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Tag: cpc

  • CPC opens inquiry into Blue Band product

    THE Consumer Protection Council (CPC) has opened an inquiry into aspects of Blue Band products.

    It stated that the inquiry would determine product safety and clarify some aspects of the manufacturer’s statements on Blue Band “Spread for Bread”.

    CPC Director General Babatunde Irukera, in a statement yesterday in Abuja, said the purpose of the inquiry was to ensure that the products, differentiated or otherwise, were safe and subjected to proper processes and “in-trade” handling consistent with the different properties and characteristics of each product.

    This is in reaction to a short demonstration video on social media showing how Blue Band “Spread for Bread” reacts under certain heat conditions.

    He said the video or the impression it conveyed had become the subject of anxiety and intense controversy.

    “It suggests that the product, which the narrator considers a functional equivalent of “Blue Band Original,” is unsafe because when subjected to high temperature in boiling water, it did not melt or dissolve.

    “Available scientific information confirms that though butter, margarine and spread appear similar and share similar components, in characteristics and uses, they are different products available to consumers.

    “Butter and margarine share a particular similar characteristic, low resistance to heat, and as such both are likely to melt when subjected to certain levels of heat.”

    Irukera, however, said spreads had varying heat resistance, depending on intended use and production process.

    He said as a result, it could not be necessarily unsafe that a spread does not melt under similar heat conditions as butter or margarine.

    “They are not inherently unsafe or uncommon. The specific emulsifying agent and amount used largely depends on many factors, including shelf life, storage, handling and climatic conditions in order to prevent microbial activity.”

    Irukera said the manufacturer of the product had made a statement seeking to address public concern by differentiating its products and explaining the purposes of the two different products.

    He also said the organisation would continue to collaborate with the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) regarding applicable safety standards of butter and margarine.

    He added that consumption of butter, margarine or spreads generally are not unsafe.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Consumer Council opens inquiry on Blue Band product

    The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) says it has opened an inquiry into aspects of Blue Band products.

    It stated that the inquiry would determine product safety and clarify some aspects of the manufacturer’s statements on Blue Band “Spread for Bread”.

    The CPC Director General, Mr Babatunde Irukera, said this in a statement issued by the organisation on Sunday in Abuja,

    He said that the purpose of the inquiry was to ensure that the products, differentiated or otherwise, were safe and subjected to proper processes and “in-trade” handling consistent with the different properties and characteristics of each product.

    This is in reaction to a short demonstration video on social media showing how Blue Band “Spread for Bread” reacts under certain heat conditions.

    He said that the video or the impression it conveyed had become the subject of anxiety and intense controversy.

    “It suggests that the product, which the narrator considers a functional equivalent of “Blue Band Original”, is unsafe because when subjected to high temperature in boiling water, it did not melt or dissolve.

    “Available scientific information confirms that though butter, margarine and spread appear similar and share similar components, in characteristics and uses, they are different products available to consumers.

    “Butter and margarine share a particular similar characteristic, low resistance to heat, and as such both are likely to melt when subjected to certain levels of heat.”

    Irukera, however, said that spreads had varying heat resistance, depending on intended use and production process.

    He said that as a result, it could not be necessarily unsafe that a spread does not melt under similar heat conditions as butter or margarine.

    He said spreads were produced in part by adding emulsifiers which  we’re additives used in stabilizing and binding processed foods.

    “They are not inherently unsafe or uncommon. The specific emulsifying agent and amount used largely depends on many factors including shelf life, storage, handling and climatic conditions in order to prevent microbial activity.”

    Irukera said that the manufacturer of the product had made a statement seeking to address public concern by differentiating its products and explaining the purposes of the two different products.

    He also said that the organisation would continue to collaborate with the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) regarding applicable safety standards of butter and margarine.

    He added that consumption of butter, margarine or spreads generally are not unsafe. (NAN)

  • CPC urges calm over DANA Air

    CPC urges calm over DANA Air

    The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) has called for calm among passengers and other stakeholders as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) begin probe into the cause(s) of why an aircraft owned by DANA Air overshot the runway of the Port Harcourt Airport.

