TUNDE RAHMAN IS FIT FOR PURPOSE

It’s already in the public domain that Chief Ajuri Ngelale has taken an indefinite leave of absence from his office as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President to attend to his health.

Without doubt, the Bayelsa-born former Special Adviser has served the nation dutifully well during his short tenure in office. This writer therefore wish him success as he opens a new chapter in his career.

Meanwhile, it’s important to emphasize that Ngelale vacated the exalted office when the generality of Nigerians have observed a lacuna in the federal government information management system.  

Truth must be told, President Tinubu has done exceedingly well in his transformation agenda, taking bold, courageous and patriotic decisions, with a view to ensuring that various reforms bring prosperity and development to all the facets of the economy, education, and health.

Against all odds, the president has been unwavering in ensuring that these reforms better the lot of Nigerians in terms of their well-being and welfare. But, while the reforms are physically there for Nigerians and international community to see, vibrant reportage of events is almost lacking. Effective and efficient coordination of the information apparatus have not been there.

For months opposition groups’ propagandists have capitalized on the obvious gaps in federal authority information system to continually feed Nigerians with falsehood, lies and propaganda, capable of inciting the citizenry against the government.

It’s also instructive that since the president got inaugurated in May 2023, it’s quite obvious that the media have not been robustly connected with the government the way it should be, especially during this challenging and difficult times.

The reason for above reluctance and indifference on the path of media personalities across the country is not unconnected with the fact that they are of the view that ‘their own man’ that they could conveniently relate and confer with is not at the corridor of power.

Meanwhile, the president and the federal authority need the men of Fourth Estate of the Realm to propagate and project its policies and programs to the generality of Nigerians, and permanently silence the propagandists.      

This is why this writer is making special case for Tunde Rahman, to be appointed as new Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the president.

There exists no iota of doubt that Rahman is eminently qualified for this exalted office, as he possesses the necessary cognate experience and qualifications to effectively manage the president’s public communications, having served brilliantly well at top-echelon in some of the prominent Newspapers in Nigeria, with particular references to Daily Times where he rose to the position of Political Editor; Punch Newspapers where he was News Editor/Assistant Editor, as well as Group News Editor at its Headquarters in Lagos; THISDAY, where he was Deputy Editor of the Sunday title, Deputy Editor of the Daily Newspaper and later the Editor of Saturday and Sunday Titles.  .

At a difficult and challenging time like this, the president indeed needs a top media figure with charisma, reach and contact, like Rahman with extensive experience as a top journalist, as well as tremendous network within the media industry to navigate through this difficult times.

This relationships with media owners and key industry players are very important and key for success in this role.

Kola Amzat, FCA, FCIB, Lagos