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Sunday, July 18, 2010

A UNIQUE VISIT TO MR NUHU GAPSISO

Some Unimaid Mass Comm part three students who recently paid a call on one of their newly wedded lecturer.

Friday, July 9, 2010

PERSONALITY ENDORSEMENT: KEY TO ELECTORAL VICTORY


 

Ever wondered why some election candidates emerge victorious while others wind up defeated even having campaigned better? Experience has shown that the thin line between electoral success and failure is personality endorsement.

Those who are up to date with the pace of global politics especially in recent times will agree with me that shrewd politicians have discovered a veritable too for winning elective positions. Notable among these politicians is the US President Barack Obama who through the endorsement of an established media personality, Oprah Winphrey made history as the first black man to occupy the White House. This major endorsement endeared Obama to the western media especially CNN and BBC. No doubt that back in Africa where Obama's root is, the media sang his songs of praise from rooftops.

In Nigeria, the 2007 presidential election which brought to power late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua also had a feature of personality endorsement. Apart from the backing of the then incumbent President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, another obvious endorsement came from Professor Dora Akunyili who was then a globally celebrated director general of NAFDAC. With over one hundred and fifty awards of excellence from both international and local organizations, Akunyili's endorsement of Yar'Adua's candidature was a plus. Her proven transparency and accountability as the DG of NAFDAC coincided with the impeccable achievements of Yar'Adua as the Governor of Katsina state. Akunyili who was a popular personality in most Nigerian schools through her NAFDAC Consumer Safety Club won the support of most Nigerian youths for Yar'Adua.

Personality endorsement is not alien to most states of the federation. For instance, the February gubernatorial elections in Anambra state produced a man who had an unbeatable personality endorsement as governor. The support of Mr. Peter Obi by Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu did not come as a surprise. What came as a surprise was Ojukwu's five-letter word during the governorship campaigns of APGA: "THIS IS MY LAST WISH". How can Anambra people refuse to grant the last wish of their warlord who single-handedly led the Bianfran war? Obi's victory at the polls proved that personality endorsement can actually work wonders.

As the first step toward wining the support of the Igbo people for his 2011 presidential ambition, IBB through his South East campaign team sought for the endorsement of Chief Ojukwu. While pledging the support of the Igbo people, Chief Ojukwu renamed IBB as "OKECHUKWU". This suffices to say that IBB is among the few wise politicians in Nigeria who have discovered the wonders of personality endorsement.

Note that such personality endorsement does not come by effortlessly. Political candidates seeking the approval of distinguished personalities must possess certain characteristics which include trust, truthfulness, accountability, reliability, prudence, tenacity and determination. Those who have these distinctive virtues do not find it difficult getting the support of accomplished icons.

Also note that there is a great deal of difference between political "godfatherism" and political personality endorsement. Political godfathers finance the elections of their candidates and do everything possible to get their candidates into positions mindful that their contributions are like investments that will turn out fruit in future. The Ngige-Uba scenario in Anambra state can serve as a good example of the concept of "godfatherism".  On the other hand, the credibility of the personality who endorses a candidate endears the candidate to the electorates. Whereas personality endorsement is clearly democratic, the reverse is the case with "godfatherism". The Obama-Winphrey scenario in America speaks for what endorsement stands for.

It might interest you to know that personalities are mindful of indirect endorsement. This was the case at the "One Man, One Vote" Benin rally organized by the Edo state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole boycotted by some prominent personalities including Professor Wole Soyinka and former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu. According to Professor Soyinka, the decision to stay away from the rally was to avoid an indirect endorsement for General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida who was also invited by Comrade Oshiomhole. Though Comrade Oshiomhole later defended his decision on inviting IBB to the rally as a departure from the era of political exclusion, political analysts backed those who boycotted the rally saying it would have painted an ugly picture of indirect endorsement.

As 2011 general elections draw near, political candidates have started scouting for eminent personalities for endorsements.  Political permutations in Yobe state point at Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim as a good political personality for endorsement.  Regarded as the godfather of Yobe state politics, Senator Ibrahim ruled Yobe for twelve years as governor.

Similarly, political projections in Adamawa and Borno states indicate that the best endorsements will come from Professor Jibril Aminu and Governor Ali Modu Sheriff respectively. Some politicians in Borno state bidding for the endorsement of Governor Sheriff include "Yaron SAS" (Senator Ali Sheriff' Boy) beautifully printed in bold letters on their posters.

Whatever the political projections are, I recommend to those interested in vying for elective positions in these forthcoming general elections to seek for the endorsement of renowned personalities whose records in life are clearly indelible by fermenting forces of life. Politicians should also make the wise choice of picking media icons for endorsements as President Obama did or possibly look into the entertainment industry for such support. Religious leaders and royal fathers can also serve as wonderful sources of endorsements.

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GOD AND JEGA OVERSEE INEC

"I wish our government is here to see how we casted our votes," said Monsignor Hypolite Adigwe, the National Chaplain of YCSN, at Awka, shortly after declaring the winners of the 2009 national elections.

