Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra has charged public relations practitioners to champion strategic communication as a tool for rebuilding public trust, accountability and excellence in governance.
Soludo, who was represented by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr Law Mefor, made the call on Wednesday in Awka while declaring a one-day Hybrid Professional Training open.
The event was organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Anambra State Chapter.
The training was tagged: “Re-inventing Public Trust, Accountability, Professionalism and Excellence in Anambra: Harnessing Public Relations Best Practices in Government, Corporate and Public Service.”
Soludo said that branding and reputation management were critical components of politics and governance.
“The resource person talked about branding in political communication, those of us in politics know that the individual politician is a brand, either a good one or a bad one. If you see yourself as a brand, you need to manage it.
“In social and learning psychology, reality and perception are miles apart, and perception happens to be more important than reality.
“No matter how noble, if the perception out there is that you are a bad person, then you are a bad person. You need to manage your reputation,” he said.
The governor observed that some politicians with poor track records thrive because of excellent reputation management.
He said that governance should go beyond information dissemination to strategic communication that drives attitudinal change and behaviour modification.
“It is not enough to inform, to dump information. You need to communicate strategically so that people begin to ask themselves questions about their governance,” he said.
Citing Anambra’s environmental crisis as an example of attitudinal failure, the governor said flooding and erosion were largely man-made.
He said they were caused by channelling storm water from homes onto roads and total concreting of compounds without catchment pits or green areas.
He said the state ministries of information and environment began a joint engagement campaign on Sept. 15 to sensitise citizens on sustainable environmental practices.
Soludo said that Ministry of Information was deliberately rebranded Ministry of Information and Value Reformation to drive value reorientation and rebranding of the state.
“We need to recreate Anambra, the paradise for which Anambra was known before.
“Where did we lose our way? How do we retrace our steps, should we will not continue to progress in error?” he said.
He called on the NIPR to join the state government’s coalition to rebuild the reputation of old Anambra, describing it as a practical, not theoretical, task.
The Director UNIZIK FM, Prof. Ifeoma Dunu, said that organisational productivity and reputation depends not only on talented employees or attractive communication but also on how workers are treated, empowered and developed.
Dunu urged organisation not to begin by asking employees to speak well of it but should first build a work place about which they can speak well of.
According to her, employee relations and team building form the foundation of organisational reputation, adding that a healthy internal environment directly influences how an organisation is perceived externally.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to Soludo on Youth Reformation, Dr Nelson Omenugha, said public relations had evolved beyond communication to include trust-building, responsible institutions, strong relationships and value creation.
Omenugha said that in government and public service, effective communication should be backed by transparency, accountability, professionalism and measurable action, noting that institutional reputation was determined by what organisations consistently do.
He commended the NIPR Anambra State Chapter, for providing a platform for learning, reflection and professional renewal, and urged practitioners to continually relearn, reinvent and raise the standard of practice.
Mr Abuchi Onwumelu, a participant promised to replicate what he learnt in the training in his professional life.
Dr Ngozi Ulogu, the NIPR state chairperson, commented tasked participants to ensure that that they made a difference in their various organisations having been equipped with the right information.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training provided participants with practical insights into the changing demands of public relations.
It also underscored the need for communication professionals to play a more strategic role in shaping organisational culture, reputation and public confidence.
The sessions explored key areas including strategic public relations practice, building internal partnerships, political public relations and reputation management in the social media era as well as employee relations. (NAN)
