The Director General, imo State Consumer protection council, Hon. Mrs Obioma Okafor, has revealed some of the Council’s operational strategies to ensure adequate protection of consumer’s rights in the state.
She made this revelations while speaking to newsmen, yesterday in her office at Area P, adjacent ISOPADEC office, New Owerri, Imo State.
According to the DG, the Council fulfills its statutory mandate by deploying several regulatory tools to monitor and modify behaviour of service providers and manufacturers. Some key areas of operations include complaint resolution, surveillance and enforcement, consumer education, as well as research and strategy.
Under Complaint Resolution the DG maintained that, the Council resolves complaints that are filed with it. Consumer grievances and dissatisfaction are brought to us as “Complaints”.The Council receives these complaints in diverse ways including online, in person, in writing, and multiple social media platforms. Most complaints are resolved using one or more of our resolution tools, such as direct engagement, negotiations, mediation, conciliation, investigations, administrative hearings and collaboration with other regulators. Investigations and hearings usually occur when a market intervention becomes compelling, or conduct is indicative of a pattern or widespread infraction.
*Surveillance & Enforcement.* The DG said, a vital tool of protecting consumers is market surveillance and enforcement where violations occur. This component of CPC work is both random and targeted. Most targeted interventions are on account of intelligence gathered by, or provided to the Council including anonymous tips. Some activities here are preventive and may lead to publishing Guidelines or Advisories on products in the market and restrictions on consumption or use. It is worthy to note that through this strategy, imo State CPC has particularly developed a reputation for combating counterfeit products and enforced safety standards. It’s no longer business as usual in imo state.
*Quality Assurance & Development* The satisfaction and safety of the Nigerian consumer are paramount. The Council under the shared prosperity government of Senator Hope Uzodimma, is committed to statewide quality assessment of products and services in order to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality, safe and meet consumers’ expectation, while giving value for money.To achieve this goal, the Council has introduced standard measurement cups for selling of grains in imo state. Moving forward, we have embarked on routine factory inspection to ascertain the level of compliance with standards in the production of consumable goods.
The next one which is very important is *Consumer Education.* Mrs Okafor emphasized that, an educated consumer is a fundamental factor in consumer protection. As such, the Council engages in routine and periodic consumer education to inform consumers of their rights, available enforcement mechanisms and how to use the processes. Another vital aspect of consumer education is to provide information about key market developments such as Advisories, warnings, recalls and similar interventions. The Council conducts numerous specific and general awareness campaigns. “Since I came onboard, we have gone round the three senatorial districts on road shows, public enlightenment awareness campaign to sensitize imolites on their rights as consumers”.
*Research.* Finally, the Council has on several occasions engaged in domestic and global research on products and services, as well as changing or evolving market trends and consumer behaviour. We have organised serminars and workshops for stakeholders like ATWAP, MASTER BAKERS, IPMAN, FOOD VENDORS, GRAIN DEALERS ASSOCIATIONS etc, where we invited scholars from notable Universities to come and educate them on the international best practices and good manufacturing ethics that assures maximum consumer protection. Research and strategy play a pivotal role in how the Council accomplishes its mandate. Thereafter, the DG took the journalists round the CPC premesis and store where seized iterms are kept till when it will be destroyed.
