NIPR partners EFCC, ICPC to arrest unlicensed practitioners

Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has said it is partnering the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offenses Commission (ICPC) to arrest unlicensed practitioners.

In view of this, Rotimi Oladele, NIPR’s president, says the institute has embarked on recertification of members to weed out unlicensed practitioners.

“We are embarking on recertification of members of the institute towards providing a register that will contain the names and unique numbers of all public relations practitioners in the country. The register will be deposited in government offices and diplomatic missions in Nigeria. Once this is completely, anybody who claims he is a PR practitioner and is not found on the register will be handed over to the law enforcement authorities,” Oladele says.

This was revealed at last week’s induction ceremony of 161 new associate members at the Ikeja Business Club. Oladele, represented by Willy Ogbidi, secretary of the institute’s membership service committee, gave the orientation lecture wherein he also charged the inductees to uphold ethical conduct by refusing briefs that conflict with ethics of the profession.

“We urge you all to abide by the institutes strict guidelines to ensure ethical conduct in your activities. You are joining the institute at a time when there is increased focus on anti-corruption drive and promotion of ethical conduct, therefore we urge you to represent the institute well by shunning all unethical conduct.

“The NIPR has a code of professional conduct that prescribes expected standard of public relations practice, conduct towards employers and clients and the public, and conduct towards the public, the media and other professionals. We expect you to study the codes and abide religiously with it,” he said.

Oath was administered on new members who included professionals from the academia, public sector, the Nigerian military and police public relations desks as well as those from the private sector. The president’s absence led to postponement of issuance of certificates to new members.

Olusegun Mcmedal, Lagos chapter chairman and host of the event, thanked the Governing Council of the institute for moving the venue of this year’s induction to Lagos, saying it had challenged the chapter to put up a good showing.

“This is the first time in a long while that the institute is moving the event to Lagos, and we are delighted to be hosting it. We encourage the new members to abide by the rules of the organisation. We also invite you to attend meetings of the chapters of the institute you belong and actively contribute to the proceedings,” Mcmedal said.

Oladele invited the members to the institute’s national public relations conference/annual general meeting and elections slated for April 13 – 15 in Ibadan.

NIPR, the professional body of all qualified PR practitioners in Nigeria, was established in 1963 as the public relations association of Nigeria.

In 1972, it metamorphosed into the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). The institute became chartered through Decree No. 16 in June 1990.

The supreme governing and policy making body of the institute is its 22 Member National Council, headed by the president. The institute has chapters in all the states of the federation.