by The Cross River State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Erasmus Ekpang has called on the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) as well as its practising body, the Advertising Practitioners Association of Nigeria,(APAAC), to put machinery in motion to ensure whatever is posted as advertorials for public consumption, follows laid down rules and regulations.
Ekpang gave the charge when he hosted both teams on a courtesy visit to his office in Calabar on Tuesday.
According to Ekpang, ‘You owe us a duty as both Regulatory body and practitioners to ensure that all content is critically assessed and approved before posted in any part of the state.
Decrying the threat posed by the unregulated social media environment, Info Boss explained, “Social Media has made it practically impossible for advertorials to be regulated online but the ones on the billboards and other mediums should be made to pass through professional and ethical screening before they are exposed.
“Today in Cross River, you can attest to the fact that the government is a people’s oriented one and we are doing everything humanly possible to ensure that, all indices of human growth and development are followed to the latter.
“As a professional body, we need your collaboration and full support in terms of your expertise as we begin our rebranding exercise as we want to do it right and in line with your organisational ethical standard.
“Our office is open at all times and we will be glad to have you as our team member as we strive to restore our lost glory and create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Advertising Practitioners Association of Nigerian, Cross River State Chapter, Mr. Ita Effiong Okon, who congratulated Commissioner Ekpang on his well-deserved appointment having served as State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressing Congress, APC, intimated to him that, they were in his office to explore possible areas of synergy to promote professional advertising practice in the state.
“We have witnessed tremendous innovative and infrastructure development efforts since Governor Otu came on board, that’s why we have come to help you blow your trumpet to the world professionally to redeem the bastardised image of Cross River because it’s our collective responsibility to make it work again.
He disclosed that as part of measures to boost membership strength in the state, the body has concluded plans to open a study centre in Calabar that will serve as a platform for training intending student members as well as facilitate the mandatory training of members.
On his part, the Head, of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, (ARCON) Mr. Okeke Bennett, appealed to the Commissioner to use his good offices to encourage enrollment of the citizenry in the practising body as outsiders own most advertising agencies in the state.
Okeke noted that if the rebranding process of the state must succeed, the state should be able to boost a reasonable number of professionals in the sector from both private and public circles to carry out the aggressive rebirth campaign.
He reiterated the Council’s readiness to work with the relevant actors in the state and sue for closer working ties with the Ministry of Information at all times.
