Why regulator body sanctions NBC, others, explains Ag Director

By Abba-Eku Onyeka Abuja

The Acting (Ag) Director, Weights and Measurements Department (WMD), a regulatory body from Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), saddled with the responsibility of regulating all weighing and measuring equipments uses for trade in all sectors, Engr Sidi Sada Mohammed has explained why they sanctioned Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) and others while carrying out heir duties in Abuja recently.
Addressing journalists at the end of the excise, the Ag Director said: “In Coca-Cola Bottling Company where, among others we intend to verify the accuracy of their weigh bridge which we couldn’t do, due to the obstruction by the staff and as a result of that and non payment of statutory fees in respect of weighing and measuring equipments used in that premises to the tune of N3.3 million, we successfully sealed and detained the weigh bridge unit in that company, pending further investigations to actually ascertain wether or not, we are taking them to court to answer for whatever we are suspecting.”
When contacted, the Director, Public Affairs and Legal Department of the company, Sade Morgan debunked the the Ag Director’s information by saying: “We are very open to regulators coming to our facilities as a responsible and compliant company. On the said date, the plant management met with five officials of the agency led by their director and were taken on a full tour of the plant. They sealed one new weighing machine during inspection which was undergoing installation by a contractor and requested that he meet them for certification before commissioning.”
She also informed that the N3 million had already been processed for payment, adding that the officials were shown the document which according to her the officials treated with satisfaction.
The Ag Director went further to inform that they went to Julius Berger, tested their weigh bridge and other equipment and gave them credit for meeting up with the expected standard. Engr Sidi also informed that the same thing went for Dangote Group.
At Oando Filing Station, he said that they gave them credit where they met the standard and sanctioned them where they erred. The treatment was meted out to NNNPC Mega Filing Station.
At the rice Depot, he said that they would investigate the source of some of the bags of rice that didn’t meet up to their weights, just as he assured Nigerians that the regulatory agency owes them the duty of ensuring that that they are not cheated.