How To Be A Successful Spokesperson – Lai Mohammed

A former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that, in addition to sound education in any field of endeavour, a Public Relations Manager must possess a brilliant mind, confidence, self esteem and aptitude in order to be successful.

The former minister identified other criteria for a spokesperson to be successful in the chosen career, either in the private or public sector, as loyalty, courage, integrity, commitment, focus and fearlessness.

Mohammed, who has spent about 30 years of his active working life as spokesperson, gave the recipe at a seminar organised by the Department of Mass Communication, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, in conjunction with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).

Speaking on the topic: “Redefining the Role of the Spokesman: My Enduring Engagement/ Romance with the Practice of Public Relations”, the former Minister said with a successful three decades in the practice of public relations, he did not study Journalism or Mass Communication and never for one day worked for or in any media establishment in life.

“For the records, my first degree is in French from what is now Obafemi Awolowo University but in our time was known as University of Ife, and I later read Law in the University of Lagos and was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar.

“Yet I have spent about 30 years of my active working life as spokesperson for one entity or the other.

“Either it is as Public Relations Manager for the then Nigerian Airports Authority {now called the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria} or the National Publicity Secretary of Action Congress, Action Congress of Nigeria or the All Progressives Congress or as Minister of Information and Culture, I have always played the role of a spokesperson,” he said.

According to Mohammed, self-esteem and confidence are indispensable tools for a public relations practitioner.

“He must not limit his role or function to press interventions, radio and television appearances, media monitoring, etc, but must see himself as a major stakeholder in his organisation.

“He must be willing and ready to use public relations as a tool to address challenges confronting his organisation,” he said.

Mohammed recalled in the 80s how he used his office, as the Public Relations Manager for the then Nigerian Airports Authority (now Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria) to address the challenge of impunity and indiscipline in the system.

“For instance, one of the major challenges facing my organisation in the early 80s in particular was impunity and indiscipline, especially from the executive and legislative arms of government of the day.

“Some members of the National Assembly of that era had no respect for safety regulations and bye-laws of the Airports Authority.

“Some of them insisted on being driven to the foot of the aircraft for boarding. Some of them turned our runways into highways while some were furious and demanded the heads of the management of Nigeria Airways or any airport official who dared to challenge them.

“They threw tantrums if a flight departed without them, even  when they arrived at the airport a full hour after their scheduled flight time.

“Recall this was a period when only the Federal Government-owned Nigeria Airways Limited was the sole operator in our domestic market.

“At a point in time as a result of the irresponsible behavior of this class of people, international aviation authorities threatened to blacklist our airports as unsafe.

“As the head of the public relations at the airport, I spearheaded the campaign of naming and shaming which didn’t go down well with our so called “big men”but which fortunately got the solid support of not only my management but that of the government of the day,” he said

The former minister added that loyalty, commitment and being focused helped him in redefining the role of spokesperson as the National Publicity Secretary of AC, ACN and APC.

“I breathed AC, I inhaled AC, I slept with AC in mind, I dreamt or had nightmares about AC. My whole world focus and entire being was AC. Any slight on AC real or perceived I saw as a slight  to my person, and must be repulsed.

“My loyalty to my party transcended my loyalty to any person or entity. I easily sacrificed friendship and other relationships on the altar of party.

“The health, fortune, pains and survival of the party became inseparable from my own health, fortune, pain or wellbeing.

“I became obsessed with the party. I was acutely aware of the many predators that lay in wait to ambush it,” he said.

According to the former minister, as the spokesperson for the Federal Government, the turf is vastly different, so also are the rules and modus operandi.

He noted that as the spokesperson of the Federal Government, your allegiance and loyalty is now to the entire people and government of Nigeria and no longer just to your political party.