By Law Ibitoye
Government at all levels have been charged to have a deliberate and sustained cordial relationship utilizing the services of trained Nigeria Public Relations practitioners for effective communication and good governance.
Chief Ajayi who is the first to bag fellow in Public Relations in Ekiti state gave the charge at the award presentation to the Commissioner for Information, Rt Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun, former chairman of NIPR Ekiti state chapter, Prince Adeyemi – Adejolu and himself at the NUJ secretariat on Tuesday.
Reiterating how Public Relations practitioners could promote good governance , Chief Ajayi said Public Relations help change grievance, suspicion and prejudice to goodwill. Adding that the practice bridge gap and encourage friendly relations between government, journalists and the publics. He said” Effective corporate communication is the key to achieving good image between government and citizens and from citizens to government”
Responding, Ekiti state commissioner for Information, Rt Hon Taiwo Olatunbosun commended the leadership of NIPR in Ekiti state for projecting the activities of government.
“I m very proud to be part of this forum, I m very happy for the support I received from you since assumption of office for projecting the activities of the government in Ekiti and beyond, why I’m saying this is that if we have good governance and we don’t have good projection that is coming from the people themselves and not just people but from professionals that understand what it takes to have good governance then such a government may not stand well”
The commissioner said Governor Oyebanji is aware of the activities of the body in Ekiti state, saying the governor values NIPR and promised to work with the body.
Reiterating the state readiness to partner the union, the commissioner assured that NIPR would be registered in the protocol list of the state , saying NIPR practice is beyond writing or broadcasting; it’s all encompassing. The commissioner added that Public Relations is all about branding and projection that would spur up good governance in Ekiti state.
While assuring Ekiti people that there would be no scarcity of food, he stressed that the intervention of governor Oyebanji in Agriculture, job creation, provision of social amenities and securing Ekiti landscape has transformed the state.
Hon Olatunbosun commended the prompt action of the governor towards the deployment of military personnel to the state which he said had helped to arrest some of the notorious criminals terrorizing the state.
Speaking on behalf of two other recipients of the award, Hon. Olatunbosun thanked NIPR Ekiti chapter for the honour and promised to support and not to disappoint the union, saying they would be good ambassadors of the profession.
Earlier, the chairman of NIPR, Ekiti state, Mr Anthony Adesua and the immediate past chairman and Acting Registrar, Federal Polytechnic Ado Ekiti, Prince Sunday Adeyemi – Adejolu (FNIPR) had tasked the government of Ekiti on the need to work with the Ekiti State chapter and enrol all information officers in the state including Local Government Areas for effective governance.