EXAMINING PUBLIC RELATIONS AS A VERITABLE TOOL FOR ERADICATING CULTISM IN NIGERIAN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

 EXAMINING PUBLIC RELATIONS AS A VERITABLE TOOL FOR ERADICATING CULTISM IN NIGERIAN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

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 affect 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 officer, which was later known as the public relations officer of the government. (According to Adebola 1992) “The public relations office 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.

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