Even after being sacked as the Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), no bitterness could be perceived in Babatunde Irukera’s immediate reaction.
Development Diaries reports that President Bola Tinubu on Monday ‘dismissed’ Irukera and the Director-General/CEO of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Alexander Okoh, with immediate effect.
Irukera was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari as Director-General of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) in April 2017, before the agency was renamed FCCPC.
Grateful for the opportunity to have served the incredibly vibrant & loyal Nigerian citizens/consumers. They deserve a better deal. I leave behind a strong Institutional advocate in the FCCPC, & an outstanding team of soldiers who work there daily for the cause of fair markets.
— Babatunde Irukera (@TundeIrukera) January 8, 2024
Poor civil service delivery in Nigeria has been a persistent issue that hampers Nigeria’s overall development and the well-being of its citizens. But it has been established that Irukera, during his time at the FCCPC, exhibited integrity, capacity, and responsiveness, which are traits of good service delivery. His time at the commission was impactful.
Speaking on the sacking of Irukera, ImpactHouse Centre for Development Communication’s founder, Femi Aderibigbe, said Irukera’s commitment to service delivery must be emulated by other public officeholders.
‘The transparency, commitment, and excellence with which Irukera led the FCCPC are unrivalled. It should be a strong call for all public officeholders’, Aderibigbe said.
‘Even after being sacked, no bitterness could be perceived in his statement. He contributed to building trust in citizens so that their rights as consumers could be protected. He indeed left a strong institution. Nigerians will not forget him in a hurry’.
While we commend his exceptional achievements in upholding the commission’s mandate to protect the consuming public from unfair practices, we call on other civil servants to learn from his exceptional qualities.
Encouraging good service delivery among civil servants in Nigeria is crucial for several reasons, as it directly impacts the overall development and well-being of the nation.
When public officeholders or civil servants deliver poor services in Nigeria’s civil service, it has significant repercussions for both the government and the citizens; hence, poor service delivery must be rejected.
Development Diaries calls on other public servants to serve to the best of their ability while in office, as this is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic move for Nigeria’s development.
Photo source: FCCPC Nigeria
