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Tag: curb

  • ‘Use social media to curb sexual violence on children’

    ‘Use social media to curb sexual violence on children’

    Some female lawyers have called for the use of social media, as a means to address the menace of sexual harassment of children.

    They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the psychological effects of sexual harassment of girls and boys were profound and needed to be eradicated.

    One of the speakers, Amaka Agbakoba-Onyejianya, said sexual harassment was not a new phenomenon, but was now at an alarming rate.

    She added that the use of social media to create awareness would go a long way to educate the public about its menace.

    “Knowledge begins with awareness. Once we start to have notable individuals as spokespersons going around and talking about the punishable fine of the evil in this act; it will gradually recede.

    “People will start to understand that these are behaviours that are not accepted in the society, and it will attract strict rigorous penalties to the defaulters,” the lawyer said.

    Ify Oji, Managing Partner of Haldane Law firm, said that early sexual education should start in the family, in order to expose the children early and create awareness against paedophiles.

    “We should not limit everything a child learns to the school alone, but as parents we should endeavour to teach our children on the need for proper dressing and indecent acts,” she said.

    Oji added that sometimes girls fall prey to child prostitution out of ignorance, and the devious acts of unscrupulous child traffickers who use make belief stories to lure them away from home.

    “Most of the times they get themselves into child prostitution or dangerous situations when they don’t have money without even knowing it,” she said.

    The lawyer, however, blamed the increase on the level of poverty in the country and the lack of a well-structured system, to impart adequate knowledge for the increased sexual incidences.

    Also, Ricky Asamota, a business consultant said that teaching courses in schools to educate young ones, on proper ways to make money is one way of eliminating such occurrence in future.

    Asomata said that all hand must be on deck to ensure that the perpetrators of the crime are caught and brought to book.

    “The law will also play their part so that it will be like one big interconnected system of people, government, social media and individuals all working seamlessly together to raise that awareness.

    “We cannot and should not allow such criminal acts to go on without stamping out feet on the ground for the safe future of our children,” she said.

    Similarly, Mrs Florence Ogunsanya, an educationist, said it was important to teach children especially girls at an early age about their bodies to prevent being taken advantage of.

    “You should tell your girl very early in life that her genitals and buttocks should not be touched by anybody, especially a man.

    “You should even encourage her to shout if any person does so. This technique helps to deter would be molesters,” she said.

    Ogunsanya, however, pointed out that sexual harassment involved both male and female adding that boys also suffer such violation from female predators which needed to be addressed.

  • How to curb delay in trial of treasury ‘looters’, by experts

    How to curb delay in trial of treasury ‘looters’, by experts

    More than six months after the Federal Government opened the first round of cases against suspected public treasury looters, no conviction has been recorded. This development has been attributed to many causes, particularly the dilatory tactics by lawyers with the connivance of some judges. Experts suggest that the government needs to review its tactics if it wishes to succeed. Senior Correspondent ERIC IKHILAE reports

    •CJN, Sagay, Falana, Akintola, others speak

    The Federal Government has re-activated its various investigative agencies and the investigation of former and serving officers, suspected to have been involved in acts of corruption have been on.

    But, more than six months after cases were instituted against some past public office holders in the court, none has reached judgmentstatge. At best, about a few have progressed to the level where the defendants must enter their defence.

    Despite the fact that many of the criminal cases are battling to survive the inherent weaknesses in the nation’s Criminal Justice System, the government is planning to institute  more as investigations keep revealing new cases.

    The question is: Why is the government yet to achieve meaningful progress in its prosecution of corruption cases despite the introduction the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, with its many innovations intended at addressing the causes of delay in criminal trials?

    Experts argue that the reasons vary from institutional inadequacies to human activities. They blamed, particularly, players in the justice sector, especially lawyers and judges for the delay. Lawyers, in many instances, employ all dilatory tactics to prevent the trial of their clients. Some judges tag along or accommodate the lawyers’ antics.

    For instance the trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) commenced late last year. More than six months after he was arraigned on September 22, 2015 for false asset declaration, proceedings have been held down by the activities of defence lawyers.

