By FWENJI GO’AR
The Plateau State Government is set to conclude the caderisation of Public Relations in the Plateau State Scheme of Service, and further enhance professionalism and effective service delivery, as it partners and collaborates with professional institutions and bodies.
The Plateau State Head of Civil Service, Barr. Mrs. Rauta Dakok, stated this while playing host to the Executive Committee, and some senior members of the Plateau State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) who were on a Thank-You/courtesy visit to her office at the JD Gomwalk Secretariat, Jos.
While acknowledging the role of bodies like the NIPR in driving development, Barr Dakok said such Institutions have vital roles to play in checkmating quackery within the state and country at large.
She said the state will collaborate with NiPR as well as the Civil Service Commission to enhance qualitative service.
In her response to the call by the NIPR for the government to ensure professionalism in order to check quackery, the Head of Service said, “If government wants to come up with a policy, it usually gives people some time to make amends.”
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Plateau State Chapter of the NIPR, Bajeh Thomas (mnipr), who was represented by the Secretary, Mike Igbang (mnipr), said the Plateau State Chapter of the NIPR was mandated by the President, and Chairman of the Governing Council of NIPR, Dr. Ike Neliaku (fnipr) to pay the Plateau State Head of the Civil Service a thank you visit and convey the appreciation of the national body of the institute for the vital roles she played in ensuring the caderisation of Public Relations in the Scheme of Service, thereby giving PR professionals the opportunity to rise to the pinnacle of their profession and be able to reach the position of Director.
Igbang, who reiterated the Institute’s role of certifying and regulating activities of Public Relations practitioners in the country, appealed to the Head of Service to ensure implementation within the Civil Service Scheme.
Also speaking, the representative of Dr. Ike Neliaku (fnipr), President and Chairman of the Governing Council, and Governing Council member, Prof Sarah Lwahas (mnipr), appreciated all Heads of Service in the Federation for giving ear to NIPR’s request of ensuring certification within the civil service.
She called for more synergy to ensure full compliance, saying “NIPR will continue to ensure, and see to it that we place the institute in the position where it can speak about Nigeria confidently.”
The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, is the only body given the mandate (by the Act establishing it), to register members, set parameters of knowledge to qualify to practice, regulate the practice and development of the PR profession as well as monitor professional conducts through an established Code of Ethics, amongst others.
