STAKEHOLDERS KICK AGAINST NEW APCON COUNCIL, SAY APPOINTMENT ILLEGAL

For over a year now, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) the body regulating the practice of advertising in Nigeria has been facing challenges. Though, President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed Ngozi Emioma to pilot  the affairs of APCON council as chairman for the next three years, the appointment has elicited negative reactions from some of the stakeholders who constitute the membership of the regulatory body and are kicking against the appointment. Emioma replaces Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi whose tenure expired on September, 2012. Ever since he left office, there has been intense lobbying and maneuvering characterized by intrigues as to who occupies the APCON House. The six key bodies that make up APCON council include Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN); Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Broadcasting Corporation of Nigeria (BON) and Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN).

While NPAN is presently in court with APCON over some unresolved industry issues and so was not part of the discussions on who runs the affairs of the body, the other five key members, AAAN; ADVAN, MIPAN and OAAN have said Jonathan’s action was done without recourse to the rule of law. As a result, efforts are ongoing to get the President to reverse the appointment. To this end, THISDAY learnt that these members had been quietly reaching out to the President, the Minister of Information, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and even the man at the peak of the controversy, Mr. Emioma on the need to reverse the federal government decision all to no avail.

“We even sought audience with the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku to let government see reason to rescind the decision but couldn’t reach him. We were told that he travelled overseas,” said our source.
Frustrated about the inability of the President to accord their petition any attention, the heads of AAAN, OAAN, MIPAN and BON held a joint press conference to draw attention to the logjam. The event which took place at AAAN Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja had in attendance, AAAN President, Mr. Kelechi Nwosu; OAAN President, Mr. Charles Chijide; MIPAN Vice President, Dr. Ken Onyeali Ikpe; ADVAN Vice President, Mr. Kachi Onubogu and other stakeholders.

A joint press statement read on their behalf by Nwosu drew attention to the “disturbing developments” in the media indicating that the APCON Council headed by a certain Ngozi Emioma has been approved by the President to take over the 5th council.” The report, according to him, has been investigated and some findings made. He said that a new council for APCON was purportedly announced in 2013 by the President when he constituted the boards of parastatals and regulatory bodies. Following the development, “The APCON Secretariat and sectoral bodies advised the Honourable Minister of Information that this was done in error, as according to the law setting up APCON, its council composition must conform to specific laws and regulations. The Honourable Minister was duly advised that this regulation was not followed in the appointment of the council in question.” According to him, they drew the attention of the minister to the “anomaly (which has happened twice in the past) and requested that it be reversed.”

Drawing attention to the amended Nigerian Advertising Laws, Rules and Regulations Act 55 of 1988, Nwosu said: “Our investigations and findings have confirmed that the Council purportedly appointed and headed by Prince Ngozi Emioma does not conform to this law. Prince Emioma and the other members of Council are not qualified to be on the APCON Council. None of them fulfills the expectations of the APCON Law and therefore not qualified to be of the APCON Council.”

They, therefore, called on President Jonathan to rescind the purported appointment of Mr. Emioma and his team and as such ensure that APCON Law is protected and maintained. As a watch dog regulating the critical and sensitive advertisements exposed to Nigerians, they argue that allowing unregistered practitioners to take over the management of the council would not only be illegal but also counter-productive.

THISDAY