The Chief Judge of Delta State, Hon. Justice Marshall Umukoro, has advocated for the expansion of the membership of the state committee on consumer protection to accommodate critical stakeholders.

Speaking when the Chairman of the Delta State Committee on Consumer Protection and Honourable Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Chief (Barr.) Mrs. Mary Iyasere, represented by the Secretary of the committee, Mr. Felix Oseji, and other members of the committee paid him a courtesy visit on Friday, the Chief Judge said that market women, religious leaders, primary and secondary school heads, among others, should be incorporated into the committee.

Hon. Justice Umukoro stated that if children are made to imbibe the culture of checking expiring dates and NAFDAC numbers of products from young age, then battle against fake, adulterated and expired products would have started in earnest.

He promised the full cooperation of the state judiciary to the committee to enable it achieve the objectives of its formation.

Also speaking when the committee members visited the management of Nigeria Immigration Service, Delta State Command, earlier the same day, the Comptroller of the command, Baba Ali Zakari, averred that the commencement of the operation of the committee is very timely considering the unwholesome practices of manufacturers nowadays.

The immigration boss called on all stakeholders to join hands with members of the committee to bring offending manufacturers to book to serve as deterrent to others who might have plans to engage in such evil acts.

Mr. Zakari promised that his command will not hesitate to draft officers and men of the command to work with members of the committee when proper enforcement begins.

In her address during the visits, Barr. Mrs. Iyasere disclosed that the state committee on consumer protection was set up in 2006 during the administration of Chief James Ibori but have been very inactive since then because of lack of funding.

The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry said that the current administration of Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, in line with his SMART agenda, approved the composition of the committee in June last year and the members were inaugurated in December 2016.

She called for the support of all and sundry to enable the committee achieve the objectives for which it was set up.

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