Nigeria’s Federal Fire Service (FFS) has identified electrical sparks as the major cause of fire outbreaks across the country in 2021. This according to National Fire Statistics made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by the FFS on Tuesday in Abuja.
The statistics revealed that the number of fire incidents caused by electrical sparks was 636, while electrical equipment caused 447 fire cases in the year under review.
Consumerism evolved with industrial revolution as a tool to ensure the buyers and sellers of products are satisfied. This world over is the basis for the establishment of consumer protection agencies and the essence is to secure equitable and egalitarian societies. The onus is for authorities to regulate and define sanctions that will module marketplace activities for macroeconomics.
It is important that consumerism statutes are enforced for sanity in the society.
This is to expose a case of unjust cheating with the ultimate aim of short changing the consumer.
However the reason is to bring afore illicit marketplace activities that needs correction and parties sanctioned
A developer, Yinka Adeniyi in his report to Lagos Panorama, stated a case of fake cable sellers Uchechukwu Frank and one Chigozie Emeka who conspired to sell fake electrical cables to him, failed to refund his money despite returning the fake cables.
The case was reported to the Lagos State Protection Consumer Agency (LACOPA) in November 2020, but the state agency however failed in its responsibility to prosecute the fake cable sellers, after a year of shilly-shallied investigation, after the case was reported by the aggrieved consumer.
A visit by Lagos Panorama Editor, Tayo Aderinola, to the regulatory agency’s office at Soji Adepegba Close, off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, was met with aggression and intimidation by the General Manager, Mr. Afolabi Solebo. He harassed the editor who was there as a follow up to a call he made to the Assistant Chief Trade Officer of the agency, Mr. Olukole Abayomi a few days before the visit, on the fake cable matter.
The furious GM asserted that “I am here to serve Lagos State Government and not any citizen! If, out of ten complaints we’re able to solve 70%, then I am okay. Leave my office right now, what’s the responsibility of the Standard Organization of Nigeria” Solebo shouted at the surprised editor.
Perhaps, Solebo’s reaction was premised on the insistence of Tayo Aderinola to know why the Lagos State Protection Agency (LASCOPA) had failed to prosecute the fake cable sellers after over a year of investigation.
When the case was reported to Lagos Panorama late in October 2020, shortly after the EndSARS crisis, that affected most police formation in Lagos state, so, the media outfit advised the complainant, Mr. Adeniyi to approach the LASCOPA and he in-turn established contact with Mr. Olukole who promised that the agency would prosecute the erring fake cable sellers if they fail to make refund.
Few days before the visit to LASCOPA office, a call was made to Mr. Olukole whom we have been liaison with since the case was reported to the State Agency, to know why they’ve not prosecuted the fake cable sellers after over a year.
His reason was that the agency couldn’t trace the middle man, Uche whom the seller claimed he had refunded the money to. I promptly told him that the agency should be more concerned with retrieving the fake cables from the sellers so as to avoid the situation where other unsuspecting Lagosians would buy the fake cables and be endangered by possible fire outbreaks.
Olukole then promised to inform his GM on my suggestion, a comment I found ridiculous because that should be their primary objective; to sanitize the society of fake and substandard goods.
I now demanded to meet the GM on the Monday after the Friday we discussed.
When I arrived at the agency office on Monday, I told the receptionist I would want to see Mr. Olukole and she responded that he was with the GM, and I promptly told her that Mr. Olukole was to arrange a meeting for me with the GM.
So she went to inform them, but she came back and told me that Mr. Olukole was having meeting with the Head of Departments and the GM was not available to meet with me.
I found this evasive, so I told her if they refused to come and talk to me on this matter then I would go ahead and report that the agency was evasive to respond on the case reported to it since November 2020.
The lady quickly went back to inform both the GM and Mr. Olukole of my resolution.
This, I believe, actually informed the reaction of the GM who perhaps had a lot to explain for failing in his responsibility to apprehend the fake cable sellers for prosecution.
The frustrated complainant had to take his case to the Commissioner of Police for possible justice as we all know that justice delayed is justice denied.
The continued trend of unwholesome practices need’s to be checked in order to guarantee the satisfaction of all parties to any transaction.
Mr. Adeniyi in his petition stated that, “I bought some electrical and plumbing materials from Mr. Uchechukwu Frank, after being introduced to him by a certain Mr. Emeka. On the 15th day of September, 2020 several items purchased by myself (Adeyinka Adeniyi) from Mr. Uchechukwu Frank, totaling the sum of 120,400.00 (One Hundred and Twenty-Four Thousand Naira only) were returned to Mr. Uchechukwu Frank through a delivery van, owing to the fact that they were unfit for the purpose required. Mr. Uchechukwu Frank communicated that he couldn’t provide a refund on the grounds that he bought them from a company and can only exchange them for other materials”.