         Monsignor's statement sounded plain, but only few deed-thinking people with the gift of discernment made meaning out of it. I spent sleepless nights pondering on the comment. Could it be there were some lessons our government needed to learn from the 2009 national elections of YCSN in order to improve on the manner in which Nigerian elections were carried on? Yes. Unlike voting in Nigerian elections, the 2009 election of YCSN was credible, fair, transparent and acceptable.

          Voting in Nigerian elections has over the years degenerated into a thing of national embarrassment wrought by several decades of corruption, bribery, egocentricism, vaulting ambition for power and possessions and a legion of weird electoral practices. The lust to perpetuate oneself in power obliterates natural justice and good conscience. Polemical fire becomes the only available tool for achieving flawless victory. These political vices culminate into something best described as "a do or die affair" with politicians tuning into night marauding beasts.

         Similarly, rivulets of tears ran down the cheeks of YCSers as they listened to Governor Peter Obi of Anambra state narrating his agonizing experiences during the 2007 elections. The dinner night organized for YCSN at the Governor's lodge, Amawbia was an opportunity for catholic students to get a vivid picture of what voting in Nigeria looked like. YCSers were shocked to hear from the governor that he alongside Professor Charles Soludo, Professor Dora Akunyili and the Arch Bishop of Onitsha Arch Diocese could not find a polling unit to caste their votes. Yet, at the end of the day results were manufactured by some political gods. Obi summed up the story thus, "I decided to challenge that political rascality in the court by demanding my constitutional right to complete my tenure."

          In the meantime, threats of political thuggery, snatching of ballot boxes, over counting of votes, disruption of polling units and other electioneering malpractices are some of the features of voting in Nigerian elections. There are also reports of some journalists who had been captured, unlawfully detained, molested, raped and even killed. This has got to STOP!

          Nigerian leaders need to learn some lessons from the 2009 elections of YCSN and the recent free and fair US elections that ushered in the first black President in the White House. God is the giver of power not man.

          It is often said that any man who decides to spend his time in "the fields of war harvesting blood" should note that his last banquet will be his "children's children's blood". There is always the balance of life! As 2011 general elections draw near, politicians and electorates should note that Attahiru Jega is not only the one in charge of INEC, God in heaven takes records of everything, including riggings carried out in dark places.

THE OFFICIAL LAUNCHING OF THE RE-BRANDING PROJECT IN UNIMAID

"Re-branding project is anchored on attitudinal change, re-orientation, revival of our beautiful old cultural values and instillation of a renewed spirit of patriotism and hope in all Nigerians," said the Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Nkem Akunyili during the official launching of the campaign in University of Maiduguri, recently.

Participants at the event could not contain their emotions as Akunyili told the story of how with breadth of vision she plunged into arresting "the negative perception about Nigeria by the international community." The country's image problem compounded by " the bad behavior of a few Nigerians contributed to the discouragement of investors from coming to invest in Nigeria in spite being abundantly blessed with natural resources.

After studying previous efforts at addressing the country's battered image, Akunyili came up with the Re-branding Nigeria Project with a slogan selected from over 3000 entries: "Nigeria- Good People, Great Nation." The uniqueness of the current image clean-up campaign is an obvious departure from the short-comings of the past interventions – Ethical Revolution, Green Revolution, MAMSER, War Against Indiscipline (WAI), and Heart of Africa. Although Akunyili agreed that WAI had the most obvious positive impact on the attitudes of Nigerians, but she however decried the manner in which it died a premature death with the exit of the government that initiated the move.

"This campaign is a holistic one, home grown and people-centred because only Nigerians can truly Re-brand Nigeria," noted Akunyili. It was expected that the campaign would restore international integrity and respect for the green passport. She agreed that Nigeria was not crime-free, but it would be an unpardonable injustice to generalize all Nigerians as criminals or fraudsters.

Akunyili outlined a few of Nigeria's success story to include Nigerians who have excelled in diverse fields such as Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and many others. She said, "Nigerians are very intelligent, hardworking, industrious, resourceful and hospitable to a fault."

Other success stories of Nigeria include the country's active participation in the peace mission of ECOMOG in war-torn regions of Africa, the impeccable role played by the country toward the decolonization of many African countries and the dismantling of apartheid regime in South Africa. Technical Aids Corps Programme, the massive growth of Nollywood, the establishment of EFCC and ICPC, the country's position as the 6th largest oil producer in the world, the country's rich cultural heritage, wonderful places and events were among the numerous achievements which the Minister said Nigeria could showcase to the outside world.

In a speech, the highly elated Vice Chancellor of University of Maiduguri, Prof. Mohammed Mala Daura promised the Minister to sustain the campaign by carrying the message of the Re-branding Nigeria Project to the next level.

On his part, Associate Prof Umaru Pate, Head of Mass Communication Department, University of Maiduguri who anchored the event disclosed that University of Maiduguri had already been Re-branded even before the official launch of the campaign. The justification to Pate's disclosure was the punctuality exhibited by the students of the University who were seated before the actual time slated for the commencement of the event patiently waiting for the arrival of the Minister. That was a clear demonstration of a deviation from the hitherto ugly "African time" culture of some Nigerians.

It could be recalled that Akunyili had earlier before assuming office as the Chief Image Maker for Nigeria in December 2008, revamped the country's hopeless illicit drug market in her capacity as the then Director General of NAFDAC.

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