On Monday, President Bola Tinubu appointed Mr Tunji Bello the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Vice Chairman for the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), pending confirmation from the Senate.
Before then, the commission’s acting Executive Vice Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu spoke to journalists in Abuja where he warned against the formation and activities of associations in the market places, stressing that such associations are illegal and should be disbanded.
Adamu told the journalists that the commission was investigating a number of companies for customer’s rights abuse. FRED EZEH was there.
You had a meeting with students and youth groups recently. What was that about?
It was an enlightenment engagement with students and other youth groups. It was part of our drive and catch them young campaign, to give them the necessary knowledge, information and empowerment they require to demand and push for their rights. Knowledge, they said, is power, and very important, hence we considered the decision to educate our young ones on what their rights are on issues of consumer protection, which is our mandate.
What prompted the advocacy and focus on students and youth groups?
Recently, I overheard someone talking about the need to reach out to students and sell this knowledge to them. The person also suggested that FCCPC develop educational curriculum and other materials for students in the schools on issues of consumer and protection rights. But he never knew we are doing that already. In fact, we have a committee in place that is working on that. The committee was recently mandated to review the existing curriculum with a view to making necessary additions and subtractions where necessary. This will, perhaps, enable the children know their rights from the younger ages. They would also know some basic rights that they have as consumers. It’s also very important to note that with those rights come responsibilities. We must have to lay more emphasis on that too. It’s a two way thing. Respect begets respect. We believe that by the time everyone knows what their rights are, they would be armed with knowledge to challenge service providers and manufacturers whenever these rights are violated. It will make the service providers to sit up and do what they are supposed to do. That’s the way to go, and we are ready to drive the process.
What level of knowledge do these students have about the activities of FCCPC?
I am quite sure that many of the students might have heard about FCCPC, but might not know much about their activities and how they could take advantage of the commission to fight for their rights. This is one of the reasons for the intensified campaign and advocacy. They have to know that there’s a commission such as FCCPC that is responsible for the enforcement of consumer’s rights, and which is also committed to the cause of protecting the rights of the consumer whenever they are violated. In this regard, our work is cut out for us, and we are up and doing. We have seen the growth that FCCPC has achieved over the years. For instance, in the last few years of the re-branded FCCPC, we have achieved a lot. Sadly, nowadays, you have to blow your own trumpet, otherwise, no one will do it for you, simply because people are busy blowing their own trumpets.
How do you educate these youths in school?
We have clubs in the schools, in addition to other enlightenment platforms. Periodically, we engage with the students and youth groups on the activities of the commission vis-a-vis what they should know about their rights. In addition to that, there’s this end of the year competition that we often organize for secondary and tertiary institutions. That competition has generated lot of interests among the students. We are optimistic that we would raise the stakes and more interest would be generated.
What assurance are you giving Nigerians on your desire and commitment to protect their rights and interests?
I can assure Nigerians on behalf of FCCPC that we are up and doing as regards the issue of consumer protection. Our investigations are top-notch, and we have held several industries and manufacturers responsible for their actions that resulted in the violations for the rights of Nigerians. We have lots of examples to show in that direction and they are in the public domain. However, we found it expedient to extend our advocacy drive to our local markets and supermarkets (formal and informal markets) across the country. We need to reach out to the providers of the goods and services, that there are rules and guidelines that they must abide by, in their engagements with the public, and we won’t hesitate to apply sanctions when and where necessary. For instance, it’s an offence for a consumer to pick an item on the shelf, and during payment, he or she discovers that the price is different, probably higher in most cases. That’s highly deceptive, and we frown at it. Also, in the market places, people are not supposed to form themselves into food associations for the purposes of fixing prices for items, but they are doing that. That simple means forming cartels, which is against the law.
What have you done in that regard?
We have visited some of these markets through our zonal and state offices, and had informed them that what they are doing is against the law, thus demanding that they disband such associations. We have informed the market administrators/management about our observation, and we are also working with them to disband these associations and make them understand that they are breaking some sections of FCCPC Act. However, we are still at the advocacy level. But in no distant time, we would start enforcement and sanctions. This will, perhaps, awaken the consciousness of the people to that law. Bad behaviours must be sanctioned. There are several other investigations that are currently ongoing on several markets and manufacturers. Necessary sanctions await people who are found wanting in any way.
Any scapegoat so far?
Yes, there is. Recall that heavy fine was imposed on a tobacco company recently for violating some sections of the law. In addition to that, they have been mandated to engage in advocacy and campaign against underage smoking for a particular period of time and they are also under severe supervision. We are monitoring their activities for 18 months, and they are paying for all these things.
What of people who introduced new products into the market without reaching out to FCCPC?
If a manufacturer is introducing a new product in the market. There are recognised ways and means to do that, and any violation could attract severe sanctions. Similarly, in the digital market space, it’s agreed that access to data is allowed, but it’s not allowed to use such data for marketing and research purposes without the consent of the people. Heavy sanctions await such person(s). Similarly, sharing data without knowledge of the owner is not allowed. There should be permission for that, and otherwise could result in breaching the law, and FCCPC frowns at that, hence sanctions are applied.
What is FCCPC doing about the activities of loan sharks?
We have been doing a lot on the issue of harassment by the operators of these loan sharks. Their activities are becoming embarrassing and frustrating to the people. In their modus operandi, they take hold of people’s contacts, photos, videos and other information on their phones, and use that to harass family and friends whenever there’s a default in repayment of the loan. Unarguably, debts are expected to be paid, but the style of recovering the loan is not acceptable to the law and FCCPC. These people are not supposed to invade the privacy of their clients. Unfortunately, that’s what they are doing, and that’s not acceptable to us. Investigations are ongoing, and at the right time, we make the outcome of the investigations public. We only need the support of Nigerians to sanitise the system, and ensure that our people get value for whatever money they spend.
How accessible is FCCPC?
FCCPC is very much accessible. Our various interactive and feedback channels are active round the clock. In addition to that, our doors are open to the people, and Nigerians have been reaching out to us with their different complaints and observations. People have lodged their complaints with scepticisms and we have attended to them as quickly as we could. Recently, the watchdog of government on resolution of complaints recognized us as number one in Nigeria as regards public complaints resolution. We were not surprised at that because that’s why we were established. Our mandate is to resolve complaints. Though, we are happy with that award, but we are simply doing our job, and it’s good when we are recognized for doing our job. Nigerians saw and appreciated what we did in the electricity sector. When the complaints became too much, we stepped in and resolved the identified challenges.
What are the faults of the parents in all these?
Parents should assist us in this fight. They should stop sending younger ones to buy cigarettes for them or smoking in front of the children. The danger of exposure to smoking is even more than the first hand. We shouldn’t be encouraging smoking among younger ones because they learn faster than expected. Early exposure to smoke is more dangerous because of the negative effect on the life of such person.
In few weeks to come, Nigerians would see more presence of FCCPC in market places, schools and other public places, on advocacy and enlightenment engagements. We are making arrangements with anti-tobacco campaigners to lecture the people on the dangers of smoking.
