…To tackle abuses in banks, power sectors
By Amechi Ogbonna
The Consumer Protection Council (CPC), has restated its commitment to launching a relentless war against pedlars of adulterated and substandard products in the country in line with its mandate to give Nigerian consumers value for money.
Director General of CPC, Mr. Babatunde Irukera, said his administration would confront producers and marketers of substandard goods in collaboration with other government agencies, consumer advocacy groups and individual Nigerians to bring enduring reforms that would make customers the real king of the market place.
Irukera, who made this known in Lagos at an interactive meeting with the media also listed the electricity, banking and the medicare sectors as some of the council’s priority industries where high incidence of consumer abuses would be looked into in the years ahead.
He stated that ahead of CPC’s plan to address these abuses, the management has already commenced the process of building a strong consensus with the various stakeholders on the need to stem the misdeeds of service providers against consumers.
When the impending reforms become fully operational, the CPC boss said banks and power distribution companies would now be held liable for arbitrary charges imposed on consumers that are not commensurate with the quality of services rendered to them.
He said, “the healthcare space is one of the most tragic in Nigeria, because healthcare practitioners do whatever they like and many families have suffered direly for such unprofessional conducts. For this reason, we are working on a ‘Patients Bill of Right’ which would make people know their right even in hospitals.
This would be pasted in public and private hospitals across the country to let medical practitioners know that they can’t do whatever they want with their patients and get away with it.”
Meanwhile, the council has urged business owners to prioritise consumer protection as a strategic component in protecting brand, businesses, building confidence and corporate growth.
The CPC helmsman noted that customer satisfaction remains the most vital pillar of loyalty and trust, adding that customer service could not be supplementary to business; rather, it must be at the heart of business and operations.
He said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration recognised the role of businesses and their CEOs in economic expansion and would always listen to “credible, genuine, fair-minded and society committed investments.”
According to Irukera, consumer protection regulatory challenge in any part of the world could damage a brand globally; therefore, companies should “prioritise consumer protection in dealing with consumer protection authorities.”
He identified some policy priorities of the council, which stressed the need to strengthen the existing complaint resolution mechanisms, adding that CPC would introduce a more efficient system with the right technology that would ensure that companies are the primary point of resolution.
The Director General explained that there was need for a mandatory Corporate Obligatory Responsibility (COR) as customer service and consumer protection, adding that it formed a vibrant combination of the best possible brand and reputational investment, and that fairness and customer satisfaction was important to maintain reputation and eliminate distrust in business.
“When customer service is at its best, consumers are truly happy, spending is up, economic indicators are encouraging; my job is done, your performance is assured, and your brands endure. Consumer satisfaction is a means to a commercial end, and for CPC, it is an end in itself and fulfillment of a constitutional duty.”
He advised that consumers be treated fairly and equally, irrespective of their location. “It is only when that fails that complaints will escalate to the CPC, except in serious or industry wide situations or abuses that require major and urgent immediate intervention.
“CEOs are hereby encouraged to ensure their companies adopt the comprehensive system and key into it when it goes live,” he said.
The Director General said that a major threat to both consumers and businesses was counterfeiting and adulteration.
He said the CPC would focus more on traceability and enjoined companies to cooperate by being more innovative and proactive in collaborating with regulators to address the menace.