From Walter Ukaegbu, Abuja
Director General, Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mr Babatunde Erukawa, has said that the organization would collaborate with the Nigerian tobacco control community and the Environmental Rights Action (ERA), to enforce the law on the use of tobacco by consumers.
He made the pledge in Abuja when he played host to ERA Deputy Director, Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi and Mrs. Hilda Ochefu, Sub Regional Co-Ordinator, West Africa, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK) in his office.
He disclosed that the council was studying the law as it applied to the CPC with a view to knowing what exactly were within its mandate.
“We have before now hosted key players in the tobacco industry and had told them that we have to enforce the law while we respect their role in tobacco but would insure CPC’s role in the protection of the consumers.
“It is our duty to protect those that are exposed to potential injury by tobacco and as a result we would partner with you to do this and may not agree always,” he said.
He told the visitors that the organization would convey its findings to the Minister of Trade and Investment who was in position to address the issue of infrastructure capacity, based on the National Tobacco Control Policy, “which we would see and work on.”
Earlier in a statement, Oluwafemi noted that the impact of tobacco had not changed over the years.