*Describes Irukera as a champion in protection of consumer rights
For its conscious effort which has reset Nigeria’s market and reduced consumer abuse significantly, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has been awarded ‘Regulator of the Year’ by the Brand Journalist Association of Nigeria (BJAN), a group of media specialists who cover the entire marketing industry and consumer related matters in the country.
Speaking at the Association’s 11th Annual Brands & Marketing Conference and Awards, held in Lagos at the weekend, on why and how FCCPC, and by extension its Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Babatunde Irukera, won the category, the Chairman of the Association, Clara Okoro, who addressed a crème de la crème of players in corporate Nigeria, Marketing Communications and Media, said the jurors who did a painstaking analysis of reports on agencies of government and accomplishments of various heads of parastatals in Nigeria in the year under review, could not but be unanimous in voting FCCPC and Irukera, for achieving the unusual in the year and putting Nigeria on the world map in the area of consumer advocacy, rights protection, competition and global best practice.
She said, “Over the years, CPC, which is today known as FCCPC as a result of the recent upgrade by the Federal Government, was nothing but a toothless bulldog. It was just existing in name with little or nothing to show for it but all that has now become a thing of the past. Thanks to the new leadership of the agency. In particular, it’s Executive Vice-Chairman, Mr. Irukera, who rose like a phoenix from the ashes and revitalized FCCPC and is worthy of commendation.
“What I find most interesting is how the Commission under Irukera has been able to gain mileage in protecting the rights of about 220 million people in 774 local governments of Nigeria with very meagre human and other resources.
Innocently, we are all consuming one thing or the other every day in food and drinks and even services every day and the eggheads in the Commission are watching over us jealously, asking questions from manufacturers and service providers and protecting our rights. Sincerely, I can’t agree more with the panel that worked on this award that FCCPC deserves a special place in Nigeria.
Unfortunately, the Commission is under-reported, hence our decision to single-out the Commission and its CEO for their outstanding work. To me, Irukera and his team are silent achievers that must be commended and celebrated,” Okoro further stated.
Responding, the EVC, who was represented by the Head, FCCPC Lagos Office, Mrs Susie Onwuka, said: “This is humbling to say the least and I appreciate the leadership of the Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria (BJAN) for considering FCCPC worthy of this recognition. Having said that, I want to dedicate the award to my team at the Commission who share my dream and work round the clock since I assumed office to sanitize the market. We hear and say it everyday that consumers are king but at FCCPC, we don’t want to pay lip service to this statement. We don’t believe in sloganeering simply to get traction or news mention, we want consumers to be respected and we want their rights protected. To me, this is a wakeup call for us to do more and we are not looking back”.
