****Nasarawa willing to attract the siting of Nigerian Public Relations School -Gov. Sule
The Governor Of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, says the State Government will provide the enabling environment for the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations NIPR, to establish the 1st Public Relations School in Nigeria to be sited in the State should they meet the modalities for that purpose.
Governor Sule said the state has the potentials and capacity to hosting the institution as a professional development school equivalent to the Nigerian Law School to train highly professional manpower for Public Relations practice and management.
He was speaking when he played host to the officials and members of the Nasarawa State Chapter of the Institute at the Government House in Lafia, Wednesday, March 27.
Gov. Sule said the State Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism will liaise with the NIPR to facilitate the process of establishing the training school, noting that Nasarawa has a strategic role to play in siting the Institute, considering the of the State’s proximity to the Federal Capital Territory and as well as the abundant acclaimed media and journalism practitioners.
He added that he would provide all required support that will lead to the founding of the P.R. School, commending the state chapter for prompting the establishment of the institution as well as their sacrifice in promoting discipline and professional ethics in the profession.
According to him, the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism will also work with the NIPR to train all information officers at the state and local government levels as a deliberate step to equip them skills and make them ready for global competitiveness.
This, Governor Sule said the State will benefit from their rich potentials through the dissemination of the right public information building of the right image that will maximised investment in the state.
While appreciating the President and members of the resuscitation committee of the Nasarawa State Chapter, for rejuvenating the activities of the image-making profession in the state, strengthening professionalism and trust building in the minds of the citizenry, the Governor enjoined the Committee to work closely with the government in stabilising development in all areas of the state’s economy.
Speaking, Chairman of the State Resuscitation Committee of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, Joseph Attah, told the Governor that the Committee has charted a new course for professional conduct, promotion of the rich endowments in the state as well as putting measures in place for the conduct of election to usher in new officials of the organisation.
Attah, a one-time spokesman for the Nigeria Customs Service, explained that on their appointment by the Neliaku-led Presidency of the NIPR, the Commitee had sought for partnership with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state such as the Ministry of Information and Nasarawa Broadcasting Service to promote the image of the state to the outside world; adding that a one-day sensitization workshop for youth was held with a view to maximise their potentials through responsible use of the social media.
Seeking the Governor’s support to attract the siting of the NIPR training school in the state, Attah, said there are huge benefits in doing that as Nasarawa will host hundreds of practitioners from across the Nigeria yearly for training and induction which will accelerate the pace of progress in the state.
He insisted that training P. R. professionals is of great importance to the state’s aspirations of “Exceeding All Expectations” as allowing unqualified practitioners to manage the state’s information and image is punishable by law.
Thereafter, an award of distinguished service was presented by the NIPR Chairman to Gov. Sule, announcing him as the Grand Patron of the NIPR in the state.