As Ajuri Ngelale survives first-year turbulence

The job of a presidential spokesperson is a tedious one. It is not for the faint heart. It could be catastrophic when your statement is quoted out of context. Even when you did brilliantly in strategic engagement, you are rarely applauded. Most times, banana peels seem deliberately thrown on your path so you can slip on them. This is the life of a presidential spokesperson, which is daunting in this era of social media. This is aside from the intricacies inherent in the job, especially when the citizens do not align with the policy direction and statements of the president. The incumbent, Ajuri Ngelale, started the job on a fast note. And a very turbulent one.

The appointment of Ngelale as the presidential spokesperson on July 31 2023, indeed jolted many. Who the hell is he, and how did that happen when it is a known fact that the “Lagos boys” control the media? They wondered what magic he would bring to the table, considering the enormity of the task. Some questioned his age. (he is the youngest to hold that office in our recent history). Some also questioned his accent. (That is the hilarious part). They also mentioned his trajectory in the media space against the backdrop of his previous journalistic practice being solely in the electronic media. The print media is generally accepted as much more rigorous than the electronic segment. So, so much is invested in conceiving, rationalising, researching and communicating that news feature, opinion article, essay, or column which aims to fill an entire page or half of a newspaper. His ability to engage the virile Nigerian press was equally interrogated. (he is their darling now).

Ajuri Ngelale reminds me of John Dewey, the renowned American philosopher and advocate for education, politics, and ethics. He asserted that complete democracy was to be obtained by extending voting rights and ensuring a fully formed public opinion, accomplished by communication among citizens, experts, and politicians. This is what Ajuri Ngelale has done in one year. He radically departed from the perception that presidential spokespersons are meant to be attack dogs. His preference for a genteel approach has paid off, saving the president some bullets through his pragmatism.

I have followed Ajuri Ngelale closely since his appointment. At some point, I feared for him for obvious reasons, with due consideration for the enormity of the task at hand. The conversations around the removal of fuel subsidy was the litmus test.

I recall that his press statements were philosophical. An attribute that is not associated with previous presidential spokespersons. Instead of a straight statement defending the president’s decision, he availed any analysis that encouraged critical thoughts on the president’s decision. For example, he stated, “Tinubu was the “implementer” of the subsidy removal, but the plan was already in place before he assumed office.” In a recent interview he granted, he stated, “I raised that because many people are of the understanding that the president on his own said it’s gone, and it was just his policy.

Yes, he is the implementer, but it was envisaged before he got there, so there was a deadline on which the payment for the subsidy would be removed by June 1, 2024. Mr. President made the pronouncement on May 29, 2024. As of June 1, he is now in the seat and getting the report. I think, to some extent, that maybe he wouldn’t get it as a president-elect. However, now he is getting the full rush of it.”

This response pattern takes us back to John Dawey’s analysis that “complete democracy can be achieved when there is a fully formed public opinion, accomplished by communication among citizens, experts, and politicians.” You can question several attributes of Ajuri Ngelale. But it would be best if you respected his competency and grasp of fundamentals in strategic communications. I think he engages rather than informs. He puts the conversation in perspective for progressive education, emphasising understanding and action as learning goals instead of rote knowledge. Rote knowledge is the process of memorising information based on repetition. That was the trend.

But Ajuri Ngelale changed the rule, and the president is pleased with his efforts so far, culminating in his subsequent appointment as the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action. In the annals of your democratic experimentation, this is the first time a presidential spokesperson holds a strategic portfolio alongside his portfolio. The expectations of Nigerians from presidential spokespersons have been limited to information dissemination alone.

However, more emphasis should be placed on public engagement and enlightenment. This is what Ajuri Ngelale has done differently.

It has been a year of turbulence for Ajuri Ngelale as the presidential spokesperson. But he has carried on with the job calmly and decorously. There has been no established confrontation in his public engagements since his appointment. He has proceeded with finesse, avoiding distractions and controversies. But for a few instances, however. The reason is simple. It also takes us back to John Dawey’s philosophy. This informs us that “Communication is consummatory as well as instrumental. It is a means of establishing cooperation, domination and order. This is a sublime strategy that any presidential spokesperson should resonate with. Ajuri Ngelale took a first in this regard, and it is commendable.

There are takeaways from Ajuri Ngelale’s one year as the president’s spokesperson. Presidential spokespersons are not mediums for information dissemination alone. They are also a medium for strategic engagement with the public on behalf of the president. As such, they must understand the issues beyond word values to sustain the conversation. The overarching objective is to sensitise and not inform. This has been the turbulence of Ajuri Ngelale as the presidential spokesperson in the past year.

It takes much effort to weather the storm. It is a terrain that requires brilliance and mastery. I congratulate Ajuri Ngelale for holding the aces thus far.

Ocheja, a military historian and doctoral researcher, is an alumnus of the Nigerian Defence Academy.