thisday0520

12
WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2015 • THISDAY
NEWS
Foreign Products Constitute 80% of Counterfeits
in African Market, Say SON, ARSO
Crusoe Osagie
The African Organisation for
Standardisation (ARSO) and
the Standards Organisation of
Nigeria (SON) yesterday stated that
products imported from countries
outside Africa constitute over 80
per cent of substandard goods
found in markets in Nigeria and
other parts of Africa.
The Director General, SON and
President of ARSO, Dr. Joseph
Odumodu, made this known
during the stakeholders launch
to announce a three-day expo for
Chief Executive Officers (CEOs)
of all African National Standards
Bodies (NSBs) slated to hold next
month in Abuja.
He added that unfortunately,
most of the influx of the
substandard goods into the nation’s
market and the continent are
deliberately carried out by people
intent on undermining the African
market and diminishing the value
for money in the usage of such
products, for their selfish benefit.
According to him, it was against
this background that the ARSO
forum in Abuja scheduled for next
month is planned, to sensitise the
world on the readiness of African
standards bodies to strengthen the
continental economic integration
by breaking technical barriers to
trade through standards unification
to enhance industrial and economic
empowerment.
“We do not have a problem
with products made in
Africa. Africa only has an issue
of sub-standardisation due to
lack of requisite technology and
absence of the capacity to
produce at the highest level in
terms of quality. Currently, we are
having issues in trading among
ourselves and we are looking at
Nnamani’s Companies Plead
Guilty
building an intra-Africa trade, to
take the volume of trade within the
continent beyond the current
precariously low level of five
per cent.
“If African nations can trade
with one another, we will not only
trade more economically, but build
a more robust African economy,”
Odumodu said.
He added that Africa must
come together to fight its common
enemies, stressing that the continent
may not be able to fight its
enemies with each country acting
on its own.
“I believe if we all stick together
and form a powerful force, it
may be a lot easier to actually
check the excesses of those who
have made Africa to remain on
its knees all these years. This
forum which we have tagged
“Africa Rises for Standards”
which is to hold in Abuja, will
among other expectations, bring
about the strengthening of the
standardisation capacity of Africa
through dialogue, information and
experience sharing to form the
key elements that will promote
and sustain Africa’s productivity
and trade,” he said.
He noted that the African
Heads of States declared 2017
as the year when all the
countries in Africa will be
integrated into a Continental
Free Trade Area (CFTA), but
maintained that for this to
happen successfully, the
countries in Africa have to
be on the same page, having
common standards and same
language in other aspects of the
quality infrastructure.
“We believe that the present
membership of ARSO, which is
34 countries today, may not serve
the purpose the Heads of States
have set for us as a target. It is
imperative that we must bring
all African countries under the
umbrella of the ARSO so that in
2017, when the CFTA starts, we
will be on the same page and raise
the volume of intra-Africa trade
from the current 5 per cent to 30
per cent yearly, moving forward,”
he said.
Paul Obi in Abuja
Four companies, Rainbownet
Nigeria Limited, Cosmos
FM, Capital City Automobile
Nigeria Limited and Renaissance
University Teaching Hospital,
allegedly associated with the
former Governor of Enugu
State, Chimaroke Nnamani,
yesterday pleaded guilty to
a 10-count amended charge
preferred against them by the
Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) at the Federal
High Court in Lagos.
The companies were alleged to
have failed to comply with lawful
inquiry made by the commission.
At the sitting, counsel to the
companies, Ricky Tarfa, SAN
pleaded guilty to the 10-count
charge when it was read to him.
In view of his plea, the
prosecuting counsel, Kelvin Uzozie
asked the court to fix a date for
proof and review of facts and for
sentencing. Justice Mohammed
Yinusa consequently adjourned
proceedings to May 27, 2015.
Count one of the charge read:
“That you Rainbownet Nigeria
Limited, between February
and March 2007 within the
jurisdiction of this court failed to
comply with the lawful inquiry
of Ibrahim Lamorde, Director of
Operations of the EFCC on behalf
of the commission on this opening
statement of affairs of Rainbownet
Nigeria Limited, from inception
to February 2007 and you thereby
committed an offence punishable
under Section 38(2) of the EFCC
Act, 2004.”
Another count read: “That you
Cosmos FM between February
and March 2007 within the
jurisdiction of this court failed to
comply with the lawful inquiry
of Ibrahim Lamorde, Director
of Operations of the EFCC on
behalf of the commission on the
audited account of Cosmos FM,
for the periods ended 2003, 2004,
2005, and 2006 and you thereby
committed an offence punishable
under Section 38 (2) of the EFCC
Act, 2004
The EFCC in 2014 sought for
a separate trial of the companies
which were previously arraigned
alongside Nnamani in a N5 billion
money laundering case in 2007.
EFCC counsel, Uzozie told the
court that the matter had been
stalled severally on account of
Nnamani’s frequent applications to
travel abroad for medical treatment
on the grounds of ill-health.
Nnamani was first arraigned
before Justice Tijani Abubakar
in 2007.
