Akwa Ibom: How to Silence Guerrilla Propagandists

...Why They Fought So Hard
...How To dominate them
...Expelling Omojuwa  
They have no respect for rules of engagement; professionalism is the least item never on their list. They soil their hands working dirt into opponent images; manufacturing fabrications and vanity. They even borrow foreign mercenaries and unleash underage ‘fighters’. They were accustomed to leading the fight, but that was until Akwa Ibom became their trophy. They are the APC band of guerrilla propagandists.

In the ethical vocation of Public Relations, Propaganda is simply message spread strategically to promote a particular cause. Contrary to popular political understanding, Propaganda is not originally false information, though it is free to ‘over-reveal’ in order to challenge the assertions of political antagonists. That I call ‘Proper-ganda’; and it is not the same thing as the vile smear campaigns, blackwash and calumniation we have seen ever since the All Progressives Congress, APC made out to seize power from the People’s Democratic Party.

At the national level, under Goodluck Jonathan (GEJ), they had a field day, battering the president’s image unrestrained. That man did not seem to believe in publicity and its tools. The APC band capitalized on that shortcoming turning on the propaganda heat, hitting on the president and his party, PDP with every tactic they could muster up – un-replied. The APC system, having conquered Nigeria and PDP, from May 2015, turned their attention to oil rich, news hungry, peace loving Akwa Ibom; and they did step up aggression for a small state like that. But that became their nemesis. I tell you how shortly.

Why the APC Propaganda
You cannot blame the APC too much for the stepped up assault in Akwa Ibom. It had to be that intensive because they had a severely questionable personality to defend in Mr Umana Okon Umana, their governorship candidate. Since you cannot adequately defend a man whose fingerprints are all over several multibillion naira shady deals in high places, you had to step up attacks at the people who could expose him. Unfortunately, they were up against a dreadful network of astute media professionals who, unknown to them, had amassed on the rival side.

UGE's Platoon

Udom Emmanuel, the Governor of Akwa Ibom, who is not a loud-mouthed man, is easily an admirable gentleman. Highly venerable, he is well known for decency, humility, morality, family, and peacefulness; added to his widely documented expertise in Macro Economics and Fiscal management; it was easy for professional media practitioners to join his ranks against the dark army, the APC band. I conscripted.

My motivations were as follows;

1.      A research I did in 2014 into the successes of the GEJ administration. I found that for every 10 achievements of GEJ, there was 1 that the world knew about, and 100 false accusations brought against him by APC propagandists.

2.      A trip to 3 West African countries that were being touted as destinations by international media. The global economic meltdown was even physically skin-felt in those countries, while the story in Nigeria was that of an emerging middle class. About that time, Nigeria was announced as Africa’s number one economy – thanks to GEJ economic policies that made it attractive for capitalists to invest in the country. What Nigerians feel today under Muhammadu Buhari, was already the situation in Ghana for instance, 15 months ago.

3.      My deep distaste for the crucifixion of an innocent man by people who know nothing about his challenges – people who just want to get the most out of on an uncomplicated man’s imperfections. Example, the exaggerated attacks on GEJ and the attempt to replicate the same against Udom Emmanuel in Akwa Ibom.

This squad of researchers, writers, editors, scholars, broadcasters, publicists, copy writers and fierce professional-members of a polity-defending-commentariat meant business in Akwa Ibom. They took the people to heart; they kept doors open for public opinion; they applied a proficient public relations model, taking feedback from the bottom line and communicating to the governor, who, in turn took steps to address the people’s concerns like a servant-leader.

This is the platoon that refused to ignore the fishy records of Umana Umana as the APC boys were working hard to achieve. They kept the ulterior intentions of UOU in plain view by keeping his reports of blatant, brazen heist of state funds, on the public board.  While, for example, the APC fought hard they kept the question in everybody’s face: WHAT IS UOU’s SOURCE OF WEALTH? 

