Damage-control mechanism in modern statecraft employs the services of professional apologists, whose task is to put embittered public and “doubting Thomases” in good humour. Even if the strategy is meant to achieve a momentary reprieve, the idea is to gain some understanding and time to be able to come up with more lasting strategies. Professional apologists are not ordinary public relations experts; rather, they are establishments’ spin-doctors who are capable of lying like truth. Smooth operators!
Usually drawn from the ranks of senior security and intelligence operatives, professional apologists are tutored in statecraft as additional skill. Their roles are not only to explain away establishments’ follies and failures, but more to build public confidence and revamp drooping morale of a long-bamboozled public. The more adept among professional apologists add the toga of priesthood or ecclesia, as a part of their working accoutrements. Cosmetic geniality!
Rather than the old-fashioned strategy of bullying and bluffing or bashing of heads in military and macho style, modern damage-control measures now bear some human face. Rather than “do this and that, with immediate effect and alacrity”, the new trend would be as follows: “Please try to understand the position of government and the state of the country”; “other nations have worse challenges than ours; by God’s grace we will overcome our challenges; just play your own part and cooperate with the government …”
For a long time in Nigeria, snakes and rodents had been in the ready services of professional and freelance apologists. Yes, electricity supply in the country was a failure because of the mischief of giant snakes that made Kainji Dam their place of abode. Kainji Dam, a hydro-electric power station, was responsible for power-generation but snakes sabotaged the efforts of expert electrical engineers, resulting in power outage. Some consultants suggested the use of snake-charmers to resolve the jinx! Voodoo Politics!
As for snakes swallowing huge sums of money from establishments’ strongrooms, that strategy became a failed apology. Similarly, that the office of a president could be assailed by audacious rodents and gnats, also became an old-fashioned apologia. Neither is it still fashionable to use “brown envelopes” and big sticks to make audacious journalists report that white is black, or black is white, as ordered. The evidence is clearer that Nigerians are becoming increasingly better informed and also restive.
Damage-control stunts are legitimate strategies of healing wounds and applying first aid as palliative measures of appeasement. But some smart fellows soon found ways of undermining the use of plaster and sedative in damage-control business. The idea was to bloat and exaggerate existing damage for the purpose of increases and more rapid flow of security vote. They succeed and then smile to the banks, while the nation bleeds economically. How come there are “false IDP camps” and other financial black-holes!
There are various gossips that the Boko Haram insurgency is a money-spinning, even though risky, business. From foreign consultants and negotiators, to local collaborators and suppliers of weapons and food, the Boko Haram national damage now has damage-control consultants and apologists. There are those telling Nigerians that Boko Haram insurgents are not terrorists but estranged citizens who are embittered because of the attitude taken towards them. They demand reintegration and rehabilitation, coupled with Presidential Amnesty Programme, to forgive and empower them.
Another brand or species of professional apologists are some faceless groups of persons and interest groups who play advocacy roles for the establishment. There are apologists who defend the right of cattle to eat grass wherever grass grows, even in farmlands. Other apologists specialise in prevarication and equivocation, defending obviously indefensible situations, actions and utterances of some people in power. An example is the suggestion about recruiting millions of Nigerians into the Army, which an apologist quickly came up to apply some balm upon. Careless talk?
With reference to the President of Nigeria, Buhari, travelling to Britain for whatever reason, Nigerians have been entertained with different kinds of apologia, pointing towards the justification of not handing over power officially to the Vice President, even temporarily as provided by the constitution. We are told that a President could operate from anywhere, as if governance is not guided by definite rules!
Purposes of damage-control activities especially in governance include correcting erroneous statements emanating from official angle, or correcting wrong impressions which such statement would have created. Sincere damage-control palliatives go with the application of the balm of Gilead to heal the ills of an ailing nation, but rustic apologists often add some hidden agenda. It is the value-added tax in damage-control stunts which falls in the domain of professional apologists. The diet is easy to ingest but hard to digest.
An eternal code of conduct in damage control business is as follows: “even though the news be sad, yet, tell it merrily”. Medical personnel know this professional code so well that they apply it by way of reassuring and giving courage and confidence even to a dying patient, that all is well. It works! In academic research circle this damage-control strategy is known as placebo effect, whereby drooping faith and confidence are boosted by means of psychological conditioning and pep-talks. Sports team managers are usually experts in this strategy of morale-boosting.
On the other hand, fear which can arise from threat or sight of horrow, can reduce and undermine the confidence or faith which an individual has. Diabolical practice of witchcraft use fear to undermine personal immunity, but positive practice of damage-control work on human morale and volition as strategic weapons of victory in situations hard to deal with. The strategy has a tonic effect on individuals and governments.

Dr. Amirize is a retired lecturer from the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.