FG Begins Weight Standards Enforcement In Rivers

The Department of Weight and Measures in the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has begun enforcement and monitoring in Rivers State.
The Deputy Director of the Department of Weight and Measures, Engr. Ibrahim Isah told newsmen, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, that the department has begun monitoring and enforcement in fuel stations, adding that it plans to cover non-oil sectors, including food items and other consumables as well.
He disclosed that the effort was aimed at standardising measurement across the country, and at the same time, check inflation.
Isah warned that any petrol station that falls short would be shut down, and then, sued to court for legal action.
After monitoring fuel stations, he assured that officers of the department would move to markets where they would take samples of food items for measurements as well.
Already, he stated that states like Imo, Kano, Jigawa and Zamfara have adopted standardised indigenous weight and measurements.
“What we are doing is empowered by the Law of the Federation Cap W3 LFN 2004, and the Constitution gives the Federal Government the exclusive right to legislate on standards and measurements,” Isah remarked.
He said, “We want to introduce the use of scale and standards all over the country. We have discovered that a lot of consumers and members of the public do not know that most times they are cheated because the weights are not standard. It is only when you are using a standard scale that there will be quality.”
Isah decried that due to varied scales and weights of goods in the market, a lot of people are short-changed, as he urged members of the public to report to any office of the Department of Weight and Measures located in the 36 states of the country.