The Eze Oha Evo III of Evo Kingdom, Nyerisi Eli Woji (Eze Woji XII), His Majesty, King Prof. Leslie Nyebuchi Eke, Eze Gbakagbaka, has called on communication professionals to rise above routine narratives and become vanguards in rebuilding public trust in the face of Nigeria\u2019s challenging economic realities.
\nThe revered monarch made the charge while delivering the Chairman\u2019s Opening Remarks at the 2025 Annual Conference of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Rivers State Chapter, held in Port Harcourt, with the theme: \u201cRefocusing Stakeholders\u2019 Engagement and Public Trust in a Challenging Economy.\u201d
\nThe event, which drew leading figures in public communication, governance, and industry, witnessed presentations, keynote addresses and robust deliberations aimed at repositioning the PR profession to respond to national realities with innovation and integrity.
\nIn his remarks, HM Eke commended the Rivers State Chapter of NIPR, led by Rev. Francis Asuk, for what he called its unwavering commitment to professionalism, knowledge-sharing, and continuous dialogue on issues affecting the nation\u2019s social and institutional fabric.
\nHe noted that the theme of the conference could not have been more appropriate, considering the current national climate where public confidence in institutions is at an all-time low, and economic uncertainties have strained relationships between stakeholders and the state.
\n\u201cWe are living in a season when trust has become a scarce commodity. Citizens are asking tough questions, and institutions are struggling to maintain credibility. In such a time, the role of the Public Relations professional becomes even more crucial\u201d, he said.
\nThe Eze Gbakagbaka, who is the Chairman, Supreme Forum of Ikwerre Government Recognized Traditional Rulers, noted that Public Relations practitioners must understand their strategic role as mediators between the people and the truth, adding that the tools of their trade: honest communication, transparency, and empathy, must be wielded with renewed purpose and patriotism.
\n\u201cYou are the bridge between the people and the truth; between perception and reality. Your work determines whether society believes, doubts, or hopes again. Let this conference remind us that trust is not demanded, it is earned\u201d, he urged.
\nHe emphasized that the restoration of trust in both public and private sectors requires consistent, deliberate, and sincere stakeholder engagement.
\nAccording to him, when communication is driven by integrity, not propaganda, society will gradually find its voice and confidence once again.
\n\u201cWith transparent communication and genuine engagement, even in a difficult economy, confidence can be restored\u201d, the monarch said, urging the delegates to see themselves not just as professionals, but as nation-builders with a moral obligation to influence public perception positively.
\nThe Evo apex King, who is also a Fellow of the Institute, called on participants to approach the discussions with open minds and patriotic intent, stressing that every contribution must be geared towards rebuilding national cohesion and institutional trust.
\n\u201cWith a deep sense of honour and responsibility\u201d, he declared, \u201cI, His Majesty, King Leslie Nyebuchi Eke, JP, Eze Gbakagbaka, Eze Oha Evo III of Evo Kingdom, Nyerisi Eli Woji (Eze Woji XII) and Chairman, Supreme Forum of Ikwerre Government Recognized Traditional Rulers, formally declare open the 2025 Annual Conference of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Rivers State Chapter to the glory of God and for the good of our society.\u201d
\nAt a post conference courtesy call at the instance of the Eze Gbakagbaka, the President of the Association, Dr. Ike Neliaku, described the Kung as an astute Fellow who is determined to add colour to the Institute regardless of any odds.
\nAlso, the Council Member, Pastor Palunius Nsirim, who corroborated the President\u2019s position, noted that His Majesty\u2019s recognition was something valid given his contributions to the growth of the association.
\n\u201cWe value your presence with us. We will continue to benefit from your wise counsel. We won\u2019t take your support for granted\u201d, he said.
\nClimax of the visit was the decoration of Dr. Neliaku by the Evo apex King as a Honorary citizen of the Kingdom.<\/p>\n
By: King Onunwor<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Eze Oha Evo III of Evo Kingdom, Nyerisi Eli Woji (Eze Woji XII), His Majesty, King Prof. Leslie Nyebuchi Eke, Eze Gbakagbaka, has called on communication professionals to rise above routine narratives and become vanguards in rebuilding public trust in the face of Nigeria\u2019s challenging economic realities. The revered monarch made the charge while […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67315,"featured_media":348862,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-348814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rivers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/67315"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=348814"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":348871,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348814\/revisions\/348871"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/348862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=348814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=348814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=348814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}