‘Police PR dept critical to nation’s progress’

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu has described the Public Relations (PR) department of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) as very critical to the nation’s advancement, even as he assured of the Force’s commitment to enhancing capacity of officers, winning public confidence. Speaking at the ongoing four-day capacity building workshop for Police Public Relations Officers (PPROs) in Awka, Anambra State, Adamu blamed negative behaviours of some security operatives for the attitude of some others.The workshop tagged ‘PRO 2019 Conference’, which started on Tuesday, ends tomorrow.

“Unarguably, certain indiscretions and perceived inactions by some personnel of the force, as well as the security challenges in some parts of the country, impact negatively on the image of the force.”

“This reality, coupled with the dynamic nature of crime, rapidly advancing Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and the changing policing environment that we deal with in the line of our duty have combined to redefine both the concept of policing and the perception of the police by the citizens,” the IGP noted.

He said the workshop was part of his administration’s commitment to enhance the capacity of officers, adding that their primary responsibility was to manage the image and information dissemination process towards repositioning the police, as well as change uninformed perceptions and faulty narratives about the force.

“This is with a view to rebranding the force, advancing our fortunes and restoring our primacy within the internal security architecture of the nation. “Indeed, experts have asserted that there is an intertwining relationship between public perception and the effectiveness of the police to attain its internal security mandate.

“It is imperative that we continually equip the PPROs with necessary skills and knowledge to efficiently engage the public and effectively manage the image and perceptions about the force,” said he.

The IGP explained that the gathering included PPROs from the 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), 12 zonal PPROs as well as staff officers of the Force Public Relations Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja. While commending Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano for hosting and sponsoring the workshop, he described him as a lover of peace and security as well as a staunch supporter of the police.

Earlier, Obiano had urged the officers to learn as much as they could from the meeting, reminding them that much was expected from them.Declaring the workshop open, Obiano counselled the PPROs to do more in polishing the image of the force.The governor assured them of his government’s continued support, especially in the provision of equipment and vehicles to enhance their services. Speaking in an interview, the PPRO Imo State, SP Ikeoku Olando, described the training as worthwhile. “It is a rewarding exercise. It will help improve our communication skills and other areas that have to do with PR,” he added.