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Diezani Allison-Madueke and Her Media Campaign By Dr. Oyateidor Ebifiri Harriman Massachusetts, USA
Ever since the names of potential ministers were announced by the presidency, traditional rulers, political groups and various stakeholders within Bayelsa state have been agitating in opposition to the selection of Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke to represent the state. The opposition’s voice has been getting louder and clearer and restless with the passage of each day. Ironically, the opposition is not opposed to her selection as a minister – just not her selection and confirmation as a minister representing Bayelsa state. Her husband is from Enugu, hence popular and reasoned opinion prefer she represent Enugu state since her “primary loyalty” would be to the state, the husband and his family.
To prevent the opposition from gaining ground and derail her ministerial fortune, the Diezani Allison-Madueke’s camp devised and executed a public relations coup: they preempted further strikes by buying media space by way of concocted media interviews, favorable press releases, letter-writing campaigns, and the use of war-like media propaganda -- to sell her to the Senate and the general public. And so far, this four-frontal attack seems to be working in her favor (aided by Vice President Jonathan Goodluck and others within the PDP headquarters).
In a so-called interview conducted by Kunle Hamilton (Daily Sun, Saturday, July 14, 2007), it was reported that she “comes from the creeks of Bayelsa State and like an Amazon, she is poised to wear fatigues and arm herself with a blueprint she believes will bring immediate succour to the troublesome Niger Delta Region in order to urge all militant factions in the area to lay down their arms and stop kidnapping three-years- old kids.” What nonsense! Diezani may have had parents who hail from the state but her life and time were never in the Creeks; and she neither has the attributes of an Amazon nor the thinking and temperament of one. The ongoing Niger Delta calamity is not something that can be solved merely by brandishing a non-existing blueprint.
To secure further sympathy and positive consideration, she traced her lineage in Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa state with the hope that Senators from all three states would look favorably on her nomination. No one doubts her parentage; what’s in doubt is her ability to faithfully, vigorously and transparently represent Bayelsa state at the federal level. As a high-ranking official in the oil industry, what was her contribution to the development and wellbeing of the state, especially her local community? Right until this moment, she has merely followed in the footsteps of Dan Etete and Edmond Daukoru – all disastrous former energy ministers with no record of accountability and achievement for their people and state.
In the same Daily Sun interview, she was quoted as saying: “My heart bleeds to see the lack of development in the Niger Delta Region over the decades. I have told many professional colleagues over and over that we cannot afford to sit on the fence. I will never sit on the fence when there are life-changing decisions to make. If you have a passion for change then you should put yourself up for service to your country and to your people.” Question: in all the years she has worked for Shell Petroleum Development Corporation, in what ways has she positively impacted the lives of the Creed dwellers? Instead, records shows she has been sitting on the fence all this while, sipping cognac and champagne and eating caviar with hors d’œuvres.
A critical read of the Daily Sun interview – “A passion from the creeks to the peak” -- shows one thing and one thing only: a paid job that was meant to assuage doubters, pacify critics and soften the Senate. Another shady job was conducted by Ayo Olesin and published in the Punch newspaper (Sunday, 15 July 2007) titled, “Diezani Alison-Madueke: Soft side of Shell.” It was a poorly executed job; and only in Nigeria would such balderdash be considered fair and honest. According to Olesin, “Alison-Madueke cannot be said to be a feminist, but she is an advocate of the recognition of the peculiar circumstances of women in trying to blend perfectly within the corporate environment. She believes in the inclusion of women in the topmost echelons of decision-making in structured complex organizations…” I mean, what is that?
To be clear, there is nothing new about the tricks and tactics of the Mr. and Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s camp. Yellow and cash-journalism has been a staple of Nigerian journalism for a very long time -- save that in recent years, it has assumed a new dimension. What one found in both paid-jobs were lots of half-truths, embellishments and hyperboles. Such jobs should have been handled by professionals in the field: people who can write and lie and speak simultaneously from both sides of the mouth, instead of the verbal scatology that was fed their readers. In the end though, any discerning reader could tell that both pieces were nothing but propaganda pieces (done to buff and burnish and pad a candidate they are eager to sell the people of Bayelsa state by way of the Senate). Sadly, this is a candidate the people of Bayelsa do not fully embrace. But who cares? What voice and power does the man on the streets have? Who is listening to them? And so, this time, like every other time in the history of the state, the people will be sold a flaming and unwanted good. Who is going to fight for and champion their interest?
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