Mangu’s Publicity Minimus Syndrome
It is one of two – for everyone, really – it is either you are suffering from Publicity Maximus or its opposite, Publicity Minimus. Publicity Maximus is the height of media exposure to which anyone, regardless of office could access, often in excess.
But Publicity Minimus is the least, synonymous somewhat with poor media exposure, especially when the available spotlight is at variance with the expectations of an office or personality.
Mr. Ibrahim Mangu, whatever his background, appears to have suffered Publicity Minimus over time. It is no wonder, therefore, that he enjoys running his commission on the pages of newspapers, fouling the ethos of his office, which requires utmost discretion and circumspection in terms of attention to details.
Otherwise, what can explain a situation where the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) rushes to the media even on very petty and tawdry pretexts? The other time, he said the judiciary was frustrating the effort of the commission in prosecuting persons alleged to have committed one financial crime or the other. That would later spark serious debate that was avoidable if someone had been discreet at his job.
Indeed, the CJN, Mahmoud Mohammed had to intervene (since it appeared a subtle attempt to rubbish the judiciary) and lectured the EFCC on the need for diligent prosecution of cases, advising also on investigation-prone prosecution and not prosecution-prone investigation, which has been the style of the EFCC, of course not peculiar to this government.
The latest now is that the Asian countries are frustrating the commission’s anti-graft effort. Addressing the Association of Chief Audit Executives of Banks in Nigeria, Mangu said whilst countries like the US, UK and Switzerland had shown considerable cooperation, the Asian Tigers have been very difficult and uncooperative.
Mangu, obviously, is unable to distinguish between which information is classified and which is not and because of the urge to want to rush to the media in order to be applauded for diligence or seen to be working harder than his predecessors, he dishes out information, often unsolicited and extraneous at the point in time.
The EFCC boss should learn to reduce his penchant for rushing to the media or prosecuting people on the pages of newspapers. He probably requires some state education on how to run an office as sensitive as his and stop making a total mess of the huge responsibility that comes with his office. Media exposure is good, no doubt; but when it’s in excess, it’s injurious, counterproductive, becomes a mess and inimical to the identified interest.