Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, has the
responsibility of ensuring positive media coverage for his boss at all times.
Apart from granting press interviews, he also issues press statements regularly. All
these are meant to keep members of the public abreast of the President’s activities.
Apparently aware of the huge number of people who now source information from the
Internet, Abati decided to be utilising the social media maximally to disseminate
information.
He wanted to reach out to those he had earlier called “the twittering, pinging,
Facebook crowd of the new age” in his piece, “The Jonathan they don’t know.”
He went on Twitter, Facebook and lately Instragam. He even opened a personal
website for the sole purpose of disseminating news. Woe betides a State House
correspondent who is either not on Twitter or who is not following Abati. This is
because that is where one gets news break on the Presidency. Many times, before
his men are able to send out information through electronic mail, such information
will already be on his Twitter handle. Sometimes, a link will direct one from his
Twitter handle to his website where details are already published. Same thing applies
to his Facebook page.
Abati does this religiously to the extent that as soon as events involving his boss
gets underway or are concluded, the photographs are already on Twitter or
Instagram.
Within a twinkle of an eye, such photographs would have been picked and
reproduced in many places on the Internet.
The presidential spokesman however tasted the negative side of his digital method of
disseminating information three times in a row recently.
The episode started on Friday when he had to disown a statement purportedly issued
by him indicating that President Jonathan has revealed the location of the abducted
Chibok girls and exposed Boko Haram masterminds.
He attributed the press release titled, “President Jonathan reveals location of Chibok
girls and exposes Boko Haram masterminds,” to fraudsters who he said hacked into
his email account in an attempt to mislead the public at the expense of the credibility
of the Jonathan administration.
He condemned what he described as criminal resort to political dirty tricks which
seeks to cynically play on national concern and emotions about the Boko Haram
insurgency and the fate of the abducted Chibok girls.
On the evening of the same Friday, Abati posted some photographs taken during the
presentation of a movie, “Being Mrs. Elliot” produced by Omoni Oboli. The
presentation which was held inside the Villa had the President, Vice President
Namadi Sambo and other dignitaries in attendance.
According to Abati, he posted the pictures to show to the world that his principal is
encouraging the local movie industry popularly called Nollywood. But the pictures
attracted more condemnation than commendation.
Internet users took on Oboli over her choice of dress: a blue gown opened widely in
the chest, leaving nothing to be imagined. While they criticise her for dressing in
such a manner to the seat of power, they also reserved enough of the criticism for
the Presidency for not only allowing her into the villa in such a dress but also
insulting their senses by making such photographs where she posed with the
President public.
The actress has since said the outfit was appropriate because there were no vital
parts showing. In another breath however, she said, “Sometimes the angles with
which pictures are taken can portray certain things one does not have the intention of
portraying.” Whatever that means.
Not ready to be deterred by those he had earlier described as “the idle and idling,
twittering, collective children of anger, the distracted crowd of Facebook addicts, the
BBM-pinging soap opera gossips of Nigeria,” Abati returned to his Twitter handle on
Monday. This time, he posted the pictures of security chiefs arriving the villa under
the rain for a security meeting with the President. In the pictures, their aides were
holding umbrellas for them while the security chiefs walked briskly into the venue.
The pictures also attracted criticism. The critics posted pictures showing US
President Barack Obama holding an umbrella by himself. They put the pictures side-
by-side with those of the service chiefs, saying what they described as ‘ bigmanism’
can only happen in Nigeria.
Abati however said the purpose of sending out the pictures was to show the security
chiefs’ commitment as they defied the downpour (as if they had a choice) to join
Jonathan at the meeting.
Many other tweets by the presidential spokesman had also before now, generated
controversies on the Internet, although not on a large scale like these latest ones. It
will be recalled that when he posted Jonathan’s photograph and his children on the
last Fathers’ Day, Internet users discarded the goodwill message and asked the
President to reunite the abducted Chibok girls with their parents too.
When Abati posted the picture of the President watching a Super Eagles’ match with
some aides, critics wondered why he was still wearing his trademark hat at that time
of the day and inside his living room. Similar argument was made when Abati posted
a picture of Jonathan reading a book late in the night and yet, he was dressed in his
full Ijaw traditional attire. Some even asked whether he had no reading table!
No wonder, Jonathan sometimes ago described himself as the most criticised
President!
Link: www.punchng.com/columnists/aso-rock-lens-columnists/presidential-spokesman-and-his-twittering-facebook-crowd/