    Shortly after his arraignment, Saraki promptly challenged the competence of the charge, the composition of the tribunal, the manner of service of the charge on him, among many sundry issues in a notice of preliminary objection filed by his legal counsel.

    When the tribunal refused his application, Saraki pursued his objection to the Supreme Court, with the apex court ordering a stay of proceedings at the CCT, pending its determination of the appeal, which it eventually did on February 5 this year, dismissing it for lacking in merit.

    Although in reacting to the February 5 Supreme Court judgment, in which he was asked to submit himself for trial, Saraki expressed delight that the opportunity has come for him to prove his innocence, Saraki, by the conduct of his lawyers, appears bent on stalling the process.

    Immediately after the Supreme Court’s decision, Saraki engaged the services of a former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice Kanu Agabi, (SAN). Incidentally, the lead prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), and tribunal Chairman, Danladi Umar, had at some time in the past served under Agabi, a development which stirred suspicious in some quarters that Saraki’s choice of Agabi was influence by other considerations other than conducting effective defence.

    Shortly after his engagement, Agabi filed a fresh application challenging the tribunals’ jurisdiction. Despite an argument by Jacobs that the application was intended to clog the case, and suggested that it should be heard after trial, as directed in Sections 221 and 396(2) of the ACJA, Umar proceeded to determine the application, and refused it.

    Saraki has since appealed that decision. His appeal filed in that regard has been scheduled for hearing by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

    Even as the Senate President was before the tribunal, challenging its jurisdiction, he also filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja, arguing that he was not going to get justice before the CCT on the ground that Umar was allegedly being investigated by the agency conducting his (Saraki’s) prosecution, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He urged the court to stop his trial before the CCT.

    On April 16, Justice Adamu  Kafarati of the Federal High Court, Abuja decided Saraki’s fundamental rights suit He described it as an abuse of court process and dismissed it. Shortly after, Saraki took the issues rejected by Justice Kafarati before the CCT in an application filed by another of his lawyers, Ajibola Oluyede, asking Umar to recluse himself from further participating in the proceedings on the ground that he was allegedly being investigated by the EFCC.

    On April 28, the tribunal ruled on the application and dismissed it for lacking in merit. Saraki has since appealed the decision. When many thought he was done, Saraki has again filed a fresh application asking Umar to disqualify himself, arguing that the tribunal’s chairman has exhibited elements of bias in his comments.

    He referred to a reported comment by the tribunal chair, who, while resenting the delay tactics being adopted by Saraki’s legal team to stall proceedings, warned that the delay would not affect the consequences the defendant will suffer at the end of trial if convicted. The application has been slated for hearing tomorrow.

    The conduct of the defence in the Saraki case has left many wondering if the trial will ever end. For about two months now, the defence has not concluded its cross-examination of the first prosecution witness having engaged him for 12 days.

    The situation is not different in the cases involving former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki and the Niger-Delta militant, Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo).

    In the case of Tompolo, he was served with a charge earlier this year and required to attend court for his arraignment. Rather than advise him to obey the law, his lawyer went before the court to challenge the service of the charge on his client. Even when the court later issued a bench warrant for Tompolo’s arrest, his lawyers are still filing processes and not encouraging him to come out from hiding.

    His lawyers have appealed the decision of the Federal High Court, Lagos to issue bench warrant on him and have Tompolo filed through his team of lawyers including Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) and Ebun Olu Adegboruwa, an application challenging the constitutionality of Sections 221 and 306 of the ACJA.

    The Section states that objections shall not be taken during proceedings or trial on the ground of imperfect or erroneous charge. Section 306 abolished the practice of stay of trial proceedings pending the hearing of appeals on a preliminary point.

    Observers have argued that without urgent measures on the part of the Federal Government, those working to stall proceedings in the on-going trials of rich and prominent individuals will end up frustrating its efforts at curbing corruption.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, stressed this fact when he observed that the role of lawyers and some ‘compromised’ judges, who offer their expertise to indicted individuals and deploy delay tactics and other underhand methods to frustrate the successful prosecution of criminal cases, was particularly injurious to the Fed Government’s anti-corruption campaign.

