate employment opportunity I was eyeing somewhere.
At that time, I was not qualified for the opportunity. Governor Shettima out rightly rejected my resignation. He was vehement but also compelling. After weeks of appeals and making people speak with him, he said he could only allow me proceed on one year study and working leave. He granted it generously. I left in 2017 and returned in 2018.
Part of my thinking for sending a resignation even then in 2017, was my realization that I had stayed too long in Borno State and needed to move on. I first stepped into Borno as a reporter in March, 2004 on transfer by the Daily Trust. Since then, I either worked or lived mostly in Borno except for two years, the period I was moved to head the Niger Delta bureau in Port Harcourt. From Port Harcourt, I visited my family once every month in Maiduguri. In 2010, I became tired of having to use two flights. I relocated my family to Abuja on permanent basis. On appointment by Governor Shettima in March 2012, I returned to Borno. I was coming to handle a delicate job of managing the media in the face of insurgency. My family could be targeted perhaps at school, in order to get at me.
SIX DIMENSIONS TO THE DRAMA OVER MY APPOINTMENT AND HOW I TRIED TO AVOID THEM
- In 7 and half years of working as Special Adviser on Communications and Strategy to Governor Shettima, I have made enemies from different dimensions. Some, due to my own shortcomings but most came from groups of persons who hated the Governor secretly or openly; those who worked ceaselessly hard to destroy his image but didn’t succeed. Their objective for years was to ensure Shettima was disgraced in office and at his exit while it was my job, alongside others, to ensure he did well and ended well. This group of persons never liked me for once. In addition, it is their wish that Shettima and Governor Zulum break up as soon as possible. They would always see my proximity to Governor Zulum as stumbling block to that wish. So, there is a block of haters from that dimension and I predicted that returning to Borno beyond 2019 would expose me to them.
- Then, ahead of the 2015 elections, I had the honour of being included in the state’s APC caucus and Strategy team. In addition to whatever role I may have played, I coordinated the APC’s media responses to pre-election, election and post elections media clashes from the then PDP. Anyone opposed to the APC could never have liked me. I made more enemies.
3.Ahead of the 2019 Governorship election, my involvement was even more. I was by the nature of job, involved in media and strategy-based activities. There were those who believed I worked closely with Governor Shettima towards the emergence of Professor Babagana Umara Zulum. There even those who went as a far as saying I imposed Professor Zulum on the Governor. They said so because they didn’t quite understand how sophisticated Governor Shettima was and still is. I once encountered a particular person, amongst those challenging Prof Zulum’s emergence who said to me, jokingly though, that “Isa, ka hana in zama Gwamna ko” and I replied, “subhanalillahi, ni na isa in ba wani Gwamna ko in hana? Allah dai”. We both laughed but then, that’s the extent of perceptions some persons had. Some of these were because few days to the sale of governorship nomination forms to aspirants, Governor Kashim Shettima had traveled to attend a humanitarian conference in Berlin, Germany alongside Professor Zulum, myself, a permanent secretary and chairperson of the state emergency emergency management agency. The believe was that the Governor, myself and the Prof concluded on the succession. Some one-on-one meetings I later held with some key party chieftains on the Governor’s directive, heightened that earlier conclusion. Fact of course, was that Governor Shettima was merely being underestimated by those who didn’t take time to understand his extraordinarily smartness. The Governor made his decision and it was part of my job to support him.
- After the primaries which produced Prof. Zulum in September, 2018, I coordinated, from behind the scene, all the media responses of the APC and a group of 14 former governorship aspirants (led by former deputy governor, Shettima Yuguda Dibal) who threw their weight behind Prof Zulum’s emergence to neutralize a group of aspirants opposed to Prof. Zulum’s then candidacy. There again, I made more enemies with those against his emergence and till date are still in court.
Again, I anticipated the possibility that a return to Borno beyond 2019 would expose me to some of those persons or their supporters who may want to get back at me. Being an image maker to a politician – in my case a Governor of a politically charged state like Borno, means making so many enemies. Whoever hates or has issues with the Governor, is likely to hate his image maker the more. The position of an image maker requires being involved in practically everything that can affect the Governor’s image, from his official activities to his politics and private life including worrying about his immediate and extended family. Anything that can connect to the Governor’s image becomes your business. It also becomes your business to advise him on governance since doing well is the first step to avoiding negative image. For having interest in everything or advising the Governor, you make more enemies within.
- Aside the dimensions relating to Shettima, there were also those who either didn’t understand Professor Zulum or read him wrongly. Some, overestimated their relationships while others had realistic expectations. As I later came to realize, the Prof. likes the element of surprise. He didn’t give any clue as to who he was likely to appoint anywhere. His list, last Wednesday, became a shock to some. That they couldn’t bear.
- Most important of the dimensions was my understanding of the saying that “familiarity (especially the extreme) breeds contempt”. No matter how liked you may be, some people are bound to develop apathy towards you when your face is seen for too long in any environment. You could loose value even in your home when you are always around. I knew I needed to leave Borno and I was prepared for that.
PRELUDE TO MY APPOINTMENT
I am sure many were surprised when yesterday, the state chairman of the APC, Ali Bukar Dalori came out to speak in my favour. He did so for a combination of reasons: leadership, support for Governor Zulum and also a moral support to me. The state chairman was amongst those who alongside H.E Kashim Shettima, the state deputy governor, Umar Kadafur and some persons, compelled me to return to Maiduguri. H.E Shettima informed me that Governor Zulum had made a strong request from him that he wanted to work with Barrister Mustapha Busuguma as PPS and myself as his spokesman me.
