16th May, 2012
Mr. Mike Omeri, Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), has advocated for a special court to try fraudsters infringing on consumers’ rights.
Omeri made the call in Abuja on Tuesday when the Director-General of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mrs. Ifeyinwa Umenyi, paid him a courtesy visit.
He said that the introduction of the special court would help to eliminate fake and sub-standard products from the market.
“Anybody who wants to do business in Nigeria should do a legitimate business and should not try to defraud the consumers,” he said.
Omeri said that the slogan of most companies doing business in Nigeria“no refund of money after purchase” was criminal.
He attributed the criminal act to greed in the minds of producers of goods and services.
Omeri said that the transformation agenda of the present administration would be more meaningful if the council should collaborate with other stakeholders to ensure better quality products in the market.
“The president has been in the forefront of encouraging agencies to work together to make the country better.
“We, therefore, need to make our country men know that they have a responsible mind in the market.”
Omeri also advocated that for every goods purchased in the market, there should be a minimum of 28 days for the consumer to return it to the seller if found to be malfunctioning or if the consumer was not satisfied with such goods.
He, however, promised that the agency would mobilise for best practises in the market through proper sensitisation.
Earlier, the Director-General of Consumer Protection Council said that sub-standard goods and services could only be eliminated from the market if consumers promptly file their complaints to the agency.
She noted that the agency had recently re-launched the CPC Website to educate consumers on their rights and solicited for a better working relationship with NOA.