From a Public Relations (PR) perspective, “crisis” can be seen as “any event or circumstance that negatively impacts an organisation’s or individual’s reputation, credibility, or brand.” When one becomes SA media, PRO, chief press secretary, Director Press (PR practitioner), your role during crisis, fake news or rumour will be multi-pronged and critical.
The primary concerns of any spokesman or PR practitioner will be providing expert advice to his/her boss with regards to the either government, private organisation public response. Thus, there is the need to consider the appropriateness of the information to be shared when the rumour, fake news or crisis is ongoing and, in some cases, immediately after the crisis as a reactive measure.
There could be a situation that you must respond to, sharing too little, may raise suspicions; divulge too much and you could create serious issue. And it is against this that I was shocked when I saw a tweet by the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Malam Garba Shehu, last week confirming an attempt to burgle the house of Chief of Staff to the President at the Presidential Villa.
Shehu is a former President, Nigeria Guild of Editors and former spokesman to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. Shehu has during the Ali Pantami saga released a statement defending the minister of communication and digital economy, which literally only succeeded in adding fuel to the fire, raising many issues, to the level that many crisis management experts questioned his experience.
The news of the chief of staff house burgling attempt started in some online media portals, with the SA to the president on new media, Bashir Ahmad, responding and describing it as “fake news” on his Twitter handle.
The statement by Garba Shehu affirming the attempted burgling at the Villa, will definitely send more fear on the mind of anyone residing in Abuja, since even the Presidential Villa appears not spared from armed robbers or burglars.
Shehu as a veteran journalist, someone who has been spokesman at the Presidential Villa for four years to Atiku Abubakar, now President Muhammadu Buhari for six years, should have understood the extent to which any statement he released would be.
Surprisingly, Garba Shehu seems to forget that there is too much tension in the country over insecurity, to the level that many countries are sending advisory to their citizens in or wanting to come to Nigeria. Recently, the ECOWAS advised their staff about insecurity in the nation’s capital Abuja.
As this is happening the question are, who is Garba Shehu receiving order from before releasing any statement? Could it be what the first lady Aisha Buhari has been saying is revealing in a way things are currently happening between top government officials?
Despite the fact that I am a young journalist, one that respects the experience of the presidential spokesman, his track record, yet, I will want to say Garba Shehu should as matter of urgency find communication strategist to learn crisis management.
Alhassan A. Bala,
Abuja
