NSC, FCCPC Collaborate to enhance CPR Scheme

.... Organise Sensitization Programme 

ZAINAB JUNAID 

As part of the vision to establish and enhance Consumer Protection Regime scheme in the Shipping and Ports sector in Nigeria, Nigerian Shippers Council(NSC) and the Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission(FCCPC) have jointly organized a sensitization Programme to achieve this goal. 

The programme which was first in the series of sensitization programmes scheduled to hold in order to enlighten the stakeholders of their rights and responsibilities in the course of carrying out their activities at the port was held at RockView Hotel, Apapa, Lagos on Tuesday 1st August, 2023.

Hon. Emmanuel Jime, Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NSC, ably represented at the event by Mrs Ada Okam, Director, Human Resources Management Department, while delivering the welcome address said the sensitization exercise is in line with part 5.1.5 of the Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) signed by both NSC and FCCPC on Thursday, 20th of January 2022, which states that parties shall jointly or individually, sensitize and enlighten the consumers and stakeholders on the rights and responsibilities in relation to shipping matters. 

He explained that both parties planned to conduct sensitization exercise at various port and inland locations to get necessary inputs from stakeholders on how the industry can operate seamlessly with little or no infringement on rights of users and providers of Shipping and  Port Services. 

"This is to ensure that all stakeholders are carried along in the process of developing the CPR so as to build trust and confidence before rolling out the scheme," he noted. 

In reference to the MoU signed by the two parties, Jime recalled that on Thursday, 20th of January 2022, the NSC in Abuja at the CFCCPC Headquarters signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Commission to collaborate and work together on specific areas of concern to both agencies in the shipping and ports industry. 

The idea, according to him, was to bring sanity in the conduct of shipping and ports business to ensure harmony, fair trade practices and efficiency in the sector.

He confirmed that with the MoU, both parties is set to achieve an effective collaboration in the protection of providers and consumers of shipping and ports services with a view to establishing a Consumer Protection Regime (CPR) in the shipping and ports sector in Nigeria. 

Going further, this cooperation and collaboration in the discharge of our respective functions will entail: 'The encouragement of competition and consumer protection; prosecution of erring service providers and users on related matters; sharing of information and intelligence, consumer education and awareness as well as enforcement and compliance.

"The CPR when instituted will address infringements by service providers and users in the industry as well as enthrone sanity and fair-trade practices in the system

"As we are all aware, the shipping industry comprises of various players who in the course of daily transactions are bound to trample and infringe on each other's rights. These players have rights that are spelt out in the FCCPC Act to include, among others:

1) The right to be informed about the quality, quantity, potency, standards and charges/rates of services as the case may be so as to protect the consumer against unfair trade practices.

2) The right to be assured wherever possible, access to variety of services at competitive prices

3) The right to seek redress against unfair trade practices or restrictive trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation of consumers of shipping services

4) The right to consumer education, enlightenment and information on services availability

"The sector as at today looks as if there is chaos everywhere. However, when the CPR becomes fully operational, we expect a change of behavior in the conduct of shipping and ports business in Nigeria," he outlined.

He reiterated the commitment of the NSC to participants present at the event that it will continue to remain fair, neutral, unbiased, provide a level playing field in its capacity as the port economic regulator. 'We shall remain open to consultation and will ensure that critical decision in the port and shipping sector are arrived at by consensus opinion of stakeholders,' he maintained.

On his part, the Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC, Mr. Babatunde Irukera maintained that consumers’rights should be protected and must be paramount in most of the discussions at the event.

Irukera who was represented at the sensitization exercise by Mr. Tam Tamunokobia, Director, Legal Services FCCPC, while commending the Executive Secretary and Council for the collaboration initiative, opined that the collaboration would help reduce the issue of fighting among agencies and consumers would benefit more if there is collaboration among agencies.

“We must ensure that the consumer is protected. The issue of consumers should be uppermost in our minds. Secondly, to that effect, we need to choose a frontier of our cooperation and collaboration.

"On this note I will like to commend the Executive Secretary and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council for collaborating with us. We need to collaborate effectively. I have looked ath the Shippers’ Council Act, I have looked at our Act and in both cases, collaboration is highlighted.

“Where there is effective collaboration, there is no room for fighting, when we collaborate, the consumers will be the beneficiaries," he maintained.

The subject discussed at the event ,however provided avenue for stakeholders at the event to give feedbacks on infringements of rights and possible areas that need improvement if necessary.