The world marked the Consumer Day on March 15, a day set aside to address issues arising from anti-consumer activities by product and service providers. Moved by former American President John F. Kennedy in 1962, the day has drawn emotions across the world against unscrupulous market forces. ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI reports.
As different countries mark the 54th Consumer Day, last Wednesday, there are varied opinions as to how consumers have fared in different countries across the globe.
In Nigeria, the fight to secure and protect consumer rights has started to gain impetus since the ascendancy of Mrs. Dupe Atoki to the headship of the agancy incharge of consumer protection- the Consumer Protection Council (CPC).
Nigeria, like many other third world and emerging economies, is faced with gross violation of consumer rights from banks, telcos and manufacturers of consumer goods and providers of services, among others. With a weak framework, low awareness, hitherto, most consumers blame their plight on inability of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) to fully protect them.
The CPC was created in 1992 to protect, foster the rights of consumers and safeguard them against exploitation by big businesses and the market but the low awareness among consumers on where to get redress seem to have made them prone to further blows.
However, a consumer behaviour researcher at the Ahmadu Bello University, James Annoli, said the problem with consumers in Nigeria is lack of awareness of their basic rights. “A man will go to the market to buy frozen fish and he’s served a spoilt smelly one, he grumbles and goes home in defeat. He has forgotten that there are ways to seek redress, he does not know that there’s an institution that can protect him against the injustice perpetrated by the frozen fish distributor,’’ he said.
Also, a consumer, Mohammed Saidu, said while many consumers suffer in silence, many of them are not aware of existence of CPC empowered to address infringements. He said most consumers pay for un-rendered services in the power, telecom, banking sectors among others; yet do not know the means to pursue justice.
Odiri Asagba said that she had to pay for power fee despite black outs. She said this is taking toll on her business. She complained she doesn’t know where to lodge complaint about charges for unsupplied power. She said, “I have not had power supply for weeks, and the annoying fact is that I’m made to pay huge bills for darkness. I run my smaller generating set in the night because of the terrible heat. Now, getting fuel for my generating set and my car is another hurdle.”
Meanwhile, the new Director –General of CPC, Mrs. Dupe Atoki said there are an ongoing efforts to create access and increase awareness among consumers.
Acknowledging some gaps that have hindered efficiency, she said there is internal restructuring to reposition the agency in order to meet demand of consumers whose rights have been infringed upon.
Internally, she has repositioned the organization for efficiency and has also created a robust intervention mechanism which interfaces efficiency with the market to protect consumers. She successfully approached and secured funding from the Ford Foundation to set up an in-house audio-visual studio, trained staff on script writing, shooting, presentation, editing and all other aspects of television production,” said a consumer rights activist, Bisi Oladunjoye.
Mrs Atoki said the agency has commenced a 30-minute weekly television programme, ‘’Consumer Voice’, which is wholly produced internally and transmitted every Thursday on NTA International. She said the agency has also repackaged and recommenced another 30-minute weekly phone-in programme, Consumer Speaks, transmitted on the network of Radio Nigeria.
“The Council’s website which had been moribund before now has been revamped to become more informative and responsive to consumer needs. More remarkable she has launched “Check the BB date” campaign – using consumer enlightenment campaign to make it compelling for consumers to check the BB Date before making purchases,” said Mrs Atoki.
In an effort to deepen awareness on where consumers can get redress against Telcos, she said CPC has also introduced Compendium of Telecom Consumer Rights, where they could demand quality service and optimal satisfaction from service providers, in addition to engaging the media constantly on the activities of the Council.
However, she cited NBC and Coca-Cola Nigeria Ltd case product defect and breach of safety standards as one of the success story that should make consumers take CPC more serious.
“In the process, she made far reaching recommendations for system change and standard compliance. Under her watch, the Council has been commended for the prosecution of both companies and their CEOs for flouting Council’s orders. These companies were forced to reaffirm their commitment to product quality and consumer satisfaction and settled case out of court. Her interventions have forced many a company to embark on self-regulation by all players in the sector, which has brought about cleaner bottles and less complaints about half-filled cans and foreign particles in drinks,” said an industry player who pleaded anonymity.
While some industry observers urged CPC to be more proactive, visible and accessible to consumers by having toll- free lines for consumers to lodge their complaints, the agency is urged to embark on aggressive consumer awareness campaign in order to sensitize the consumers on the need to seek redress at the appropriate channels. “There is no way the achievement of CPC can come to the fore if the consumers are still being exploited by the market,” said Oloko Silver, a consumer right activist.
