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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.
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