By James Isaac
The Senate Committee on Trade and Investment chaired by Senator Sadiq Umar (Kwara North) on Monday screened President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s nominee for appointment as the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice Chairman of Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC),Mr. Tunji Bello.
Giving his policy direction if eventually confirmed, Mr Bello said that, his policy thrust will be to protect the local consumers against unwanton exploitation by major company who do business in Nigeria.
He also posited that part of his mission will be to create awareness and public enlightenment.
Saying that most Nigerians were not aware of the FCCPC, that there is room for improvement at the commission, because Nigerians are looking for succour.
This comes as the Nigerian Senate tasked the FCCPC to redouble its efforts in protecting Nigerian consumers in the face of the current inflation in the country.
The chairman of the committee, said the nominee, if confirmed, should know there is a lot of work to do to protect Nigerian consumers, especially satellite TV service providers.
Bello, in response to the concern raised by the chairman and his colleagues said FCCPC will look at the terms service providers give to Nigerians and compare it to what they give in other countries.
“I know in other parts of the world, if you are not available to watch, they charge you per view. You pay according to what you are able to watch. This is the new area we have to look at”.
Mr. Bello told the senators that Nigerian national interest will be his guiding principle if confirmed by the Senate, adding that consumer protection should get to tomato and pepper consumers at the lower level of the economy.
Senators, especially those from Lagos state like Tokunbo Abiru, Idiat Adebule, took turns to speak about Bello as a journalist, lawyer and public administrator, especially as a Commissioner for Environment under Tinubu as governor of Lagos, Secretary to State Government (SSG) under Governor Ambode and commissioner under former Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola. Indeed, all of them attested to his capacity and character.
