Communication should be dialogue not monologue; lessons from Ajuri Ngelale.
I have observed many times that when spokesmen engage with citizens on the programmes and policies of the governments they serve, they play to the gallery. They seize the opportunity to either praise-sing or propagandize. Praise-singing is rendered to the glory of political principals and cronies while propaganda is dispatched to confuse the people, the electorates. Whichever the aim, they know the game and strive to win. They do their job with clear intentionality and a straight face. After all, someone has to clean up the city no matter how dirty it gets.
In the last 20 years of our democracy, the structure of governance has been lopsided or skewed against the citizens. During policymaking, officials “think” for the citizens, make assumptions about their felt-needs, take decisions and never are they interested in feedbacks. This describes the old and dominant approach, top-down approach, in development planning and administration. It is highly hierarchical and has not led Nigeria to anywhere enviable especially since the return of democracy in 1999. This calls for radically rethinking the status quo.
Communication is a two-way process, a dialogue and not a monologue. Many of our politicians and government officials only listen to the yearnings and aspirations of the people when they take to the streets in the form of a protest. At other times, politicians pretend to be listening during campaigns. Off course, that’s when they can make unrealistic and ever failing promises. This is a discrepancy!
Last week, I witnessed something different and unusual. The Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs, Mr Ajuri Ngelale, was a special guest scheduled to speak in a technical session titled Sensitization, Role of Media and Citizens Engagement at the lunch of a toll-free whistleblower line 0800- CALL-ICPC (080022554272). The National Social Investment Office (NSIO) collaborated with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and came up with this amazing and praiseworthy initiative to prevent and fight corrupt practices in the four key areas of the National Social Investment Programme. Mr Ngelale, on mounting the podium, said a few opening remarks and then asked the audience what they thought should be the way forward on the subject.
At first, there was total silence. The audience was surprised. The general expectation was, as most politicians do, reel out beautiful and confusing ideas on what government is currently doing or about to do. However, after the first contribution, there was another, and another and another. A principal reason why contributions kept coming from the audience was that they saw Mr Ngelale actually taking notes and reacting to the contributions with “o yes, that’s a nice idea, but I think we have to also consider this aspect too”. It suddenly became a dialogue and ideas bazaar. This is how things should be and/or work for development interventions to succeed and deliver on objectives.
Politicians and Special Advisers can learn from this action and hold conversations with members of their constituencies on topical issues of development as it affects a particular constituency. A dialogue would go a long way in giving accurate information on government plans and policies, clarifying controversies, fighting misinformation as well as providing opportunities and platforms for citizen engagement.
Mr Ngelale’s approach, disposition and action as a spokesman is worthy of emulation and should be encouraged. The role of citizens in governance is critical and cannot be substituted without consequences. Platforms should be created for citizens to engage with their leaders in a free and conducive environment, devoid of molestations and toxic propaganda. Governments should institutionalize such mechanisms and platforms to encourage citizen engagement. Officials of the governments should always be readily available — ready and willing, to entertain questions and recommendations from citizens on how government policies and programmes can be better administered.
And for interventions, programmes and policies of the government to succeed, without cultural or group resistance, development efforts should substitute the top-down approach to development planning and implementation for a bottom-top approach and orientation. On that day, Mr Ngelale gave everyone a feeling that the government is sincerely interested in our contributions and inputs. Thus, everyone was willing to speak. Governance and policymaking should always be a dialogue and not a monologue, with the interest of the people at the centrality of core decisions.
Joshua Arogunyo lives in Abuja and can be reached via …
joshuaarogunyo@gmail.com
