Imo Govt Is Keen On Protecting The Interest Of Consumers – Says Hon. Mrs. Okafor

The Director General (DG), Imo Consumer Protection Council (Imo CPC), Hon. Mrs. Obioma Okafor, has assured that the government of Imo State under the leadership of Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma is determined to protect all Imo consumers from the sharp practices of manufacturers, service providers, traders and others.

Mrs Okafor stated this during a one-day seminar organized by the government agency for hotels, fast food outlets , restaurants, eateries, ‘sharwama joints’ and all food vendors in Imo State with the theme: Renewable Energy and Food Processing, which took place at the conference hall of the Imo CPC in Owerri recently.

She said that the essence of the seminar was to educate the participants about alternative sources of energy that will help them maximize profit while consumers that come to them will be happy in a clean and healthy environment.

Her words: ” Because the government of His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, wants to protect the interest of all consumers, we visualized the need for alternative sources of energy whereby the manufacturers and traders will achieve profit maximization while the consumers that come to them will also be happy because they have a good environment and which is part of the rights of the consumer.

“We brought specialists that have to do with alternative energy and we all know that there are so many alternative sources of renewable energy like the Sun, wind, water, the bio and waste and we want the participants to be aware that those alternative sources of energy can be used for their businesses.”

Speaking on the core mandate of the Consumer Protection Council, Mrs Okafor said that it is the duty of the government agency to go round and ensure that the goods or things that Imo people consume passed through quality control processes.

She said: “Pursuant to our core mandate, the Imo CPC has prosecuted defaulters and people that sell fake, expired and counterfeit products. We have done a lot and remember the consumer has eight rights and one of those rights is the right to seek redress and when a consumer comes to Imo CPC, we escalate it to high as the High Court.

” I am believing God Almighty that very soon the impact of Imo CPC will felt in every nook and cranny of the State just as the Governor, His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma wants it. This is an agency that has been in existence since 2005 but people only started being aware of it when Governor Uzodimma graciously appointed me as the DG with the mandate of making sure that consumers in Imo State are well-protected. We want to make sure that every consumer is satisfied.”

Mrs Okafor described Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma as a good and visionary leader that is kind and intelligent enough to know the core things that people need to survive.

She said: ” As the first woman DG of Imo CPC, I give all the glory to God Almighty and to His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma for appointing me to a position that will challenge me to do more for Imo people.”

One of the guest speakers and
Brand Protection Manager of
Guinness PLC Southeast zone, Ben Ogenyi, spoke on the topic : “How to identify fake products in the market,” while Barrister Uzoma Obioma spoke on the “Right of a consumer: “The food/ hospitality industry.”
He stated that the CPC has the protection of the rights of the consumer as its core mandate and described Nigerian markets as terrible because many fake and expired products are sold there.

According to him, those that buy fake and expired products are always in a hurry. He advised consumers to always do proper checks before paying for any product and warned against the use of aluminum foil to wrap food because it is dangerous to both the human body and the environment.

Another expert, Omire Promise Chidozie, spoke on the benefits of using renewable energy sources for food processing and production.

Mrs Nwokeji Otito Clara, who spoke on “food processing and handling,” described food hygiene as the care given to a food item in processing and cooking it, stressing the need for cleanliness of the person preparing the food and the environment.

The event was also attended by the Chairman Imo Board of Internal Revenue, Hon. Mrs Julie Oguike, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Imo CPC, Hon Charles Nnorom, and other prominent personalities.