Mr Babatunde Irukera, the Executive Vice-Chairman of Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has tasked public servants on efficient service delivery to make Nigeria better.
Irukera made the call at a lunch seminar organised by the Bureau of Public Reforms (BPSR) on Tuesday in Abuja.
The seminar was titled, “Customer as king: Roles of FCCPC in ensuring delivery and satisfaction of Nigerian Customers.”
Irukera said that the country would be a better place for all if public service workers carry out their responsibilities diligently and patriotically.
According to him, most public servants ignore their responsibilities and blame lapses outside the system.
“We are all public servants and we must see our own roles in the things that aggravates us because if we do not, it will be all motion and no movement.
“If we keep looking for the problem on the outside without realising that there is bigger piece of it on the inside, and the vast solution is on the inside, we will serve our time and leave and we will not make the space better,” he said.
Irukera said that the complaints often received by the commission about poor services of some private companies were even worse in the public service.
“Such complains are hypocritical because many public servants do not give what they demand of others in their different institutions.
“Do we recognize that the grievances we feel and expected them to addressed is exactly how the nation and its people feel about us and what our responsibilities to them are.
“Whether as regulators, law enforcement or policy makers, why demand what you do not give?,” he queried.
He reminded public service workers that they have a social contract to serve the country diligently.
“When the government employs, we take something that is absolutely right between us and the next person who didn’t get the job; nothing makes us more qualified from the citizenship entitlement and eligibility standpoint.
“Because of that special privilege, our sense of responsibility and accountability must be higher with determination to deliver,” he added.
Earlier, the Director-General of BPSR, Mr Dasuki Arabi said that the theme of the seminar strikes at the core of the mission as public servants.
He said that in the continuous quest for excellence, public servants must recognize the centrality of Nigerians, who remain the very reason for their existence.
Arabi explained that the FCCPC plays crucial role in consumer protection, market regulation, dispute resolution, consumer education, enforcement of consumer laws, product quality and safety, and merger control.
“Throughout this seminar, we can expect valuable insights from the FCCPC on how they work tirelessly to enhance consumer confidence and economic growth through fair competition.
“They will share their efforts in advocating for pro-consumer policies and reforms, fostering an environment that prioritizes customer satisfaction and accountability.
“As the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, we firmly believe in the power of collaboration and partnership among government agencies.
“Our commitment to interagency cooperation is rooted in the understanding that, together, we can tackle challenges more effectively and innovate for the greater good of our fellow citizens,” he said.
