From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, assures
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Malagi, has said President Bola Tinubu-led administration would not rely on propaganda to propagate government programmes, declaring the era of propaganda was over.
He stated this at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPP) in Abuja, yesterday, saying the stance against propaganda was in a bid to restore public confidence and trust in government and its policies.
He said: “You are aware that the focus of government now is how to restore the confidence of the governed in government and its institutions. This time around, a process of restoring popular confidence and trust in government and its policies shall not lie in the domain of propaganda. Through tangible and credible policies of government, government aims to directly impact on the lives of our people. In other words, the era of relying on propaganda to propagate government programmes is now over.”
The minister assured that the Tinubu-led government would “endeavour with renewed vigour and commitment to provide credible information to Nigerians at all times, which of course includes boldly and humbly, acknowledging mistakes where such are made.”
He said this would reduce apathy, and engendering trust between government and its citizens.
“We will engender a new approach based on truth, mutual respect, and empathy, which is needed to reopen conversation between government and the people.”
The minister said as public relations practitioners, members of the NIPR should be aware of the vantage and strategic intervention that the communications spectrum could assist in making the profession more relevant and more focused to achieve national expectations and concentrating on the key issues that predominate national life.
“Transparency is the currency that builds credibility. While authenticity is the foundation upon which lasting relationships can be built. Let me assure my colleagues, the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, shall be anchored on transparent and accountable information dissemination to Nigerians.”
Malagi, fellow of NIPR, expressed the believe that his appointment as minister underscored the key role that communication professionals can play in helping to address a myriad of challenges, especially those that the country is currently facing.
He noted that the theme of this year’s conference, “Leadership, Public Relations and Value Creation”, was apt, stressing that while the objectives are to improve capacity building for members to bridge the industry knowledge gap, it is also to increase the networking opportunities for practitioners and to tap into relevant global trends in public relations practice to thrive in a competitive environment.
President of NIPR, Mukhtar Sirajo, called on leaders of the country to meet the high expectations of Nigerians. Sirajo said the country is facing challenges from various sectors and that citizens expect a lot from their leaders. He said it was important that government does not disappoint citizens.
Sirajo also expressed concerns about the negative impact of the removal of the fuel subsidy by the government. He condemned the overthrow of the democratically elected administration in the Republic of Niger and called for the return of democracy to the country.
Sirajo noted the threat by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to use force as part of the solution, saying NIPR was opposed to the use of force as a strategy of conflict resolution and called for peaceful diplomatic engagement as a way out.
The institute’s President noted that Nigeria’s position is tangential to the Republic of Niger, putting her in a position to face many adverse repercussions that may arise from military action. Moreover, with Nigeria’s border in Niger Republic across seven Nigerian states of Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno, covering a distance of over 1,600 kilometers, and the consequential beautiful relationships built over time, which include intermarriages and other mutually beneficial interactions, it certainly cannot be in the interest of either country to be at war with each other, whatever the circumstance.