Staff of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Imo state have been cautioned not to compromise on the standard and quality of goods and services but always uphold a high level of integrity and professionalism in carrying out their official duties, so as to eliminate the scourge of consumer rights abuse in the Nigerian marketplace and reduce corruption in the sector.
This warning was contained in the presentation made by an Assistant Commissioner of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Imo state, Mrs. Chinwe Egbeocha, at a sensitization programme organised for the staff of the organization in their conference hall recently.
Mrs. Egbeocha noted that adherence to service standards is an integral aspect of any thriving society deeply rooted in the rule of law and accountability. She pointed out that the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) occupies a significant position in the scheme of things because they manage an essential sector of the economy that is vital to the standard of living in the country, and the way they discharge their responsibilities would touch majority of the Nigerian consumers.
She further stated that corruption is largely responsible for the stunted economic growth of the country, and for the mass poverty that reigns in the nation, and then educated the participants on the mandate of the Commission, as spelt out in its Act.
The ICPC representative emphasized the offences and penalties stipulated in the Act and advised the staff to take a stand against corruption by doing the right thing always. She also advised the management to lead by example and take appropriate steps to ensure that their internal controls are adequate and operating effectively to prevent fraud and corruption from occurring and to detect and respond as soon as possible to any incidences of corruption found or suspected.
In her speech, the Director General (DG) of the Consumer Protection Council, Imo state, Hon. Obioma Okafor, who actively participated in the sensitization programme, thanked the ICPC for the session explaining that CPC is an agency of the government of Nigeria with the mandate of addressing consumers’ complaints, providing consumer education, and encouraging trade, industry, and professional associations to develop and enforce quality standards designed to safeguard the interests of consumers.
Hon. Okafor further stated that the CPC was like a spiritual organization as any act of commission or omission has a lasting effect on consumers.
She assured the ICPC team that she would endeavor to put in place some measures to curb corruption in the workplace as suggested by the paper presented, and urged the Commission to collaborate with their organization by referring cases under the Council’s purview to their office.
Contributing, the Special Adviser (SA) to the Governor on CPC, Hon. Charles Nnorom, expressed his happiness to the Commission for conducting such sensitization programme on his very first visit to the Council after his appointment as an SA to the Governor on CPC.
He thanked the DG for championing the fight against corruption in the Council and urged the staff to support every effort put in place to make the work environment conducive for all.
The programme ended with interactive session and taking of group pictures.