|
Segun Adeniyi, this is not the politics you promised
Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia
The special
adviser (communications) to the President, Mr Segun Adeniyi writing
shortly after his appointment, said the following and I quote;
“As
Tony Snow noted last Wednesday at the White House, the job of
spokesperson to the President is an important one and he should know
having been on both sides of the divide. Yet a good spokesman,
according to John Hughes, former State Department spokesman and Ronald
Reagan’s aide, is one who not only have the requisite access to be in
on the making of policy but someone with the strength of character to
speak up and warn of possible adverse consequences of unpopular
policies. Because, as he argued, ‘if you are going to be there for
crash landing, you have to be in on the take-off.’
This
means that my job as spokesman for the President goes beyond being a
megaphone for this government, I must be able to understand, and
properly articulate, the policy thrust of the government. It also means
that to be effective I must be a part of this
policy formulation process—as the person to put it in its proper
context and ensure understanding across a broader spectrum of
Nigerians. Fortunately, President Yar’Adua has granted me that access.
Such
responsibility therefore requires a measure of preparation and
exposure, for the simple reason that I take my work very seriously and
even more so because I take the Nigerian people exceptionally seriously
“- Segun Adeniyi, Nigerian village square, September 16, 2007
It’s been a
year since Mr. Adeniyi made these statements, lets appraise the events
of the last twelve months and see whether he has lived up to his own
expectations. According to the above quotation, he is not only a
spokesman but he also partakes in policy. How can he explain away the
controversy over Nuhu Ribadu, a man waging a necessary war against
corruption? His replacement with Farida Waziri is even more laughable.
The prosecution of corrupt politicians, pursued with passion under
Ribadu is now moving at a snail’s pace. Most of Nigeria is still in
darkness as a result of inadequate energy supply. One year after the
President promised an emergency on energy he is yet to roll out a plan.
The
nation’s security is perilous when you consider that the best kept
secret is that Abuja the capital city, is perhaps one of the most
dangerous cities in the country. There is no doubt, the creation of
independent state police departments is key to addressing our security
problems. In the same vein, our energy problems could be resolved if
key players in the industry are carried along, a clear, well laid out
energy plan and some other initial incentives will get it off the
ground.
For a
government that touts the rule of law as a cornerstone of its
administration, the brazen disregard for law displayed this week in the
manner of arrest of officials and the closure of Channels TV is the
height of executive recklessness. How many times do I have to remind
our elected officials that in as much as they may wish, they do not own
Nigerians and Nigeria. If the government feels slighted by the actions
of an individual or an institution, the appropriate thing to do is for
the government to seek redress in a court of law not take laws into its
own hands. Besides, a mere infraction such as a rumour should be one
that a serious government ought to ignore. Again this episode shows the
unserious nature of the Yar’adua administration.
As at the time
of writing this piece, the general feeling in Nigeria is that things
are at a standstill. President Yar’adua is not providing the leadership
of purpose that Nigerians are yearning for at this time. As someone
that has followed the president’s career since his days as governor, I
must admit that he comes across as a complete gentleman. However in the
formulation and execution of state policy, he seems not to possess the
necessary drive to propel a restless Nigeria into the 21st
century. His stewardship in Katsina leaves a revealing pattern. People
have talked a great deal about the president’s health, I say to them
that it is just one of many factors against Yar’adua,
lets remember that FDR was wheelchair bound but he steered America
through world war two and a period of economic anxiety. What is missing
from President Yar’adua is a lack of drive that is inconsistent with
the office that he occupies.
Where does Mr.
Adeniyi fits in all these? As a journalist, an intellectual, the
government spokesman and perhaps a policy advisor according to his own
admission, I am yet to see his footprint on the Yar’adua government.
Besides their inactivity, they have carried out some unnecessary policy
reversals and have said one thing and done another. The admission that
they will declare an energy emergency months after taking office, one
which stood at 15 months as of now clearly portrays an administration
that was unprepared from day one, still not prepared six months after
and obviously not prepared 15 months after!
This piece is
not aimed at critiquing Mr. Adeniyi just for the sheer pleasure of
doing so, my intention is to draw his attention back to what he
promised when he accepted this job and to proffer some solutions as
only a citizen could. And while we are at it, does Mr. Adeniyi knew one
Bashir Gusau lost his job because he dared to criticize President
Yar’adua, while the Yar’adua administration may not be directly
involved, perhaps it would not amount to asking for too much if the
“servant leader” makes it known that differing opinion is patriotic in
a democracy. No one should have to lose the ability to take care of
their family because they hold contrary opinions from the government.
In fact for a government to be successful differing opinions ought to
be sought.
In choosing
the United States as the place he wanted to build capacity for his new
job, Mr. Adeniyi said it afforded him the opportunity to learn in the
world’s most enduring democracy. It will be appropriate that he not
only comes to Washington but that he applies the principle behind
America’s democracy when advising the President. For all the failings
of the Bush administration, stories such as this type of citizen
repression are almost unheard of.
Time is not on
the side of the Yar’adua administration, in fact he is running out of
time, it’s been 15 months and the nation is yet to see any significant
improvement. It is Mr. Adeniyi’s job to not only communicate
government’s programs and intentions to the Nigerian people but like he
suggested last year, he ought to provide the President with sound
policy advice. One that I hope will address the drift towards
nothingness that Nigeria has witnessed in the last fifteen months.
Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia writes from indianapolis and can be reached @ abdulajia@yahoo.com
|
# 
Your Comments
Please make The Square an enjoyable experience for everyone by refraining from gratuitous ad-hominem contributions, defamatory comments and off-topic posting. Such posts will be removed.