To some extent, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) play strategic roles in ensuring that the public is adequately informed about the efforts and accomplishments of the security services, especially ongoing military operations.

Behind the scenes, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, facilitates inter-agency collaboration and harmonious relationships among the different security organisations to achieve peace and stability in the country. He recently directed the reactivation of the Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA), which was established during the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan, before later being jettisoned during the eight years in office of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Similarly, as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa has also demonstrated leadership qualities in ensuring that the service chiefs speak with one voice towards the highest attainment of national security and operational competence of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force.

Meanwhile, no matter how transparent and responsible an organisation is, public criticism or negative media coverage could sometimes be inevitable even despite the best intentions due to inadequate public access to information about it or mischief makers’ wilful manipulation of information concerning it. Likewise, avoidable controversies could occur due to the management’s nonchalant attitude, inactions and/or needless decision-making.

With remarkable accomplishments in its areas of operation, the Nigerian Navy, under the leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, is grossly misunderstood by the public, going by a series of attacks that it has been subjected to recently in the Nigerian media.

Ogalla is an outstanding military officer who emerged as the best graduating science student (boy) at the Nigerian Military School, Zaria 1987. He attained a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Mathematics and was awarded the Sword of Honour as the best Naval cadet in his course. He later obtained a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan.

Following his commission as a second lieutenant in 1992, he rose rapidly to the rank of Rear Admiral in September 2021 before being elevated to his current position.

When he was appointed as the Chief of Naval Staff by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, there was a controversy over an allegation that the former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, had refused to hand over to him as his successor. Ogalla had to instruct the Naval spokesperson, Rear Admiral AO Ayo-Vaughan, to debunk the reports by explaining to the public the traditional procedure for handing over the mantle of military leadership.

Besides taking part in several military operations, including the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia, Ogalla successfully coordinated several anti-illegal oil bunkering operations, leading to a remarkable reduction in illicit activities on our national and international waterways, especially in the Niger Delta. That experience probably influenced his reluctance as the naval chief to engage private security firms for military operations against oil thieves in the region.

It was therefore not surprising that Tantita Security Services Limited, owned by ex-Niger Delta militant leader Government Ekpemupolo, a.k.a Tompolo, had to engage the Nigerian Navy in a tug-of-war while seeking to preserve its lucrative security contract for the protection of Nigerias resource-bearing waterways.

The no-love-lost relationship compelled Tantita to accuse the Navy of harbouring bad eggs within it that were sabotaging the fight against the menace of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta. The Navy accused Tantita Security of being involved in illegalities concerning a crude oil vessel seized in the coastal waters.

However, a few months later, another controversy broke out when the Peoples Gazette, an online news platform, alleged that the Naval Chief had facilitated an unorganised bunkering of Nigerian crude and was involved in a multimillion-naira contract-splitting fraud. The Peoples Gazette also accused Ogalla of releasing several oil tankers that had been impounded for transporting stolen crude oil off Nigerian shores after receiving kickbacks in millions of dollars.

Could the allegations be true going within the purview of Vice Admiral Ogallas past sterling records as the Commandant at the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic School (NNHS) and Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (NNHO), where he enabled cost-effective procurements of several kits and tools from reputable Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), leading to improvements in practical training of the institutions, while also being instrumental in the localisation of many of the Naval tools of operations?

It was, therefore, surprising that less than 24 hours after the media report, the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, responded that the allegations against Ogalla would be investigated immediately, stressing that President Bola Tinubu had zero tolerance for corruption in the public service.

Rather than get distracted by the allegations, the Nigerian Navy under Ogalla has kept on sustaining, with renewed efforts, its Operation Delta Sanity, which aims at combating crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering, and other sundry crimes within the nations maritime environment.

Apart from intercepting more vessels with stolen crude oil and materials meant for the construction of illegal refineries, the Navy has also arrested scores of suspects involved in bunkering and handed them over to the appropriate authorities.

While the controversies remain unabated, the success stories of naval operations are equally being reported accordingly.

Meanwhile, there is a feeler that the Chief of Naval Staff may be in the eyes of the storm over his alleged plan to appoint a new naval spokesperson in contravention of Nigerian law. The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), a statutory body, has reiterated its stance against appointing unlicensed and unregistered professionals as spokespersons, especially for the countrys security services.

