As reported by the Nigerian Tribune, the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) has called on the Kwara State government to engage only licensed professional printers to address the increasing criminal activities such as quackery and copyright infringements among unlicensed printers in the state.

Speaking at a stakeholders' meeting in Ilorin on Thursday, CIPPON President, Ambassador Dr. Niyi Adesoye, and the state coordinator of CIPPON, Sulaiman Alabi (Oloyin), expressed concern that unlicensed printers are tarnishing the reputation of licensed professionals due to their unethical practices.

Alabi revealed that out of approximately 1,500 individuals in the printing profession in the state, only 90 are licensed professional printers.

Adesoye sought partnership of the state government to assist in regulating printing profession in the state.

“We want the state government to send strong message to all ministries and parastatals to patronize printers with CIPPON license as this would even increase IGR of the state, reduce poverty, encourage skilled workers to do more, as there will be job for many people.

“Quacks are causing a lot of problems all over the country, and not only in Kwara state. They would want to get any amount of money for any job that’s done shabbily and, thus, spoil image of professional printers.

“These quacks either collect money and run away. Licensed ones are profiled before they’re issued license to practice and they’re censored when necessary. Our members are secretive as you can’t see your job outside when you engage them because they are trained and they know consequences of anything that goes wrong with customers job”.

He said that professional printers, with academic qualification or apprenticeship, are trained by the institute before they are issued with affiliate, associate, fellow or full membership certificate for individuals and license for corporate offices.

Also, speaking, the state CIPPON coordinator, Sulaiman Alabi (Oloyin) said that the bill on CIPPON establishment was assented to by the regime of the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, to sanitize and regulate printing profession in the country.

Alabi, who lamented that such states as Kogi, Delta and Osun have domesticated the bill, called on the Kwara state government to help put implementation of the bill in place to sanitize printing profession in the state.

“Quacks are the ones printing fake documents, like hospital bills, fake academic result, state and local government tickets, among other illegal activities,” he said.

The CIPPON state coordinator, who also expressed concern over lack of interest for the printing profession among youth, urged fellows and elders in the profession to encourage young ones into the printing profession by transferring and sharing their ideas and experiences.

He encouraged printers who are yet to get operational license to approach the body for professional certification, saying that the professionals in the job were the ones that gathered funds to sponsor the bill that brought about establishment of CIPPON.