Taming Omojuwa

It was this subdivision that contained ‘almighty’ J J Omojuwa. He is comfortably believed to have collected N5,000,000 from UOU to join the APC band. He began with supplying updates on the Akwa Ibom governorship election petition tribunal sittings on Twitter. He used a hashtag #AkwaIbom for this mission. Before you knew it, millions from around the world were swept along by his manipulative and wily messages. He sold out the image of Akwa Ibom as a cocoon of executive treasury looting; a cesspool of thieves and associates – but he was paid by the man widely understood to be the sole figure behind the alleged campaign of pillage.

Omojuwa could not be allowed to keep running the show. The UGE designated New Media unit of the Government House Press simply strategized and jumped in the hashtag. In one month, the narrative led by Omojuwa was diluted. His followers began to complain against the infiltration of a bad news information community with inputs of too much good news. 

Omojuwa fought back immediately. He replied with fire at any consistent online influencer that spoke for Udom. Then he selected Cavil Inwang to blackmail. He put out the young man’s picture tagging him an internet advanced fee fraudster, and pedestrian online influencers joined in the fight. The publicity was a severe act of character assassination by one who touts himself as an activist and was already enjoying gratitude from some of his followers; a new record low. Anyways, his frustration was not pitied by infuriated fellows – they blasted him into muteness in defence of Cavil. 

Jon Champion would say; “You could almost question the commitment of the defense, but the attack was as good as it comes”. Although he fought on hard, this wasn’t looking good for J.J. Omojuwa knowing how dreadful his demanding ‘pay-master’ could be.

In about 2 months, the UGE team claimed the hashtag and Omojuwa had to create another forum he called #OurAkwaIbom. It did not even come close to working. He lost his teeming online multitude of gullibles whom he had enslaved with propaganda feed.

Destiny Young of the APC team began to promote Track Akwa Ibom with the hope to grab disoriented Omojuwa followers. It became a sorry loss for them. Disillusioned, Omojuwa lost interest in the Akwa Ibom discourse and pulled out completely.

For such a famously unpopular Twitter celebrity, what could have been his wrong doing, to fail so woefully in a combat he had good head start in? Certitude and condescension. Overconfidence is his attitude normally; combined with the other, his influence in the affair knew quick suicide. He had not taken time to understand how social media trending works, obviously belittling anticipated reactions. Hence it was somewhat unfair to him, that he made #AkwaIbom trend, but his sway in the hashtag was neutralized far too easily.

Attempting A Bounce Back
What was left of the APC propagandists began to regroup, with Ita Awak taking a more prominent role on broadcast media. If the Tribunal ruling that followed encouraged them, the Appeal Court judgment put fire in their belly. With all zest and gusto they churned out all manner of blasphemous names at a meek and focused Governor. The Governor’s team ignored those child pokes, and concentrated on their strategy.

As is the habit of guerrilla dissidents, APC did dare to recruit under-age ‘fighters’. A particular under-25 law school try-out stood out among them. And, you know, if you radicalize kids, their infantile heads generate far too under-reasonable ideas; and they lack both the ability to reason dispassionately and the brains to engage logic. They became mince-meat for mature minds across the combat line. One can only pray they had not become too famous for their own future career prospects.

The APC band were always on the defensive, never able to lead the debate from when they arrived the Akwa Ibom topic. Other than a spell of attacks on the Governor’s policies and associates, they did find the itch to put up a last fight at the Supreme Court with some mischievous post of Essien Ndueso’s I-pad being seized by Court officials. Beginning with Mr Essien, a media consultant and aide to the Governor, the UGE team simply realized hilarity from the mischief.

If the Supreme Court judgment had been in favour of Umana, then the citizenry would have been taken aback, to say the least. Delivered from the claws of the APC propaganda machinery, the public had been successfully conscripted to the side of truth. A simple proof has to be the mass turnout of people on social media and physically to celebrate the victory of Udom Emmanuel at the Supreme Court.

Well, Mr. Udom Emmanuel has been confirmed on all fronts as the right Governor of Akwa Ibom State. He will now settle into undistracted governance.

The tussle between media professionals may not seem like much of a worry to the public. But since the media more or less control public opinion, it is in the interest of the polity for development media to overpower satanic propaganda.

