Consumer complaints: Consumers demand action from relevant agencies

Amidst the recent upcoming legal battle between Coca Cola and the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), arising from non -compliance to rules and regulations guiding its operations, a cross section of Nigerians  are demanding that some other major regulatory bodies, which  responsibilities require attending to consumer’s complaints,  wake up to their responsibilities, In this report, Olamide Bakare aggregates the views of many consumers  on the diverse areas of concern.

Elsewhere in the world, the role of consumers in business is seen as one major thing that needs to be given the desired preference each time any major business decision is to be taken. Consumers, as they are known, determine what the retailer, producers and WHOLESALES do, since insight and research are needed in bringing new innovation into the market. It is ,however, the responsibility of these set of people to develop insights from consumers findings.  This explains why consumers are referred to as kings. But over the years, the situation has not been a palatable experience for many consumers if the way they are treated for the service paid for are anything to go by. Consumers, particularly in Nigeria, do not enjoy the level of right they deserve as many producers treat them with contempt. Numerous cases of maltreatment that cut across various sectors of the economy abound. From Aviation, telecom food and beverages, the list is endless

Just few days ago, The Federal Government had announced its readiness to embark on a legal tussle with the Nigeria Bottling company,Coca Cola for the violation of Consumer Protection Council Act on the grounds of safety standards and regulations. While those concerned i.e the parties involved, are looking forward to the battle at the court which get underway today, many consumers saw it as a good step in the right direction considering how issues relating to dissatisfactions are handled in the past. In separate interview with our correspondent, many consumers bemoaned the relevant agencies which had failed to live up to responsibilities in answering to the needs of consumers. Some of the agencies which have such mandate include NCC,NERC, CPC and many others.

Benjamin Elue , a businessman who travels regularly for business trip,listed the many sins which both airline and bus operators commit that do not advance the interest of the consumers they serve. He identified some of them to include; poor services, poor customer relation, the slow response in attending to issue of concern among others. According to Benjamin,   the manner in which consumers get treated in Nigeria is nothing to write home about even as he says that more effort should be targeted at building good relationship between service operators and consumers

Another Nigerian,Alhaji Abdullahi Bala who shared his experience on the shabby treatment meted out to him by the management of Arik Airline, said it was high time the agencies rose to the occasion by ensuring that the mandate issued to them are carried out to the letter. He noted that most service providers remained unconcerned because the relevant agencies are not doing well enough to sanction them,stating that as agencies, we must do all that is required to let them understand how critical the consumers are to their businesses.

Mrs.Tolani Adegbite who resides in Akure, while lamenting the huge  electricity bill recently brought by PHCN, stated that it has become necessary for government to give full backing to agencies in implementing their mandates so that issues arising from complaints by consumers are quickly addressed.

Ezechukwu Ebere, who expressed similar complaint on poor services rendered by many of the telecom operators, said government should play a major role in supporting those agencies particularly in the area of enforcement saying if this is done, service providers will begin to realise that it’s no longer  business as usual.

Source: dailyindependent