LAGOS- The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has declared that the rights of the consumers of products and services would be protected through a law to establish the consumer protection agency.

Hon. Ikuforiji made the declaration last Thursday at the House of Assembly Complex during a public hearing on the bill for the proposed law.

The private member bill, which was initiated by the Honourable speaker, would protect the interest of consumers and settle consumer disputes when it becomes a law.

Hon. Ikuforiji lamented over the situation when a product was purchased and found to be of poor quality remarking that consumers are always shortchanged.

In his welcome address, the chairman committee on commerce and industry.

Hon. Sanai Agunbiade revealed that the bill was seeking to protect the right of consumers and to guarantee production and distribution of standard products.

He said the bill was to establish an agency for dispute resolution emanating from the consumers and producers.

Agunbiade added that the agency would ensure speedy redress of consumer’s complaints through negotiation, mediation and consolidation.

Presenting the bill, the Majority Leader, Lagos House of Assembly, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo, said the bill had 31 sections, adding that section one established an agency and a governing board.

He said the board would have a chairman appointed by the governor.

The agency, Hon. Taiwo said, would promote and protect the rights of the consumers such as the right to be protected against marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life.

The agency has the right to be informed about quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods and services to protect consumers against unfair trade practices

The agency is also charged with the responsibility of advising the state government on consumer protection policy, seeks ways and means of removing or eliminating from market hazardous products.

In addition, the agency is charged with the responsibility of forcing offenders to replace dangerous products with safer ones and make the offending company, firm, trade association or individual to protect, compensate or provide relief to injured consumers or community as a result of the adverse effect of the harmful product.

In a related development, Lagos State Government has launched an information connective solution.

The project was launched at Muson Centre Lagos on Thursday.

The State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, while briefing the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, said: “Connectivity has been established for the benefit of government and the people of the state.

The speaker, however, assured the governor of the full support of lawmakers for the project.