Take it easy, Mrs Obiano (nwayo, nwayo Madam Excellency) ~ by Omife Omife
Get real time updates directly on you device, subscribe now.
The first time I watched those video clips sent to me by a friend, I immediately concluded they were made public in error by somebody in the Obiano family or by an enemy of the family as a weapon of blackmail and ridicule of the former governor and his family.
I came to that conclusion because there was nothing so wonderful or so news worthy in the videos to deserve their trending in the public domain.
On the contrary, I perceived some obscenity in the videos and that was why I thought it could have been the handiwork of a mischief maker.
Immediately, I finished watching the clips, I called my friend who sent them to me, telling him it was unethical and unfair to Obiano family for him to share those embarrassing clips and pleaded with him to stop further sharing of the videos. He saw my point and agreed to stop.
The video clips captured three different scenes, reportedly in USA.
Scene one showed the Obianos partying and dancing in a cruise ship populated mainly by teenage and middle-aged Americans and a sprinkling of blacks. I don’t remember seeing anybody near the age bracket of former governor Obiano.
I asked myself what the hell could the Obianos be doing in a ball room dancing hall filled with American youths young enough to be his grand children.
I later read a news clip in which the former governor reacted to the videos and talked about how he travelled with his wife and son on vacation after his medical treatment and how it was their daughter based in America that sponsored the vacation and all the bla bla bla.
That is not the issue.
Nobody should find any fault in a former governor or anybody for that matter who can afford it going on vacation anywhere in the world.
Nobody even cares who sponsored the vacation or the partying and drinking which I am sure the former governor can very comfortably afford for his family, when people like myself can also do same.
So it is not a matter of the financial costs. It is about personal dignity. It is about public image management.
As they say, once a governor, always a governor. There is a height one attains in society that that people expect him or her to live up to any time, anywhere, whether in private or public domain. A governor of a State of any country is one of those heights.
Consider someone like Jim Nwobodo who served as governor of old Anambra State. He too was at Puerto Rico as governor where he was given a lavish reception as the then youngest African governor. That was because he exuded a personality of an African leader.
Till today, Jim Nwobodo has remained governor and senator-like in his life-style and even tries to maintain his widely acclaimed handsomeness and youthfulness, even as he ages gracefully.
You don’t see him just anywhere or behave anyhow in public. That is why he still commands public respect and reverence.
Consider former governor Sullivan Chime, the best governor Enugu State has ever produced. How many times do we see him in public or even hear him saying anything.
I wouldn’t know who is really in charge of the Obiano’s, but frankly, I advise them to hire an image laundering consultant, to manage their public appearances as former first citizens of a prominent Nigerian State.
From all indications, both the former governor and his wife have completely lost it, as confirmed by the recent Puerto Rico disaster.
Remember late President J. F. Kennedy of America. Even though he was an acclaimed genius, very charismatic and renowned orator, most times he was to make a public appearance or give a public address, his image handlers made him rehearse his appearance and his speech at least two times before a mirror, correcting any fault whatsoever until they get everything right.
I also had my own little experience in the mid 80’s when I was a programme moderator in ATV Channel 50 in old Anambra State, which was one of the best in West Africa in the eighties. When I started initially, each time I had a programme schedule, I began the previous day to prepare myself.
I would stand before my king size mirror changing from one attire to the other with a matching cap until I was satisfied I was okay. Over time, I was able to determine through the comments of my friend viewers which clothe and cap designs suited me most and commissioned with my tailor accordingly.
Public appearance and public image matter a lot.
Packaging is the word.
In fact everything in the world is about packaging. Not even money.
Related Posts
Remember the old Igbo saying, “Uwa bu amachie akwa joji ( George)” Akwa Joji was the most popular cloth brand many decades ago. Once you adorn yourself with akwa Joji, it made your day you were good to go. Nobody cared to know if you had your breakfast or lunch for the day.
Watching that party scene, I really felt shame for my former governor. I have no problem with his wife who was so happy, lifely and dancing in a dignified way to the tune of the music and the music itself was really a good one.
My pity and sympathy was for her husband who appeared to be completely lost in the crowd as he held tightly to a glass of brandy may be, with a stone face that seemed not to know what a smile is, staring askance as if wondering what the hell of place he is or expecting an Okwomma masquerade to emerge from nowhere so he can do the dance his Aguleri people know how to do.
Suddenly, his wife seemed to remember her husband was alone and dashed to give him a kiss. But it was like kissing a lifeless statue as the former governor merely moped at her, eyes wide open, with the same stony face and even looking unrelaxed.
What a mess of a former governor!
The worst of the tragic scene was the zooming of the camera on his face, just at the very moment of this encounter. I asked myself, why at this moment? What was the exciting moment there to capture? What kind of video recorder was that to have even recorded the silly kissing moment, how much more zooming the camera at it?
I felt sad. And why send the shameful video to Nigerian social media?
The other scene was a family setting with a huge fried chicken sitting in a tray on the dining table along other dishes. When her Excellency and three other family members are seated, she calls on her husband who was in one of the rooms to come and “carve” the chicken.
The master of the house humbly obeys and soon everybody is munching and chattering as they enjoy their meal.
Well, I see nothing wrong in Obiano’s wife calling her husband to dissect the chicken. I would rather commend Obiano’s humility and dutiful compliance with her wife’s passionate request. I think every husband should emulate Obiano this time by striving to do everything to make his family happy.
However, I think the chicken ceremony was over dramatized. Worse still, what is the big deal in videoing the chicken drama and send it to Nigeria, as if the Obiano’s have not eaten a chicken before. Which is not true.
Then the last scene. Another drinking scene, with Obiano hanging around the bar.
This does not put the former in good light, recalling that it was for the same alleged habit of drinking that people called out the former governor while in office.
Again what is the purpose of sending the video to the public domain? Is it to show how refreshed he is now after his hectic days as governor?
I believe people will be happy to see him refreshed but why must everybody be informed as such? How is it their business?
Is Obiano the only governor that travelled to the US to refresh after their tenure? How many of them went there to record public videos about their activities?
If Obiano at his age and social status must attend parties and go to jumps and bars, are there no more dignifying and quiet spots out there with good and mature musicians like Willie Nelson, John Catchings, Country singer old Kenny Rogers Continental, name it.
Or better still, gospel music spots that are everywhere in America.
Incidentally and expectedly, these unguarded and unnecessary video splash have rekindled a fresh wave of public criticism of the former governor back here in Nigeria, raising his recent frantic attempt to offer “explanation.”
A quiet after-office life have saved him all this. Akpokuo, Osodi, softly softly please.
Mazi Omife I Omife
Mbuze Mbaukwu
omifelord@gmail.com
