- The presidency had on Monday announced the re-designation of positions of two recently appointed officials in the State House media and communications team.
Segun Sowunmi, a former spokesperson for the Atiku Campaign Organisation, has slammed President Bola Tinubu’s restructuring of his media team, citing a lack of clear direction.
Speaking on Arise TV’s ‘News Night,’ Sowunmi questioned the logic behind appointing multiple individuals to manage the presidential communication team.
He described the presidential media team as a “cacophony of strange fellows,” emphasizing that the concept of an “attack dog” is outdated in today’s world, where credibility and trust are essential.
Sowunmi expressed his disappointment, stating, “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president now, is one of those politicians who has invested heavily in the media.”
He further criticized Tinubu, saying, “First of all, I’m disgusted in the sense that there are mistakes. You expect a novice who doesn’t understand these things to make.”
Sowunmi urged Tinubu to reorganize the media team, appointing a leader with cabinet status to ensure effective coordination and communication.
He emphasized that having a clear team head would make it easier for the media to know who to contact regarding government matters.
Sowunmi raised concerns about the president’s ability to motivate his team, asking, “If the President cannot put a simple media team together, can anyone be surprised how he will motivate them to get the job done?”
He criticized Tinubu’s approach to media management, saying it is often confused with public relations.
Sowunmi stressed that the world has moved beyond the concept of “attack dogs,” and that believability is now the most important aspect of communication.
On Monday, the presidency announced the re-designation of positions for two recently appointed officials in the State House media and communications team.
Bayo Onanuga explained that the decision aims to “enhance efficiency within the government’s communication machinery.”
Onanuga announced that Sunday Dare will now serve as the special adviser on media and public communications, while Daniel Bwala will function as the special adviser on policy communication.
The statement emphasized that there is no single individual spokesperson for the presidency, instead, all three special advisers will collectively serve as spokespersons for the government.
This approach aims to ensure effective and consistent communication of government policies, decisions, and engagements.