The federal government has been urged to promote the nation’s economy that has been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic by patronizing Nigerian printers to print major publications and other documents.
Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde said in Ibadan on Wednesday that the nation was losing humongous money to printing of documents and publication outside the shores of Nigeria.
The governor stated that the presence of a regulatory body for professional printers has made it possible for the local printers to print secure items that include ballot papers for elections, traveling documents as well as educational materials.
He maintained that by doing this, the post-Covid-economy of Nigeria would witness a developed internally-generated revenue and promote job promotion in the country.
Makinde said this through his Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun, who received members of Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) on behalf of the governor at his office.
Olatubosun commended the institute for repositioning the profession towards achieving integrity for members and urged for more regulations and control to weed out non-members and those he called impersonators in the profession.
He advised the Institute to use the same vigor that was employed to get the act establishing it entrenched in the constitution to lobby major federal government agencies like the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) as well as their State agencies counterparts to patronize their members.
“We all know the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy, but if we are to look inward and plan towards salvaging the economy, then we have to cut our coat according to our cloth, the idea of taking government prints and documents abroad is no longer economically sensible, it is a waste of resources that is not there anymore.
“The federal government should rather engage the established body of printers which is CIPPON to engage professional printers and engage them in doing major works for agencies like UBEC, INEC, Central Bank as well as those State agencies.
“I want to commend the institute for what they have done so far on professionalism, they have achieved what seemed impossible for long, today the integrity of professional printers is now vouched for with the established act of parliament which allowed for regulation and control.
“I wish the Institute will use the same vigor they used in getting the parliament to pass the bill that establish the Institute, do more on removing unprofessional people that are out to tarnish the image of printers.”
The National President, Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON), Mr Olugbemi Malomo said he was proud of the achievements of the Seyi Makinde-led administration in the areas of free education, improved healthcare system, agricultural revolution and social infrastructure.
He lamented the loss of #15billion to the effects of Covid-19 as members could not get the expected works, adding that it led to the publication of a ‘post-Covid-19 Priority for Printing’ which he said has been submitted to the federal government.
“We want to call on the federal government to create an enabling environment for the survival of the printing industry post-Covid-19, the pandemic has the nation’s priority from how to create jobs to how to sustain the existing jobs, Nigerian printing jobs should remain in Nigeria.
“Federal government should have serious rethink on globalization, the print industry is the largest employer of labor apart from agriculture, it has employed more than 10million Nigerians in her entire value chain, talk of printing of educational materials, security printing and other items.
“Government is the highest buyer of print through her agencies, such procurements appeared lopsided currently as many who are not printers collect government contract that are specific for printing and allied industry, which are majorly taken outside the country, it is disheartening,” he lamented.
CIPPON was established by Act 24 of the National Assembly in 2007 and was reposed with the responsibility of regulating and controlling professional members throughout the nation.
Signed:
Wasiu Olatubosun (P.hd),
Hon. Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism,
MIC&T, Ibadan.
Wednesday 2nd September, 2020.
