The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PHD, NPM has approved the posting of Police Public Relations Officers, to various State Commands and Formation to strengthen community engagement and communication.

The force public relations officer, Assistant commissioner of police, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi in a statement stated that, the newly posted officers and their respective portfolios include SP Ayuba Tunni Umma to PPRO Zone 2, Lagos; SP Hauwa Idris Adamu to PPRO Nigeria Police Cooperative; DSP Ejire Adetoun Adeyemi to PPRO Kwara State; ASP Unah Paul Echefunachi to PPRO Ebonyi; ASP Rufa’i Ahmed to PPRO Sokoto; and ASP Musa Mohammed to PPRO Bayelsa.

Similarly, ASP Abuka Pius has been posted as a Staff Officer to the Public Complaint Bureau of the Force Public Relations Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The Inspector General of Police while tasking the newly posted officers to foster positive relationships between the Nigeria Police Force and the communities they serve, emphasizes the importance of community collaboration in policing, urging the newly posted officers to work closely with the communities they serve.

The IGP charges them to entrench the policing ideals and community-oriented initiatives being implemented by the respective heads of their Commands and Formations.

The Nigeria Police Force extends its congratulations to the newly appointed PPROs and wishes them success in their new roles.

Similarly, The Nigeria Police Force has taken delivery of printed training manuals, curriculum, office furniture, fittings, and equipment for three Police Colleges and one Training School in Nigeria from the Global Security-Sector-Reform Foundation (GS-Foundation) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with funding from the Federal Republic of Germany as a crucial step towards enhancing the capabilities of the Nigeria Police Force. This initiative is part of the ongoing police reform project of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The donation which was received by the Inspector General of Police who was represented by the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Training and Development, DIG Frank Emeka Mba, mni, addresses the needs of Police colleges in Oji River, Maiduguri, Kaduna, and Ilorin, ensuring they receive vital support for optimal training environments.

Ambassador Annett Günter of the Federal Republic of Germany, Matthias Seeger, Project Manager, and Team Lead of the GS-Foundation in Nigeria, and Simon Ridley, UNDP’s Chief Technical Advisor on Rule of Law and Human Rights were on ground to facilitate the process.

They commended the dedication and professionalism of the Nigerian Police, stating that the provision of modern items and advanced IT equipment enhances their work and contributes significantly to community security and efficiency.

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, underscored the importance of well-equipped police colleges in driving the reform agenda.

He expressed appreciation for the collaboration, stating that the donation would boost optimal training platforms in Oji River, Maiduguri, Kaduna, and Ilorin, and in all other training facilities of the NPF, and many others that had already been donated by the GS-Foundation and German Government

Olufemi Atoyebi, Abuja

The Nigeria police force public relations officer, Assistant commissioner of police ACP, Olumuyiwa Adejobi has said the Nigeria Police does not have agents to take and process petitions from Nigerians.

The force PRO stated that ‘’It has been observed that many Nigerians seek the help and services of some unscrupulous and dubious elements in processing written complaints or petitions, which has hindered the smooth attention such petitions deserve and denied many justice’’.

‘’These elements charge and dupe people of huge amounts under the pretence of processing their complaints with such monies and denting the image of the Police and our Senior Officers, this is improper and unacceptable’’

The force image maker urged Nigerians to always drop petitions to the public relations offices as normal correspondence, adding that there are no special treatments, or administrative bureaucracies on petitions.

ACP Adejobi admonished the public to expose and report anyone who is fond of doing that via the published complaint platforms of the Nigeria police

He thereby in strong terms condemn the act in totality and stating that he will do everything possible to curb such, and whoever caught in that dirty deal will face the full wrath of the law.

