The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) said it was investigating banks and the hospitality industry over allegations of customer rights abuses and that a major intervention would soon be launched to address the infractions.
Dupe Atoki, Director-General of CPC made this known in Abuja at a stakeholders forum as part of activities to commemorate the World Consumer Rights Day.
The CPC boss who said the agency was determined to pursue with vigour consumer rights protection noted that there had been increasing complaints from consumers in both sectors.
“There are ongoing investigations in the banking and finance and hospitality sectors and the effect would soon be felt. My resolve is to take the ongoing reforms to many sectors as we can in spite of the odds. The council is determined to continue to pursue the protection of the rights of consumers with vigour,” she said.
Atoki also said that she elected on assumption of office to embark on sectoral interventions rather than focusing on resolving individual complaints because of the magnitude of consumer rights abuses in the country.
“The reasoning is that the modification of the conduct of a major industry player resulting from such investigation would set the standards for other industry players in that sector to follow, thereby guaranteeing consumer satisfaction at a faster and wider spread,” she said.
Atoki said this strategy has yielded enormous benefits to consumers in the food and beverage sector of the economy, adding that complaints about half-filled cans and foreign substances in drinks have been greatly reduced.
The CPC boss said the council is poised to embark on an aggressive advocacy on consumer rights even as she urged consumers to endeavour to register any institution which breaches their rights to the agency for prompt action.
She said the success the agency has recorded since her assumption of office, particularly in the food and beverage sector, would be replicated in the financial services and hospitality sectors so that they too can feel the regulatory impact of the council.