    Lawal, who spoke through the Director, Nigerian National Volunteer Services (NNVS), Tor Tsavsar, at a workshop in Abuja last week, stressed the need for professionals to see themselves as stakeholders in government’s anti-graft efforts if the country was to grow and attain needed development.

    He said: “From recent revelations, corruption is usually aided and facilitated by conniving civil servants and professionals in the public and private sectors. It is no news that most stolen funds are laundered through our banks and other offshore entities that are owned and managed by professionals.

    “A recent case of the ‘Panama Papers scandals’ is an example of how politicians, criminals and rogue industries were assisted by professionals to launder stolen funds. It is equally regrettable that some of the professionals do not stop at aiding, abetting and facilitating the stealing of public funds, but more often than not, go further to offer direct and indirect support to indicted officials to beat the law.

    “It is no more news that corrupt officials are able to engage some of our seasoned lawyers, who employ negative tactics ‘in or out of court’ to frustrate trials of indicted officials. The retinues of frivolous interlocutory applications, which are pursued up to the apex court, while actions on substantive matters are stayed, are common examples of how professional lawyers frustrate the fight against corruption.

    “Similarly, some compromised judges always exhibit a disquieting tendency to indulge these lawyers in their unpatriotic and unscrupulous conduct. The attitude of some of our legal practitioners and judges have become so alarming that Mr. President had, on few occasions, lamented their role in the fight against corruption.

    “The Nigerian government is facing enormous challenges to reflate the economy, build infrastructure, create employment, provide education and healthcare to the people, but these lofty objectives will remain a mirage if corruption remains entrenched.

    “The fight against corruption can only be fought and won when every Nigerian, particularly our professional lawyers, accountants, auditors, engineers, etcetera rise above petty considerations and genuinely support the efforts of the government,” the SGF told his audience.

    It has, however, been argued that a more coordinated approach to prosecution of cases will only yield the desired result.  This coordination, many argued should be the major responsibility of the AGF, whose major responsibilities include advising the government on legal matters and prosecute cases on behalf of the Federal Government.

    The AGF, Abubakar Malami (SAN), some say, has not exhibited his capacity in the area of providing leadership in coordinating the activities of the investigative agencies currently involved in the prosecution of corruption cases. At best, the AGF, whose employer’s major objective is the fight against corruption, seemed to be more concerned with other mundane issues.

    Many have expected the AGF to lead by example, by leading some prosecution teams in the prosecution of some of these high profile cases.

    Instead, Malami is involving himself in the unilateral recruitment of an ex-convict in effort to recover public funds trapped in some financial institutions, and the controversy generated by his involvement in the fine imposed on a telecommunication firm, an analyst who pleaded for anonymity alleged.

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed noted this lapse on the part of the Federal Government during a recent encounter with the AGF. He challenged Malami to show that the Executive was resolute in the fight against corruption with his personal involvement in the prosecution of some notable cases.

    Justice Mohammed noted: “Experience within the judiciary shows that there is abject lack of political will to prosecute some of those cases pending before our courts almost a decade in some instances. It is not because there are no special courts, but mostly for reasons of political expedience and other ancillary considerations.

    “I would likewise wish to encourage you (AGF) to display a greater resolve than your predecessors in tackling outstanding cases before the courts. In times past, the Attorney-General of the Federation would often lead teams of legal counsel in high profile cases so as to demonstrate the resolve of the government to enshrine the rule of law.

    “Sadly, recent Attorneys-General have become less inclined to do this.  I would certainly like to see you, as the Attorney-General, appear before us, especially in cases of important national purport.

    “There is the need for seasoned prosecutors to prepare and file charges before courts of competent jurisdiction so that criminal matters are timeously determined.

    “The quality of prosecutions presented in courts by our prosecutorial agencies must be improved upon, as they are sometimes of a standard that will never found a conviction in any court anywhere. Yet, a well-prepared prosecution can see to the determination of criminal matter within a month.

