By Abba Anwar
This piece of information is just a tip of an iceberg, regarding my work as Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the former Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje CON. More and more issues will be unfolded in my Memoir, in due course.
Principally, I want reveal to all, interested parties, onlookers, pretenders and undecided elements, that I HAVE NO REGRET FOR SERVING UNDER GANDUJE ADMINISTRATION. I served directly under him, as his Spokesperson, CPS, from February 2018 to May 2023. Six consecutive years, without any break, by whatever circumstance.
While I gained a lot in his wealth of experience, as the Chief Security Officer of our dear state, Kano, I was extremely happy to serve my state in that capacity. To God be the glory, I came to know what media engagement means to politics. And vice versa.
I can always be happy to be identified with his effort in securing Kano state, from its breadth and length. I, for many times, referred that onerous effort as Ganduje Model of Security System. His inclusion of all and sundry, when it came to collective responsibility in our security architecture, was incomparable, with most of the state governments, then. Not to talk of now, when security becomes gold.
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Ganduje’s human relations, as simple as he appears, gave me more chances to work with open heart and learn, from the close nexus relationship between power, institutions and bureaucracy. I learned a lot in this area. I came to fully understand how media managers, work as a team.
During my sojourn as Governor’s Spokesperson, under Ganduje administration, to date, I learned how media managers behave after their official engagement with their principals, in life after government. The best example of us all, is Prof Sule Ya’u Sule. Who was Director Press in Military Administration and civilian administration of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau. But there are factors responsible for that. I learned a lot from him, when I was CPS. So also from Comrade Baba Halilu Dantiye (mni).
I walked to them and gained from their vast knowledge and experience. Simply because I didn’t see myself as a politician, belonging to the ruling party. I regarded myself and behaved as a professional. Who wanted to protect my professional calling. And the good image of my primary constituency, the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
As a result of my work as Chief Press Secretary to the former Governor, Ganduje, I became conversant with politics in media engagement. I do not mean political communication. But how media managers, who suppose to take lead, dwarf the good face of the profession with an ugly face.
To the extent that, the unprofessional conduct of the managers affect their output. It will disturb your thought significantly, to see that, one of the simplest responsibilities of such managers, as in designing press releases, are poorly written and utterly arranged.
Let me urge my readers to take samples of divergent press releases issued by different media managers of different Kano state administrations, compare them with that of Police or Presidency or any organized non-media organization and see the display of uncoordinated experience.
It was because of my work as CPS, that I came to understand that, many at times, governance is ditched by undeserved media managers. Who sometimes, appear to be “sincere”, “committed”, “enduring”, and “friendly.” While on the flipside, they care only for their personal gains, tailored and awkward sensitivity. Ignorance at its “best” form.
During my work as CPS, my principal, Ganduje, him alone, gave me chance to use my professional knowledge and work uninterrupted. That was why, I worked more as a professional than a unionist or half – professional – half- politician. That time, all directives came from him directly. Not from any Cabinet member or highly placed office holders or family circle. And I stood by that throughout my six years with him.
I still don’t regret being identified with all the infrastructural development during his tenure, that I witnessed as his spokesman. Flyovers flying all over. General hospitals across the then newly established 4 additional Emirates. State-of-the-art Cancer Centre, in Giginyu. Completion of Muhammadu Buhari General Hospital, Giginyu and Khalifa Isyaka Rabi’u Paediatric Hospital, Zoo road, etc etc.
Establishment of four additional Emirates are one of the major interventions I love most in his administration. That, to me, was meant for transformation of our traditional institutions. I saw it as such and will continue with the thought.
Thinking that, Abba Anwar will reverse those efforts, is not only misleading, but, deceit, sheer display of ignorance and uninterrupted sadism. Yes, sadism, as always projected and promoted at the expense of professionalism and genuine engagement.
As I’m still not regretting my participation in Ganduje’s administration, as his Chief Press Secretary, I still believe, as I believe for all other administrations, that none is infallible. From the very time Kano was created, as a state, all governments, either military or civilian, up to the present day administration of Abba Kabir Yusuf, are not and cannot be flawless. This is my conviction. So it is left for ditchers and sadists around to understand otherwise.
With these few points, I challenge anyone, who thinks he or she understands, governance, image making, media engagement and commitment to leadership, to show me a single paragraph or sentence, where I glaringly and in black and white, as a Chief Press Secretary then, condemned any previous administrations in my press releases. Or after my CPS years, when I condemned, in black and white, not only Ganduje administration, that I served, but Kwankwaso or Shekarau administrations. Yes I mean a single paragraph or sentence. Same thing applies to Abba Gida Gida’s administration. Eagerly waiting!
I was not trained to be so. From my upbringing to my school days. I was trained to be a professional journalist, not a unionist. And all my professional years proved to that. My work under Ganduje administration, as CPS, speaks volumes.
My Memoir will unveil stark realities, undisputed circumstances and typical examples with relevant characters.
Abba Anwar wrote in from Kano State, Nigeria