Credit — Olufemi Atoyebi, ABUJA

The Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, NIPR has appointed the force public relations officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi and ten others public relations experts into NIPR Act Enforcement & Compliance Committee as part of the Governing Council’s response to the growing demand by certified public relations practitioners to rid the profession of unlicensed interlopers, otherwise known as quacks

The NIPR President, Dr Ike Neliaku, during the inauguration of the committee charged the members to be firm, decisive and uncompromising in enforcing the content of the 1990 NIPR Practitioners Act, now Cap N114 Laws of the Federation, 2004, urging defaulting organisations to ensure that their appointees register and regularize with the Institute between October and 31st of December, 2023 as the full enforcement regime for this category of offenders will commence from 1st of January, 2024

He said the appointment of other thoroughbred professionals, in the committee includes serving security officers like DIG Frank Mba of the Nigerian Police, Dr. Peter Afunanya of Department of State Services (DSS), Brigadier General Tukur Gusau and Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu of Defence Headquarters and Army Headquarters, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet of Air Force and Navy Commodore Kayode Ayo-Vaughan (DINFO), Compt Dr Ben Oramalugo of Customs, DCM Bisi Kazeem of FRSC, Deputy Compt Dotun Aredegbe, Chief Superintendent Afolabi Babawale of NSCDC is part of the Governing Council’s response to the growing demand by certified public relations practitioners to rid the profession of unlicensed interlopers, otherwise known as quacks.

Neliaku said the NIPR Act in section 19 (2) prohibits any person from practising public relations without certification from the NIPR and in same section 19 (4a & b) prescribes appropriate punishments for offenders, which include fine, imprisonment or both.

He added that with the inauguration of the NIPR Act Compliance Committee, any fresh appointment of a non-registered member of the Institute from Tuesday, 24th of October, 2023, will be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the law.

He called on defaulting organisations to ensure that their appointees register and regularize with the Institute between October and 31st of December, 2023 as the full enforcement regime for this category of offenders will commence from 1st of January, 2024.

The NIPR boss had condemned the consistent violation of the Act by many government establishments who appoint non-registered persons as Spokespersons, Officers of Public Relations, Corporate Affairs, Public Affairs, etc., especially in this present dispensation.

“The NIPR has noticed with great displeasure, the increasing trend of corporate rascality in appointing Spokespersons by most agencies of government, which we must all rise to stop forthwith, noting that every institution of government ordinarily should be a ‘respecter’ of the law and not a violator,” he said.

The Chairman of the Compliance and Enforcement Committee of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), General Chris Olukolade (Rtd), has said that machineries are being put in place to sanction individuals who are practising public relations without certification as required by relevant laws.

General Olukolade, a former Director Defence Information (DDI) stated this at the inaugural meeting of the committee which comprises top public relations practitioners in the security, paramilitary, public service and the private sector.

He said the institute is putting in place appropriate structures at all levels to effectively enforce NIPR laws and practices by liaising with the council of the institute to set up chapter level Compliance and Enforcement Committee in all states.

“Apart from our plan to mobilise and engage in sensitisation campaigns with various stakeholders and the public, we are working towards setting up the NIPR Tribunal for the prosecution of quacks who are practising PR illegally without proper registration as required by the NIPR Act,” he said.

He said the committee would soon commence monitoring of advertisements and recruitments relating to public relations practice and initiate the process of the prosecution of individuals and corporate bodies operating in violation of the NIPR Act.

Other members who attended the inaugural meeting include former Army, Navy and Police Spokespersons Brig. General SK Usman (Rtd), Commodore Kabir Aliyu (Rtd), CP. Dr. Emmanuel Ojukwu (rtd) respectively; Director Public Relations, the Econonomic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Wilson Uwujaren and Customs Spokesperson Chief Superintendent Abdullahi Maiwada.

Others included Mr Israel J. Opayemi, President Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN); Mrs. Comfort Obot Nwankwo, Chairperson NIPR Lagos State chapter; Mohammed Rabiu Wada, Chairman NIPR Bauchi; Mr Goke Adelabu, Chairman Oyo State chapter NIPR and General Manager Oyo State Radio, Pastor Yemisi Femi-Oyekola of the National Assembly among others.

Credit — Olufemi Atoyebi, FCT