A Reputation Management and Communications Specialist, Dr Jossy Nkwocha, has advised Government spokesmen at federal and state levels to use proper deployment of public communications to build trust and douse tension in the country.

Dr Nkwocha made this submission in a keynote address he delivered at the Strategic Leadership Lecture marking the 31st Public Relations Week, which held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos, yesterday, Thursday, July 1, 2021.

Dr Nkwocha spoke on the topic, “Mananging Public Communications, Building Trust”.

He said: “In our country today, poor or inappropriate deployment of public communication can aggravate ethnic tension, drums of war, hate speech ethnic profiling and dangerous innuendoes.

“On the other hand, public Communications van also be use appropriately and altruistically to douse ethnic tension, create atmosphere of peace, harmony and brotherliness.”

Dr Nkwocha, who is Head of Corporate Communications of a multinational in Nigeria, advised that managers of public Communications should use the “Attack Strategy” sparingly as a last resort. Rather they should devise means to build bridges of understanding and friendship for their principals or organisations.

Dr Nkwocha, whose current book titled “Reputation Management and Branding: With Nigerian Case. Studies” is trending, pleaded with his colleagues in government “to remove the ‘them vs us’ syndrome, which is like a declaration of enmity that the Public Relations profession abhors.”

He appealed to managers of Public Communications to ensure that their public speaking, press interviews, speech writing, press releases, press statements, syndicated articles are seasoned with salt and not laced with hate and anger.

The governor of Lagos State, Mr Abiodun Sanwo-Olu, was represented by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotosho, who noted that building trust is very important in public Communications and commended the Lagos NIPR for the lecture.

President of NIPR, Mallam Muktar Sirajo said the NIPR will soon organise a Peace and National Integration Summit to map out best ways to bring back peace and brotherliness in the country.

The Lagos NIPR event was a huge success with top personalities in attendance.

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