Weight, measures: FG won’t condone sharp practices by traders- Director

Weights and Measures Department, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, has said it would not condone sharp practices by individuals and businesses premises violating  laws on weights and measures in Nigeria.

Supreme reports that the function of the department of weights and measures is to monitor,control, test ,verify and certify all weights, measures ,weighing and measuring equipment used for trade in Nigeria.

Alhaji Abubakar Dangaladima, a Director in the department, stated this on Thursday during the stakeholders sensitisation forum organised by the department in Ibadan.

The forum had as its theme “Impact of Weights and Measures Regulatory Operations on Post COVID-19; Restoring Confidence in Trade.

The director said that it was imperative to have uniformed weights and measures in the country in order to ensure that consumers got value for their money.

He said that whenever the manufacturers smiled, the marketers as well as the final consumers should also smile for trade to be fair.

Dangaladima urged members of the public to report to the department,  whenever they are shortchanged

The director also solicited for the cooperation of business owners to ensure the laws and standard of government on weight and measures in trade were not compromised

“It is my hope that you will continue to conduct yourselves according to the dictates of the laws and regulations in view of the fact that, our regulatory oversight functions as a department cuts across the oil and gas sectors as well as non-oil sectors of Nigeria economy.

“Our inspectors have the rights to visit and inspect every business premises that uses weight measures ,weighing and measuring equipment for trade purposes.

” The department has remained committed to ensuring fairness, equity and transparency in trade all over the the country and strive to bridge the gap between our dear country and the international meteorological community.

“Our teams of inspectors are often times in the deports, refineries, petrol outlets, gas plants, crude oil terminals, industries, markets, shops and supermarket to ensure all measurement are traceable to Nigeria standard,” Dangaladima said.

The director said that the law empowered the inspector of weights and measures to seal any premises or machines found,  unfit for use for trade in others to ensure the final consumers got value for their money.

“We are government’s eye set to watch your activities in that business using weight ,measures,equipment. Please don’t be caught in the act of short-changing customers, be fair and accurate in trading with your equipment,” the director said.

Also speaking,  the Oyo State Coordinator of Weights and Measures Department Alhaji  Shuaib Ibn Hambali, called for stakeholders cooperation to ensure full compliance with the law so as to accelerate economic growth in spite of the present¿ challenges.

“All hands must be on deck to ensuring full compliance so as to accelerate economic growth in spite of these challenges, the entire universe has been hit by the dreaded COVID-19, we must not allow this pandemic to bend our laws and regulations, it is time to look ahead,” Ibn Hambali said.

Also speaking,  the Executive Secretary of the Manufacturers Association of Nigerian (MAN) Oyo , Osun states branch, Mr Nanzing Rimdan, commended the ministry for organising the programme and pledged the commitment of the association at ensuring that customers got value for their money.

In his remarks, the Director, Ministry of Trade, Oyo State, Mr Dotun Omokemi, said Oyo state was making effort at ensuring that weights and measures function efficiently in the state, saying the state would key into any agreement reached at the forum.