IT was George C. Edwards, a leading scholar of the American presidency, in his book, The Strategic President: Persuasion and Opportunity in Presidential Leadership, who revealed that “successful presidents facilitate change by recognising opportunities and fashioning strategies and tactics to exploit them.”
Illuminating further in the book, Edward contends that presidents cannot create opportunities for change by just persuading others to support their policies. Rather, to achieve change, these leaders exploit existing public opinion. He also explained that leaders with great public image recognise available favourable conditions for passing their agenda and effectively exploit these circumstances while they lasted. This great political scholar also took a look at presidents that governed in less auspicious circumstances, and revealed that whatever successes these presidents enjoyed also resulted from the interplay of conditions, and the presidents’ skills at understanding and exploiting them.
Even periods of national disasters and crisis can provide platforms for image building and agenda setting. In recent times, some incidents in the U. S. that the American President used to warm himself into the hearts of the citizens were not exactly pleasant ones. Last December, 26 people, including 20 children, were killed after a shooting incident at Sandy Hook School in Newtown, a primary school in the U. S. state of Connecticut. A visibly moved Barack Obama, fighting tears, delivered a short address to the nation following the tragedy, expressing his condolences to the families of the victims. Subsequently, he personally attended the memorial service at Newtown where he read out the names of the young children who were killed in the massacre. He also read the names of the six Sandy Hook staff members, including the school’s principal and teachers, who he said showed courage and did not hesitate to put themselves in the line of fire to protect the children. He was shown on television personally consoling the bereaved families. What followed was the re-introduction of stringent gun control legislation at the congress. The issues of gun control that the average American saw initially as an encroachment on their personal security took a new dimension. A similar situation was observed during the last bomb blast at the finishing line of the last Boston Marathon. Subsequently the perpetrators were promptly hunted down.
Recognising opportunities to identify, and empathise with the citizens, and communicate with swift and sincere actions were strong image tools used by the American President. These are tools that the reputation management team of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan can borrow in their effort to tackle the image problems they are facing.
During period of crisis, apart from routine press releases by the President’s Media Adviser, Reuben Abati, there seems to be complete absence of public officials empathising with the people, showing concern, directing and coordinating relief, getting involved in remedial measures, engaging in general crises response and crises management. Just imagine if the Public Affairs and Media Advisors in the presidency can learn from their counterparts in other climes.
During the last flood crisis in Nigeria, what a great public relations opportunity it would have been for President Jonathan to meet, greet, and hug flood victims? Imagine President Jonathan and governors of those flood affected states, in flood waters with rain boots demonstrating leadership skills, with their presences, overseeing relief operations during that national catastrophe? What manner of impact would President Jonathan have made on the minds of the ordinary Nigerian? What of President Jonathan making a surprise appearance, and delivering an emotion laden speech at the memorial service of those policemen killed by terrorists in Plateau State?
During the heat of the military campaign against terrorism, President Obama made surprise visits to Afghanistan to motivate troops and reassure Americans that he was on top of the security situation. Will it not be reassuring if Jonathan makes a surprise visit to states under emergency rule like Borno and Yobe to encourage the soldiers, empathise with the people of those states and reassure all Nigerians that government is winning the war against terrorism?
Popular media consultant and veteran social commentator, Jimi Disu feels these lapses occur because of the laxity and limited foresight of Jonathan’s image makers. In his words: “Is it not pathetic that President Goodluck Jonathan Monday unveiled a Memorial Cenotaph and Remembrance Service in honour of the victims of the Dana Air-crash at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, in Abuja, whereas most of the family of the bereaved are domiciled in Lagos where the incident took place? It is no longer news that he is being touted as the president with worst image in the social media. As far as the image of the president is concerned, there is still a gap and I wonder what those brandishing the portfolio are doing to mitigate this heightening lacuna. This definitely is not good for our president because he deserves better public reputation and his image both home and abroad is exacerbating by the day. Since he got to office, it has been one public relations mishap or the other.’’
A legal practitioner and social commentator, Monday Onyekachi Ubani, equally expressed deep concern about the poor state of Jonathan’s reputation. Ubani, in his submission said: “Our leaders do not engineer confidence from the people, in turn the people are not confident of their rulers. Sometimes ago, Americans suffered the worst devastation caused by storms. Barack Obama visited the worst hit states, cried and sympathised with the citizens. His actions and sympathy resonated across the land and the citizens appreciated him. The act itself contributed much to his re-election. Our leaders need lessons on humility, love and how to connect with the people with good governance. The greatest asset for those in government remains the people. The moment a good leader touches them where it matters most, they will respond positively towards such a leader.”
As the administration marks the second anniversary of the inauguration of President Jonathan as the substantive president of Nigeria, and with a few months to the centenary anniversary of Nigeria’s amalgamation, observers believe the reputation building team of the Federal Government can use these turning points to make far-reaching changes that can rev up the reputation of the President and his team in the remaining years of his tenure.
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