What immediately came to my mind was diverse reactions from the dimensions I earlier pointed out. I pointed out all the plans I already made and my concerns. I said I really believed in Professor Zulum’s vision, his sincerity of purpose and genuineness but I had concluded plans to leave for school by September. I did press hard, especially on the school but H.E, Shettima said I would have to defer for at least one year. He maintained that Governor Zulum was his new leader and since he had told him what he wanted, he was duty bound to compel me. H.E Shettima noted that Barrister Busuguma had said he was tired of being at the Government House having spent about 16 years and preferred to be outside the state.
However, Busuguma had conceded to the Governor’s request because it would have been rude to say no. I explained that my case was different from Busuguma’s given that he hails from Borno and wouldn’t have to deal the kinds of issues I have had to deal with. Shettima said, “Malam Isa, as I have always argued, Borno has a duty to accommodate all. We had a security and humanitarian crises in which we needed the support of people from all over Nigeria. Alhaji Aliko who gave the highest individual support to Borno State hails from Kano in the northwest where Zamfara is located. The Kano State government adopted 200 orphans of Borno. One Yoruba man came to support us in establishing a kidney centre. We have traveled with you to humanitarian conferences in Turkey, Norway and Germany. You worked on my speeches in trying to seek help from donors for them to fund activities of UN agencies, the ICRC, the world bank and the rest for the benefit of our affected people in Borno. Are those white people supporting Borno from even Nigeria? So, please forget all these issues”, the former Governor concluded.
I was still struggling when at a point, the state chairman, Ali Bukar Dalori joined in saying that I should not say any more word but give my consent. I said, ‘Allah Ya sa haka shi ya fi alkhairi’. Few days later, I left for Umrah. The announcement was made the day I returned from Umrah.
CONCLUSION
It is important to clarify that while some of the issues I discussed here were private, I am somewhat forced to disclose them for the purpose of putting the records in perspective. It hurts when some people try to present you as one desperate man who is forcing himself on an unwilling host. This is whereas, H.E Kashim Shettima was aware that a particular Governor in the northwest, a state where I have a family history, had requested to work with me. By the way, one must not be in government to do well.
I have seen the variety of comments from different quarters. I did recognize those who wrote without bias regardless of whether what they wrote was critical or not. I was intrigued by the comment of my elder brother, Dr Bukar Usman. He wrote that his problem with me was that I was too protective of Governor Kashim Shettima without being sensitive to the plight of people. I just didn’t understand that. In most of H.E Shettima’s public utterances, he was regularly speaking about the plight of Borno people, including a time in 2012, when on invitation to speak at a retreat of Senators in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Shettima challenged, face to face, the then Senate President, David Mark and entire leadership of the then National Assembly. He told them to their faces that while they were rushing to other states over tragedies, none of them cared about Borno.
So, if the Governor was advocating for Borno and I was supporting and promoting all his activities, how was I insensitive to the plight of Borno citizens? Dr Bukar Usman as I know, was close to Ex-Governor Ali Modu Sheriff who has never liked me, but knowing how educated and nice Dr Bukar is, I don’t think he spoke with Sheriff in mind. His case, not withstanding, I noticed that majority of commentators, were as I expected, persons who were permanently critical of H.E Kashim Shettima throughout his years as Governor. Some of them went as far as saying I called Borno people dogs. They deliberately changed the context of my post.
The same people kept writing all manner of false accusations against my person for days. Some of them sent me insulting writings via whatsapp. Of course, they did no wrong. I was wrong for saying I wasn’t going to pay attention to barking dogs. There was another known person who said his problem with me was that while I had experience, I was not mentoring citizens of Borno to develop potentials in media management. I told him that since 2015, I have been working directly with a group of 20 persons, most of them young citizens of Borno with enthusiasm in media management. Not only have I gotten slots for some of them to attend trainings outside the state, I had gone as far as organising a workshop where I was the tutor, prepared lecture notes with resources from more than 30 of the most recent books on traditional media relations and social media engagement. We spent the whole time together and shared knowledge. Most of them always refer to that session. I also work with each of them one-on-one, sharing understanding on how we all can improve ourselves.
When I assumed office in 2012, one of the first steps I took was arranging ten international training slots for ten journalists from Borno. Before then, few years back, as secretary of the NUJ’s task force on elimination of quack journalists in Borno, I played crucial role in organizing a critical training with the best resource persons for more than 100 journalists in Borno. After my explanation, the man then said he would still blame me for not informing people like him that I had made all these contributions in capacity building of the media personalities in Borno . I jokingly said it was his fault for not being the Governor, to whom I report. We laughed.
I will be wrong to say that I do not have any faults of mine working in Borno. I do have many shortcomings including being emotional sometimes when I am pressed. But then, I must acknowledge that many of those who said their problems was me lacking human relations or arrogance etcetera, are people I have never met. Some were simply covering up the motives behind their criticisms but believe me, a lot fall into the dimensions I listed. Lessons have surely been learnt from the drama. For anyone who feels genuinely disappointed in anyway by any action of mine or of those who tried to defend me, I take full responsibility and I apologize. However, my apology has nothing to do with the appointment in question because I know Governor Zulum’s firm position. Ego may not affect a PR man directly but it kills the goal of branding the image of an employer.
For those who have said many good things in my protection, I am eternally grateful to each of you. You are my strength. I know you will be disappointed if I were to take an emotional decision. For you who have thrown your support and probably put friendships on the line; for H.E Governor Babagana Umara Zulum that I respect and who has accorded me same respect and given me another privilege; for the adoration I have for H.E Kashim Shettima, the state chairman, the SSG and many others who either called or sent messages, including some funny friends who criticised me in public but sent me encouraging messages privately, I am going ahead with this appointment.
I am going ahead to serve with all my strength and thoughts and with the fear of God. So help me, God!