The Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria has decried insufficient funding of the council, saying it has impeded the effectiveness of the agency in meeting its responsibility.

Registrar of the council, Mr Garba Bello, who stated this at the commissioning of Ilorin zonal office of the council located on Offa Road, GRA, said the organisation would have recorded more feats if adequate fund was made available.

He spoke through the council's Director of Finance, Mrs Bimbola Ipaye, at the commissioning and unveiling of the Ilorin zonal office signpost performed by the Kwara State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Mahmud Babatunde Ajeigbe.

This is just as Ajeigbe assured that the state government would appreciate any form of synergy with governmental and non-governmental agencies domiciled in the state to expedite socio-economic development of the state.

He also pledged that the state government would provide conducive and habitable atmosphere for all organisations ready to partner it.

"We are happy in Kwara State to associate with APCON, we have maintained cordiality within the two organisations and we will continue to appreciate whatever form of interaction and synergy we can build among our organisations", Ajeigbe said.

However, the APCON registrar challenged the Federal Government to quicken the inauguration of the council's board with a view to reviving the modus operandi of the council.

He noted that there has been unusual lull in the operations of the agency since the governing board was dissolved.

Speaking on why the council office was opened in Ilorin, the registrar stated that the essence was to meet up with the mandate of the council of covering all parts of the country.

"For a long time, we believe that we have not been doing what we should do, that is covering our mandate nationally, and so there was need to open zonal and liaison offices here and there. In 2012, due to demand by practitioners in this area, the Ilorin was opened to take care of Kwara, Ekiti and Osun States. And today we have this office, its four years running and we are happy to commission this office".

On derogatory advertisement, the council's boss said, "Well, there is always a communication line. People are advised and asked from time to time, anybody at all who notices anything that is derogatory has an opportunity to report same to APCON council. We have dedicated lines and we encourage people to do the same. We have committees that look into such things. Naturally, everyone is expected to send in their adverts for vetting before exposure.

"And so that is where the problem is. If the adverts are sent in for vetting, definitely we will have less of such derogatory adverts in the dailies and other media.

On the sanction awaiting defaulters in line with the rules and regulations of the council, the registrar maintained, "As a practitioner, you pass through the process. It goes through the investigating panel and then to the disciplinary panel and from there judgment is passed. When judgment is passed, its only the Supreme that can wave it.

"On the other hand, if you are not a practitioner, we do monitoring and we enforce. We have the help and support of the police force as well, and these set of people go to court. It is not an easy process because it is quiet expensive. But we believe that with more information to the public, people will do what they ought to do".

Head, APCON office, Ilorin, Abdulrahaman Babatope, said the establishment of the council in the state was to sanitize the advertising industry riddled by malicious and derogatory messages.

"We feel elated because we need development in the state where we want to sanitize advertising industry in the state, especially adverts that are malicious and how to get people registered and develop the advertising industry in the state courtesy of the state government.

"We have not started sanctioning defaulters because we understand that Kwara is an emerging economy, so we are trying to get people registered, create awareness and sensitization campaign before we start sanctioning. Though there are quite number of illegal practitioners in the state, we have been going round to meet and talk to them on how to get on board".