Almost all the security and intelligence services have complied with the law by appointing certified PR professionals as their spokespersons, including the Defence Headquarters, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Airforce, the Police, the Department of State Services, the Customs, the Immigration, the NDLEA, EFCC, ICPC, FRSC and even NEMA. Why should the Nigerian Navy be different?

For fear that some chief executive officers may not be aware of the law, the NIPR President, Dr Ike Neliaku and Chairman of its Enforcement and Compliance Committee retired Major General Chris Olukolade, jointly signed a memo addressed to the service chiefs cautioning against contravention of the Law on Appointment of Public Relations Practitioners and Allied Positions in Government Establishments.

In the memo, top government officials, especially in the security services, were reminded of the provisions of the NIPR Practitioners Act of 1990, now Cap N114 Laws of the Federation 2004, which states that any person who is not a member of the Institute practices or holds himself out to practice as a public relations practitioner for or in expectation of reward, or takes or uses any name, title, addition or description implying that he is in practice as a public relations practitioner, he shall be guilty of an offence.

Section 19 (4) of the Act states that A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable to a fine, imprisonment or both. In addition, Section 19 (5) states that Where an offence under this section which a body corporate has committed is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of any director (CEO), manager, secretary or other similar officers of the body corporate or any person purporting to act in any such capacity, he, as well as the body corporate, shall be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be prosecuted and punished accordingly.

Concerned about the statutory provision that criminalises the appointment of uncertified PR officers as spokespersons, the Information Minister, Mr Mohammed Idris Malagi, recently charged the NIPR Council to give effect to the Federal Governments resolve to enforce the law regulating the practice of Public Relations in Nigeria.
Being a member of the Nigerian Hydrographic Society, the Nigerian Institute of Management, the International Earth Rotation Services and a fellow of the Occupational Safety and Health Association, Vice Admiral Ogalla should realise that beyond networking, professional bodies provide ethical standards and guidance that deserve to be complied with for occupational integrity.

We hope that critical institutions will comply with the laws of the federation, particularly regarding the appointment of their spokespersons. It will be deplorable if they operate in contravention of the law by daring the NIPR to act by summoning those in violation before the special tribunal established by the Act for ultimate prosecution for misconduct.

It is essential for individuals and organisations to always strive to protect their reputation as responsible, law-abiding citizens without engaging in needless controversies.

Yushau A. Shuaib is the Author of Award-Winning Crisis Communication Strategies
www.YAShuaib.com, yashuaib@yahoo.com

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By Yushau A. Shuaib

The 2023 Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has cleared 29 candidates vying for the seats of 18 Governing Council members of the institution.

The election will be held at NIPRs Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Conference, with the theme, “Leadership, Public Relations and Value Creation,” in Abuja, today August 24, 2023.

The Chairman and Secretary of the electoral committee, Chief Casca Ogosu and Mr. Uzoma Onyegbadue told the Spokespersons Digest, a sister publication of PRNigeria that among the 29-list candidates, 18 of them have achieved the esteemed status of being Fellows of the Institute, with an additional nine candidates entering the fray as Members, while one person is an Associate Member.

According to the NIPR Act, after voting, the elected Governing Council members will form an Electoral College to further elect the President and Vice President of the association, who would double as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Governing Council of NIPR for a tenure of two years each.

The major contenders for the presidency of the institute are two Fellows, Mrs. Nkechi Ali-Balogun, of the Lagos Chapter, and Dr. Ike Neliaku of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter.

While I am reluctant to get involved in the typical politicking around the candidates, I must say that the two major gladiators are exceptional PR professionals whose professionalism, competence, capability, and performance on the job I can vouch for.

I have known Dr. Ike Neliaku since 1994 when I was deployed to the Federal Ministry of Information as a staff, after winning the 1993 Presidential National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) award, which came with automatic employment in the Federal Civil Service.

Neliaku, who had previously won the same award in 1991, was then the Personal Assistant to the Minister of Information, who not only guided me through the rudiments of work in the civil service but equally gave me unforgettable moral and kind support to ease into the new work environment.

