The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, has warned that it would take legal action against public and private organisations that fail to appoint public relations professionals as spokespersons.
Public Relations Officer of NIPR, Mr. Stanley Ogadigo, stated this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja.
Quoting the President of the Institute, Muhktar Sirajo, Ogadigo said it was a criminal offence to practice public relations without necessary certification and licensing
“There is laid down rules about appointing spokespersons; the law establishing NIPR makes it a criminal offence for anybody to practice public relations by whatever name without certification or being licensed by NIPR.
“There are set parameters of knowledge you need to acquire before you can practice public relations.
“The law actually provides for imprisonment, fine, or both,” Sirajo said.
He lamented that government’s continuous patronage of quacks as reputation managers of the nation’s institutions had remained a major challenge and a breach of the law.
Sirajo warned that the NIPR would henceforth apply the section in the Act establishing the institute which stipulated punishment for illegal practice.
“Unfortunately, the government too does not come clean in respect of this. Most of the people government appoints to be spokespersons are in violation of this very important creed (law).
“The government is either unaware of, or has forgotten that there is a law that says you cannot practice Public Relations, PR, without licence from the NIPR.
“In essence, the government too cannot appoint a spokesperson if that person is not licensed by the NIPR,” the Institute’s president said.
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He however expressed satisfaction with the progress being made in the fight against quackery and hinted that the institute would soon conclude arrangement with the necessary law enforcement authorities for proper prosecution of offenders.
The NIPR boss informed that the institute as a responsible body, had designed a professional training programme, called Master Class as alternative for those practising public relations without certification to regularise their membership.
“We have sought audience with the Attorney General of the Federation, because part of the provisions of the law is that the Attorney General is supposed to establish a tribunal that is to try and punish people found to be practising PR without licensing from the NIPR.
According to him, NIPR is not a union or an association, but a chartered institute, which is a creation of the law, and would not hesitate to clampdown on any individual or organisation that flouts its laws.
