But Chikelu soon clarified what was at stake.
"I read your article last Sunday, you were hitting me everywhere in the article. Okay I am here now, that was only a newspaper article, now you can hit me physically to drive home your point."
I was amused. I tried to offer an explanation.
"I don't like the idea of an image project. Abacha did it. It did not work. You can't sell Nigeria to the world through image-laundering and propaganda."
"But what we are doing is not image-laundering", he fired back. "That was where you missed the point. It is not propaganda. That is what you don't know. Our mission is simple. We want to draw attention to Nigeria's positive achievements. We want people to think of Nigeria as a land of possibilities. There is a lot that is great about Nigeria. But nobody is focusing on that."
"I don't see how government can do this"
"No. It is not even a government project. We are only facilitators. It is going to be private sector driven. When I make my presentation later, you will see what we are trying to do."
"Okay"
"Look when I got to that part of your article where you said the Minister of Information is obviously looking for something to do, I was troubled. I said well, if Reuben who is my friend can go and tell the whole world that I am an idle minister, then God dey. In my place, we have a saying that you don't kill a corpse that you are going to bury. So, I just took it as one of those things."
"I didn't mean any harm."
"I know. But the thing is I am as passionate about this country as you are. I am as concerned as you are. We are all in this thing together. This is our country. If we are all cynical, nothing is ever going to change. If we want to change this country, then all of us must make a contribution. The image problem affects all of us. Last week for example, my wife was denied a visa at the embassy."(name withheld by this writer)
"Your wife Don't they know she is the wife of the Minister of Information", I asked.
"No. She didn't go there as the wife of a minister. She went as Mrs Chikelu, like every other Nigerian. I didn't want to process her application through my office or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You see, we had travelled in the past. She was not carrying a virgin passport. Still, they refused to give her a visa. That is part of the image problem that we have."
"So, what are you going to do They should know that the wife of a Federal Minister in Nigeria is not likely to run away. In fact if she has her way, she would stay with her husband 24/7, 365 days."
"She would go back and apply again. I think people are allowed to re-apply."
I was impressed by Chikelu's humility. I felt like telling him that as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he could have handled the matter differently. Another public official, say Ibrahim Mantu, the Deputy Senate President for example would have stormed the offending Embassy. He would have held up operations in the embassy for hours and threaten to summon the Ambassador to the floor of the Senate for treating the wife of a Nigerian leader with such contempt. In case you are wondering what Mantu has to do with this matter, may I remind us that he was the fellow who detained a British Airways flight recently because he was asked to take a Business Class seat. Mantu wanted First Class or nothing. When the British Airways officials proved difficult, he created a scene and kept the aircraft and all other passengers grounded. One of his assistants was reported in the Tribune of Friday. July 23 offering the asinine explanation that Mantu did not delay the flight for five hours, but only three hours! You see the quality of people in the corridors of power
Anyhow, this piece is about Chikelu, not Mantu. Before I could comment on his last statement, some other persons came around to greet him. First, I think it was Eni-B of ThisDay. There were also other persons waiting to pump his hands. Not wanting to monopolise him, I moved into the crowd of media executives that had already gathered in the lobby. In a few minutes, Chikelu announced that we should go inside the hall and start the programme. We all obliged. The programme started shortly after.
Chikelu spoke for 90 minutes with the aid of slides and multi-media. He was articulate, well-prepared, relaxed. By the time he finished, the hall was fuller than when he started. And by any standard, he had quality audience. He had prefaced his presentation with the comment that nothing had been cast in stone. He and his consultants, he declared, were open to suggestions, the purpose of the presentation in the first place. Before the event, only two other groups had enjoyed the privilege of assessing the details of the Nigeria Image Project: President Obasanjo and Foreign Ambassadors in Nigeria. I sat somewhere in the middle of the hall, and listened attentively to the Minister. As he moved from one slide to the other, I joined the other journalists around me: Angela Agoawike (Saturday Times), Buki Ponle (NAN), Samuel Famakinwa (ThisDay), Segun Adeniyi (ThisDay), Ray Echebiri (Financial Standard): in running a simultaneous commentary on the presentation.
The project is christened "Nigeria: The Heart of Africa." We all grumbled about how this is inexact. How can anyone refer to Nigeria as the Heart of Africa One, it is too reminiscent of that failed label: "The Giant of Africa". Two, it is too Conradian. Joseph Conrad is the author of a significant novel about Africa titled "The Heart of Darkness". But Chikelu offered about eight other options and we thought that "Nigeria: Explore the Possibilities" or "Rediscover Nigeria" would be more appropriate. As it turned out, the image project is meant to isolate every positive value that can be identified in Nigeria to be projected to the world. There is also a national re-orientation component which would ensure national pride and the efficiency of national institutions. Nigeria was designed as a brand and Chikelu and his team had broken the entire country into a series of happy sketches around persons, cities, places, history, culture, tourism, architecture etc.
"We want the world to be reminded that this is the country of Olusegun Obasanjo; Emeka Anyaoku, Wole Soyinka, Jay Jay Okocha, Gabriel Oyibo, Queen Amina, Philip Emeagawali, Catherine Okikiolu, BayoOgunlesi etc.. These are also Nigerians and they are achievers. We want them to know that we are not a country of 419." Chikelu went on and on. He cited the examples of other countries that are re-branding their national images and provided useful illustration. "We are going to tell the world that Nigeria is the producer of Bonny Light, that grade of crude oil that is the finest in the world. Nobody seems to remember this when they put down Nigeria." We were shown several messages designed to target the Nigerian at home focusing on national pride, identity and positive values. It was on the whole a perception management project.
Soon it was question time. So many persons had one thing or the other to say. The point was made by Segun Adeniyi of ThisDay for example that most of the role models chosen for the campaign are from the three main ethnic groups. And curiously, the representative of the North in the list is Queen Amina who is dead, whereas other parts of Nigeria had living personalities. Is the campaign meant to convey the impression that there are no persons of substance from Northern Nigeria who are still alive
I could not wait till the end of the jaw-jaw. I had to leave. In retrospect, I think the minister of Information made a good case for the need to re-brand Nigeria and re-position it image-wise. No one can controvert this objective. But I remain convinced in my argument that one, the project is curious: why is it being introduced more than five years after the Obasanjo government got into office Two, why is the media, a critical stakeholder being brought into the project after it had already been launched in government circles Three, a programme such as this can only be a long-term, sustainable project. What is the guarantee that it would be sustained after the Obasanjo era The private sector may claim ownership now while Obasanjo is in office, but they may do so for merely sycophantic reasons. Four, how do we re-brand Nigeria if there is still so much crime, insecurity and unhappiness in the land In the end, however, the only thing that I am left with is Emeka Chikelu's passion.
