NIPR to Convoke National Reputation Summit
Rising from its Annual General Meeting and Elections held at the Command Guest Inn, Bauchi recently, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations has hinted on its plan to convoke a national Reputation Summit designed to restore understanding and promote peaceful co-existence among Nigerians as well as facilitate the emergence of a progressive and sustainable national reputation and character. This was disclosed by the President and Chairman of Council, Mallam Mukhtar Zubairu Sirajo in his opening remarks at the Annual General Meeting.
According to the President, now more than ever, it is imperative for Public Relations practitioners to take up with more consciousness and seriousness, the responsibility of managing reputation, rebuilding relationships, and deepening corporate best practices for the purpose of fast-tracking national development and redirecting energies towards rebuilding a nation that derives strength from its diversity, noting that as a people, Nigerians are better off together than staying in bits and pieces. He therefore called on all Nigerians to engage with one another, constructively and sincerely in order to bequeath a better nation to future generations of Nigerians.
Speaking at the occasion, the Hon. Minister of Information and Culture, Alh. Lai Mohammed, who joined the Annual General Meeting virtually, thanked the President for offering to make the Institute’s platform available for a national dialogue on peace and security in order to secure a consensus on the unity of the country while fostering dialogue among stakeholders in order to advance the course of unity. He added that the task has never been more urgent than now, against the background of discordant voices in the country and the growing calls for separation.
The Hon. Minister of Information, Alh. Lai Mohammed also charged the Institute to assist the Federal Government in tackling the challenge of fake news and misinformation. He said the government had launched a national campaign against fake news and misinformation and had also embarked on reform of the broadcast industry, especially with the aim of stopping misinformation and hate speech by the nation’s broadcast stations. He therefore enjoined Public Relations practitioners not to become accessories to the spread of fake news and misinformation.
Represented at the opening ceremony by the Deputy Governor, Senator Baba Tela, the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed described Public Relations as being pivotal to national development, as it promotes mutual understanding among the various stakeholders.
High points of the event were the re-election of Mallam Mukhtar Zubairu Sirajo and Assistant Comptroller of Customs Adewale Adeniyi as the President and Chairman of Council/Vice President and Vice Chairman of Council respectively and the investiture of the Governor of Bauchi State , Senator Bala Mohammed as a Patron of the Bauchi State Chapter of the Institute, conferment of fellowship Award, which is the highest membership cadre in the Institute, on 21 Fellows of the Institute, including the Governor of Bauchi State, His Excellency, Senator Bala Mohammed, who bagged an Honorary Fellowship of the Institute.
It will be recalled that the Annuel General Meeting earlier scheduled to hold in April 2020, was postponed till May 2021 in the wake of the nationwide lockdown occasioned by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