    Its Director-General, Babatunde Irukera, in a statment, said the relevant aviation authorities have secured the scene of the incident while probe of the damaged aircraft is ongoing.

    He  said CPC is in touch with the airline and the NCAA as detailed investigations by the AIB in compliance with the standards and recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is being awaited.

  • CPC confiscates 14 sacks of adulterated Sesame in Jigawa

    CPC confiscates 14 sacks of adulterated Sesame in Jigawa

    The Jigawa State Consumer Protection Committee ( CPC ) has seized 14 sacks of adulterated sesame seeds worth N483,000 from two traders in Maigatari town.

    The Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Farouk Abdallah, said on Monday in Dutse that the traders were arrested in Maigatari International Market.

    Abdallah said the suspects, Muhammad Bala and Musa Yawale, were arrested when the committee paid unscheduled visit to the market on January 25.

    Read also: NDLEA arrests 646 suspects, seizes 1,238,45kgs of illicit drugs in Jigawa

    He said the suspects were later taken to court where they were sentenced to five months imprisonment with an option of N5,000 fine each by a Magistrate Court in Maigatari.

    The chairman warned traders in the state against engaging in unwholesome practice to defraud consumers, adding that anyone found would be prosecuted.

    Abdallah assured that the committee would continue to monitor markets to protect consumers from adulterated foods, drugs and medication, as well as shield them from shylock traders.

    According to him, the Court has mandated the committee to destroy the confiscated items one month after judgment if the suspects did not appeal.

    NAN

  • CPC: response to customers’ complaints vital

    CPC: response to customers’ complaints vital

    The Director-General, Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Babatunde Irukera, has said prompt response of  businesses to consumer grievances is crucial.

    He said businesses must institutionalise and prioritise complaint resolution policies and mechanism, stressing that this is the hallmark of company and brand reputation.

    Speaking at a round-table session organised by the Council in Abuja, he said the forum was aimed at seeking an effective partnership with the civil society for robust protection of consumers across the country.

    Irukera said the current regime was unsustainable as it is tantamount to government subsidising business. He said the CPC should not substitute company customer care as a multi-company customer service desk.

    He said businesses ought to have factored the cost of complaint resolution into their profitability and as such should not outsource it to the government.

    “Any credible and people-oriented leadership will embrace civil society and as such for me, an engagement with those in civil society is paramount,” he said.

    As part of the new engagement, Irukera said the Council was implementing a more stringent registration process for CSOs, NGOs, CBOs and CPAs. He said the additional scrutiny was to ensure the integrity and credibility of both the Council and its partners.

    The representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Professor Abimbola Uzomah, observed that the work of consumer protection should not be left to the Council alone. He emphasised that it was the responsibility of every Nigerian consumer to entrench a virile consumer protection in Nigeria.

  • CPC urges businesses on consumer protection

    The Director-General, Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mr. Babatunde Irukera, has urged businesses to prioritise consumer protection as the pre-eminent factor in protecting brands and businesses.

    He also said prioritising consumer protection will help manage crisis, build confidence and corporate growth. He emphasised that customer satisfaction is the most vital pillar for loyalty and corporate trust.

    Irukera spoke at a meeting with Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of food and beverage companies who are members of the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFTBE), during the week in Lagos.

    He noted that customer service cannot be ancillary to business, especially in the food and beverage industry; rather it must be the core of business and operations.

    He admitted that CEOs are vital to customer satisfaction and economic growth.

  • El-Rufai a stranger to the Buhari project, says ex CPC members

    El-Rufai a stranger to the Buhari project, says ex CPC members

    Members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) funder the auspices of Southern Mandate of Nigeria at the weekend described Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai as a total stranger to the Buhari project.

    They said the real problem with the Buhari government was the fact that the President surrounded himself with people who do not share the same vision for Nigeria with him.

