October 28, 2022

The Lagos State Government says plans are underway to ban the sale of plastic bottled drinks exposed to the sunlight.

The General Manager, Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA), Mr Afolabi Solebo made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday.

“Plastic bottled drinks exposed to continuous sunlight are dangerous to health and very cancerous. Therefore, it will be part of our public enlightenment between now and the end of the year.

“So that by 2023, we will not only confiscate such drinks but we will prosecute people that are displaying those products under sunlight.

“We also want to have a stakeholders’ meeting with manufacturers of those bottled drinks so as to get alternatives for dummy of the products for distributors to display.

“The essence of displaying those products in the sunlight is to attract consumers to come buy. So if you can put dummies in the sun it has no effect since dummies look like the real thing,” Solebo said.

He said consumables that kill bit-by-bit should be avoided.

Solebo also urged consumers to always ensure they get value for their money on all products and services rendered to them.

He said consumers had a right under the law to complain if they are not getting value and satisfaction for their money, they could seek redress.

The general manager said consumers, much as they had rights under the law, should also know that they had responsibilities to choose, to look well at what they were buying and obtain receipt for every product bought.

“So the consumers do have responsibilities much as they have a right to safety, to be informed, right to clarity and quality of products, the right to choose and the right to be heard.

“Also, they have the right to consumer education and especially the right to seek redress in court or in our office and when we cannot resolve the matter amicably, we resort to litigation.

He said the agency has been able to recoverover N25 million from the Ikeja Distribution Company (IKEDC) as credit adjustment granted to consumers since he assumed office.

“As at September 2020, we recovered N28.46 million from the IkEDC through credit adjustment for consumers through the agency and till date another N7.02 million.

“We have also been able to recover from online transactions, POS using ATM. RWe were able to get transactions reversals to the tune of N10.41 million.

”We were able to reclaim over 25,000 dollars from a complainant after mediation and deliberations because he was wrong,” he said (NAN)