The Federal Government has outlined plans for a nationwide market surveillance campaign against short measurement across markets, filling stations, supermarkets and other points of trade.
By Lucy Ogalue
Dr Salim Mohammed, Director of the Weights and Measures Department (WMD), Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Mohammed said the department would work in collaboration with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the National Metrology Institute of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (NMI-SON).
“No buyer should be cheated, and no seller should be cheated. Accurate measurement is the baseline of trust and confidence in trade,” he said.
Participants display certificates after the Weights and Measures Department training programme.
Mohammed noted that the campaign, themed “Full Measure, Fair Trade”, comes at a time of economic hardship.
“In a period of economic hardship, every short litre and every short kilogram is a direct tax on the poorest households,” he said.
According to him, operations will include announced verification exercises, unannounced spot-checks, mystery-shopper test purchases and joint enforcement.
“Results will be published, with repeat offenders named.
“The drive will cover petroleum, open markets, supermarkets, pharmaceuticals, aviation, agriculture and export terminals,” he said.
He reminded traders that “only metric units are lawful.”
According to him, local measures such as mudu, derica and kongo, all described as indigenous measures, are not legal units except those whose mode of production are approved by the department.
Female participants at the Dangote Cement Ibese Plant weighbridge competency certification training.
Mohammed commended Dangote Cement Plc, where 58 technical personnel were being trained at the Ibese Plant, Ogun State, towards weighbridge competency certification.
“Staff were exposed to the basic ecosystem of measurement (metrology). Cost benefit of this training is unimaginable.
“It is a strategic plan for blocking of revenue leakages in an organisation.
“Compliance is not a cost imposed by government but a commitment to fairness with customers, hauliers and the public,” he said.
Cross-section of participants at the weighbridge competency certification training, Dangote Cement Ibese Plant, Ogun State.
He added that the department would engage state governments, market associations and the organised private sector, so that enforcement was preceded by awareness.
Across the country, the Weights and Measures Department has 38 state offices and the FCT, seven zonal offices, and the headquarters in Abuja.
A participant receives a weighbridge competency certificate at the training.
Another participant receives a certificate at the training.
(NAN)
