FCCPC holds Critical Engagement with Media

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has had a strategic engagement with the media on Friday in Abuja, as part of its desire to forge a stronger partnership with the media for a virile consumer protection regime in Nigeria.

Director-General of the Council, Babatunde Irukera, who expressed delight in the partnership with the media, says it will strengthen all its mechanisms in ensuring that consumers get the best in products and services.

Irukera underscored the need for sustained media input in the campaign for the protection of rights of Nigerian consumers. He observed that, “the non-protection of citizens against exploitation by organizations or fellow individuals, embitters the people, and that this must be addressed”.

According to him, " I would want to see companies resolving customers related matters satisfactorily"

Irukera emphasized that the FCCPC will improve on mechanisms in enforcing consumer rights in Nigeria while ensuring robust engagement and wider consumer education in 2020.

Listing some of the achievements by the agency, he said customer complains has reduced to the barest minimum on DSTV and Telcos related matters.

BPE Honour Winners of National Essay Competition

The Bureau of Public Enterprises on Thursday presented cash prizes and other gift items to winners of its maiden essay writing competition.

The overall winner of the contest, Miss Onoh Chidiogo Jane, from Girls Secondary School, Abakpa-Nike, Enugu State, received the sum of N500,000.

Also, the first and second runners up, Miss Idem Roseline Etop of Topfaith International Secondary School, Mkpatak, Akwa Ibom State, and Miss Ngozi Deborah Ekwueme from Regina Pacis College, Garki Abuja, got N350,000 and N250,000 respectively.

The three students also received laptops in addition to the cash prizes.

Books were presented to the students’ schools, while some teachers who taught the students also got token cash rewards.

Parents of the students, who received the cash prizes on behalf of the winners, were urged to use the funds to pay their school fees.

A total of 94 entries were received from students of various schools across the country after the bureau announced the contest in July 2019. They wrote ‘The reason for government reforms and privatisation of public enterprises’.

The Director-General of the bureau, Mr Alex Okoh, said a team of evaluators assessed all the entries, using criteria such as content and technical argument, organisation/structure, grammatical accuracy and logical presentation to determine the winners.

Okoh noted that the competition was aimed at encouraging reading as a habit among students and other Nigerians at a time when the reading culture had dwindled in the country.

The BPE said the essay competition, which was in line with bureau’s Corporate Social Responsibility’s initiatives, was aimed at correcting “uninformed perceptions on privatisation by opponents of the programme.”


Meanwhile, Okoh has lauded the impact of the service compact (SERVICOM) unit at the bureau since it was inaugurated in 2008.

SWOFON Want Improved Provision in Extension Services

The Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), has called for the urgent need to improve investment in the provision of enhanced and effective extension services.

This will ensure effective access to extension services for smallholder women farmers across the country, the said.

In a communique issued at the end of the 2019 National annual farmers forum organized by SWOFON in Abuja at the weekend, the National President of SWOFON, Mary Afan said such investment will need to target the recruitment, training,and deployment of extension services personnel and equip them with the necessary means to deliver on their mandate.

She also said it will also strengthen advocacy skills by the women farmers, adding that there is need for deliberate and improved investment in research and development.

She further explained that they converged to provide an avenue for smallholder women farmers to interact with duty bearers and key stakeholders including donors in the agriculture sector on enhanced participation and involvement of smallholder women farmers in agriculture policies and programmes.

“To strengthen accountability of leadership and members of SWOFON at the National and state levels on SWOFON organisational processes and systems.

“To enhance the capacity of Smallholder Women Farmers in Nigeria for continued advocacy for improved farmers and citizens participation in budget processes and Procedures.

“To provide an opportunity for smallholder women farmers to effectively push their demands through the media,” she said.

Also, the Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi who was represented by the Director Organisation Effectiveness ActionAid, Funmi Oyefusi observed that there are good accountability processes within SWOFON and that they are proud of its leadership.

The National Annual Farmers Forum is Organized by SWOFON and supported by ActionAid under the ActionAid Public financing For Agriculture Budget (PFA) Project.

JAP Network  2019

ActionAid Nigeria Unveils Project to Curb Infanticide in FCT

ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has launched a project to end the killing of newborn babies, especially twins, in the Federal Capital Territory.

