Political hubris, or political sabotage?
Understanding politics and privacy are two complex concepts some Cameroon
politicians find it hard to separate. The craze to funnel state funds into
private pockets has become the norm. In Buea, a small but very ‘rich’
mountainous city, the Mayor, Ekema Patrick, has been running with pride from
one scandal pole to the other.
MAYOR EKEMA PATRICK: SIGNING TO CHANGE? |
Will his latest scandal (The Mayor on the
Mirror) send him to his thinking room? While his works have been widely
appreciated, his privacy keeps propping up, growing fatter and thicker than his
public office successes.
Mayor Ekema is now being haunted by the Cameroon
Anti-Corruption Committee (CONAC) for alleged embezzlement of state funds.
We revisit some of Ekema’s recent scandals
and blame the exposed weakness on his flaccid failed communication and
proffer interesting solutions to manage his latest scandal.
By
Tapang Ivo Tanku*
Since 2011, I have watched with rapt attention how the Buea
council rolls out robust development plans and growth strategies which have
translated into a meteoric boom of the mountainous city’s welfare. The construction
of new markets, new council hall, decentralization of business avenues, etc., is
all examples to support my claim. When Mayor Ekema Patrick switched roles in
2011 from a mere UB Administrator to the Mayor of one of Cameroon’s richest
councils, many casted doubts on his vision and aspirations for the council.
BUEA COUNCIL |
There is every reason to argue that he has met up to many, if not everyone’s
hopes. However, the line between public office and private lifestyle has never
been clearly drawn by Mr. Ekema. He has always blended the two, and that will
fail him.
When Ekema came to office and dismissed the former
Communications Officer, I quickly predicted doom for his crisis management
team. Not only did he dismiss a Communications Officer who was the
valedictorian of his Journalism and Mass Communications 2008 batch in the
University of Buea, he did appoint another Communications Officer who fails to
match up to the challenge with both qualifications and expertise.
I have always
noted here on the forum that although journalism and communications are bed
fellows, they require separate and integrated expertise. Proactive crisis management
and crisis management all require real brains for the smooth functioning of any
organization. Never pick up anyone to do the task. Communications is not
writing and speaking. The role of the Communications Officer goes beyond
projecting a positive image of the organization. The Communications Officer
also maintains a positive image of the CEO and the public . I will be the last
to discredit people’s works here, but I only give credit where it is due.
MAYOR EKEMA , PRESIDENT BIYA |
Although I understand that social scientists always find it hard
to predict and explain human behavior, Communications Officers must go the
extra mile in understanding the behaviors of their bosses and how they can
control for observable irregularities.
When Mayor Ekema pointed a gun at a taxi
driver in Buea, as reported by the media that could have been an eye opener for
the Communications Unit. The unit could have quickly convened a team to
observe, predict and contain irregular “bossy attitudes.”
That was never done,
and if it was, it collapsed the very minute it was constructed. In Public
Relations, it is always said: “speak the truth, but not all of the truth.” When
Ekema ferried buses and a delegation to pick up his wife from the Douala
International Airport, it beat my imagination how such an action was filmed and
posted on the social media by the Communications Unit. Remember that managing a
crisis is always difficult than proactive crisis management.
As if that was not
enough, the knife was further twisted in the wound when a video of Ekema
offering a brand new Mercedes jeep to his wife who had successfully delivered
baby in the U.S., was posted on the social media. This is neither
communications nor Public Relations for a Mayor who is currently under
investigation by CONAC.
Doesn’t he know that his political rivals live close to
his nostrils and will blow in sabotage – a widely used political tactic? Why
should a Communications Officer go that far? How do we keep the publics’ eyes
away from our organizational secrets?Every organization has an internal strategy
or policy known only to the employees. The current management team of the Buea
council does not understand just that.
HAWK (EPERVIER) TOO IS WATCHING THE MAYOR! |
Last week, Ekema saw his shadow collapse in front of his very
eyes. Authentic photos of him posing with a nude lady circulated on the social
media. I emphasize that the photo is authentic after testing rigorous theories
to disprove it. If my UB Science background was right, then the “theory of
reflection and refraction” did not reject the hypothesis for which it was true.
I early stated that theory in several posts: “The incidence ray, the refractive
ray, and at the point to the normal, all lie on the same plane.” I also have
proven skills in photography, video, audio and photo editing. Clearly, I could
not see any crop or “photoshop” done to sabotage Ekema.
How then can someone
dare to reject the authenticity of the photo? I will not delve much into
explaining how the social media works in favor of social change. Neither will I
will I like to belabor the point on social responsibility of the media and
privacy. Normatively, the media should be socially responsible. But that does
not hold in the realist world, and especially in this case.Who make up the
media and who make the news? The audience make up the media and the audience
make the news. It is imperative that social responsibility starts with our
personal examples. Posing nude in a digital device for digital age – what Biya
calls “Android generation” is a self-defeating strategy.
We must understand that. When it leaks to the public , it bleeds. And where it leads, it bleeds. So where did the Communications Unit fail? This morning, (February 15 2016) I hear rumors that Ekema is threatening to jail social media users for circulating the photo. Not only is he promising five years for “defaulters,” but he is claiming to be the judge. Good!!! That is how lawless Cameroon has become.
We must understand that. When it leaks to the public , it bleeds. And where it leads, it bleeds. So where did the Communications Unit fail? This morning, (February 15 2016) I hear rumors that Ekema is threatening to jail social media users for circulating the photo. Not only is he promising five years for “defaulters,” but he is claiming to be the judge. Good!!! That is how lawless Cameroon has become.
BUEA DESERVES WELL STRUCTURED MARKETS |
A man who finds himself in a
pit should stop digging. The social media users should also jail him for five
years for letting their eyes see nudity and indecency in a country where more
than 80 percent of citizens are Christians and seek to maintain their Christian
values.
That is what the Newton’s law sates: “For every action, there is an
equal and opposite reaction.” If this is true, as I read on a comment on this forum
today, then it goes a long way to substantiate my claim that Ekema is NOT well
managed by his communications team.
I expected that the Communications Unit
should have quickly touched based with media experts and journalists, to at
least issue a statement that could spin around the game in his favor. Crippling
rumors is the nightmare of any communications team. However,staying quiet on
these only help to fan the flames. It is not too late for the communications
team to work with the media.
They should place priority on social media
activists as their primary target. It will be foolhardy for them to target the
traditional print media to work for their image cleansing. In an “Android
generation” you cannot win a fight by threating to jail users. IMPOSSIBLE.
Where are the spin doctors? Ekema get the right experts for your office and
give them a listening ear.
*Media Critic and Political Analyst
Primitive Bakweri man-listen to that mother fucker dickhead mayor!
ReplyDeleteGood job on the analysis. You are spot on.
ReplyDeleteI want to see the pics. Just to be sure. How can i get a link?
ReplyDelete