By Ambassador Abdulkareem Haruna

Monday, the 21st of October 2024  is yet another red letter day for all working journalists in Borno state following the swearing in of Comrade Dauda Iliya, as the Special Adviser and Official Spokesperson of the Governor of Borno State, Comrade Dauda Iliya. This appointment came about nine months after the sad demise of the doyen of public relations, Malam Isa Gusau of blessed memories. 

Months, weeks and days that led to Comrade Iliya’s appointment there had been hushed confusion, agitation, concerns and worries over the depth that the public outlook of the Zulum administration had slid in within the time earlier mentioned, and whether the Governor  would ever make the appointment at all. 

At some point the Governor was alleged to have raised concerns if he would ever get a replacement of Isa Gusau, whose creative ingenuity in the realm of media and public relations earned him the uncommon nomenclature as Special Adviser Communications and Strategy. Fact remains that the exact replica of Isa Gusau can never be experienced again. But that never meant that there was a dearth of exceptional personalities within the Borno media circle that could do great things as well. 

So, when the name of Comrade Dauda Iliya was eventually announced on the noon of Friday October 18th, as the Special Adviser and Official Spokesperson, the entire media space of Borno state erupted with excitement because a capable hand had been picked amongst, probably, many other capable nominees. Yes! No one questions the calmness, maturity, dedication, dogged determination and professionalism of Dauda Iliya who had made his remarkable milestone in the broadcast sector as a staff of Radio Nigeria (FRCN) in Borno state. His emergence as the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in 2022 was heralded by an unprecedented turn of events that has repositioned the Union in Borno state. He of course led a team that are seen as the architects of the new NUJ. Today, the Union is a major stakeholder in virtually every program, policies, projects and enterprise that are of public concern. 

Dauda Iliya is well schooled, experienced and eloquent  to function in his new office. No doubt about that. He will surely come with his new model and approach to laundering the image of his principal and to a certain extent the government of Borno state. Of course he is certainly NOT going to be a reincarnation of Late Isa Gusau. But it presumed that he would build upon the foundation laid by his predecessor. 

Can Dauda Iliya succeed alone? Certainly not. He would  need the support and cooperation of all journalists, more than he needs the clean oxygen to breathe. I listened to his interviews post swearing where he emphasizes that his doors remain open to suggestions and any value adding advice that are constructive. That is the spirit. 

Though he is a seasoned journalist, Comrade Dauda Iliya must remain focussed and never allow the daunting challenges of the office to take his eyes off the ball. The media space that he knows can be treacherous and savage when it comes to image management of a prominent public office holder. Nothing is cast on stone on this path. There are always new and unexpected bumps in the road just like the recent flood disaster, outbreak of cholera, the End Hunger protest that came to test the integrity of the government recently. In situations like this, no amount of press releases or media packaging can help. It requires exceptional outside-the-box thinking that are mostly leveraged on goodwill, sound relationship and proactiveness. Else, a simple incident taken for granted could inadvertently embarrass. Thank God the Comrade savvies all these. 

Honorable Dauda Iliya must do all that he could to earn the respect and listening ear of his principal. That is absolute. I don’t have issues with his character when it comes to honesty and trust. Governor Zulum can go to sleep with his eyes closed. And no one questions his professional acumen and intellectual capacity on the fact that he can be the governor’s ambassador anywhere – and he is billed to deliver. But beyond that, he must get the ears of the Governor at all times because political office holders are very slippery and tough to handle when it comes to media and publicity issues. Sometimes they see things from different lenses. And the Media Adviser must do all within his powers to persuade him to view things from the perspective of public perception. He must let his principal understand that he is not a firefighter but one trained to make things look good and nice in the eyes of the public. The Fire Brigade approach seldom works in a media crisis. 

This is not a lecture, but a reminder to everyone that Honorable Dauda Iliya is not coming as a magician, but one that is brought to proffer solutions to prevailing challenges. Someone that would require our collective support to succeed. 

We wish him the best of luck as he picks the mega phone to project the good works of Governor Zulum. 

May God be your guide and guard, Comrade.