    “Of course, no competent prosecutor, who has filed valid charges would permit an accused to mount an interlocutory appeal, to the extent of going forth and back, sometimes twice or more to the Supreme Court, since such lapses could be injurious to the dispensation of justice.’’

    The CJN advised the minister to recruit more lawyers, who should be adequately trained to handle more cases on behalf of the state.

    The apparent lack of coordination in the prosecution of these rich individuals accused of looting public treasury is affecting the chances of success in such cases. It also contributes to the delay being experienced.

    In most instances, defendants flood the court with senior lawyers where the prosecution is represented by just a junior lawyer. Sometime, because a prosecution lawyer is assigned to handle many cases when he is in one court attending to one case, other cases assigned to him are often adjourned.

    For instance, EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs, (SAN), is prosecuting no fewer than 10 cases on behalf of the Federal Government.

    On June 15, he was at the Court of Appeal, Abuja, for the appeal by Dasuki at a time the cases involving businessman Raymong Dokpesi (before Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Abuja) and Dasuki (before Justice Husein Baba Yusuf of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory) were stalled and had to be adjourned to a later date.

     

    •To be continued

  • Curb illicit financial flows, KPMG urges Fed Govt

    Curb illicit financial flows, KPMG urges Fed Govt

    A partner with KPMG, Mr. Ayo Salami, has advised the Federal Government to stop illict financial flows into the country, adding that it hurts the economy.

    He spoke with The Nation on the sideline of a workshop organised by the Industrial Group of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in Lagos.

    He said illicit financial flows and unbridled importation stifle economic growth.

    According to him, unscrupulous people import all manner of things under that guise, at the detriment of local industries. He however, argued that the blanket ban on key raw materials for the manufacturing sector is a minus to the growth of the sector and job creation in general.

    The KPMG boss stressed the need to encourage local production and exportation of locally produced goods to earn foreign exchange (forex). This, he said, will make up for the shortfall experienced by manufacturers.

    Salami urged the government to stop the importation of palm oil, regretting that what used to be a cash cow for the country is now imported with the scarce forex in the kitty of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    On the CBN’s forex restriction, Salami said government should have first addressed the structural weaknesses and inadequate public utilities/infrastructure that hamper the nation’s business environment.

    One of these structural weaknesses, according to him, is the absence of tight border controls to curtail smuggling of products into the country. “It is important to curb the smuggling of these identified goods into the country to promote their local production,” he said.

    Salami expressed regrets that many companies are relocating to neigbouring African countries as a result of government policies, which are hurting.

    “The forex policy needs to be revisited to douse the tension over possible job loss. Massive job cut looms in the manufacturing sector; customs revenue is depleting; the construction sector is in a dire strait. It is therefore, imperative for the government to do the needful by reviewing the policy,” he said.

    In the short term, he advised manufacturers to engage extensively with the CBN to postpone the policy and allow for the clearance of backlogs and orders already placed for raw materials, goods and services.

    He further called for collaboration with local producers to exhaust all local supply channels, besides engaging the CBN for exemption to finance importation of inputs with no local substitute or where local capacity is inadequate.

    In the medium term, he asked for the provision of update on shortfalls from local supply channels compared to demand to make way for importation. He argued that the blanket ban on raw materials in the medium term will not augur well for the economy.

  • Curb this menace

    Curb this menace

    •The abduction of Chief Olu Falae, and threats of reprisals, call for
    prompt security measures nation-wide.

    The resurgence of kidnapping and other forms of insecurity show that Nigeria still has a long way to go, in making the country safe. In many parts of the country today, people have to keep glancing over their shoulders to keep safe.

    Whereas the terror grip of the North East is the worst form of insecurity in the land, others, including kidnapping, armed robbery, cattle rustling and rape, have become so common place that it could be said that life, as Thomas Hobbes contended, has indeed become short, nasty and brutish.

    It is unfortunate that the state security agencies have failed to come up with measures and mechanisms to bring the situation under control. That is why we call on the Federal Government to come up with adequate security measures that would reassure the populace.

