Worried by the preponderance of expired consumer products in the market, particularly edibles, the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), has stepped up its campaign to stamp out the sale of expired products by driving the shelf-life policy for consumer products. TONIA ‘DIYAN, reports.
A few years ago, a lady stormed the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) office, brandishing a particular product she said her family often used. “This does not taste like the product we are used to; it is fake,” she charged at an official of the Council. The official immediately accompanied her to where she bought the product. On getting to the place, the seller did not deny selling the product to her, but said without any remorse: “Well, I am not the manufacturer.” After hot exchanges, the seller was compelled to either replace the product with the original or refund the lady’s money.
However, the story did not end there. The seller also disclosed where he got his supply from. It was at this point officials of the CPC visited the firm where the product was supposedly manufactured only to discover that it was imported. Alarmed, the CPC officials stormed the market where the products were packed and displayed for sale to unsuspecting consumers. The products were mopped up. The CPC also went on air alerting citizens of the dangers of patronising the expired product.
Following the incident, the CPC has stepped up the Shelf Life Policy campaign particularly as it relates to consumer products, especially edibles. According to the consumer rights protection agency, the Shelf Life Policy is an international policy that no manufacturer can fault and it must be strictly adhered to. The CPC explained that after the expiration date of a product (i.e. the shelf life span expires), it no longer becomes safe for consumption.
However, some unscrupulous producers in Nigeria, without recourse to the dangers of selling expired products, have refused to adhere strictly to the policy, according to the Council.
A case in point is Coca-Cola Company, which, according to the CPC, allegedly does not have a detailed written shelf life policy for dealing with expired products. This was discovered after a thorough investigation by the agency, which also went a step further, reassuring consumers that such products will be removed from the market. “In a case like that of Coca-Cola, the role of the agency is to investigate, draw the attention of the manufacturer and where necessary, make an order as to how there would be standard compliance. That is exactly what we have done. Mr. Tam Tamunokonbia, Head of the CPC, Lagos Office, told The Nation Business Shopping.
He explained that CPC carried out a full scale investigation where the manufacturers, Coca-Cola was involved. He said that although, the company may have one or two explanations, the reality on ground is what the Council issued to them as an order. “We made an order for them to change their processes and comply with the order,” he said, adding, “I do not know why some companies have refused to have this policy (Shelf Life Policy). All companies are aware of its importance as an international policy. They are also aware that the policy is part of the standard of production in the country. Therefore, as an agency that protects the consumer, we expect total compliance.”
The CPC official enjoined every manufacturer to be sincere to the consumers and take special measures to ensure that things are done correctly. “Consumers should be taken into consideration while producing products for their consumption. It is because of the consumer that these manufacturers exist in the first place and so, companies involved in production have to carry out their production processes accordingly,” he argued. He promised that the agency would continue with its investigative roles, as well as its surveillance and enforcement activities in the market place with a mandate to enforce standards, laws, regulations and policies set up by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and other sector regulators.
While SON has the function to set standards, policies and regulations, the CPC, by Section 12 of the CPC Act, enforces them. Every law that is meant for the protection of the consumer is enforceable by the CPC. According to the agency, there are also sanctions for manufacturers who refuse to facilitate the removal of expired products from the market. The CPC has the power to remove from the market place products that are expired, fake or sub-standard, according to Section 2 of its law. This means that once a product does not have its shelf life or meet standard labelling requirements, the Council has the right to remove it from the market and to sanction the manufacturer of such product. The Council can also prosecute offenders, but in most cases, prosecutions come as a last resort. This is usually after its order has been flouted or not complied with.
However, to guard against consumers’ unconscious purchase and consumption of hazardous items that are off their shelf life, the Council constantly carries out thorough investigations to ensure that such identified products are quickly removed from the markets. For the CPC, this is a responsibility that they will not back down on. They will continue to engage in the removal of the harmful products and also bring sanctions against companies suspected to be manufacturing or dealing in such products.
As Mr. Tamunokonbia explained: “Consumers can seek redress by complaining to the CPC free of charge. We are available throughout the country; we are in all the six geo-political zones. We have a Liaison Office in Lagos, market desk at Alaba International market and Computer Village. Complaints could be made by sending an email to cpcnigeria@yahoo.co.uk or cpc.lagos@yahoo.co.uk. Most importantly, every consumer owes himself a duty of thoroughly checking the item he is buying before actually making the purchase and if he notices any foul play, he should immediately contact the manufacturer. At that level, in most cases, the consumer may get his money back or a product replacement. If the manufacturer does not want such a case to get to the CPC, he may choose to resolve it diligently. But if such a consumer is still not satisfied, he should seek redress by coming to the Council.”
He further said imported products without shelf life policy would be traced to where they were bought and who imported or manufactured them. He added that consumers should expect protection in all areas of goods and services.
His words: “The protection we provide is that the man who buys gets value for his money and if everybody gets value for his money, there will be no need for complaints. But our economy is not yet completely there, so part of the protection is to educate and sensitise Nigerians though it is expensive. We encourage Nigerians to complain whenever they have problems. We also encourage manufacturers and sellers that they have a duty, an obligation to ensure that they explain everything about a product or service to the consumers. If you do not explain to the consumer how to use your product effectively, how would they know?” he asked.
While insisting that the consumer has a right to education and information, he pointed out that most of the complaints from consumers of electricity, for instance, have to do with estimated billings by the power distribution companies. This was why Tamunokonbia visited the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, O. C. Akamnonu where he said his company buys power and distributes same to Nigerians. He assured the Council that those who had meters (not prepaid meters) are paying according to what their meters read.
Akamnonu also informed the council that the company, in the next few weeks, would come up with a meter policy, which would address the concerns of consumers using prepaid meters and others including a system that will be able to read meters from a central place. However, Akamnonu complained that some consumers refuse to pay their bills as at when due. The Council however, insisted that Nigerians pay for what they consume.
Apart from the power sector, the CPC is also tracking the online marketing companies, an emerging market. Two weeks ago, the head of Lagos office took a trip to the office of one of these online marketing companies in Lagos following complaints from consumers. They online marketing companies, in their defence, told CPC that they operate according to strict standards and that they are also working on a strategy to replace, within two weeks, products that did not meet consumers’ specifications. However, if the process take much longer than that, the consumer would have to formally notify them since it takes a longer process to resolve cases that exceed two weeks.
The CPC has also had course to beam its searchlight on the banking sector following consumer complaints that have to do with the use of the automated teller machines (ATMs), unearned bank charges and non-disclosure to customers. Same for the petroleum sector where the CPC, in some cases, was informed at the filling stations that the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) is the only agency of government authorised to monitor them, which is why operators of such filling stations refuse to cooperate with the CPC officials.
The CPC is, however, optimistic that the situation would change soon when people understand the functions of the agency. Already, the National Assembly is currently amending the laws to make it compulsory for every sector regulator to send to them their consumer complaints reports monthly.