    The group said if urgent steps are not taken to address the abnormalities affecting the government, there is the possibility that Nigerians will stone the APC and its leaders on the streets during the 2019 campaigns because of the level of poverty and hunger in the land. 

    In a statement signed by the National Coordinator, Comrade Ikonomwan Francis and made available to newsmen in Abuja, the group said the government was not moving forward because President Buhari is a sheep in the midst of wolves and hyennas majorly because he neglected those who sacrificed for him and shared same ideology and vision with him.

    He said it was surprising that the same el-Rufai who once said that Gen Mohammadu Buhari was “perpetually unelectable”is the same man now claiming to be a core Buharist when it was the core members of the defunct CPC made him electable?

    He said the only way out of the political lacuna is to bring on board his co-vision bearers who encouraged him to come to politics for the betterment of our beloved country Nigeria

    “We are strongly of the opinion that the only way out of this confusion is the outright dissolution of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and appoint 40% of the core members of the defunct CPC into his cabinet. These are men and women who have the strong political will to drive and remedy the system right now.

    “A situation where strangers have taken over his administration,  those who were not there when we made Buhari’s Presidential Project a political tsunami and Hurricane that produced him as President of Nigeria today is no longer acceptable to us.

    The likes of Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir  El-rufai , the Governor of Katsina state, Aminu Bello Masari and the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who now parade themselves by claiming that they are more Buharist, are  strangers in Buhari Project.”

  • Defunct CPC members to Buhari: cede SGF position to us

    MEMBERS of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) on the platform of Southern Mandate of Nigeria yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint one of its key leaders as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to replace Babachir David Lawal.

    Lawal was suspended for alleged corrupt practices.

    The CPC members said they are hungry and angry at the President for allegedly marginalising them.

    The CPC was one of the legacy parties that teamed up to give birth to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    But, the group’s National Coordinator, Comrade Ikonomwan Francis, said none of the key members of the defunct CPC is occupying any position in the government.

    Francis, in a statement in Abuja, said the challenge facing the government would not have been there, if the President had appointed key persons, who work for his success at the poll, into his government.

    He said key leaders of the defunct CPC, who were the driving force of Buhari’s presidential bid and consistently mobilise votes for him in 2003, 2007, 2011 and repeated same in 2015 general elections, were absent in his government.

    The group’s national coordinator noted that Buhari needed those people, who stood by him in CPC “at this critical moment of our national history to help strengthen his government for the benefit of Nigerians”.

    He said the only visible member of the defunct CPC in the government is the President himself.

    Francis alleged that other members of the party, who have been abandoned, “are hungry and angry”.

    The statement reads: “We, core members of the defunct CPC from the 17 southern states of Nigeria wish to remind President Muhammadu Buhari of the marginalisation of core members of the defunct CPC in his government, even as we welcome him back home from his medical trip abroad. We give God the glory for bringing him back home hale and hearty.

    “We want you to urgently address the burning issue of marginalisation of core members of the defunct CPC, which led to our advocacy for the appointment of core member of the defunct CPC as a replacement for the suspended SGF.”

  • Defunct CPC members approach Buhari for SGF position

    Defunct CPC members approach Buhari for SGF position

    Members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) from the southern part of the country on the platform of Southern Mandate of Nigeria on Monday told President Muhammadu Buhari that they were hungry and angry at the President for marginalizing them.

    The group is also demanding the appointment of one of its key leaders as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to replace Babachir David Lawal who was suspended for alleged corrupt practices.

    The CPC is one of the legacy parties that teamed up to give birth to the All Progressives Congress (APC), but the National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Ikonomwan Francis said none of the key members of the defunct CPC is occupying any position in the present government.

    Comrade Francis said in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja that the challenge facing the government would not have been there if the President had appointed key persons who planned with, and work for his success at the poll into his government.

    Comrade Francis said key Leaders of the defunct CPC who were the driving force of Presidential bid and consistently mobilize 12.5 million votes for him in 2003, 2007, 2011 and repeated same in 2015 general Elections are conspicuously absent in his government, pointing out that these are the persons the President needs at this critical moment of our National History to help strengthen his government for the benefit of Nigerian people.

