Consumers have applauded the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for its commitment towards the protection of their rights.
They gave the commendation while speaking in commemoration of the World Consumer Rights Day, usually celebrated every March 15, in Abuja on Friday.
Some of the consumers said although the FCCPC had made some remarkable impact, there were still more gaps to be closed in the area of consumer protection.
A consumer, Mrs Gladys Katung, commended the commission for its complaints resolution mechanism.
Katung said that although she had yet to have a direct encounter with the commission, her family members had had and they were satisfied with the responses received.
”I want to appreciate the FCCPC. Rarely will you see a government organisation making so much impact.
”Sometime last year, my relative had this issue with a company due to the sub-standard product he bought.
”When the company decided to play a fast one on him, someone advised us to contact the FCCPC and when we did, they replied and resolved it promptly.
”The company even started apologising to my brother,” she said.
Another consumer, Prof. Abubakar Yusuf, said on the commission’s X that his estimated billing problem with the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) was resolved by the commission within a few days.
Abubakar said he had an estimated billing of over N600,000 and was being charged N90,000 to N95,000 monthly by the JEDC.
”My complaint was so serious and when I came here, I was attended to quickly. I went through the guidelines, filled the forms and they interviewed me.
”In fact, I was receiving a huge amount of energy bills and it kept increasing every month to the extent that I was being charged over N600,000 outstanding bills.
“I received a bill of about N90,000 to N95,000 monthly.
”When I complained here, they quickly went through my record and asked me to pay to clear my account with about N50,000.
“This is so excellent, I never thought that something like this could happen in Nigeria.
”I am so impressed and I want to encourage everyone that has similar problems to come and complain to the FCCPC,” he said.
Another consumer, Mrs Florence Ibeagha, stressed the need for the commission to step up its enforcement towards service providers who extort consumers especially in the electricity industry.
”People are still being cheated and extorted by electricity service providers through estimated billing.
”FCCPC should engage the service providers to resolve the issues,” she said.
The theme for the day was: “Fair and Responsible AI for Consumers” with a focus on its implications in developing economies. (NAN)
By Ginika Okoye
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