Yinka Adeniyi’s Petition to Lagos State Commissioner of Police read:
“As a corollary to the above, on the 28th day of October, 2020, I sent the same delivery van as above (owned by my son; Adedolapo Babatunde Adeniyi) to pick up other items worth the aforementioned sum of #120,400.00 (One Hundred and Twenty-Four Thousand Naira only) less 13,250 (Thirteen Thousand, Two- Hundred and Fifty Naira only) owed to Mr. Uchechukwu Frank for the Plumber he provided (#10,000) and some clips (#3,250) bringing it to a balance of #107,150 (One Hundred and Seven Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty Naira only) owing to refund of the materials which were considered fake (by the technician I hired) and unfit for purpose. Mr. Uchechukwu Frank blatantly refused to refund or give materials worth the said amount, unless some additional materials were purchased from him. After several correspondences (between myself, my son (Adedolapo Adeniyi) and Mr. Uchechukwu Frank, it was agreed that 25 Rolls of 1.5mm Red Coleman Cables, 20 Rolls of 1.5mm Black Coleman Cables and 5 Rolls of TV Cables be purchased from him, at the price of #7200 for each roll of Coleman Cables and #2900 for a roll of TV Cable, bringing the total sum to #338,500.00 (Three Hundred And Thirty-Eight Thousand, Five Hundred Naira Only). I then sent a balance of #230,000 (Two Hundred And Thirty Thousand Only) to Mr. Uchechukwu Frank in order to get the aforementioned items, in addition to the aforementioned #107,150 (One Hundred and Seven Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty Naira only), bringing the grand total to #337,150.00 (Three Hundred And Thirty-Seven Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty Naira Only). However, in continuation of his cunning and dubious acts, only a few of the items were handed over to the driver. Mr. Uchechukwu Frank then asked that the remaining items be picked up on the 29th day of October,2020, claiming that he was out of stock of the requested items, contrary to our discussion before the full price of the goods was paid, as he only released a cross-section of the items to the driver (Mr. Zacchaeus Ogunbanjo), and heavily insisted on payment before he hands all the items to the driver, when he in fact knew that he didn’t have the said items in stock.
On the 30th day of October, 2020, I informed Mr. Uchechukwu Frank that the items made were Chinese, fake, of far inferior quality when compared to what was paid for and thereby unfit for the intended purpose, and requested that the items be picked up by him on the 31st day of October, 2020 and a refund be made when the items were delivered to him. The same were picked and delivered to him.
Regrettably, after the return of the said items, and despite all of my entreaties, as well the cordial manner and good faith with which I have dealt with Mr. Uchechukwu Frank so far, and he on the other hand fraudulently and unscrupulously dealt with me, he failed, neglected and willfully refused to refund money paid for the defective, unusable and inferior quality of materials supplied.
A demand letter dated 12th of November,2020 was sent to Uchechukwu Frank on the 13th day of November, 2020, and the same also sent to him first via WhatsApp, with him reading and not responding to or acknowledging same. A physical copy was sent on the 16th day of November, 2020, received by Uchechukwu Frank, who refused to acknowledge receipt of the letter. Several calls have been made to Mr. Uchechukwu Frank by myself, my son and his driver, with no positive feedback from him.
The matter was reported to the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) on the 19th day of November, 2020, in order to seek redress. However, despite numerous calls and invitations (as many as six (6) invitations, with date agreed upon by Mr. Uchechukwu Frank himself) to Mr. Uchechukwu Frank to visit the LASCOPA Office, he failed and refused to honour any of the invitations. A delegate of the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) was also sent to serve Mr. Uchechukwu Frank a physical invitation letter to invite him to their office, he again evaded service of the same. After over a year of trying, the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) advised that we report the matter to the Police.
The attitude of Mr. Uchechukwu Frank, in dealing faithlessly with me, especially in the area of supplying fake, cheap, substandard, and goods unfit for purpose after charging premium, and also towards the refund of the money for materials purchased and returned, is clearly a reproach to sound ethical business practices and morally reprehensible, when viewed particularly against his general disposition to him regarding the indebtedness for a year and four months now.
Based on these sets of facts, I HEREBY PETITION YOUR NOBLE OFFICE and ask that you use your good office to INVESTIGATE the activities of Mr. Uchechukwu Frank, which I believe to be AGAINST SOUND AND FAIR BUSINESS PRACTICES, CRIMINAL, AND BORDERING on AMONGST OTHERS: Supply of fake materials, Fraud and Conversion of Funds, belonging to me ( Adeyinka Adeniyi).”
