Veteran journalist and former Managing Director of The Guardian, Mr. Martins Oloja, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the controversy surrounding the alleged fake federal agency headed by an embattled Director-General, warning that the government’s communication strategy has further deepened the trust deficit between the Presidency and Nigerians.
Speaking at the 45th edition of Boiling Point Arena, a monthly public affairs discourse, Oloja argued that the controversy was no longer merely about the agency itself but about the government’s failure to manage public confidence through professional reputation management.
The monthly interview programme, hosted by veteran broadcaster and public relations strategist Dr. Ayo Arowojolu, was held via Zoom and broadcast live on multiple partner radio stations.
According to Oloja, official attempts to dismiss the agency as fake despite documentary evidence already in the public domain have only fuelled public scepticism and undermined confidence in government communication.
Questioning the official narrative, he asked: “How do you explain a so-called fake agency that was able to operate a Central Bank account and even had allocations captured in the national budget passed by the National Assembly?”
He maintained that effective reputation management requires consistency, credibility and carefully coordinated messaging, particularly at a time when public trust in government is already under strain.
Oloja also faulted official statements expressing confidence in the embattled Director-General even after the President had ordered an investigation into the matter.
“The President may say, ‘I trust this man,’ but that is not the issue. The issue is: who believes the President?” he asked.
“What public relations teaches is that there must be trust. Once you have constituted a committee to investigate somebody, you must be careful what you say, how you say it and even who says it.”
He warned that contradictory official statements only widen the credibility gap between government and the public, especially when new documentary evidence continues to emerge.
“The more government speaks, the more documents come out. Journalists outside government are seeing those documents. They are not addressing the trust deficit arising from this development,” he said.
The veteran journalist stressed that effective public relations is not about defending every government action but about protecting institutional credibility through honesty, consistency and strategic stakeholder engagement.
He urged the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the statutory regulator of public relations practice in Nigeria, to intensify efforts to ensure that communication roles in both the public and private sectors are handled by trained and certified professionals.
“It is the responsibility of the Institute to ensure that those practising public relations are properly trained and registered. People must understand that public relations is a profession on its own. It is not journalism,” he said.
Oloja argued that governments would earn greater public confidence if they embraced professional reputation management principles instead of relying solely on media responses to controversial issues.
According to him, rebuilding public trust requires transparency, strategic communication and consistent messaging capable of inspiring confidence among citizens and other stakeholders.
The discourse was themed: “Journalism is Not Public Relations: Why Many Successful Journalists Are Misfits for Reputational Management Roles.”
Other speakers at the event included the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neliaku, and strategic communication expert and former Head of Corporate Affairs at three banks, Dr. Eddy Ademosu.
The keynote address was delivered by the Olota of Ota and Paramount Ruler of Aworiland, Oba Prof. Adeyemi Obalanlege.
