The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Friday in Lokoja, sensitised secondary schools students in Kogi on their rights and responsibilities as consumers.
Mr Ibrahim Bello, Assistant Chief Consumer and Business Education Officer, FCCPC, while addressing students at Baptist Group of Schools, said the sensitisation was to educate consumers on their rights and responsibilities.
Bello said the commission embarked on the exercise to ensure that consumers were adequately informed in order to get value for their money on purchased goods and services.
According to him, consumers have responsibilities to speak out, think independently, complain, share experience, and be alert to the quality and safety of products and services before purchase.
He added that consumers have rights to information, product labelling, trade descriptions, price disclosure of products, sales record, select suppliers, fair dealings, return goods, as well examine goods.
“Others are rights to safe, good quality products, cancel advance bookings or order, implied warranty of quality, and right disclosure of used or reconditioned goods, and so on.
“One of the functions of FCCPC is to educate consumers, and we are doing this sensitisation simultaneously across the six States of the North Central geo-political zone ,” Bello said.
Bello said said that FCCPC would collaborate with schools to establish clubs in schools – Fan Club in Primary schools, and Young Consumer Club in secondary schools to sustain the sensitisation programme.
He added: “the FCCPC mandate is to protect and promote the interest of consumers by providing them with a wider variety of quality products at competitive prices.
“We are also ensuring the adoption of measures to guarantee that goods and services are safe for intended or normally safe for use”.
He advised consumers to always seek knowledge of what they are buying so as to have value for their money, noting that there are many fake and substandard products in the market.
Bello urged consumers to always report issues of purchased fake or substandard products to the commission through their diverse complaints platforms.
“We are calling on consumers to report any sale of fake and substandard products to FCCPC through our portal, social media handles, including our telephone hotline and offices,” Bello said.
In their separate remarks, the Principals of Baptist Group of Schools, Mrs Victoria Olaleye, and that of Kellen International School Lokoja, Mr Joseph Okpanachi, commended FCCPC for the gesture towards their schools.
“We appreciate the gesture because we have manufacturers, producers, as well as consumers among our students.
“So, when all parties know their rights and responsibilities, they would be able to enlighten others. This will help to form a sane generation that will compete fairly,” Okpanachi said.
“We are very lucky to have FCCPC in our school to sensitise our students to make us aware of our rights and responsibilities as consumers.
“We will immediately inaugurate the Young Consumer club in our school,” Olaleye said.
One of the students, Maria Umoru, appreciated the commission for the sensitisation programme, which she said was an eye-opener to the students.
“We have also been advised to always check the expiry date on any product, and never patronise roadsides sellers,” she said.
Schools visited included Baptist Group of Schools, KELIEN International, Sunnah Academy, Christ Field, Julitola International, and Irawo secondary school, all in Lokoja.(NAN)
By Stephen Adeleye
 on Friday in Lokoja, sensitised secondary schools students in Kogi){kind=link}