Uduak Umo
Writes in from Uyo 

YOU HATE UDOM AT YOUR PERIL: HE IS IN A CLASS OF HIS OWN

By Pat Reuben

The Supreme Court judgment of February 3rd, 2016 will ever remain a reference point to the parameter dynamics and template for the definition of justice. The affirmative judgment put paid to over seven months of lies, blasphemy, blackmail and manufacturing of falsehood against the enviable person of the carrier of the Divine Mandate – Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, the Judiciary confirmed Governor of Akwa Ibom State. These negative image-painting was piloted by the aggrieved and vindictive bunch of rascals parading as the All Progressives Congress {APC} in Akwa Ibom State.

If I have an opportunity to nominate someone to fill a vacancy position in heaven, this man that waded into the solution of salvaging Akwa Ibom people from the hands of fast heist merchants and resource suckers is worthy of the choice. The oracle of justice, a true father, a man of God, a fearless man, a courageous leader and man at variance with bloodshed, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Mahmud Mohammed (GCON) came to the rescue. The Supreme Court judgment signed, sealed and redefined the hasty rape on the nation’s judiciary by partisan, corrupt and greedy judges who administered the Akwa Ibom election petition against Governor Udom Emmanuel arising from his landmark divine victory during the April 11, 2015 general elections.

The apex court judgment substantiates the Divine Mandate from our standpoint, representing the free-will of the majority of Akwa Ibom people who overwhelmingly, totally and whole-heartedly invested their hopes and trust in Governor Udom Emmanuel to pilot the affairs of Akwa Abasi Ibom State for the next four years and possibly beyond by the grace of God. The mandate was huge and represents the true wishes and hopes and aspirations of the plurality of the entire Akwa Ibom people. Since Udom’s emergence as Governor, he has always stated that as the symbol of that mandate, he will legally defend it on behalf of the people who gave him the mandate in the first place.

On equitable consideration of moving the seat of power in favour of all the three senatorial districts, Akwa Ibom people cast their political lot and fortunes with Eket Senatorial District and massively voted a proud son of the district – an accomplished financial services expert who had risen to the enviable position of Executive Director of Zenith Bank; a man of integrity, God fearing, humble, a servant leader and de-tribalized Nigerian – Udom Emmanuel as their Governor.

Therefore the pitiable resort to desperate measures of cheap blackmail, falsehood and constant odious advertorial to tarnish the hard-earned image of our dear leader became one of the worse and dreaded political campaigns ever manned by an opposition in this part of the clime. What has been the case and bitter pill so difficult to swallow is that for the past eight months of these legal battles ignited by a bunch of self-seeking fellows who are bent on filling their own pockets to the detriment of Akwa Ibom people have grounded the state’s progress to almost a still halt.

Politics should not be played in this manner; politics should be seen for the cultivation of enabling and vibrant ideals. Manufacturing lies, peddling falsehood and engaging in subterfuge just to score political points should be condemned by all right-thinking persons. Politics should be about ideas, about walking away from conventional wisdom and moving people in a critical mass to realize their potentials and have more faith in government’s capacity to do good. The institutions of governance – the Executive, the Legislature and Judiciary should be respected and held in the most profound and high esteem.

A closer look and x-ray on Governor Udom Emmanuel unveils the lofty and quality-drive brand of politics he practices. He has in all his outings asked the people to pray for the success of the Nigerian state and her leaders. Politics to the governor is not a do-or-die affair and neither a zero-sum game but ultimately an enterprise where those whom the gods have called and invested power with must discharge that ‘divine mandate’ and imbue in the people that ‘Can-do spirit’. The governor is always motivated and grounded by this endearing concept of politics and governance.

Therefore, the Supreme Court judgment has nailed the coffin of most ill-willed political adventurers and Governor Udom Emmanual has been JUDICIARY CONFIRMED.

