FCCPC queries three steel companies over substandard products

By Eunice Olile

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, has carried out an enforcement search of standards, price and quality compliance at some key producing steel companies at Ogijo, Odoguyan and its environs in Ikorodu, Ogun State

This is to ensure the realisation of the Commission’s mandate to protect and promote the interests and welfare of consumers, and also adopt measures guaranteeing the safety and quality of goods and services.

Carrying out the survey/ enforcement, the Acting Vice Chairman of FCCPC, Dr. Adamu Abdullahi, who frowned at the way consumers are being exploited, said the commission got intelligence and surveillance reports that the companies are involved in an unethical behavior.

“You see what is happening is that there’s false misleading and deceptive as well as unfair market practices. You go into the market to buy an iron rod of 12mm for instance, when they produce what you get is 10mm and not 12mm, and this is the main reason that leads to building collapses that we have in the country, so what we are talking about here is safety of our people and that is one of the core essences of consumers protection, we have to ensure the safety of our own population”.

Dr. Abdullahi, who commended the companies for their cooporation, stressed that FCCPC would identify and remove unnecessary barriers to entry in various sectors, combat price-fixing, and dismantle cartels.

” The issue of market itself, how did the market play out, what do they do in the market that is right and what do they do that is wrong? So we are working with the market association, with all the sellers of this iron rods in the markets, we have their contacts, we have been having meetings with them, so they are the ones who have been giving us some of the informations that we need , so that these whole process get the desired results “.

The Acting Vice Chairman said the commission is collaborating with relevant regulatory bodies to develop a comprehensive and coordinated response to anti-competitive practices, price gouging, and other consumer protection issues.

” There’s a steel manufacturing Association, as well as the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria, Standard Organozation of Nigeria, are the main, thats the core regulator of this particular industry. We work together with them, after all, we are in the same ministry. COREN, that’s registered Engineers of Nigeria, have been a partparty to it, we have had meetings with them and they have been giving us technical advice on what we should do and look out for and that is exactly what we are doing, been guided by the template that they gave us, so we work with SON because it also matter”

Dr. Adamu Abdullahi also said the commission is still on information gathering, thereafter forensic experts will determine their findings and result shown.