… they’re Not From My Agency Says Chairman
The Bottled Wine Business Operators both in Wholesales and Retails have raised alarm over the Incessant Abuse and victimization from men of the Ondo State Consumer Protection Agency.
The allegation of frequent abuse surfaced when the business operators could no longer tolerate the Incessant molestation by the said officers of the agency.
However, the Bottled Wine Business Operators also said through their Solicitor, Oladele Oke Esq said that another team from the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor On Special Duties , bombarded their stores , packed away their expensive bottled wines ,all in the name of task force , place huge amount of money on them and carted away the wine without returning any of the goods packed
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Agency, Hon Yemi Fasipe has denied the allegation saying he has never embarked or asked anyone from the agency to carry out such action
According to Fasipe , ” since my assumption of Office as the Chairman , I have never set up any task force or sent out anyone to do anything of such”
” What we have just told all business owners was to register their businesses with us free-of-charge ,so as to know those operating in the state”
” Anyone acting in the name of the agency to disturt, harass and abuse people does so at his own risk “
Moreso, the Bottled Wine Business Operators have therefore called on the governor, Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to call the perpetrators of this act to order either from the office of the agency or of the Special Adviser’s .
THE PETITION
His Excellency,
Dr. Orimisan Lucky Ayedatiwa,
The Executive Governor of Ondo State.
Your Excellency,
COMPLAINT ON INCREASING HARASSMENT, RECKLESS AND ABUSE OF POWER BY MEMBERS OF THE ONDO STATE CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY
The above captioned refers.
We act as solicitors to a group of traders, operating retail and wholesale business of bottled wine in Akure and represented in this complaint by Okoh Israel (trading under the business name, ‘God’spower Business Venture’); Chukwuma A. Nnamani (trading under the business name, ‘Glorious Freedom Global’) Obe Olalekan (trading under the business name, ’Doyin James Business Ltd); Ezeorah Paul Chidi (trading under the business name, ‘Pauly-Best Venture’); Igwe Nnamdi (trading under the business name, ‘First Igwenna Store’); Ojo Bala (trading under the business name, ‘Taks Love); and Kofoworola Akinjo (trading under the business name, ‘Kaffy Ltd’); hereinafter referred to as ‘ our clients’ and on whose behalf we cause this complaint to you for urgent consideration on the facts hereunder provided.
Our clients are long-time traders in Akure, with business specialty on sale of bottled wine and have worked assiduously to earn public trust, with strong currency of business integrity and conscientiousness on public safety.
Recently, a group of fierce, hostile and vicious men have been ruthlessly invading our clients’ businesses, holding themselves out as members/taskforce of the Ondo State Consumers Protection Agency, set up by your Excellency with the laudable objective of protecting consumers and warding off illicit products in the public market space.
However, to the disturbing sensibilities of our clients and apprehension of their teeming customers, these vicious ‘men,’ indiscriminately invaded our clients’ businesses and forcefully took their sales representatives, purporting to arrest them for prosecution, on the pretext of combating, ‘fake products’ and which assertions are not subjected to verifiable, methodically social procedure.
Ostensibly affirming an extortionate and oppressive scheme, after boisterous invasions, our clients’ sales representatives and selected bottle of wines are taken to the office of the Chairman, Consumers Protection Agency where our clients are intimidated, with mischievous claim of ‘fake’ bottled wines. The consequence of this unverifiable and subjective alarm, is subjection to ‘settlement,’ with our clients parting with humongous sums of money, paid as cash.
Our clients are reputable business operators, selling bottled wine and have maintained ethical probity and conscientiousness for public safety and accordingly, they have verifiable and accredited manufacturers duly approved by statutory agencies from whom the bottled wines are purchased. As such, the spontaneous designation of our clients’ bottled wines as ‘fake’ without investigation by dispassionate and accredited government’s institution, is not only scandalous to our clients’ business, it assaults their business integrity, impugns and defames the personality of our clients, as such unguarded and untamed behaviour erodes customers’ confidence.
In their conscientiousness and abiding faith in government’s directive and policies, our clients are only trading in approved bottled wines and have dissociated themselves from sale of ‘sachet’ alcohol and branded sachet wine, pursuant to the directive of NAFDAC.
Thus, the reckless, oppressive and brute activities of these ‘agents,’ have not only affronted the sensibilities of our clients but have put them in panicky victim mode.
Our clients are yet to receive to receive information on government’s policies on activities of the ‘agency’ in relation to sale of bottled wines and established model for assessing and declaring a bottled wine as fake, which is the reason, this complaint is considered important; to alarm your Excellency and the ‘Agency’ on these ostensibly illegal activities with the consequence of embarrassing the government and eroding investors’ confidence in the protective legal framework of the state.
Our clients are law-abiding business-owners and are always disposed to governments’ policies which bring sanity into the economy in a bid to engender investors’ confidence and public safety. Consequently, our clients pray your good offices to:
Prevail on the ‘Agency’ to abide by ethical and legal procedural methods in its operation.
Direct the ‘Agency’ to refrain from harassment, intimidation and reckless deployment of brute force, calculated to embarrass and defame our clients’ business integrity.
Engage stakeholders in the wine industry with a view to entrenching a sensitization model, that emplaces objective inspection and verifiable investigation report of products.
We are grateful your, Excellency.
We have the rare honour to be;
Yours faithfully,
…………………………….
O. C. Oke, Esq
