One of the major factors that deter aggrieved consumers from seeking redress is the perceived and assumed tortuous and lingering process of getting justice.
Consumers in Nigeria pass through one form of abuse every day, either from service providers, manufacturers or retailers but a majority swallow it and carry on believing that getting justice will even cost them much more.
A majority of the consumers interviewed said they prefer to take the offence in their stride instead of wasting precious money and time trying to get justice that may never come or take years to come.
“I have been trying to get justice from the Consumer Protection Council of Nigeria (CPC) over the telecommunication giant MTN since the past six months but it has been an uphill task,” lamented an MTN subscriber who pleaded for anonymity.
At The Nation newspapers office, 27b, Fatai Atere Way, Mushin, Lagos, where he came to seek intervention, he said since he lodged his first formal letter with the CPC Lagos, “there had been two unsuccessful mediation meetings presided by CPC officials between MTN representatives and I but nothing further had been done as MTN management keeps derailing the meetings.”
For Mr. Festus Okpenyemi, his case lingered on from April last year to December, at the Lagos State Consumer Protection Committee before it was finally resolved to his satisfaction.
Speaking to the reporter at the venue of the mediation meeting at the first floor of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Alausa, Ikeja, he attributed the length of the hearing of his case to the accused party who kept postponing the mediation meetings by not being available on the agreed dates of the meetings.
Besides, said Mr.Okpenyemi, the mediation meetings at the Secretariat hold every fortnightly as members of the Committee are highly placed civil servants with heavy work load.
Mrs. Obiamaka Okeke said though her own case did not take long to resolve, she had to incur expenses by travelling on four different occasions to the operational headquarters of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) at No.13/14, Victoria Arobieke Street, Lekki, Phase 1, Lagos.
“I was seeking justice over a substandard product I bought for N6,000 and subsequently incurred expenses of almost N10,000 to get redress that did not completely assuage my anger.”
But Barrister Femi Okoye, the president of ‘Know Your Right’ Agency, a non governmental organisation (NGO) refuted claims that the CPC and NGOs take time in resolving issues. “If it is a law court, it may take months or even years to get the much desired justice.
“In most cases, government agencies do not take time in resolving cases except on rare occasions, but in the end justice is achieved,” he stressed.
Concerning ways of making the redress processes less cumbersome, Barrister Okoye noted that every day better ways of doing things keep evolving, but we need patience and awareness to get there.
“Apart from the law courts, the issue of getting redress for offended consumers from both the government and NGOs is a relatively new ground, but with time the process will be fine-tuned and all the unnecessary bureaucracies removed,” he said.
Reacting to the topic, Mr. Abiodun Obimuyiwa, the Deputy Director of Public Relations (DDPR), CPC head office Abuja, explained that “the redress system is from time to time being streamlined directly and through systematic enhancement. The council has over time been enhancing its redress mechanism.”
Besides setting new time lines for the resolution of cases brought before it, Obimuyiwa disclosed that more empowerment has been provided for its work force to achieve resolution of cases within a set deadline.
Speaking from his Abuja office, Mr. Obimuyiwa said that apart from the above, “with increased consumer education, more consumers are becoming more aware of the needed caution to be taken before making purchases.”
Moreover, said the DDPR, “the number of service or product providers that are aware of the rights of consumers keep increasing by the day,” adding that “these new converts respond more quickly to consumer complaints with a view to providing succour to aggrieved consumers just as they avoid situations that can warrant consumer dissatisfaction.”
The council, he emphasised, through its engagements with product/service providers demand that they put in place robust complaints resolution mechanisms.
“However, you know that there are steps which must be taken to resolve complaints and we have to follow all to ensure objectivity and impartiality,” explained Ms. N. A Olujie, Head of Department (HOD), Consumer Complaints and Collaboration, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
Blaming the length of time taken sometimes in resolving cases on the warring parties, she said that if both parties agree to decisions taken early enough, the cycle time is reduced, otherwise it is prolonged until there is a resolution
Explaining further, the amiable lady said that “what we do here is alternative dispute resolution through mediation, negotiation and conciliation. Both parties can seek redress in the law court if not satisfied with the resolution terms.”
According to a research carried out by the reporter, ideally it takes about one month for cases to be resolved in SON if the parties concerned are available.
At the Lagos State Consumer Protection Committee which also mediates between warring parties every fortnight, officials said that the length of the redress process depends on the nature of the problem and the availability of the concerned parties.
“The only thing which can lengthen the process is when a key party in the matter is not available though the resolution committee sits only every fortnight due to the busy and demanding nature of the work of the members,” he added.
Usually, the mediating committee is made of top civil servants like the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, amongst others.
Almost the same process of getting redress applies to all the agencies involved but the CPC has the legal mandate of also applying for compensation through the law court.
At the apex federal government council, where consumers can seek for redress, the CPC, the first step an offended consumer is advised to take is to contact the seller while keeping all the records of the conservations.
If the problem is not resolved at this level, the aggrieved person is advised by CPC to contact the provider or manufacturer if possible. However, if no progress is recorded at this point, then the offended consumer is advised to write an effective complaint letter which should be addressed to the Director General, CPC, Abuja.
In the letter, include all the facts with the photocopies of all the documents regarding your complaints and also include your contact details.
The CPC Act states in section 612 that where a consumer or a person involved is an illiterate or subject to any physical disability which makes it unable to write, the clerk or any other official working with the state’s committee shall help that person to write at no fee.