    In the South East, kidnapping, which was once the order of the day, is back, forcing the Anambra State government to embark on demolition of the houses of those believed to be the kingpins, as a deterrence. This is a desperate measure that might offend the sensibility underpinning a modern justice system.

    In the South South, too, prominent people are again being abducted as a means of getting rich quick. The recent abduction of Ms Donu Kogbara, a renowned journalist, called attention to the ever-present danger. Almost always, the distraught relations of the victims are left to seek accommodation with the abductors, with the Police feeling helpless.

    The release of Chief Olu Falae, a former secretary to the Federal Government under the Babangida military government, after four days in the kidnappers’ den, calls for concern and reflection. His age, non-flamboyant lifestyle and resort in retirement to farming made his case attract public sympathy. It drove home the fact that all Nigerians could really be walking in the shadow of death.

    Falae, snatched at his farm near Akure, the Ondo State capital, made President Muhammadu Buhari to order the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to secure the release, forthwith, of the elder citizen and leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

    When, therefore, Chief Falae was released, only after four days in captivity, the police was quick in taking the credit. But the Afenifere chieftain has contested the police claim that his family paid no ransom. He insisted that his abductors released him after obtaining proof a sanction had been paid, and even threatened to come back for him should he run his mouth!

    The release of the 77-year-old’s farmer was enough to open a new phase of danger to national cohesion and unity. Chief Falae alluded to the possibility of Fulani herdsmen, with whom he had been having a running battle, over the grazing of cattle on his farm, might  have been his kidnappers — six in all: four armed and only two barely literate.

    But his expose has incensed the Afenifere and the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), both Yoruba ethnic nationality lobby groups, which  reflects the anger among the Yoruba.

    Reports that Fulani herdsmen constitute the most potent danger to public safety in many parts of the country has pushed both groups to threaten that self-help could become inevitable, if the Federal Government failed to put together holistic plans to ward off the danger.

    Still, the herdsmen, too, have legitimate concerns about grazing rights. There are no ranches and land acquired for grazing. Just as farmers like Chief Falae,  in the North central, west or East, have the right to protect their crops. It is therefore left for the government to put in place plans that would guarantee the rights of both sides. The situation should be checked before it spins out of control.

    Nigeria already has enough problems.  So, it can ill afford being  drawn into an inter-ethnic discord on this score. Self-help as a security measure is an indication the state has failed in its primary responsibility. Those known to have infringed the law by abducting law-abiding citizens should be apprehended and prosecuted to assure that all are equal under the law, as well as reassure the people of the capacity of the state to guarantee the lives and property of all.

    Unless this is done, the future would remain bleak.

     

  • Don seeks to curb use of antibiotics in chicken

    A former Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, Prof Abiodun Adeloye, has urged the government to stop the rampant use of antibiotics to grow livestock, especially chicken.

    He said such practices could lead to health problems in humans upon consumption.

    Stopping the practice, he said, would be a big step towards securing food safety in meat products with regulation on overuse and misuse of antibiotics. According to him, government needs to implement a comprehensive set of regulations including banning of antibiotic use as growth promoters in the poultry industry. Not doing this will put lives of people at risk.

    He explained that people may be developing resistance to antibiotics, and falling prey to a host of otherwise curable ailments. Some of this resistance, he added, might be due to the large-scale unregulated use of antibiotics in the poultry industry.

    He said the poultry sector uses them as growth promoters for them to gain weight and grow faster.

    According to him, public health experts suspect that such rampant use of antibiotics in animals could be a reason for increasing antibiotic resistance.

    International experts said large-scale misuse and overuse of antibiotics in chicken could lead to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the chicken itself. These bacteria are then transmitted to humans through food or environment. Additionally, eating small doses of antibiotics through chicken could also lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in humans.

    Studies are being undertaken to ascertain the linkage between overuse of antibiotics in poultry farms and antibiotic resistance in humans. They found that resistance was very high against ciprofloxacin, doxycycline and tetracycline. These are the same antibiotics that were detected in the chicken samples. The problem is compounded by the fact that many essential and important antibiotics for humans are being used by the poultry industry.

