NIPR FAULTS BWALA’S AL JAZEERA INTERVIEW, CITES CREDIBILITY, PROFESSIONALISM CONCERNS
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By ‘Sefiu Ajape
The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) on Thursday criticised the Al Jazeera interview granted by Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, stressing the importance of professionalism, credibility, and ethical standards in public communication.
Speaking in Abuja at the institute’s first quarter induction ceremony, NIPR National President Dr. Ike Neliaku said the body deliberately avoided making an immediate reaction, opting instead for a more analytical and evidence-based review.
Neliaku disclosed that the institute faced pressure to respond shortly after the interview aired but chose restraint in line with its professional principles.
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“When that Daniel Bwala interview broke, so many highly placed people called me from different parts of this country because they were very concerned. They asked me if NIPR is not going to say anything about it.
“But I told each of them, and if they are listening to me, they will confirm it, that the NIPR is not a civil society organisation nor a union. It is an institute.”
He explained that the institute’s decisions must be guided by research rather than emotion.
“What that means is that whatever we are doing must be scientific. It must not be based on emotion because in our clime, emotion rules logic. Once you do something, you are first of all judged from the perception of emotion instead of how it makes sense or how it doesn’t make sense.
“So we refrain from every statement whatsoever until we subject it to a scientific study.”
According to him, the institute’s eventual position was informed by a report from the GASKI NG Accountability Series titled “Silence the Noise, the Bwala Reputation Audit,” which evaluated the interview using classical persuasion principles.
Presenting the findings, Neliaku said credibility was identified as the weakest aspect of the communication effort, noting that even a strong message can be undermined by a weak messenger.
“First is the issue of credibility, and that is ethos. This emerged as the weakest link because the messenger could be as good as the message. If the message is strong and the messenger is weak, the messenger will corrupt the message.
“As a result of that, people will not likely listen to even the message of the messenger because credibility goes before content. It is who you are that will speak for you even before you come into the room. That’s why we talk about reputation,” he stated.
“That’s why we say that reputation is a core asset. Don’t joke with it. So in the era of credibility, our friend scored a very weak mark. Then we come to the second part, which is the strength of the argument. In other words, the logos. And Bwala performed slightly better. Those who watched it would see that in terms of argument, he made his case,” he added.
However, Neliaku noted that the overall impact of the interview was limited due to divided audience reactions.
“That’s what you must learn. When the fact is weak and your logic is excellent, it will not be very difficult to be punctured. So the performance was very engaging, yet the impact was limited. In today’s media environment, visibility is not victory.
“Eloquence without credibility is a fragile asset, because it will not take time for it to be punctured. If you make a mistake, admit it immediately,” he advised.
Also speaking at the event, the Special Adviser to the Kogi State Governor on Media, Ismaila Isah, urged practitioners to maintain professionalism and uphold ethical standards in their work.
“You must not disparage the people who are employers or your colleagues in the course of working in the place. As PR people we must exemplify the best conduct because that’s what our ethics expect of us.
“I want to once again congratulate our new members and to say that your journey in the industry has just begun and is going to be a success,” he said.
Bwala has faced widespread criticism following his appearance on Al Jazeera’s Head to Head programme, where he was questioned on Nigeria’s security situation and his past remarks about President Tinubu.
Clips from the interview, which aired on Thursday, went viral on social media, particularly on X, with many users describing his performance as underwhelming.
The controversy intensified when the host confronted him with previous statements in which he had criticised Tinubu before joining the ruling All Progressives Congress, using video clips to challenge his denials.
He was also pressed on issues of insecurity, with references to international reports, while critics argued that he struggled to provide data-backed responses.
Despite the backlash, Bwala has maintained that he stands by his remarks and will continue to defend the Tinubu administration on any global platform.
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