Governor Abba Yusuf's Director General of Media and Communication, Sunusi Dawakin Tofa, has narrated how he took refuge at the Kano State Government House to avoid being detained by security agents.
Disclosing this while delivering a speech at the PR Nigeria Youth Communication Fellowship in Kano, he stated that at least 40 officers from the Inspector General of Police monitoring team were sent to Kano to arrest him about six days ago.
However, he stated that he remained in the government house due to constitutional immunity that prohibits detention in the premises unless expressly ordered by the governor.
Tofa explained that he had a court order preventing police from arresting him, so he attended the must-see event, adding that he felt empowered against being arrested.
“For five days I have been in the government house and I cannot leave. The nature of Kano politics is such that there is a fight that can even be said to be a federal versus state fight. And at some point, I've pretty much been behind almost everything of that nature.
According to him, “There was this petition against me and no one is handling it except the IGP himself. He deployed the 40 IG monitoring team squad in Kano since Sunday with the sole objective of arresting me.
“I got a warrant that wasn't given to the police but it's viral so I'm sure you must have seen it. And then the third is that I came here well-fortified to resist arrest if this happens.
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Addressing the fellows, he advised them on the importance of mentoring and its benefits.
“So, gentlemen, I will say that the media, communication, journalism and public relations are a very noble profession. You don't need to have a degree in mass communication to venture into it, as you can get professional training and a mentor.
For this reason, he revealed that “Throughout my entire life, I have believed a lot in having a mentor. In the last 24 years, any decision I make in my life, I look for a mentor for that particular thing. In some areas, I get mentor 1, mentor 2 and mentor 3. Mentor 1,2,3 will give you a choice. “If you are so confused about something, you can gather all three opinions, evaluate them, and then choose the one that best suits you,” he advised.
Addressing journalists, the Executive Director of PR Nigeria, Yusha’ Shu’aib, said the program was initiated to nurture and mentor a new generation of communicators and equip them with the skills and tools to communicate.
“Before, people always thought about basic communication skills, but now, with the advent of technology, we realize that the problem has to do with data verification.
“Therefore, Artificial Intelligence and social networks are very vital in communication today,” he stated.