CPC sleeping on its mandate?

Over time, the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) is seen by many Nigerians as one of those agencies of government that is established to just reduce the unemployment figures.
However, many ask if the Council is fulfilling its mandate of protecting consumers; BENJAMIN UMUTEME writes
Established by Act No.
66 of1992, the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) began operations only in 1999, after its institutional framework had been put in place.
The Council continues to see itself as being committed to protecting and enhancing consumers’ interest through information, education and enforcement of appropriate standards for goods and services and to promote an environment of fair and ethical trade practices.
Its mandate includes providing speedy redress to consumers complaints through negotiation, mediation and conciliation; seeking ways and means of removing from; the markets hazardous products and causing offenders to replace such products with safer and more appropriate alternatives; publishing from time; to time list of products whose consumption and sale have been banned, withdrawn, severally restricted or not approved by the federal government.
They also include causing an offending company, firm, trade association or individual to protect, compensate, provide relief and safeguards to injured consumers; or communities from adverse effects of technologies that are inherently harmful, injurious, violent or highly hazardous; organising and undertaking; campaigns and other forms of activities that will lead to increased public consumer awareness; encouraging trade, industry and professional associations to develop and enforce in their various fields, quality standards designed to safeguard; the interest of consumers; Issuing guidelines to manufacturers, importers, dealers and wholesalers in relation to their obligation under the CPC enabling law.
Encouraging the formation of voluntary consumer groups or associations for consumers’ well being; ensuring that consumers’ interest receive due; consideration at appropriate fora and providing redress to obnoxious practices or the unscrupulous exploitation of consumers by companies, firms, trade associations or individuals; registering of products, services and sales promotions in the market place.
Any achievements? Many say the Nigerian consumer is the most abused globally, accusing the Council of not doing enough to protect consumers in several sectors of the economy towards combating consumer abuses, curbing impunity of business operators and generally ensuring consumers get value for money.
However, according to its 2016 annual report, the Council was able to issued orders for refund and compensation to consumers to the tune of about N2.5 billion which included $31,948.87 and €1,406.
Blueprint Weekend gathered that the intervention of the Council in satellite TV service, focused on Multichoice Nigeria Limited, the dominant provider of direct satellite broadcast service under the name of DStv in Nigeria.
Due to its intervention, consumers now enjoy improved services including contemporaneous release of service upon payment for renewal, access to toll free lines, one free to air channel when subscription expires and suspension of service for a limited period when absent from base, among others.
In the banking sector, CPC was able to get First City Monument Bank Plc to refund N1, 542,775,841.58 to Bauchi state government being unlawful bank charges and other deductions.
While the matter remains subjudice, the sector is now mindful of such exploitative behaviour.
Its intervention in the hospitality sector focused on the VIP Express Tourism Limited, a travel and tourism company that offers vacation accommodation services in the time share model.
At the end of the day, the Council ordered the refund of N25 million to over 60 subscribers of this service due to the exploitative nature of the contracts they were made to sign which waived their rights to rescind.
In the problematic telecommunication and food & beverage is to safeguard advert/promo/information causing both business concerns to up their services to their numerous consumers.
Little achievement Inspired by this little achievement, many consumers still say the Council is not doing enough.
Many hinge this on the Council’s inability to address the abuse that Nigerians continue to suffer in the hands of telecoms companies.
This remains a dent in what the agency is doing.
Is the agency to blame for this seeming lack of knowledge of its activities? For Hezekiah Igoche, a public affairs commentator, many Nigerian consumers are not literate and, therefore, do not know what the agency is doing.
This is even as he added that with most of them in the rural areas it becomes difficult for them to seek redress.
Despite having offices in the six zones of the federation, the Council is seriously handicapped by a relatively small staff strength which those familiar with the activities of the agency say is not even sufficient to properly run its affairs.
For instance, the Council most times has dCPCndCnd on grants from donor partners to fund some of its activities.
Weak laws Many have blamed weak law for CPC diminished power to protect consumers.
According to the Head of the Council, Lagos Zone, Ngozika Obidike, the passage of the Consumer Protection Amendment Bill will give bite to the work of the Council.
Ms.
Obidike said the Bill would assist the agency at the national and state levels to enforce the rights of consumers which had been lacking for years.
“Nigerian consumers have continued to suffer avoidable hardship as a result of weak system of consumer advocacy.
“The urgent passage of the bill will complement our efforts in propagating the rights of consumers and give us a legal framework to make more impact,” she said.
However, a consumer advocate, Olanrewaju Oginni, said a large number of Nigerians are unaware of their rights as consumers and often go away with goods or services they are unsatisfied with.
According to him, there is a general apathy on the part of Nigerians to report substandard goods or services to the Consumer Protection Council.
He said some consumers prefer to remain unruffled, while some only get angry and leave the complaint to slide.
Oginni charged the Council to intensify efforts on the campaign for consumer satisfaction as most Nigerians are ignorant of its activities.
It behoves the Council to take the bull by the horn and explore innovative ways to make its activities known to Nigerian consumers.