By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Legal Metrology department (Weights and Measures) in the Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment has said that it is highly constrained by lack of manpower and logistics, adding that, “unless federal government empowers the department with functional vehicles to perform its duties, the former may be losing lots of revenue it ought to be generating”.
The Director of Legal Metrology, Ibhugom Olala said this at a quarterly assembly of the inspectors of Weight and Measures Department in the Ministry.
He said the department cannot perform its statutory function, due mainly to lack of functional vehicles t perform its duties.
According to the director, “the department which is empowered by its enabling law, weight and Measures Act Cap W3 LFN, 2004 is currently raising concern that if the federal government does not empower it to perform its statutory function, the government may be losing lots of revenue it ought to be generating, especially now it is seeking alternative sources of income to reflate the economy”.
“At present, the total staff strength of the department is 250 and the number of serviceable functional vehicle is virtually nil”, the director said.
He noted that “by its enabling Law, Weights and Measures Act Cap W3 LFN,2004, the scope of the department’s mandate spans the entire Nigeria’s economy, especially the Oil and gas, telecommunication, manufacturing, health, agriculture, foods and allied products”.
In his reaction, the Representative of the permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Ochakpa Ogenyi assured the department that, “the provisions in the 2017 budget estimates would address some of the concerns raised by them, and urged them to come up with an articulated communique at the end of the meeting”.
He assured further that the Ministry is working round the clock to ensure that there is no impediment on the part of the department with regard to performing its statutory functions.
