By: Felix Ikpotor
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has urged public relations practitioners in the country to use their expertise to change the narrative that Nigeria cannot have a peaceful election.
Wike spoke during the Conference/Annual General Meeting of the Rivers State Chapter of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, held in Port Harcourt with the theme “Post Election Peace Building: The Role of Public Relations”.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Tammy Danagogo, Wike said considering the experiences in the country especially with the just concluded elections where he noted that so much disunity and hatred was generated amongst Nigerians, the public relations practitioners are well suited to salvage the image of the country.
“ Your roll in catalyzing the poor mindset or perception that Nigerians now have against each other is definitely paramount at this point,” he said.
He added: “ We believe that you are well suited for this mediatory and bridge building role more than any other body. Your core mandates dictates that you endeavour or highlight situations where partisans of different shades can express their view and work together.
“ A scenario where members of your institute regularly initiates a healthy parley will be a welcome development”.
Charging them further, Wike said: “ You must spearhead the propagation of the reasoning that politics is not a do or die business and that Nigerian democracy is not all about tribe or ethnic group but about working together for the betterment of all.”
While congratulating the institute on a successful conference, the governor applauded them for their comprehensive coverage of the 2019 general elections.
On his part, the President of Council, National Institute of Public Relations, Mallam Muktar Sirajo harped on the need for the country to take advantage of its diversity to build peace, stressing that emphasis should not be on ones ethnicity but on what one has to offer.
Looking forward to a day when elections will be devoid of violence in the country, Sirajo said there is the need to bring back the public relations component into governance as successive governments have ignored it.
He maintained that the NIPR Acts prohibits anyone who is not a member from practicing as a public relations officer.
Earlier in his address, state chairman of NIPR , Paulinus Nsirim said his administration is poised to make the chapter take the lead in public relations in the country as his team of executives have started the rebuilding process .
Commenting on the theme, Nsirim said the chapter wants to take the lead in setting agenda especially as after every elections peace usually eludes the country.
Highpoints of the conference were a paper presentation by Professor Godwin Okon of the Department of Mass Communication in the Rivers State University and panel session amongst others.
