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| Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN (middle) signing a Law to Establish the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency, provide for the protection of the interest of consumers, settlement of consumer disputes and for connected purposes at the Lagos House Ikeja, on Monday, March 10, 2014. With him are: Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye (right) and Chairman, House Committee on Transportation, Commerce and Industry, Hon. Bisi Yusuf (left). |
The Governor who spoke at the Conference Room of the Lagos House, Ikeja added that the piece of legislative intervention also aims at ensuring that goods that are put on the market are fit for the purpose for which they are sold.
He explained that consumers must be able to seek relief or remedy against manufacturers who put goods that are substandard or those that are not fit for purpose unto the market, adding that he expects that the law should tell consumers that they should not be helpless against erring manufacturers or vendors or service providers in the Centre of Excellence because the State Government has deemed it proper to give support to them so that their voices can be heard.
“I think everybody benefits because it raises the service levels of providers, it raises compliance levels, it improves the quality and standards of goods that are put in the market and the manufacturers and service providers also now know that there is at least a minimum service level expectation that the market will expect”, he explained.
Fashola explained that one of the selling points of Lagos State internationally and nationally is its large population and the consumption power that the population brings, adding that no government that is alive to its responsibility will not seek to protect consumers who expend money in order to ensure that they get value for their money.
He recalled that in times past, there have been stories about people buying household equipment and clothing and after using them for some time, they are returned that the items does not represent what the buyer wanted and are immediately replaced or a refund offered.
He added that the underlying rational for such development in all of those economies is that there is appreciation for value for money and the realization that the customer is king adding that for Lagos as one of Africa’s model megacity, it cannot be different.
Speaking earlier on some of the provisions of the new law, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ade Ipaiye said the new law repeals the Lagos State Consumer Protection Committee Law, Cap. L15,LLS 2003 and does not affect any right that a consumer may have under any other law.
The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency is also conferred with all the powers of a body corporate and would have representatives of the Ministries of Health, Commerce and Industry, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and Standards Organisation of Nigeria as we two representatives of recognized private sector organizations, the Attorney General added.
The objectives of the agency, according to the Attorney General, includes promoting and protecting rights of consumers including the right to be protected against marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life and right to be heard and assured that the interest of consumers will receive due consideration.
The Attorney General added that the agency shall also have power to ensure speedy redress of consumer complaints through negotiation, mediation and conciliation, ensure replacement of hazardous products and their elimination from the market in addition to initiating investigation whether it has received a complaint or not.
He noted that the Agency is also empowered to publicize banned, withdrawn, restricted or unapproved products and cause offending businesses to compensate their consumers and also has the powers to apply to court where necessary to stop the circulation of hazardous products.
“Section 14 of the new law provides that if a complaint is filed by one or more consumer, consumer associations, State or Local Government Agency and under section 16, provides that after due investigation, including laboratory test which gives both sides an opportunity to be heard, the agency may direct the person responsible for the harmful product to remove the defect, replace the products, return the price paid, pay damages and withdraw the product from circulation”.
According to Mr Ipaiye, a person found guilty under the law shall be liable on first conviction to a fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for three months while subsequent conviction attracts a fine of N750,000 or six months imprisonment.
The event was witnessed by the Chairman of the House of Assembly committee on Transport, Commerce and Industry, Hon Bisi Yussuf and Hon Lanre Ogunyemi as well as members of the State Executive Council including the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mrs Sola Oworu, Special Adviser on Commerce and Industry, Mr Seye Oladejo and Special Adviser on Political and Legislative Powers Bureau, Hon Muslim Folami among others.
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