    He said the only visible member of the defunct CPC in the present government is the President himself, saying other members of the party who have been abandoned are “hungry and angry”.

    The statement reads: “We, core members of the defunct Congress of Progressive Change (CPC) from the seventeen Southern States of Nigeria wish to remind President Mohammadu Buhari of the Marginalization of Core members of the Defunct Congress of Progressive Change in his Government, even as we welcome him back Home from his Medical trip Abroad. We give God the Glory for bringing him back Home Hale and Healthy.

    “As you have returned, we want you to urgently address the burning issue of marginalization of Core members of the defunct CPC which led to our advocacy for the appointment of the core member of the defunct CPC as a replacement for the suspended SGF.

    “It is pertinent to remind Mr President that there are persons that started the struggle, stayed with him all through the hard times, some of them who were his co-visioner and who encouraged him to come into politics since 2003. When Mr.

    President came into politics, these persons planned with him, strategies for him and at last won for him.

    “They are Men and Women of implacable and steering character, just like the President himself. We believe that the challenge this government is facing now would not have been there if the President had appointed these key persons into his government.

    “These key Leaders who were the driving force of Mr. President and consistently mobilize 12.5 million votes for him in 2003, 2007, 2011 and repeated same in 2015 general Elections that gave him President of Nigeria Today.

    “These persons are conspiqiously absent in his Government. And these are the persons he needs at this critical moment of our National History to help strengthen his government for the benefit of Nigerian people.

    “Some members of his cabinet and his personal Aides have no business been part of this government. They have created a vacuum between his government and the people.

    “Southern Mandate of Nigeria (SMN) is strongly of the view that only his co-visioners of President Mohammadu Buhari can assist bridge this gap. We are afraid that if urgent steps are not taken to tackle the Present increasing Security, Political, ethnic, and Social challenge , it might take an uncontrollable negative dimension in this Country.

    “We are hungry and angry. The core members of the defunct CPC who are your immediate constituency, staked our lives and properties to make you President today, has been abandoned and left to feed on scrumbs. We share in your vision and mission to make Nigeria great again. We are ready to give you the needed support to rescue this great country.

    “Time has come for Mr President to listen to patriotic voices of which we represent, for the overall interest of our great country. It is mind blowing that the government we laboured to build, most of our key Leaders are not in government and hirachy of the party at all Levels.

    “Today, the only visible core CPC member is Mr President himself. It is worthy of mention that Nigerians had a high expectation from this administration to right the wrongs of the PDP for sixteen years of misrule in this country. But we are sadden that the government that enjoyed massive goodwill just two years down the line has become a government of ridicule by same people, both at home and abroad.

    “This call for retrospect on the part of Mr. President to salvage our dear country Nigeria from the present socio-political quagmire. We make bold to advice Mr. President to appoint one of these key persons to replace the suspended SGF so that this government can bounce back as truly government of the people.”

  • CPC alerts consumers new unregistered products

    CPC alerts consumers new unregistered products

    The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) has warned consumers to be wary of some new and unregistered products being introduced into the markets, saying many of such products are injurious to health.

    CPC’s South-West Zonal Coordinator Garuba Ahmad gave the warning in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, during the week.

    Ahmad said many unscrupulous persons, who were desperate to make money, were flooding the markets with adulterated and injurious new products.

    He, however, said the CPC had the duty to carry out market surveillance, from time to time, to check the introduction of such fake products into markets.

    Ahmad said fake products such as food and beverages worth N56 million were seized in the zone in 2016.

    He said many sachet water factories were also sealed off in the zone for failing to meet the required standards.

    “We ensure quality of products in the markets and also prevent circulation of fake and injurious products,” Ahmad said.

    He appealed to consumers to always check for National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) approved number, address of manufacturers as well as manufacturing and expiry date of new products before buying them.

    Ahmad also said the council received 128 complaints from consumers of which 110 were resolved.