    In the United States (US), which is one of the largest users of antibiotics for animal food production, more than two million people suffer from antibiotic resistance-related illnesses every year; with 23,000 of them succumbing  to the diseases. Annual healthcare costs due to antibiotic resistance are estimated to be as high as $20 billion.

    Global industry operators fear ban on antibiotic in animal feed could hamper poultry and meat sectors.

  • Military to curb rustling in Northwest

    Military to curb rustling in Northwest

    The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said it is coordinating a joint operation of the Army and Air Force to combat cattle rustling in Kamuku forest.

    Acting Director of Defence Information, Col. Rabe Abubakar, in a statement yesterday in Abuja, said the joint operation became necessary because “criminals, miscreants and thugs had taken over the forest, thus constituting a nuisance.”

    It said in the course of the operation, a number of rustlers had been routed and many stolen cattle recovered.

    The statement said the operation would be sustained until the forest was free of criminals and miscreants.

    It said the Joint Task Force, code-named ‘Operation Pulo Shield’, in the Niger Delta, had intercepted a large barge conveying about 150,000 litres of illegally-refined petroleum products.

    “The JTF boat was on a routine patrol when it accosted the barge on illegal mission at Frado Oil Company Tank Farm at Oghara in Ethiope Local Government Area of Delta State.

    “The captain of the barge and the crew are in custody and are helping security agencies in their investigation.”

    According to the statement, the Defence Headquarters restated the resolve of the military to guarantee the safety of life and property.

    “While the military will continue to work hard to fight  piracy, bunkering and operation of illegal refinery, it will also prevent economic saboteurs from doing further damage to the economy.

    “The DHQ warns perpetrators of illegalities in the maritime domain and those engaging in cattle rustling to desist from before  the law catches up with them,” it said.

    The statement said the DHQ reassured the public to go about their normal and legitimate businesses without fear of harassment or molestation.

  • CAM practitioners set up task force to curb charlatans

    Can quackery be routed in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)? Yes, says the National Complementary and Alternative Medical Association (NACAMA), which has set up a task force, the National Practitioners Verification and Hospital Re-certification Committee (NPVHRC), to sanitise its practice.

    The association’s president, Prof Peter Katchy, said charlatans were ruining the image of the profession, which underscored the need for some regulations.

    Katchy, who represented the country’s alternative medicine at the 25th International Medical Conference in India, spoke on arrival in Lagos.

    The committee, according to him, would ensure practitioners comply strictly with the Code of Conduct and Ethics for Good Complementary and Alternative Medical Practice in Nigeria.

    He said the practice has been invaded by quacks, who were practising under the pretext of   attending some ‘recognised’ schools.

    Katchy said the committee would act as a functional national team to redeem the association’s image and correct misconceptions from well informed people about the profession.

    Besides, it would also flush out fake manufacturers of medicines labelled Alternative Medicines and Mobile College Centres, such as, Centre for Traditional Medicine Practitioners, which has  metamorphosed into Centre for Alternative Medicine Practitioners.

    “Also, any other of such mobile medical institutes that ascribed alternative medicines to such dubious centres, which move from one hotel to the other in states collecting money from ignorant subscribers on a one-day workshop to become doctors and issue such valueless and worthless certificates to them as medical practitioners.

    “The terms of reference of NPVHRC is to shut such institutions and bring the criminal operators to book,” he said.

    He said it would also ensure that duly registered complementary and alternative medicine hospitals and clinics comply with the laid down formats for CAM hospitals and clinics.

    Moreover, it would stop wanton abuses and misrepresentations of  drug peddlers, who claimed that their concoctions are alternative medicines.

    Katchy urged the Federal Government to reopen the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (FEDCAM) in Abuja to support the training of practitioners.

    He said: “The former Minister of Health for State, Dr Khaliru Alhassan, has rectified the curriculum of the latent college and approved for the payment of outstanding rents and staff salaries. Sequel to this development it is expected that any moment from now, the present administration will allow FEDCAM to be reopened for academic activities.”

    He reassured that NACAMA was the only legitimate medical association for practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine in Nigeria.

