Media aides: Too many cooks spoil the broth [OPINION]

By Olalekan Adetayo

Since the May 29, 2023 inauguration of public officers, some of them have been carrying on as if there is a prize for whoever emerges as the public office holder with the highest number of aides. They have been reeling out names upon names of individuals being appointed as aides as if making such appointments is going out of fashion.

The development is not strange or surprising to those who know that such appointments are usually made to “settle” cronies who contributed one way or the other to their electoral victory. It is usually a come-and-eat or empowerment kind of arrangement where the appointees are also expected to, in turn, regularly “reach out” to their foot soldiers from their perks of office.

The one that, however, appears to be surprising is the way these office holders have also been appointing a huge number of people as media aides. Before now, they were satisfied with the appointment of just a media aide that may be designated the Chief Press Secretary or the Special Assistant on Media as the case may be.

As time went on, a new dimension started creeping in with office holders appointing media aides in charge of print and electronic media who would report to the CPS or SA Media. Lately, they added aides in charge of social and new media to the list.

Not done yet, all manner of appointments are being made under the current dispensation under the guise of appointing media aides, leaving one to wonder about the roles of these appointees and if they are not overlapping.

At the level of the Presidency, it appears the appointment of media aides is an endless process. Besides the Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), Ajuri Ngelale, who is believed to be the main presidential spokesman, there are Senior Special Assistant on Media, SSA Media and Public Affairs, SSA Print Media, SSA (Digital/New Media), Special Assistant (Social Media), Special Assistant (Visual Communication)/Personal Photographer, Personal Assistant (Videography), and Personal Assistant (State Photographer) among others.

Just on Monday, the media aides’ appointment spree continued with the emergence of SSA -National Values and Social Justice, SSA-Public Engagement, SSA-Strategic Communications, SSA-Public Affairs, and Personal Assistant-Special Duties. According to a statement by Ngelale, all the new appointees will serve with others appointed before them in the Media and Publicity Directorate. The number of presidential media aides appointed so far leaves one to wonder whether their jobs are more than promoting the activities of just one President.

It is interesting to note that those I listed above, and those we don’t even know exist, are apart from the media aides attached to Vice President Kashim Shettima. Curiously, some of these appointments were not announced. Some of the appointees, after collecting their letters, waited endlessly for the public announcements. When the announcements were not forthcoming, they resorted to making the announcements themselves by leaking them to the press.

At the state level, it appears the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, is leading the pack in the number of media aides so far appointed and announced. At the last count, Yusuf has appointed no fewer than 138 media aides! He announced the latest batch with the appointment of 94 social media influencers as media aides. Their appointment came after the governor’s appointment of 44 social media influencers in September as “special reporters.”

The governor tried to justify the appointments in a statement by his spokesperson (another media aide), Sanusi Bature, which described the appointments as being “in tandem with the commitment of his administration to promote accessibility to information as a prelude to improving good governance in the state.” The statement added that the appointees would be posted to various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government “to complement the drive for transparency and accountability through information dissemination on government policies and programmes.” This is despite that these MDAs have existing spokesmen who are civil servants while the heads of the MDAs also have their spokespersons.

Governor Yusuf is not alone in his media appointment bonanza. His colleague, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State has also appointed 47 media aides so far aside from the press secretary, Humwashi Wonosikou, who he appointed earlier.

“I’m pleased to constitute my media team. I’m confident that this diverse and talented team will play a crucial role in enhancing our communication efforts and strengthening our public engagement. Together, we’ll work towards achieving our goals and serving the people effectively,” Fintiri said while announcing the appointments of two Special Advisers, 10 Senior Special Assistants, 34 Special Assistants on Social Media and Content Creation, and one Special Assistant and Master of Ceremonies Government Events.

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State is also not ready to be left behind. He recently appointed 12 media aides. His Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, who is not among the 12, announced the appointments including Principal Special Assistant on Media and Publicity/Strategic Communications, PSA on ICT and New Media, PSA on Media and Content Creation, and PSA on Print Media. There are also Senior Special Assistant on Media and Strategic Communications, SA on Social Media, SA on Digital Media, SA on Broadcast Media, SA on Visual Communication (Photographer), Personal Assistant on Videography and Personal Assistant on Photography.

In the South, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has approved the appointment of four more media aides aside from his CPS, Sulaimon Olanrewaju. The appointments included those of Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Special Assistant on Photography as well as Special Assistant (New Media I) and Special Assistant (New Media II).

Makinde has his match in his Jigawa State colleague, Umar Namadi, who also appointed four media aides -Chief Press Secretary, Special Assistant on Photography and Publication and two Special Assistants on New Media.

But for space constraints, I can go on from state to state where media aides are being appointed solely to man X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and even WhatsApp among others. Some are not even engaged formally but they work for these men in power underground. These people lurk around the media space with different and disguised identities not only to promote their principals but also to descend heavily on commentators who they view are criticising their paymasters. When you see somebody going from one Facebook page or WhatsApp group to the other to defend people in government as if he is doing so “because of God,” na dem be that. I expect them to come after me.

I do not want to go into the economy of how much taxpayers’ money is being spent to keep these men in offices across the country for now. Let me just restrict myself to the fact that hiring multiple media aides can end up being counterproductive in line with that age-long proverb that too many cooks spoil the broth. So, when you read or hear about statements and rejoinders disowning those who made the earlier statements, know that the situation is part of the characteristics of too many cooks in the kitchen.

Culled from The Punch