By Angeline Mgbele, Senior Correspondent, Abuja
The Director, Public Affairs(DPA) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Reuben Muoka and the Head, Media Relations Management of the Commission, Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan, have both been decorated as fellows of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
The inductions of the duo were approved, among others, by the Council of the institute, and conducted at its 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the International Conference Center, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, north central, part of the country.
Muoka and Ibietan were among technocrats from the public, private sector, university dons, statesmen and women that were honoured at the NIPR 2022 AGM.
Addressing participants at the AGM, the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Institute, Mukhtar Zubairu Sirajo noted that new fellows were selected after a tough screening exercise of candidates aspiring for the fellowship of the institute by the Fellowship Advisory Committee.
Muoka joined NCC in 2007 as a Principal Manager and was assigned to the Public Affairs Department where he was the head of Media and Public Relations Unit. He rose to become an Assistant Director and also a Deputy Director assigned to head the rejigged Public Relations Unit of PAD. In 2017, he was moved to the department of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis to head the Economic Analysis unit of department.
In 2021, Muoka was appointed head of the Special Duties Department with responsibility of overseeing the International Relations Unit; Emergency Communication Centres Unit; the Public-Private Partnership Unit; and Security Services Unit of the Commission. It was on this post that he was appointed the Head of Public Affairs, succeeding Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, who now heads the Special Projects Department.
On his part, Dr. Ibietan, a certified regulation specialist is an accomplished multi-stakeholder relationship and communication management professional and social entrepreneur.
Ibietan was the Head Online Media and Special Publications at NCC; Senior Manager Media Management and earlier served the Commission as Senior Manager Legislative Relations.
Before joining NCC, Ibietan worked with the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat) and was credited for setting up of the Corporate Communications Department where he eventually managed the Media Strategy and External Relations.
Ibietan holds a doctorate degree from the North-West University, South Africa.
NIPR was established in 1963 and Chartered by Decree 16 of June 1990, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations Practitioners Decree (now an Act of the National Assembly and cited as Cap N114, Laws of the Federation Nigeria (LFN) 2004).