    Besides, the Federal Ministry of Health and state ministries of health recognised the association’s  certificate.

  • CPC vows to curb consumer rights abuses

    CPC vows to curb consumer rights abuses

    The Director General, Consumer Protection Council Nigeria (CPC), Dr. Dupe Atoki, has declared that the council will curb consumer rights abuses in the country by forcing the major companies to comply with international standards.

    Noting that the telecoms, aviation, banking and power sectors have the highest level of consumer rights abuses, she said the CPC has adopted major strategies of enforcing consumer rights and ensuring company’s compliance with the council’s enabling laws.

    These strategies, she said, are sectoral intervention, litigation and improving the visibility of the council by using new methods and the redress of consumer complaints. These strategies, she said, are already yielding positive results.

    Speaking at a public lecture organised by the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, the CPC boss said that a successful intervention in the activities of usually the dominant player in a given sector resonates into a bandwagon compliance and block adherence to regulation and best practice.

    Atoki explained that “Sectoral intervention was identified as a major strategy for the evaluation of business operations under the various sectors in order to arrest identified adverse trends and thereby resolve individual complaints in the long run.”

    She explained that this strategy is intended to focus on a sector by undertaking in-depth analysis of consumer complaints and total evaluation of business practices to identify systemic irregularities.

    She noted, albeit happily, at the lecture entitled “The state of consumer rights protection in Nigeria”, that the council has already carried out successful major interventions in the food and beverage and aviation sectors which modified the behaviours of all the other players in those sectors for best practices.

    In order to enforce consumer rights, she said that CPC also has the strategy of criminal prosecution of recalcitrant businesses or litigation to achieve satisfactory redress, which is already paying dividends.

    Acknowledging the low awareness of consumer rights in the country, Mrs. Atoki said that the council was undertaking different measures to ensure increased knowledge of consumer rights and responsibilities.

    These measures, she noted, are hosting of consumer roundtable on phone rights, publication of a compendium of the rights of telecom subscribers, launch of ‘Check the Best Before Date’ campaign.

    Other measures, according to her, are revamping and updating the council’s website on a regular basis, using of social media to interact with consumers and establishing a strong media presence with a view to remaining in the consciousness of consumers.

    Lamenting the wanton gross consumer rights abuses also in sectors such as satellite television, land transport, property, hospitality, food and beverage, home appliances, automobile and electronic commerce, the council’s boss regretted that “while free market is currently operational in Nigeria, all forms of consumer abuse still pervade virtually every sector of the economy denying consumers their rights.

    Highlighting the abuses, she said that in the telecom sector, for instance, “consumers still contend with drop calls, unsolicited texts, calls, poor network, credit wipe off, amongst others, while consumers in the aviation sector experience regular delays and cancellation of flights without notice, damage and loss of baggage without compensation etcetera.”

    In the banking sector, she said consumers experience ATM dispense error cases with prolonged resolution period, POS terminal issues, unexplained debit on consumer accounts. Equally, in the power sector, “consumers complain of outrageous estimated billings, non-provision of transformers, metres, wrongful disconnections and inadequate electricity supply.”

    In the satellite television sector, she regretted that consumers were also struggling with regular disruptions, wrongful connections, poor service delivery and lack of redress for complaints. “Overloading, non refund of money when vehicles breakdown and use of dilapidated vehicles add to the burden of consumers of public transport services,” noted Atoki.

    Similarly, Dr. Dupe Atoki lamented that “In the property sector, developers fail to keep to agreement terms, tie down consumers’ deposits for prolonged period and sometimes deliver substandard houses to consumers.”

    Consumers under the hospitality sector were identified as not free from the abuses as “many hotels fail to live up to their claims/required standard, while vendors of holiday packages do not deliver on promises made.” Food and beverages industry are also guilty, said the DG, as foreign substances in drinks, sale of expired products, adulteration, improper storage, short measure, etcetera are rampant in the sector.

    “Undiscerning consumers go home with substandard home appliances while non adherence to warranty by car dealers, sale of substandard spare parts, unqualified mechanics and ill-equipped workshops result in safety issues and loss of consumers hard earned money,” bemoaned the DG.