Pat Reuben is a Public Affairs analyst and writes in from Awantong, Etinan

AKWA IBOM APC MEMBERS DECAMPING TO PDP ALREADY

…In Alphabetical Order, beginning with Abak LGA
…Take down Billboards





Ahead of Supreme Court judgment widely expected to favour Deacon Udom Emmanuel and the PDP on Wednesday February 3^rd, it appears members of the opposition party in the state, the APC, have begun to decamp to the PDP in alphabetical order of local governments.
The first local government is Abak LGA, with one of the chieftains; Mr Udeme Innocent Nyah publicly renounced the APC and led 200 super-supporters in Abak to join the pdp and to declare total support for Governor Udom Emmanuel.
Ibommobile.com reports;
The unplanned event happened when the transition chairman of Abak Local government area, Hon Emmanuel Udosen paid a surprise visit to the area to interact and relax with Ukpom youths despite political difference between Midim, where he comes from and Ukpom.
The APC chieftain during his speech said he has decided to dump his party and their Governorship candidate, Mr Umana Umana due to the confidence and stability the present transition chairman has brought to Abak Local government area.

The decampee, Mr Nyah also revealed that they have already begun to tear down publicity assets that they set up for the APC in the area;
“Today we decided to dismantle our former party billboard because we are very happy that Abak under Hon. Emmanuel Udosen has returned to its glory days, where people despite their political beliefs can sit and interact with each other without fear of being harassed.”

Obasanjo Knocks Buhari

Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo has struck again; this time President Muhammadu Buhari is his target. One may be tempted to ask: “Is he already regretting the support he has given to the president since before the presidential elections? Or is he already feeling the bite of being out of the present scheme of things?”
Speaking at the Conference of Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy, ISGPP, Ibadan, the former military leader took a swipe at the Buhari-led administration for its lack of ability to guarantee the change Nigerians need.
He subtly cast a vote of no confidence on the Buhari administration with less than approving remarks;
“The problem today is that it is doubtful if the current administrative system is imbued with right mix of skills and values to successfully implement a well-articulated programme of change.”
This would be a sharp twist in opinion that is easily typical of Obasanjo. In not too distant past, especially before the presidential elections of March 2015, the same Obasanjo had volunteered epic support for Muhammadu Buhari, perhaps to spite former president Goodluck Jonathan, whom he more-or-less placed in power, but whom he came to despise bitterly.
Obasanjo has been non-compliant with the demeanor of ex-presidents, who typically adopt a neutral and hushed comportment in public affairs. He maintains a vocal stance, releasing open letters to the President and, in the case of Jonathan, making alarming claims – which has made many commentators consider him an attention seeker. It goes a long way too to reinforce popular belief that Obasanjo did not criticize Jonathan as a patriot, but as vengeance against Jonathan who had refused him, OBJ, anymore access to public funds.
In light of the Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun’s announcement that the 2016 Budget deficit would have to be increased from N2.2 trillion to N3 trillion, the former president said with lamentation;
“If the current fiscal challenge is not creatively addressed, Nigeria may be on its way to another episode of debt overhang, which may not be good for the country.
It will be recalled that a few years ago, we rescued Nigeria from its creditors with the deal in which the Paris Club of sovereign creditors wrote off USD 18 billion of debt, Africa’s largest debt cancellation. Nigeria then used windfall earnings from oil exports to pay off another USD 12 billion in debts and arrears”, he praised his administration of 1999 to 2007.
As if to cut deeper, Chief Obasanjo questioned the performance of the Buhari led administration:
“Is the government working? Is government positioned to deal with challenges arising from these new developments?
And he did not end till he had lent his voice to popular condemnation of President Buhari’s popular disregard for the rule of law and subtle non-compliance with legal due process that he, Buhari, perhaps perceives as frustrating his governance;
“Recent developments in governance show the failure of systems, the disregard for institutional processes and the general decline of institutions that used to function to guarantee reasonable service delivery to citizens.

A/IBOM APC: TO LIE, TO BLAME AND TO DESTROY

Never has a political party in modern civilization been so destructive as the All Progressive Congress in Nigeria and Akwa Ibom state. Whether in power or in the opposition, the party maintains a strong reputation for peddling falsehood to get away with sensitive issues or passing the buck when it ought to take responsibility for its action. Interestingly, the very things the party insulted former President Goodluck Jonathan for doing are the same things they are doing in power.

I recall in the heat of the Boko Haram insurgency when then President Jonathan sought Chad’s help to quell the bombings in the northeast, the APC described it as a shame. Do you know that Chad was President Buhari’s first trip as president for the same reason Jonathan went? That is the mystery of the APC. The then spokesman for the APC, Lai Mohammed criticised every trip embarked upon by ex President Jonathan. Specifically, the party described Jonathan's trip to Brazil as an  abdication of responsibility. Now, no one can honestly count the number of foreign trips President Buhari has embarked on in eight months. That's life.

