By Aliyu Dangida
Governor Muhammed Badaru of Jigawa state, a successful international businessman before he ventured into active politics, is a Babura born oil magnet cum transporter operating in Kano state with his factories employing thousands of people.
A very simple and courageous and philanthropist, he served in different capacities both at state and national body of KACCIMA.
He contested for governorship elections in Jigawa for three consecutive terms before, in 2015, the Buhari bandwagon and other forces enabled him to clinch the number one seat.
During his election campaigns, Badaru enjoyed the much-needed publicity from various media houses who did not consider what they were gaining from the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The day Badaru`s primary election was going on in Gumel, PDP was simultaneously hosting its own, but most of the journalists were in Gumel to cover the APC-led Badaru`s election.
When he emerged as the governor of Jigawa state in the 2015 general elections, both civil servants, media and other people have high hope on him thinking that things will be better than before, but their hopes were dashed. Most people think it was not the same Badaru they knew before he became the number one citizen.
Business is no longer as usual for both working and visiting journalists alike previously, when a journalist flies from Abuja or Lagos to Dutse, the state capital, to inspect projects executed by Jigawa state government, the government will provide him with accommodation and food, and also settle his flight fare.
Even working journalists at times initiate local tours to make their stories but all these have now been suspended because it incurred funds.
No visiting journalists can come to Jigawa state now for any official assignment unless if he can voluntarily come and go. Successive government since from Ali Sa`ad Birnin-Kudu, Ibrahim Saminu Turaki down to Sule Lamido succeeded through carrying journalists along.
In addition to the working journalists in the state, anytime a national assignment will be held, successive government of Turaki and Lamido do invite journalists or a team of editors to assist in publicizing the August visitors and the program will be aired live in some TV stations, especially NTA but all these have been ignored by
Badaru`s government just because of the expenses attached to the events.
Even the working journalists in Jigawa sometimes complain if they have proposal of tour or anything to promote the activities of Badaru`s government and it involves funds, because it is almost sure to be turned down.
However, in some areas the governor tried to do his best but some of his aides’ cornered or divided the little he approved for the journalists.
The issue of placing adverts and sponsored write up has gone for good in Jigawa since Badaru become the governor of the state as he insisted that it is a waste of resources. He preferred social media platforms.
Even when he visited some states, he tried to shun interviews with journalists especially if he discovered there is the need to give them welfare.
The governor doesn’t care to read newspapers, hard copy or online, unless it was an attack on his government from the opposition.
His aides will quickly purchase a copy and deliver to him. He even barred the purchase of newspapers by government agencies including government house as done before. So, even the vendors in Jigawa are crying.
He appointed a media aide in his first tenure but the relationship between the aide and journalists did not favour him. Sometimes, the governor had to intervene to solve some misunderstandings between the aide and journalists.
This may have been his reason not to consider any media aide after his reelection in 2019, as he doesn’t want trouble. Badaru has been running his government since he was reelected for a second term in office in 2019 without a competent and vibrant media aide, and this has attributed to the spate of attacks from both oppositions and those from his party as he has no aides to depend him.
He was left with social media personnel who most of the times make political blunders in the cause of defending him.
Just of recent, a reconciliation meeting was held under the leadership of former member house of representatives, Hon Yusuf Shittu Galambi with social media teams, aggrieved APC members, political and women groups to intimate them on why they keep mute while opposition parties continued to criticize programs and policies of Jigawa state government.
Even though the meeting ended in a deadlock, they nonetheless faulted the government for not taking good care of them. The opposition used this advantage, having discovered that Governor Badaru lacks experienced media team that can confront them, to go against him in various media, including social media platforms, diminishing his reputation.
There was a time the governor admitted that he lacks vibrant media team, saying out of the media managers serving in his government, he only has confidence in one, and the rest are incompetent.
To testify that the governor has not attached much priority to media in his activities especially when it involves monetary aspect, the state ministry of information, youth, sports and culture is redundant. Surprisingly, they will be allocated huge amount of money in every annual budget but at the end they will return the money back to the state treasury, as any memo sent to the governor will not see the light of the day. Instead, it will be under Keep In View (KIV) files.
In other states, the ministry of information is one ministry because of the huge burden on it, while youth and sports are separate, with their commissioners, but in Jigawa the story is different. Even the multi-million-naira state owned printing press is overtaken by reptiles and weeds.
With the recent appointment of professional media team of Habibu Nuhu Kila as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ahmad Danyaro as Senior Special Assistant on Social Media and Print and Habibu Muhd Ringim as Special Assistant on Media Content Development, Governor Badaru can now sleep with his two eyes closed and his critics may down tools, especially unconstructive ones.
Kila, been an experienced and veteran journalist served as Director of Press to former Governor Ibrahim Saminu Turaki and until his appointment was the General Manager of Horizon FM Jigawa state.
His appointment came barely one week after his election as Vice President (North) of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Kila equally possesses all the qualities to handle media affairs of the governor especially if he will be given free hand and necessary support required to take care of media activities.
Danyaro, a young and dynamic journalist was, until his appointment an editor with the Concern magazine in Abuja, will use his vast of experience to work for the governor in the area of social media and print. His advantage is he is a computer literate and professional who knows his onion.
Habibu Ringim, as media content development aides, has already been in the field especially in the area of radio programs, and has been enjoying the much-needed support from the government.
All eyes are now on Governor Badaru to see if he will give free hand and total support to the media appointees and what will change with Kila, Danyaro`s appointment?
*Dangida wrote in from Dutse, Jigawa state