Kwara State Governor in Northcentral Nigeria, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has extended his congratulations to Dr. Saudat Salah AbdulBaqi, a university educator, and Alhaji Lanre Issa Onilu, a prominent member of the APC, for their recent appointments to the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
Dr. AbdulBaqi earned her position through election during the NIPR Convention that extended into the early hours of Friday. Simultaneously, Alhaji Onilu secured his place as one of the five Federal Government-appointed members of the Council.
Earlier, the Governor urged delegates to strongly support Dr AbdulBaqi during the tightly contested convention. Dr. AbdulBaqi, a communications specialist, had previously served as the chairman of the NIPR’s state chapter and as the former head of the mass communication department at the University of Ilorin.
Read Also: NIPR Governing Council Seat: Kwara State Governor Supports Dr. Saudat Abdulbaqi.
“The Governor welcomes this historic development and commends all the delegates from Kwara and across the country for honouring a distinguished daughter of Kwara State with their votes. He similarly commends the Federal Government for the choice of a great son of the state, Onilu, as one of its representatives on the prestigious council,” according to a Government House statement on Friday.
“The Governor is confident that the duo will, as they always do in every office they held before, make the state proud as NIPR Governing Council members. He commends them to bring their expertise and wealth of experience as top public relations professionals and patriots to take the statutory body (NIPR) to a greater height. He wishes them all the best in this new role and others that may come their way in the coming years.”
In the same development, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, also congratulated a former Head of the institution’s Department of Mass Communication, Dr. Saudat Salah Abdulbaqi, on her election as a Council member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
Dr Abdulbaqi was one of the 17 distinguished public relations scholars and practitioners elected into the NIPR Council at its 2023 Annual Conference/AGM held in Abuja between Wednesday and Friday. The election result was declared in the wee hours of Friday, 25th August.
In a statement signed on his behalf by the Director of Corporate Affairs, University of Ilorin, Mr Kunle Akogun, the Vice Chancellor described the election of the foremost Communication scholar and Chairman of the Kwara State Chapter of the NIPR as a well-deserved reward for professional excellence, remarkable hard work and consistent service to humanity.
Prof. Egbewole added that he and the entire members of the University of Ilorin community had anticipated the emergence of Dr. Abdulbaqi as a Council member of the NIPR as they were convinced that she had all it takes to be so elected.
The Vice-Chancellor described the Associate Professor of Mass Communication as a brilliant, industrious and tireless scholar whose contributions to the deepening of knowledge in her chosen field and promotion of peace and harmony within and beyond Kwara State had endeared her to all, adding that Dr. Abdulbaqi is a pride to the University of Ilorin.
Prof. Egbewole encouraged Dr. Abdulbaqi to see her election as a national official of the frontline professional body as an opportunity for her to work harder for the nation and for humanity to benefit more from her expertise and experience in the promotion of goodwill and peace-building among stakeholders of the Nigerian project.
While enjoining other staff members and students of the University to emulate the industry, dedication and humility of Dr Abdulbaqi for the University to remain an abode of all-round excellence, the Vice Chancellor wished the new NIPR Council member a very successful tenure of office.
In a reaction, Dr Abdulbaqi said that she was extremely delighted with her election. She explained that although she knew she was eminently qualified for the position, she was still elated that her colleagues from all over Nigeria found her worthy of being elected as a Council member of the NIPR among several other equally qualified and competent colleagues.
Dr Abdulbaqi thanked the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, and the entire University community, particularly those who are members of the NIPR, for their support right from the moment she indicated her interest in vying for the position.
She added that the campaign mounted by the Vice Chancellor for her election was not only overwhelming and mind-blowing but had an impressive positive impact on how delegates to the conference perceived her candidature.
Dr Abdulbaqi also thanked the Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for the monumental support offered to her bid for the position.
She explained that the personal support of the Governor coupled with the support her candidature received from the government of Kwara State went a long way in ensuring her victory and made her proud of being a citizen of the State.
Similarly, the Senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Saliu Mustapha, felicitated the former Head of the Department of Communication, University of Ilorin and Chairman of Kwara State Chapter of NIPR, Dr Saudat Salah Abdulbaqi, on her emergence as a member of the NIPR Governing Council.
In a statement issued in Ilorin through his media office, Mustapha who is the Chairman Senate Committee on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development, said the election of the renowned mass communication scholar, public speaker and communication expert as a council member at the just concluded convention of the NIPR in Abuja, lent credence to her commitment to professionalism and dedication to teaching, community services and human relations.
The legislator, who is the Turaki of Ilorin rejoiced with the Kwara State government, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, the people of Ilorin Emirate and the Salah’s family on the election of the cerebral daughter of the Emirate into the Governing Council of the NIPR, appreciating the Associate Professor of mass communication for bringing such honour to the state.
Mustapha, however, challenged Dr Saudat Abdulbaqi to use her vast experience and expertise in Public Relations as well as her accomplishments in academia in the discharge of her duties and wished her lofty heights in future endeavours.
In a related development, the Kwara State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) also congratulated Dr. Saudat Sallah Abdulbaqi, for her election into the twenty-one-member Governing Council of NIPR.
This was contained in a congratulatory message, by the NUJ Chairman and Secretary, Mr. Abdulateef Lanre Ahmed and Omotayo Ayanda, respectively.
The Union described the emergence of Dr Abdulbaqi of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin, as a member of the NIPR Governing Council as a manifestation of her outstanding contributions to scholarship and humanity.
In a similar development, the Senator, representing Kwara Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Saliu Mustapha also felicitated with the University don and noted that her victory in the just concluded convention of the NIPR In Abuja, lent credence to her commitment to professionalism and dedication to teaching, community services and human relations.
The Legislator, who is the Turaki of Ilorin, rejoiced with the State Government, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari and the entire people of Ilorin emirate on the election of the daughter of the emirate into the Governing Council of NIPR.
He charged Dr Abdulbaqi to discharge her duties accordingly.
Also, the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (Kwara state chapter ) heartily felicitates the former Head of the Department of Communications, University of Ilorin and Chairman, Kwara State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr Saudat Salah Abdulbaqi, on her emergence as a member of the NIPR Governing Council.
