Use ICT to fight Boko Haram, PR experts advise Buhari, others
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NIGERIA: THE public relations egg-heads in the nation’s colleges of education have advised President
Muhammadu Buhari, and other tiers of government, on how to tackle Boko Haram insurgency in the country.
They suggested that the time has come for government to take another approach in the war against terrorism by using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) technique.
They counseled: “While appreciating the current efforts and strategies of the Federal Government towards winning the war against terror, COPRECOE called on the government at all levels to adopt ICT as a tool of checking guerrilla war strategy by insurgents.”
The advice is part of the 10-point resolutions arrived at recently by the Committee of Public Relations Executives/Information Officers of Colleges of Education in Nigeria (COPRECOE) at its 19th Annual General Meeting held in Abuja.
The communique of the AGM with the theme “ICT as a Game Changer in the Public Relations Industry: Its Prospect for Colleges of Education in Nigeria,” was signed by the committee’s National Chairman, Bola Adesina and National Secretary, Prince Charles Amadike-Otoboh.
While lamenting the plight of the displaced children due to Boko Haram activities, they called on government in different parts of the country to sponsor their education and provide “adequate welfare for them.”
The COPRECOE members at the meeting hosted by the National Commission for Colleges of Education, congratulated Buhari “on his well deserved victory” and “Nigerians for uniting towards a free, fair and peaceful 2015 general election.”
The public relations experts, therefore, urged Nigerians to unite, as witnessed in the election of the President, to salvage the nation’s education sector.
“COPRECEO congratulated the President and Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces of Federal Republic of Nigeria
General Muhammadu Buhari on his well deserved victory at the March 2015 Presidential Election and commended Nigerians for uniting towards a free, fair and peaceful 2015 general election,” they said. “It also called for similar gesture towards salvaging the educational sector in Nigeria.”
They also commended the appointment of Professor Monday Tommy Joshua as the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education and described him as a competent, diligent and a hardworking scholar who has the pedigree and the ability to improve teacher education to compete favourably with global standard.
The colleges of education image makers pleaded with government at all levels to invest heavily in ICT development across Colleges of Education as a strategy towards improving the quality of teacher education.
They also resolved to continually support the National Commission for Colleges of Education and Colleges of Education by creating the necessary enabling environment for growth and development in educational sector.
“COPRECOE called for expedite action on the implementation of the new Scheme of Service that recommends creation of the Directorate of Public Relations in Colleges of Education with its accompanying benefit of having a Director that should be on CONTEDISS 15,” they also urged the government.
They also pleaded: “COPRECOE, while appreciating efforts by Chief Executive Offices in various Colleges of Education to improve Teacher Education, however called on them to provide their Public Relations Officers with modern ICT facilities to improve their productivity and to also adequately address challenges and hardships faced by Public Relations Practitioners in their various Colleges.”
The image makers also charged fellow members to strive in improving their knowledge and application of modern ICT gadgets for effective services delivery and promote dynamic Public Relations practice across the education colleges.