The Country Director, Ene Obi at the Mobilising Actions Towards the Abolition of Infanticide (MATAI) project on Tuesday in Abuja expressed concern that twins and children who are generally products of multiple births are still being killed in communities across Nigeria.

Ene said the project is a collaboration between AAN, the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) and Vine Heritage Homes, which caters to over 150 children in Abuja who are in danger of being killed due to cultural practices.

According to her, the project is funded both by the European Union and AAN adding that AAN has been working with the National Human Rights Commission, traditional rulers, area councils, and the communities.

“ActionAid is working in this area, but we are not the government. We can only support the work that the government is doing. When we find people with this kind of vulnerability, we go there.”

https://www.blueprint.ng/actionaid-nigeria-unveils-project-to-curb-infanticide-in-fct/

Adeola Tukuru - JAPi member

Soyinka To Buhari: Release Sowore, Stop Embarrassing Nigeria In Global Eyes

Prof. Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate, has called on the Nigerian government to release pro-democracy activist Omoyele Sowore and save the country from further global embarrassment.

The unlawful arrest and detention of Sowore, who is also the publisher of SaharaReporters, have been greeted with public outcry, both locally and publicly, condemning the actions.

A recent publication by the Washington Post accused Buhari of presiding over a democratic Nigeria like a military regime where citizens' freedom is minimal.

Soyinka, in a statement on Wednesday, condemned the use of live bullets to disperse protesters calling for the release of Sowore.

Gwarzo’s Suspension: I cannot be blackmailed – Adeosun

The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, says her decision to suspend the embattled Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Mounir Gwarzo, followed his attempt to blackmail her over the ongoing probe of Oando Plc.

Speaking to journalists on Friday in Abuja, Mrs. Adeosun said ahead of his suspension, Mr. Gwarzo threatened to leak information to the media.

She said the “threat of blackmail” only strengthened her resolve to punish the DG.
“Mr. Gwarzo personally delivered the memo using SEC staff seconded to the office of the Minister, in breach of normal procedures for the receipt of mail. 

The copy of the memo in the possession of the Minister was delivered with a message that any action against Mr. Gwarzo would result in same being leaked to the press. It was this threat of blackmail that strengthened the resolve of the Minister to suspend Mr. Gwarzo and allow the Administrative Panel of Inquiry to proceed with its probe,” Mrs. Adeosun said in a statement.

She denied that the SEC boss was suspended due to his refusal to stop the forensic audit of Oando Plc, saying the allegation was “misleading and mischievous.”

Oil workers threaten to shut down the economy from Dec. 18

Barely 24 hours after oil workers under the aegis of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, suspended the plan to withdraw their services, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria on Thursday threatened to embark on a nationwide strike.

Last week, IPMAN, Lagos Chapter, accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation of under-supplying its members with petrol, threatening that its members in Lagos and parts of Ogun State might be forced to shut their filling stations by December 11.

PENGASSAN said in a statement that the issuance of a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government would culminate in the shutting down of all oil and gas installations, including disruptions to fuel supply and distribution across the country effective December 18, 2017.

The union accused some indigenous oil and gas companies and marginal field operators of unfair labour practices but only disclosed the name of one company in its statement.

It said one of the resolutions in the communiqué issued at the end of its National Executive Council meeting of October 13, 2017 held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, was the condemnation of indigenous oil and gas companies and marginal field operators.

PENGASSAN said the oil companies were condemned because of “their anti-labour posture and practices, including the termination of the employment of any worker who has indicated willingness to belong to the union.

“Those who are threatened and compelled to disown the union are then treated as slave workers within their own country,” the union added.

But the union did not say when the termination of employment was carried out and how many workers were laid off.

PENGASSAN claimed that it had explored all options without getting the necessary understanding, adding that relevant authorities of government had failed to caution the recalcitrant organisations, especially Neconde.

It said it would embark on the nationwide strike on December 18 if the Federal Government failed to direct the companies to “recall our sacked members as the only option to address this injustice and lawlessness.”


PENGASSAN appealed to all Nigerians to show understanding and to use the window of the notice to stockpile adequate quantity of Premium Motor Spirit and other petroleum products that would last them during the upcoming festive period as the strike would be indefinite.