A visually impaired student of the University of Yaounde II on Thursday, July 30 bagged a PhD in Private Law after successfully defending his thesis.

Achille Mougang became the first visually impaired student to back the PhD at the institution with honours after successfully defending his research work titled “The protection of consumers in the field of advertising”.

He demonstrated that consumers are vulnerable in the face of advertisement in the media despite existing laws regulating the sector.

Focusing on the pharmaceutical sector, he said advertisers usually put the consumers at risk by violating existing laws on the advertisement of medication making putting consumers at risk as some go directly for these drugs without consultations.

In addition to these, adverts from foreign countries that don’t have same regulations as in Cameroon stream in to the consumers without control putting them at a greater risk. The candidate proposed a concerted effort from all actors and stakeholders in the sector and added that proposed measures can be extended to other sectors when looking at adverts.

For close to three hours, Achille Mougang proved his mastery of his subject and brilliantly responded to all worries raised by members of the jury. This much to the satisfaction of the Rector of the University of Yaounde II, Professor Adolph Minkoa She who said the candidate had proven beyond reasonable doubt that disability is not inability. He said all through his study, Achille Mougang had gone through all the challenges like any other student who enrolled into the PhD program. He described the candidate as an inspiration and model to other physically challenged persons who might want to embark on such a journey.

Among those present at the defence were members of the Cameroon Foundation for Consumers, FOCACO, who congratulated the candidate for his brilliant work and said they will use it as a reference document to fight against aggressive and deceitful adverts in their quest to ensure consumer protection.