The Federal Government has reiterated plans to deploy a nationwide market surveillance drive against short measurement, targeting markets, filling stations, supermarkets and other points of trade.

The Director of the Weights and Measures Department (WMD), Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Salim Mohammed, stated this in Abuja.

Mr 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).

He said, “No buyer should be cheated, and no seller should be cheated. Accurate measurement is the baseline of trust and confidence in trade.”

Mr Mohammed noted that the campaign, with the theme “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.

He said, “Results will be published, with repeat offenders named. The drive will cover petroleum, open markets, supermarkets, pharmaceuticals, aviation, agriculture and export terminals.”

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.

“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 stated.

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 states offices and FCT, seven zonal offices, and the headquarters in Abuja.
(NAN)