Director General of Imo State Consumer Protection Commission (CPC), Hon. Mrs. Obioma Okafor, has restated the Commission’s firm commitment to protect rights of consumers of goods and services in the state.
She rather told consumers to be careful of food and products they consume to avoid contaminating their body systems, warning those who manufacture fake or adulterated products to stop or face the wrath of the law, noting that some producers of fake goods have been caught, sanctioned and their products destroyed by the Commission under her watch.
Okafor gave the assurance when she spoke during the Imo State Food/Hospitality Seminar organized by Consumer Protection Commission themed “Renewable Energy and Food Processing…” held at the Commission’s Office, New Owerri, on Thursday.
The DG said the seminar outlined measures on how best consumers could maximise the enabling energies to their own benefits, stating that the CPC has the core mandate of ensuring that goods sold in the market are standard, saying the consumer has the right to report any marketer or seller who sells or markets fake products. “We want to make sure that all consumers consume the right product”.
Okafor thanked all the speakers/participants for participating in the seminar which she described as edifying and educating, hailing journalists for their firm partnership.
Okafor hinted that the Council has always ensured that consumers rights are protected hence its partnership with sector regulators via routine visits to NAFDAC, Road Safety and other regulatory bodies who she said play important roles in consumable goods.
She noted that CPC which was established in 2005 has been revived following her appointment by Governor Hope Uzodimma, recounting that the Council has been outstanding in disseminating information to consumers, creating awareness and protecting consumers’ rights.
The DG highlighted that the discourse on Renewable Energy and Food Processing was targeted at informing business owners that they can have alternative source of energy in order to maximise profit so that consumers will operate on a healthy environment as part of the rights of consumers is healthy environment to avoid contaminating disease.
Speakers at the seminar included Ben Ogeniyi (the Guinness Brand Protection Manager South East) who said the company does not produce counterfeit drinks, products, advised consumers to avoid consumption of fake drinks.
With Prof Agnes Onyeagba, Coordinator, HUJJIS, Hebrew University of International Coordinated Research in Nigeria, advocating the production and consumption of good food and standard services.
As Chairman, Imo State IGR, Chiaka Oguike, who was present at the event, expressed satisfaction over the success of the seminar among other speakers who urged manufacturers not to produce fake products, advising marketers to stop cheating consumers with high price and substandard measurements.
Eulogizing DG of CPC for holding the seminar which he adjudged as informative, CEO of Domino Hotel and Chairman, Hotel Owners Association, Imo State, Chima Chukwunyere, urged government to come up with a policy that would bring all hotel and tourist managers together to achieve more result, calling for training and retraining of hotelians.
