One of the downfalls of the Goodluck Jonathan presidency is the media management strategies of the administration’s media managers.
The presidency’s media team is made up of men who do not have any formal training in journalism or have any journalistic experience. They are at best political appointees. Even the president’s spokesperson, Reuben Abati, who was the editorial board chairman of the Guardian Newspapers, is not a journalist, but a writer.
It is important to note that Abati was never a news reporter, which is the elementary, journalistic hands-on experience for any aspiring journalist. Abati’s entry into Guardian’s editorial boardroom was due to his fantastic writing prowess which got him awards like The Diamond Award for Media Excellence for Informed Commentary in 1998, Fletcher Challenge Commonwealth Prize for Opinion Writing in 2000, and the Diamond Award for Media Excellence for Informed Commentary, 2000.
Abati, who studied Theater Arts at the University of Calabar never went through the rigours of journalism. He is at best a ‘white-collar journalist’. To say Abati is struggling with his job is an understatement. The Ogun State born PhD Holder do not have a grasp of his job, as all he is known for is reading out minutes of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and always on the defensive anytime President Jonathan is criticised.
Since his appointment, he has picked up fights with virtually all his former colleagues in the media industry for airing their opinion on various national issues without critically examining the pros and cons of their arguements.
For the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe, he is nothing but a “political attack-dog”. Okupe who is a medical doctor by training does not even have the temperament to handle journalists. Also an indigene of Ogun state, he belongs to the class of people who think, they can present a superior arguement by raising their voice.
Okupe regularly use abusive words on Nigerians who criticise his boss on social mediums, shout down his fellow panelists on TV and radio programmes, reign curses on the political opponents of Jonathan through his press statements and never admits the obvious mistakes of the present administration.
The recent embarrassment he faced from journalists in the State House (Aso-rock) clearly shows that Okupe has lost touch with the present realities of his job.
The last and indeed the worst is Reno Omokri. This is one man that has consistently displayed his incompetence while carrying out his duties as the Special Assistant to President Jonathan on New Media. Clueless, tactless and out of touch, Omokri’s biggest ‘achievement’ on his job is spewing out lies.
Reno Omokri
Omokri is not open to ideas, blanks out opposing opinions and every other weekembarrasses his office. The 41-year old Pastor should have just focused on his pastoral work in the United States.
His dis-honesty is legendary, his scandals are well-documented and he is obviously overwhelmed by the demands of his office. For a man whose primary target is the youths, Omokri has completely lost the plot and is instead a laughing stock among the younger generation. Shame!
President Goodluck Jonathan will be better off without these men as they have caused more damage to his reputation than any other government official. Journalism is not for mediocres and shouldn’t be left in the hands of over-hyped writers, stomach-inspired politicians and confused diaspora-returnees.
Meanwhile, there are strong indications that President Goodluck Jonathan and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) may meet outside the country before the March 28 presidential elections.
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