By Christopher Odamah
The Delta State Consumer Rights Protection Bill 2016, has scaled through second reading in the State’s House of Assembly.
The bill scaled through second reading successfully after Co-sponsors of the bill and other House members unanimously gave their support to it
The member representing Ethiope East Constituency, Honourable (Chief) Evance Ochuko Ivwurie, lend his support for the bill on behalf of the people of his constituency.
Hon. Ivwurie said Ethiope East State Constituency have given their support to the bill which seeks to protect the rights of every Deltans, adding that all Deltans are consumers, we consume both in services and sales.
“This bill is very important, strategic and timely. It is a bill that seems to give remedy to the severe injustice and pains that consumers had been subjected to over the years,” he said.
According to Hon. Ivwurie “It is common in everywhere, in the market places, business places, offices both in sales, supply and more in professional services. It is noteworthy that this bill if pass into law will help to redress the consumers complaint. Before now and as of today nobody has any place to take his or her complain to.”
Speaking in favour of the developmental bill, he said “We are aware that in most cases we have to pay lots of money for services that never been provided or not provided commensurable. Is it in the hotels, your lawyers, medical doctors, in the purchase of items, a lot of professional misconduct even in the sales and exchange of goods and services.”
Hon. Ivwurie reiterated that if the bill is passed into law it can address the pains and hardship that citizens, especially Deltans, are subjected to on a daily basis, noting that it will also help to check all the dirty practices of unprofessional conduct that was adopted by people to take advantage of innocent Deltans.
“One important thing that this bill seek to take care of is the opportunity to redress the consumer complaint through contracts, sales, supply or professional engagement or practices. You can make a complain and somebody is going to listen to you which is absence as we speak of today because from the moment we pass this bill into law, that will be triggered in order to seek for redress when they are oppressed and this redress can take place from what is seen in the law either through negotiation, initiation or combination,” Hon. Ivwurie added.
Hon. Ivwurie further stated that the bill will make people understand that from time to time hazardous products will be taken away from the markets, once there is a complaint about a product and investigated to be hazardous, the product will be taken out of the market.
“There is also a provision in this bill that require that items will be listed and publish once they are hazardous so that general education will be given to Deltans to know that you can not buy this item or that items. So this is a developmental bill and on behalf of the good and amiable people of Ethiope East and urge distinguished colleagues to lend their voice to this bill for speedy passage.
The Honourable Speaker, Rt. Hon. Monday Ovwigho Igbuya thereafter committed the bill to the House Committees on Commerce and Health for further inputs and mandated them to report back to the House in six (6) weeks.
