Consumer Protection Council unable to effectively protect consumer

The CPC says there is weak system of consumer advocacy that diminishes its power to protect consumers.

The Consumer Protection Council, CPC, is currently unable to effectively protect consumers from uncanny producers of goods or service providers, the council said on Friday.

The Head of the council, Lagos Zone, Ngozika Obidike, appealed to the National Assembly to fast track the passage of the Consumer Protection Amendment Bill to enable the council work effectively.

She made the appeal during a Road Show to mark the World Consumer Rights Day in Lagos.

Ms. Obidike said that 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.

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.

Mr. Oginni said 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 got angry and left the complaint to slide.

Mr. Oginni charged the council to intensify efforts on the campaign for consumer satisfaction as most Nigerians were ignorant of the council’s activities.