A STUDY ON PUBLIC RELATIONS AS A VERITABLE TOOL

A STUDY ON PUBLIC RELATIONS AS A VERITABLE TOOL FOR ERADICATING CULTISM IN NIGERIAN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The study is on public relations as veritable tools for eradicating cultism in Nigerians tertiary institutions having the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree as a case study. To see how public relations could achieve this feat, examining its history becomes inevitable. This is justified in George santayama’s quotation when he
said, “Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it’. As long as this study focuses on public relations as tools for eradicating of secret cult in Nigerian tertiary institutions especially in Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, It is then essential to examine the history of secret cult their mode of operations, their
aims and objectives, their methods of recruitment and their names and headquarters in Nigeria. It is when all these facts about secret cult and public relations are being taken into consideration that solution could be recommended in Osun State Polytechnic, Iree using public relations as its chief tool. Public relation is as old as mankind. Public relations aect almost every one who has a contact with other human beings. All of us, in one –way or the other practice or experience public relations daily. In the ancient times, priests served as public relations advisers to their kings. They were experts in public opinion and persuasions .The kings consulted them before any major decision or important ceremonial event were under taken. Also the priest conducted literature, poems of praises and lamentation and edicts to govern the people.
Julius Caesar was a master of persuasive techniques, faced with an imminent battle; Caesar would rally public support through assorted publication and staged events. There were also the establishment of the daily news-paper called the ‘ACTA BLURINA’ or daily record containing government decrees and other
information. The public relation in Nigeria has become a long way, its beginning has been linked with the second world war. As presented by Nigeria Institute of Public Relation (NIPR) 1988 Anniversary publication ‘25years of public relation in Nigeria’. The colonial government before the World War II was concerned with collection of taxies and the running of a police force to maintain law and order in three protectorates amalgamated into Nigeria in 1914. If there was any public relations practice before the world war 11, It was merely maintenance of relationship with the traditional rulers world war. However, the need arose for the colonial government to set up an information oicer, which was later known as the public relations oicer
of the government. (According to Adebola 1992) “The public relations oice was primarily set up to publicize the colonial war and to encourage the youth to join the war. Mike Okereke, one of the pioneers of modern public relations in Nigeria, declared reliantly in a speech that the profession is about 30 years old.
In the post independence era however, there was significant development in government public relations activities. The N I P R (1988) anniversary publications reveals that government took the advantage of the information ministry and utilize eectively the machinery of the federal level to build its image. Since political culture allowed autonomous country of information channel at the state level, the party in power eectively utilized the machinery to promote its image. There was liaison oicer in each state and dewing the Shagari administration (1973 –83) the ministry of information became a part of the oicer of the resident. Even with the advert of the military in 1983 the federal government believed in the power of public relations in the act of governance.
In the private sector many organization have contributed to the growth of modern public relations practice in Nigeria. For instance, in 1949 the united African company, UAC, established its public relations department and thus became the pioneer of pubic relations practice in the private sector in Nigeria. It basic
objectives were to inform business and commerce about business activities as well as to project UAC as a major Nigerian industrial, technical and commercial company involved in the stability of the economic life and progress in Nigeria. People associated with large organization oen are aware of what is happening with the institution that aect their interest and as a result, serious misunderstanding occur between management and its publics and thus, good will is scarified. To explain corporate politics, Action and forcing about better
understanding with workers, students, management requires public relations techniques. Public relations have grown as important as institutions recognized that they have social responsibility to serve the public. In the past corporations existed solely to make money for their owners but today, corporate function as a creator of employment, social institutions and benefactor of education, patrons of arts and advocate of good government. Modern public relations involve research, communication, complex activities and evaluation. It involves doing right and taking about it, all in a planned and systematic manner. It is not working taking about ourselves all the time without backing our takes with concrete actions. Public relations is not window
dressing, visions propaganda or lies , unnecessary details and shallow gimonicks, it does not mean putting beautiful women in the front oice, expecting them to perform public relations because of cult activities in the school. The school authority had confirmed that cultism has now gone out of control and the cultists are carrying out all sorts of atrocities with impurity all over the institutions. The basic conditions for sustained academics culture are no more.
The institution has fallen into disrepute. In place of academics rigor and search for the truth, strange, anti-social cult and inglorious fraternity have taken over Osun State Polytechnic, Iree. Examination Malpractices, banditry and sundry vice now stock Osun State Polytechnic, Iree. Some of the bogging questions are:
i. Why cultism in Osun State Polytechnic?
ii. What can be done to curb it?

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