Federal government wants to impliment Metrology law

PERMANENT Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment,  Abdulkadir Musa has said
that the metrology law must be enforced and defaulters will be sanctioned. He said this when he led an inspection team of Weights and Measures department to enforce legal metrology law in filling stations for under dispensing petrol to customers in Abuja.

  The team discovered that the dispensing pumps at the Mobil Filling Station, Lugbe, Airport Road station, short-changed customers from their two operational dispensing pumps by 2 litres 69 mls for every 20 litres of PMS (17.31 for 20 litres) while other dispensing pumps dispensed 18.66 litres for every 20 litres.

  Also, the team visited NNPC, Sabon Lugbe, NNPC, Durumi, Area 1, Total Filing station, Herbert Macaulay way, Forte Oil, Olusegun Obasanjo Way, and Total Filing Station, Wuse, zone 6, and one pump at NNPC filing station Sabon Lugbe was sealed for re-caliberation while others were within stipulated by law.

  Amb. Abdulkadir reiterated that government is committed to enforcement of legal metrology laws in all sector of the economy adding that government would not tolerate anybody who cheats customers because they are desperate to get fuel.

  He added that, it is not only in the oil sector that Nigerians will feel the impact of the department but also in the operation of the Automated Payment Machine (ATM) in the banking sector and telecommunication as well as correct measurement in the market”.

“Whatever we are doing now is to send messages to those defaulters that we are now standing on our feet and we are now going to be effective in regulating weights and measurements act in the oil and gas sector. I assure you that what happened in the past will no longer be because now, Nigerians know what we can do. We have synergy with the major and stakeholders in the sector and they are well informed of our statutory responsibilities of ensuring that trade is fair, correct and transparent”

  “ As a Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, I do not believe in sitting down behind the board to read reports written by my staff. I want to see my men in action to ensure compliance with weights and measurements act and I really commend them for their dedication and effort in view of limited funds and staff” he said.

  Director Weights and Measures, Engr. Adeyinka Sikuade while addressing journalists said that it was extremely disappointing that motorists were being short changed in the filing stations and that the department will continue to embark on such exercise throughout the federation in order to established that marketers conform with fairness and standards.

  He said that maximum permissible error allowed at dispensing pumps is 60 mls adding that the departments in collaboration with stakeholders are working on the portion of the act on penalty that will deter erring stations from cheating.