Stories by Ayodele Samuel, Lagos
The Consumer Protection Council (CPC), has urged Nigerian consumers to speak out and seek redress, if products or service rendered did not meet their expectation, if they truly deserve to be king in the market place.
CPC Director General, Mrs Dupe Atoki in a paper titled, “Making the consumer king in a difficult environment,” stressed that the consumer ought to be treated like a king by manufacturers and service providers in the country.
She lamented that while service providers and manufacturers elsewhere treat consumers like kings, the Nigerian consumer is yet to get value for his money. The CPC boss noted that Nigerians inability to fight for their rights is one of the main reasons local manufacturers and service providers have continue to exploit them.
She said that many Nigerian consumers are afraid to sue service providers or sub standard manufacturers, adding that local consumers are too busy to approach her agency to lodge complaints against service providers whose services or products fall short of expected standard.
“In all sectors, the Nigerian consumer is yet to get value for his money. Nigerian consumers still contend with drop calls, unsolicited texts/ calls, poor network, credit wipe-off, etc.
“In the aviation sector, we still have regular delays and cancellation of flights without notice, damage/loss of baggage without compensation.
“In the banking sector, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) dispensing error cases with prolonged resolution period, POS terminal issues, unexplained debit on customer accounts and many other issues are still regular occurrences.”
She lamented that local manufacturers and services providers in all sectors have continued to exploit hapless Nigerians, adding that local measurement, in most cases, is not up to what the manufacturers claim they are.
Atoki contended that while automobile buyers in other climes are compensated for malfunctioning vehicles, the opposite is the case for Nigerians.
According to her, non-adherence to warranty/guarantee rules by car dealers and sale of substandard spare parts have become the order of the day in the country, stressing that there exist unqualified mechanics and ill equipped workshops.
She said the agency inability to properly protect Nigerians from shylock service providers and greedy manufacturers, arose because there is overlapping of functions by the local regulatory bodies established to protect Nigerians.
She stressed that there are too many local regulatory bodies in the country, which has hampered her agency’s ability to properly protect Nigerians from unscrupulous service providers. “Different regulatory agencies are established by the government to oversee their respective areas of jurisdiction. Examples of sector regulators in Nigeria are National Agency for Drug and Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Council (NERC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), National Communication Commission (NCC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and others.
Atoki added that all the above mentioned agencies are established by laws with clear mandates and modes of operation, adding that some agencies have power to regulate, but lacks the power to provide redress.
She stressed that some of the local agencies deviate from their statutory responsibilities and embark on assumed roles in the market place, lamenting that some agencies believe the market is for their sole control, hence undermine the laws of other agencies.
She disclosed that the perceived overlaps create rivalry and serious confusion in the market place.
The CPC boss noted that some local service providers and manufacturers are very powerful, to the extent of undermining the laws of Nigeria, adding that it is only the Federal Government that could tackle such powerful individuals.
“CPC contended with very powerful individuals and companies with strong financial muscle. The political might of the Federal Government is needed to surmount the activities of these individuals and companies.
