FCCPC engages GTBank, MTN, Air Peace over possible violations of consumer rights

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has announced an investigation into consumer complaints targeting major players in the banking, telecommunications, and aviation sectors. Scheduled to commence on December 3, 4, and 5, the inquiries aim to address allegations of poor service delivery, exploitative practices, and violations of consumer rights.

Ondaje Ijagwu, FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, revealed that the banking inquiry will focus on Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) over recurring issues such as network failures that restrict customer access to funds and banking applications.

In the telecommunications sector, MTN Nigeria is under scrutiny for frequent complaints about undelivered data services, unexplained data depletion, and inadequate customer support.

Air Peace Limited, representing the aviation sector, faces allegations of exploitative pricing, particularly concerning sharp ticket price increases for advance bookings on certain domestic routes.

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These inquiries are authorized under various provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018, which empowers the FCCPC to investigate practices that harm consumer rights, disrupt fair markets, or foster unfair competition.

The Commission emphasized that these engagements aim to address consumer grievances, ensure regulatory compliance, and foster accountability. Companies involved are expected to appear before the FCCPC to clarify practices and provide necessary information for resolving complaints.

FCCPC reaffirmed its commitment to protecting consumer rights and encouraged the public to report poor service delivery or exploitative practices through its official channels.