    In the electronic commerce, the council’s DG lamented that the infringements of consumers’ rights here were completely unfair and potentially dangerous to the consumer. She said some of these abuses in this sector were unsolicited commercial communications and unfair use of personal information.

    However, while the agency is cognisant of its challenges and having evolved some strategies to deliver on its mandate within available means, Mrs. Atoki still stressed that several factors were militating against the council’s bid to effectively protect the over 160 million consumers across all sectors of the economy whose rights are wantonly abused.

    According to the DG, these factors are “perceived overlapping duties of regulatory agencies, impunity of business-peddling of influence, protection of self-interest by trade associations, lack of consumer awareness and apathy, inadequate funding, inadequate spread, understaffing and dearth of specialised staff, gaps in the CPC Act.”

    Underscoring the point, Atoki said “Market failures violate consumer’s rights and inhibit their welfare in the marketplace. Impunity of businesses, rivalry among regulatory bodies due to seeming overlapping functions and protection of self interest by trade associations are part of the challenges inhibiting the effective protection of Nigerian consumers.”

    Nonetheless, she asserted that genuine businesses must comply with regulations and specified standards for goods and services in the country adding that the political might of the federal government must be available to support the council at all times to put recalcitrant businesses in check.

    She urged regulatory agencies to collaborate with each other in order to foster seamless relationship in the regulation of businesses to ensure effective protection of consumers.

    “The council recognises the need for aggressive consumer awareness campaign. However, consumers should be more aggressive, proactive and disposed to complaining when dissatisfied with a product or service,” adding that mere grumble is not an option.

  • ‘How insurance can curb terrorism’

    ‘How insurance can curb terrorism’

    A UK based lawyer and management consultant has said that the current state of terrorism in the country could have been curtailed, if only Nigeria has a robust and fit-for-purpose insurance industry.

    Kachi Okezie, told journalists in Abuja that in advanced societies, the insurance industry is a major deterrent to negligence by both public authorities and the general public.

    According to him, “the insurance industry is well known for its powerful lobbies all over the world. In the UK, the industry has forced non-performing police chiefs from office for failing to curb rising crimes such as burglary which hurt the industry’s finances the most.”

    “Aside of individual cover,” Okezie explained that, “the government’s own responsibility is captured in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (2001) administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority under which compensation is payable to anyone (regardless of their nationality) who has sustained a criminal injury on or after August 1 1964.”

    He defined ‘criminal injury’ as being “one or more ‘personal injuries’ directly attributable to a crime of violence” and includes both physical and mental injuries.

  • Fed Govt urged to curb extra-judicial killings’

    A Governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Dr. Peter Obafemi, has urged the Federal Government to curb “indiscriminate killings” by policemen.

    He was reacting to the alleged killing of a 400-level student of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Seyi Fasere, by policemen in Oye-Ekiti.

    Speaking with reporters yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Obafemi said the Federal Government “must weed out bad elements in the police”.

    He said: “All lives are sacred and must not be taken without justification. Fasere’s killing exposes a gap that needs to be filled, if Nigeria is to progress.

    “This is one extra-judicial killing in a long list of others that I find painful, regrettable, uncalled for and barbaric. Nigerians must rise to expose the killers. Familiar and common excuses must not be accepted from the police.

    “The boy was said to have been arrested after a gang of robbers raided

    a bank in Oye-Ekiti and was allegedly killed the following day at a police station. This to me is summary execution.

    “The killing of Seyi has brought sorrow to his family. I urge the Federal Government and the Inspector-General of Police to probe his killing.

    “A photograph of Seyi’s body, which was taken at the police station, showed his two hands tied to the back. What can be deduced from this is that he had been earlier arrested. If this is not true, who tied his two hands after he was killed? Or did he engage the police in a shoot out with his two hands tied to the back?

    “His family said he had his school fees, N100,000, on him. Where is the money? We know there are good policemen, but the authorities need to weed out the bad ones.

    “The Commissioner of Police must arrest and prosecute the policeman accused of shooting Seyi.”