…Elects new EXCO
By: Felix Ikpotor
The Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, says it plans to establish a hub for Energy Public Relations in Rivers State.
President of NIPR, Dr Ike Neliaku stated this while speaking at the Sir O.B Fubara Gold Paper Lecture/Annual General Meeting of the Rivers State chapter of the institute.
Neliaku said the hub is in recognition of the contributions of Rivers State to the country.
“Here in Rivers State, we discovered that you have given so much to the nation with your energy resources but I’m not sure the nation understands the volume of what you have given to it, so we decided that we are going to establish Energy PR Hub in Rivers State.
“So if you want to study energy public relations come to Rivers State, come to the Niger Delta,” he stated.
He said similar hubs exist in developed countries where oil and other energy resources are found, adding that people from the area would assist the institute in developing content for the hub.
Commenting on the man in whose honour the lecture was organised, Neliaku said Alabo O.B Fubara distinguished himself as a young person and as a traditional ruler in Rivers State.
The president said late Fubara contributed immensely to the development of NIPR in Rivers State by nurturing and mentoring members to attain the highest membership grade in the institute.
On his part, chairman of the occasion, His Majesty, Eze Lesley Eke called for the inclusion of traditional rulers in governance for sustainable development in the country.
Eke while commenting on the theme of the lecture, “Re-Engineering Traditional Institution for Community Development in Niger Delta: Today and Tommorow,” said, the lecture is apt especially with the current trends in the state and country.
“The lack of traditional rulership roles in the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria is a weakness. If we have such inclusiveness, we would be able to stand our grounds in defense of our actions, but our actions now are dependent on other institutions and other officers of government to be able to stand and that’s a the weakness,” he said.
He noted that traditional rulers help in giving information and advice to law enforcement agencies in curbing crime in the society.
Outgone, Acting Chairman of the state chapter, Dr Rita Inoma-Abbey said the institute chose the theme because traditional rulers have vital roles to play in bringing development and peace in their dormain.
“We know that traditional rulers have roles to play because every crime emanates from their communities and that informed us because we have seen that there is a lot of security challenges within this short period and it is the duty of traditional rulers torchlight every area of their communities and see what they can do to to have a collaboration with the security agencies to nip it in the bud.
Inoma-Abbey who is a former Police Spokesperson in Rivers State, expressed satisfaction with the level of discourse at the lecture.
Meanwhile, the institute now has a new executive in the state.
From the election conducted at the end of the AGM, Pastor Francis Asuk emerged chairman while Dr. Parry Saroh Benson was elected Vice Chairman amongst others.