I recall vividly how he had strongly urged me to sustain my regular article writings, which were being recognised for awards and honours at that time. In fact, he was delighted with some of the books I wrote subsequently whose endorsements he facilitated with the Minister, while also helping secure written Forewords by Ministers. He has also been a guest at our events, including the Annual Spokespersons Communication Awards (SCA) and book presentations. The more recent instance was during the book I unveiled in honour of the most charismatic minister in the immediate past administration, Professor Ali Isa Pantami.

On the other hand, while I know Mrs Nkechi Ali Balogun as the quintessential Woman in PR, going by her activities and accomplishments as Chairperson of the Lagos chapter of NIPR in the past, our paths have equally crossed on several occasions at national and international PR events. She always has kind words of appreciation for encouraging efforts, presentations and performances at such occasions.

I can attest to the fact that both Neliaku and Ali-Balogun are highly creative, result-oriented, widely networked and well-grounded, yet they are distinct personalities with peculiar strengths and senses of purpose.

A Fellow of NIPR, and a Senior Member of the African Public Relations Association (APPRA), Mrs Nkechi Ali-Balogun is the Principal Consultant/CEO of NECCI Limited, a PR firm based in Lagos. She had previously worked as Head of Corporate Affairs at prominent banks, NEXIM and Equitorial Trust Bank.

She holds a first degree in English/Education and a Masters degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos. She also obtained an MBA in Management from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

On his part, Neliaku attended the University of Jos, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Arts in 1989 and thereafter a Masters degree in Political Economy, and a PhD in Development Studies, both from the University of Abuja. Having served as Special Assistant to the Ministers of Information, as well as that of Cooperation and Africa Integration, he was later appointed as Senior Special Assistant to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria between 2010 and 2015. He is currently the Executive Vice Chairman, of Rightangle PR and Executive Secretary/Member of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Prize for Leadership.

While NIPR members, mostly from the Lagos axis, testify to the fact that Nkechis track record is steeped in competence, unwavering ethical values, and proven leadership ability, the PR professionals in the Abuja axis have described Neliaku as emotionally intelligent, relationship-driven, skilful in managing different interests and tested in managing power and public assets.

The two candidates have both unveiled their different agendas ahead of the election. While Nkechi unveiled a 7-point Agenda, Neliakus promises for taking the NIPR to great heights are anchored on a 9-point Agenda.

In a statement titled, Lets Make History Together, Nkechi outlines her vision for the institute, as she listed her agenda to include: Caderisation by strengthening professional cadres to ensure excellence at all levels; organisational renewal, by breathing new life into our institute; a befitting secretariat by providing NIPR with the infrastructure it deserves and increased revenue generation by sustaining and expanding initiatives.

Other pledges she is making to members comprise: Digitization by embracing technology for efficiency and reach; Improving Chapter Capacity and Collaboration and Global Recognition and Affiliations.

Similarly, in his agenda, Neliaku promises to work towards the establishment of the first African Public Relations University in Nigeria, having conducted project feasibility and viability studies for the NIPR-owned PR university with the support of the Education Advisory Board, as a finishing school for PR practitioners.

He listed his agenda as follows: Reposition the National Secretariat for effective administration; enhance membership value and professional development, Ensure digitalisation of the institutes operations and elevate the institutes national recognition; empower state chapters for greater viability and sustainability.

More so Neliaku seeks to: ensure regulatory compliances and strengthen the rank and status of NIPR Fellows; special projects for sustainable revenue generation; initiate the development of Nigerian Reputation House in Abuja and facilitating the establishment of Africas First Public Relations University in Nigeria.

Both candidates have been assuring their colleagues that they have the reputation to deliver on their campaign promises of making NIPR a beacon of professionalism and excellence.

While I wish my sister, Nkechi Ali-Balogun, and my brother, Ike Neliaku, the very best in todays AGM and election, I urge them to see the election as a contest among siblings and not war, as this will sustain and improve the relationship not only among them but also among all the members of the perception and reputation management profession.

Yushau A. Shuaib. Author of “A Dozen Tips for Media,” “Writings for the Media,” “Financial Public Relations” and “Award-Winning Crisis Communication Strategies”
www.YAShuaib.com, yashuaib@yahoo.com

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