Diary of A Link Man: Reflections on a life of Service and Connections

Author: Salem Ali Sallam Reviewer: Iliyasu Gadu Publishers: Safari Books Limited, Onireke, Ibadan, Oyo State. What is government relations and why is it necessary as a tool in the operations of a company or institution? What academic qualifications or professional and personal qualities are required to practise it? What outcomes does a company or institution […]

Author: Salem Ali Sallam
Reviewer: Iliyasu Gadu
Publishers: Safari Books Limited, Onireke, Ibadan, Oyo State.

What is government relations and why is it necessary as a tool in the operations of a company or institution? What academic qualifications or professional and personal qualities are required to practise it? What outcomes does a company or institution expect from its investment in government relations?

These are the questions that engage the mind as one reads the book, Diary of a Link Man: Reflections on a Life of Service and Connections written by Salem A. Sallam. The book is an account of the author’s duties and responsibilities as a manager of the Government Relations Department of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Limited (NLNG), Nigeria’s pioneer and sole Liquefied Natural Gas producer and exporter based in Bonny, Rivers state.

The book is an account of how the author navigated the fine line, pursuing the company’s engagement with various agencies of government at the local, state and federal levels for the required operating permits and licenses, as well as securing favourable legislation for the company’s overall operations. This takes a complex path where the author has to strike a fine balance between observing the company’s strict ethical Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC) policy and the often-compromising environment dealing with government agencies and officials.

This inevitably leads to the question: How does an officer engaged in this task organise his activities to secure what the company he represents requires from the government without betraying the ethics drilled into him by training and orientation. 

Essentially, it is instructive to understand that although government relations has become a very necessary tool for companies to engage with government at different levels and for different purposes, the overarching goal in all of this, is for corporate organisations to have smooth and mutually beneficial relations and outcomes for both parties.

In Nigeria, the companies and corporate organisations that have awakened to this reality have been the oil and gas companies, and it is not difficult to fathom this. Oil and gas companies, by their vast scope of operations cutting across several areas, make a huge impact on communities and the environment where they are based. In this regard, such companies cannot escape factoring the government into their operations for the simple reason that, in whatever sphere and level of operation, all roads lead inevitably to government.

This was the background as the author was thrown into the vortex of NLNG’s government relations drive. I say ‘’thrown’’ because he is a quantity surveyor by training; and in his previous jobs in the company, he was involved in tasks far removed from government relations. His only involvement in something close to this was in his foray into the lower levels of politics in his native Kano State before joining the company. But that, by any stretch of imagination, cannot be equated with the full thrust of engaging with government agencies and officials on behalf of a huge corporate organisation like the NLNG.

Why would the NLNG need such an elaborate outfit for engaging with the government? The NLNG, it must be remembered, is the pioneer export-oriented liquefied natural gas company in the country and has remained so. Its chequered history had taken over 30 years of gestation period before the Final Investment Decision (FID) was taken on it as a project. The company is a landmark government project in partnership with international oil companies; and since its construction and coming to operation in 1999, its activities have expanded exponentially to cover several areas that require government’s intervention and approval. 

Upon his appointment to head the Government Relations Department of the NLNG, the author knew that he had his work cut out. From his perspective in the prologue of the book: ‘’From the walls of my office on the sixth floor of the NLNG Government Relations Department in popular Central Business District in Abuja, which offered me a panoramic view of the entire area where the bulk of government business is conducted, I could not help but think through the sort of strategic negotiations, legislative politics, every day policy making and implementation, and shaping of industry standards that go on almost non-stop inside and outside the area’s buildings and offices. Therefore, promoting NLNG’s interests with government requires paying keen attention to developments in Nigerian politics and government to identify trends, threats and opportunities.’’

Also, while recognising the daunting challenges that lay in his path in pursuing his task as head of government relations, the author nevertheless acknowledged that the NLNG’s strict compliance with its ABC policy was the way to go. He stated that in a country where ‘’graft, bribery, corruption and unethical behavior” by both government and corporate officials are often intricately intertwined with the daily operations of the state, the NLNG’s firm commitment to the ABC policy stands as a testament to the power of institutional integrity.

I duly acknowledged the seeming contradiction of such a policy in an environment where such practices are often normalised and expected. However, NLNG’s resolute posture to refuse to be dragged into the mud for me serves as a bold declaration that institutions can choose the path of ethical conduct and legal compliance without compromising their integrity and still get desired results.’’

Thus, set against the background of contradiction between the need for ethical compliance and engaging government agencies and officials, the book offers a detailed account of the author’s engagement through the years of the Muhammadu Buhari administration. It is offers us a close look into the strengths and weaknesses of the principal characters of the administration and their motivations. It also chronicles the main events of the administration in the various arms and strata of government. The author and his team went about their task of securing the various operating licenses, permits and engaging government agencies and officials for favourable legislation for the company.

Among all the successes the author was able to achieve in his task against the backdrop of the daunting challenges he faced while at it, the highlight was his remarkable success in defending and rolling back the strong attempt at amending the NLNG Act at the National Assembly.

The details of how this was achieved are narrated in a minute-by-minute description of the involvement and activities of the dramatis personae as captured in a dedicated chapter in the book read like a typical Nigerian political drama with all its suspense.

The significance of this feat is that, had the attempted amendment succeeded, the NLNG would have been embroiled in endless litigations in Nigeria and arbitrations abroad. Needless to say that the NLNG would have ceased to be the very successful company it is today, significantly contributing in many ways to Nigeria’s revenue base and development.

The account is written in an engaging, free-flowing prose, which reveals the details that those mentioned and involved in the activities captured would not have known that some day, they would be placed in such clear relief. This smacks of the author’s attention to the detail of his tasks, as well as his ability to capture in microscopic and memorable relief, the people he was dealing with at the time.

The author has been able to also show in the book that to be in effective government relations, one needs to have the qualities of an influencer, patience, familiarity with the culture and protocol of the operating environment, stakeholder mapping and relations, ability to communicate effectively and unambiguously; and above all, strict observance and compliance with the operating code and guidelines of the company he represents.

It is by leveraging on these qualities that the author was able to establish himself as the effective link man between the NLNG and the various government agencies and officials of the Nigerian government.      

In closing this review, I would make reference to the words of Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, a former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who wrote the foreword to the book. He wrote: “Having read the book, I am delighted to be asked to write the foreword. I have learnt a lot from the specific evidence adduced about the dynamics, as well as trials and travails, indeed, tribulations of private sector-government relations in the Nigerian political economy, immersed in corrupt tendencies and corrupting dispositions. It is a wonderful memoir which benefits not just those engaged in the specific task of corporate relations but also should be of interest to the general public.’’