The ex-governor was docked
alongside Sunday Anyaogu, his
then aide and six firms linked
to them: Rainbownet Nigeria
Limited, Hillgate Nigeria
Limited, Cosmos FM, Capital
City Automobile Nigeria Limited,
Renaissance University Teaching
Hospital and Mea Mater Elizabeth
High School.
The case was re-assigned to
Justice Charles Archibong following
the transfer of Justice Abubakar,
now of the Appeal Court, out of
the Lagos division of the Federal
High Court.
Also, the case was re-assigned
to Justice Yinusa, after Justice
Archibong (now retired) was
also transferred out of the Lagos
division of the court.
RENDERING ACCOUNTS TO SHAREHOLDERS
L-R: Chairman, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigerian Plc. Mr. Jacobs Moyo Ajekigbe; Managing Director, Mr. Rahul Colaco; and the new CEO,
Royal FrieslandCampina ,Mr. Roelof Jooslen, at the 42nd annual general meeting of the company in Lagos...yesterday Sunday Adigun
Toyota Nigeria Recalls Some
Models of Yaris, Hilux over
Faulty Airbag
Bennett Oghifo
Toyota Nigeria Limited (TNL)
has said the inflator modules
of the airbags of two of the
Toyota models - Yaris and
Hilux - it sold could be faulty
and has requested owners of
these vehicles to prepare to turn
them in for repairs.
Specifically, the vehicles are
the Toyota Yaris manufactured
between 2003 and 2005 and the
Toyota Hilux manufactured
between 2003 and 2007.
According to the Managing
Director of Toyota Nigeria
Limited, Mr. Kunle Ade-Ojo, they
had to embark on this special
service campaign after being
informed of the development
by Toyota Motor Company
(TMC), Japan last week.
The airbag issue is a global
problem because it affects
all vehicles/makes that use
the airbag inflator device
manufactured by Takata, a
Japanese company.
Takata announced the airbag
issue in April 2013, saying it
involves defective inflator and
propellant devices that may
deploy improperly in the event of
a crash, shooting metal fragments
into vehicle occupants. Records
show that at least six people
have died worldwide due to
the defect.
Kunle Ade-Ojo stated that
vehicles sold by TNL would
be brought in through their
dealers to be repaired free of
charge and that the procedure
would be made public soon.
According to him, a list of
the vehicles involved was being
compiled to enable them know
the number to be attended to.
He, however, noted that
not all the units were affected,
explaining that for the Hilux
vehicles under consideration,
the airbags with defective are
those on the driver’s side but that
the Yaris had defective devices
on either the driver’s side or
passenger’s or both.
The Hilux and Yaris vehicles
purchased from TNL’s dealers,
he said would be attended to
but that other vehicles brought
in through the grey market (not
through TNL, an authorised
representative of Toyota) would
have limited support.
He explained that “We
vigorously advertise, in the
newspapers, of the need of
buying your vehicle from Toyota
Nigeria Limited authorised
dealers. What we have records
of are those brought in by TNL
that we can treat accordingly. Any
vehicle that has been brought
through the grey market will
have limited support. The only
way it can have support perhaps
is when the manufacturer says
such person bought the vehicle
to your market. Priority will be
given to our customers.”
Sultan Pleads with Gowon to
Continue to Offer Advice to
Political Leaders
Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji
Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III,
yesterday stressed the need for
political leaders to collaborate
with traditional leaders, to
ensure peace and stability in
the country.
He also pleaded with the
former Head of State, Gen.
Yakubu Gowon (rtd), not to
relent in offering useful advice
to political leaders, to move the
nation forward.
The monarch made the
remark yesterday, when Gowon
paid him homage in his palace
in Sokoto.
He advised political leaders
in the country, to always reach
out to traditional leaders and
seek counsel on the best way
to address issues of governance.
The sultan underscored the
need for the leaders of different
faith to come together, respect
and understand one another,
saying this would go a long
way in ensuring harmony in
the polity.
“I still remember as a young
man the mutual understanding
that existed between leaders of
various faiths in the country.
Those good days were the
days we always cherish and
want to see them in our lifetime
again. We want to bring back
the good old days of harmony,
understanding and respect for
people of every faith. We have
seen it before and we want to
strengthen it.
“I know during the civil
war, a special prayer team
was set up at the request of
Gowon to my late father, Sultan
Abubakar III, to pray for the
country. That prayer session
that started during the war
at your request, has not been
disbanded but still intact.
“I want to let you know that
these clerics come together every
morning to recite the Quran and say
special prayers for the nation at the
Sultan Bello Mosque, and they have
not stopped since then,” he said.
The monarch said the Sultanate
Council would partner Gowon’s
non governmental organization,
Nigerian Praise, to continue to
pray for peace and harmony in
the country.
He acknowledged the tireless
efforts made by Gowon in the service
to humanity and pleaded with him
not to relent in his efforts to promote
unity and peace in Nigeria.
The sultan urged the former
Head of State, to continue to
offer useful advice to political
leaders, on the way forward
for this country.
“You still have a big role to
play in peace and stability of
this country, just like you did
during the civil war. Please,
don’t sit back, don’t think
you are old because Generals
are never old.