Date: 2017-03-17

...as SON urges consumers to be vigilant

As the world celebrate Consumer Rights Day on Wednesday, regulatory bodies in Nigeria have been charged to live up to their responsibilities in order to eliminate substandard products and safe guard lives of consumers.

The regulatory agencies include National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) , Consumer Protection Council (CPC) , Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) among others.

The President, Kwara State Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (KWACCIMA), Alhaji Ahmed Ajiboye Raji, who decried influx of substandard products into the country said regulatory agencies needed to live up to expectation.

Speaking to Pilot Business yesterday, he said, "I want all relevant agencies that regulate products to be up and doing. For instance, how do you comprehend garri being imported from China? It's very absurd and I believe something is wrong somewhere. " We want them to be more vigilant and vibrant so that they can give consumers value for their money.

"They should apprehend Criminal minded people who are producing fake products and sanction them appropriately," he added. Raji called on consumers to be vigilant in order to ascertain quality of the products they are buying.

He said, "For consumers, you need to be vigilant too by checking your products, the expiring date and the content to ensure that it is worth your money. "As manufacturers, we should do the needful by not giving the public sub-standard products, " he advised. Also speaking, CEO, Bantex Superstores, Mr. Onyesom Kalu, called on the Federal Government to ensure strict measures on goods being imported into the country. He said, "Importation of clothing materials, shoes and foods items should be banned since we have a lot of local firms producing these items.

Another business Owner, Chinnex Boutique, Chinedu Michael, noted that security and regulatory agencies should not compromise in the discharge of their responsibilities.

He said, "The right of consumers is infringed upon where there is bribery and corruption in the process."

Lending a voice, the Kwara State Coordinator of SON, Engr. Sunday Ishaya Yeshin urged consumers to know their rights by seeking for redress partaining to products when necessary.

He said, "My advice to consumers is that they have to know their rights and obviously we have to ensure that anything that they buy should give value for money.

"They can also seek for redress with relevant government agencies in the country to protect their interest."