The office of the first lady received not a few punches from the APC Propaganda machinery under Jonathan. They described the office as unconstitutional and a drain of public resources which will be scrapped once they get power. How ridiculous that Madam Aisha Buhari has since moved into the first lady's office with several Senior Special Assistants who are being paid with tax payers money.

When ex President Jonathan failed to decapitate Boko Haram, he gave a deadline of December 2014 and later March 2015 to reduce the insurgency to the barest minimum. The APC described it as incompetence and cluelessness. Then entered President Buhari, he promised to finish off boko haram in 2 weeks, then gave an extension to 3 months to the army after over 3000 lives had been lost. Just the same method the APC earlier condemned. While Jonathan recaptured lost towns in the hands of the terrorists, In Buhari's case, the bombing only got worse. In the middle of an economic crisis, the APC promised to provide Nigerians with free education; free meals daily for millions of Nigerian public school-children free tertiary education; free health-care and free houses. They even said they will be giving grants of $1.5 billion a year to Nigeria’s poor. Now, it is either those promises are completely denied or the blame is pushed elsewhere. There are innumerable examples of these inconsistencies but these few would suffice.

To Akwa Ibom, the grand deception party have landed here brandishing itself as an amalgam of saints. The only concrete promise that the APC in Akwa Ibom have made to the people is to retrieve all funds allegedly looted from the state treasury in the past eight and a half years. Plus the other matter of paying students 50, 000 naira bursary. These are fake promises as absolutely nothing indicates that it will be fulfilled. What will Umana be probing when he spent no fewer than seven years in that administration as a key player. Who will he probe when ex commissioners in that regime are his key supporters? On the payment of bursary to students to the tune of 50,000 naira, everyone is aware of the state of the economy, oil prices and foreign exchange.

The APC in Akwa Ibom State is an emergency contraption designed to carter for the interest of the aggrieved. It does not have the structure to win election or to govern the state. The party can only boast of a bunch of fanatical and boisterous people who assume that anger can win election and gain power. But it has never been so. Anger imposes instinctive options that are not rationally distilled. Such base passions fizzle out when the individual is sober or encounters truth. I know that the so called APC faithful of today would return to the altar of truth after the Supreme Court judgement  and their failure to clinch their much desired federal appointments. Only then would they know that APC is not their party. The APC in Akwa Ibom state is too hurriedly assembled and too angry to avoid mistakes. In the end, it will tell lies, apportion blames and destroy the polity.

Above all, the people of the state have kept faith with the PDP because of its excellent record of performance in governance. A party, though not perfect constantly engages the sections of the society before arriving at any major decision. How else can one explain that the APC is brandishing a candidate who is not from Eket senatorial zone, a section of the state that is enjoying the governorship for the first time, since 1987.

APC intends to derail Akwa Ibom people to the Hobbesian state where life is nasty, brutish and short. First, it is making frantic efforts to distort the sense of brotherhood that has defined the political union in the state. Secondly, the party intends to use the judiciary to needlessly take Akwa Ibom state back to elections. We pray the judiciary takes the bold step.  No state or country develops by conducting elections every year. Elections are generally demanding financially. There are severe logistic burdens to be carried by all the players in the game. From consultations to open rallies, publicity and the main elections, a lot of money goes down the drain for a leader to emerge. With the state of the economy, is election a luxury Akwa Ibom people will love to afford? The answer is no. The PDP is not afraid of elections, not with the grasp it has in the state. But are we always going to have elections every year? Parties must learn to accept the results of elections like President Jonathan did and move on.

Akwa Ibom people have rounded rejected this inconsistent party and are satisfied with Mr Udom Emmanuel from Eket Senatorial zone as Governor. He is a man who has proven to be a reliable manager of men and materials. The PDP got it right with the right man, from the right place, with the right name for the right time. So, when next you listen to an APC chieftain, expect lies and blames which leads to a complete destruction of the polity.

By Aniekeme Finbarr writes from Afaha Iman in Etinan