Consumers’ ‘Bill of Right’ our next focus, says DG, CPC
The Director General. Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mr. Babatunde Irukera has said that his Council, will, beginning from the first quarter of 2018, work assiduously towards ensuring that the rights of consumers across the country are protected.
Specifically Irukera disclosed that he would enunciate an aggressive policy towards ensuring that Patients Bill of Rights is institutionalized in the country.
The CPC is the apex consumer protection agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria established to promote and protect consumers’ interests in all areas to their complaints, inform, educate and empower them to act as discerning and discriminating consumers in the market place.
The DG, made this disclose in an interactive session with select journalists at the Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday.
He said that since taking over as the helmsman of the council a little over seven months ago, he has been initiating moves to ensure that it would no longer be business as usual in the way consumers are treated in Nigeria.
He said company should always ensure that they maintain high reputation, pointing out that, “What companies do is to isolate problems; whereas, reputation management is critical to companies’ image.”
The DG said in view if the challenges consumers face in getting electricity supply for their needs, his agency would now focus its attention on the sector, adding that the Generating Companies, (Gencos) seem not to be bothered again about consumers’ complaints about poor electricity supply.
He said, “I don’t care about their (Gencos) reactions, all I want is the best for the consumers. Let people know their rights; therefore, we need to build consensus among stakeholders so that we could have attitudinal change in Nigeria.”
To achieve his aim, he said CPC was also collaborating with some strategic donor agencies including United Nations Development Organisation(UNIDO); as well government agencies like Standard Organisation of Nigeria(SON) and National Agency for Foods Administration and Control(NAFDAC), so as to enhance consumers’ rights and quality withn the overall aim of getting value for their money.
Irukera said that as part of his vision to enhance sustainable standards for consumers, his agency, while seeking media cooperation in the ongoing efforts to enunciate international best practices for Nigerians, would soon “Deepen institutional frameworks like Apps and automation system; we will ask companies to plug into it; we will ask them to prepare their own technology.”
He said once Consumers Bill of Rights is instituted, the economy would be its greatest beneficiary through it attendant value chain that would be created.
Ganiyu Obaaro
