PPROs meet for improved relations with public

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Monday officially inaugurated a four-day Police Public Relations Officers Conference in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The event, which is being organised in partnership with the German Government Federal Foreign Office through the United Nations Development Fund as part of its support for the Police reform process in Nigeria, is designed to enhance strategic communication within the law enforcement community.

The conference for Police Public Relations Officers and Public Relations Experts in the Force with the theme, ‘Enhanced Strategic Communication: Panacea for Effective Policing in Nigeria,’  accentuates the pressing need for improved communication strategies within the law enforcement community to address contemporary challenges and gaps in communication between the police and the people.

The conference also aims to equip Police Public Relations Officers with the skills and knowledge necessary to foster positive relationships between the police force and the public.

The Honourable Minister of Information, Mohammed Malagi, who delivered the keynote address, emphasized the need to constantly evolve with the times in communications to dispel wrongly-held notions about the police.

Similarly, the Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam, and the Chairman, Police Service Commission, Solomon Arase, both pledged to pursue policies and interventions to help sharpen and reposition the NPF in achieving the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration.

The Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Bassey Eno, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the Conference, declared the conference open and assured of his continuous support for the Police as a strategic instrument for securing the people of Akwa Ibom State.

The Inspector-General of Police expressed gratitude to the Governor for his support in hosting the significant conference, highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts between the Police Force and the State Government for improved policing of the State, and other parts of the country.

The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, extolled the IGP for his staunch commitment to fostering positive police-public relationships and his focus on transparency, communication, and collaboration, all of which are pivotal in building trust and understanding between the NPF and the communities they serve.

Meawhile, as part of activities to mark the IGP’s visit to Akwa Ibom State, Egbetokun visited the Akwa Ibom State Police Command where he, alongside the Executive Governor of the State, inaugurated some projects, including a smart conference hall for the Command.

The IGP equally addressed the officers and men of the Command, exhorting them to embrace a people-friendly approach to policing to achieve cohesive and all-inclusive policing.