The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, has again reiterated its stance against the appointment of unlicensed and unregistered professionals as spokespersons, especially for the country’s security services.
The institute disclosed that its recently-inaugurated Enforcement and Compliance Committee will aggressively drive the process of identifying organisations and individuals operating in contravention of the law and ensure they are duly prosecuted.
A letter dispatched to security chiefs on Friday and sighted by PRNigeria was signed by Dr. Ike Neliaku, NIPR President/Chairman of the Governing Council, and Major General Chris Olukolade (rtd), Chairman, NIPR Compliance and Enforcement Committee.
Titled “Caution Against Contravention of the Law on Appointment of Public Relations Practitioners and Allied Positions in Government Establishments”, the memo which stressed NIPR’s commitment to uphold professionalism, offered partnership to build and sustain an enviable reputation and image of federal entities.
It was addressed to General Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS); Lt-General Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff (COAS); Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), as well as heads of other security and paramilitary services.
The institute urged the establishments to comply with its advise by the last day of March in order to align their operations with provisions of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations Practitioners Act of 1990, now Cap N114 Laws of the Federation 2004.
The memo reads: “Section 19 (2) of the NIPR Act states that, ‘If any person who is not a member of the Institute practises or holds himself out to practise as a public relations practitioner for or in expectation of reward, or takes or uses any name, title, addition or description implying that he is in practice as a public relations practitioner, he shall be guilty of an offence….’; Section 19 (4) states that, ‘A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable to a fine, imprisonment or both.’
“Section 19 (5) states that, ‘Where an offence under this section, which has been committed by a body corporate, is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of any director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate or any person purporting to act in any such capacity, he, as well as the body corporate, shall be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be prosecuted and punished accordingly.’
“The provisions above criminalises the employment, hiring or assigning of any officer who is not registered with NIPR as Spokesperson, Public Relations, Public Affairs, Corporate Affairs, Community Relations, Communication, Press Relations, Corporate Communication, Protocol or information functionary and allied services by any public or private organisation in Nigeria.
“Owing to the recent charge by the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi, for Council to give effect to the Federal Government’s resolve to enforce this important law regulating the practice of Public Relations, Council has established and mandated its Enforcement and Compliance Committee to identify organisations and individuals operating in contravention and ensure they are arraigned before the special tribunal established for that purpose.
“In view of the high regard we accord your office, we consider it necessary to invite you to kindly take steps to align your appointment of Spokespersons and staff overseeing your communication and public relations functions with the provisions of the NIPR Act.
“We strongly counsel that you ensure that between now and 31st March 2024 when names of defaulters, individuals and organizations will be published and prosecuted, you kindly correct the posting of any unlicensed individual performing public relations functions, under any name, in your organisation. This is important to protect your reputation as a responsible, law abiding institution.
“Should you have any staff currently working in contravention of the NIPR Act, kindly take NOTICE that if by 31st March 2024 such staff does not remedy the defficiancy, we shall NOT give any further notice before publishing the names of the staff and your organisations for attention of the tribunal.
“Be assured that the NIPR National Secretariat is open to provide any further clarifications, guidance and support that your organisation may require to be fully compliant with the law before 31st March 2024,” the memo concluded.
