Babatunde Irukera Speaks After Tinubu’s Decision To Remove Him As FCCPC CEO, Nigerians React
- President Bola Tinubu asked Babatunde Irukera, the CEO of FCCPC, to leave office after seven years
- A statement from the office of the president said the sack is part of plans to restructure and reposition critical agencies of the federal government
- Irukera took to social media to react to the sack amid praises from Nigerians for his efforts in the commission
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Babatunde Irukera, the Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), has reacted to his removal from office by President Bola Tinubu.
A message shared on X expressed gratitude for the time and opportunity to serve the country.
Source: Facebook
Irukera's time in office
The now-former FCCPC boss was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari as the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) director-general in April 2017 before the agency was renamed FCCPC.
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He served his second and final tenure in office until his removal on Monday, January 8, 2023.
On his verified 'X' handle, he tweeted:
“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.”
During his time in office, Irukera was praised by Nigerians for his proactive actions and numerous milestone-cutting across diverse sectors, including but not limited to loan companies.
He also recently revealed that the commission has had five years of a zero loss record in judicial processes.
Tinubu removes FCCPC, BPE bosses
Legit.ng reported that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Monday, sacked the FCCPC boss and the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Alexander Ayoola Okoh.
In a statement, the president, through his special adviser on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said the dismissal is in line with the plans of the government to restructure and reposition critical agencies of the Federal Government towards protecting the rights of Nigerian consumers.
Nigerians react to FCCPC boss sack
Commenting on the development, a public affairs analyst, John Ohio, told Legit.ng that the president's decision to remove the FCCPC boss may have breached the law.
According to him, the 2018 act that established the FCCPC does not grant the president unilateral power to remove the agency's executive vice-chairman without resorting to the Senate.
"The president may have his reasons for removing Babatunde, who has proven himself since assuming office, but it is important that the law must be followed.
"Also, I find it very curious that the statement announcing his removal used the word 'sacked to described the FCCPC boss removal'"
FCCPC fines tobacco company $110 million for breaking laws in Nigeria
One of Irukera's most notable achievements was the FCCPC fine of $110 million on British American Tobacco (BAT) Nigeria and its affiliated companies for repeated violations of the National Tobacco Control Act, the FCCPC Act, and other legal documents.
Legit.ng reported that the commission made it clear in a statement on its X page that the fine was decided by mutual consultation with BAT by the FCCPC's Cooperation/Assistance Rules & Procedure (CARP) 2021.
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Source: Legit.ng
