THE NATION FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013
36
SOUTHWEST REPORT
NAFDAC, SON, burn confiscated products worth N50m
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N the fight against counterfeit products, a company, Asco Investment Limited in conjunction with the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food Drugs and Administration Control (NAFDAC) has set ablaze counterfeit Ambi-Pur airfreshners worth N30million. The Managing Director of Asco Investment Limited, Mr Sam Anyanwutaku whose company holds the franchise to import Ambi-pur airfreshner into the country said the company wanted to take a legal action against the importer but decided to drop the idea when the importer agreed that the fake products be burnt and committed to a writing agreement before his lawyer not to breach the terms of agreement. “The importer who was not willing to be dragged to court to face civil and criminal charges, voluntarily surrender 2,436 cartons of the fake AmbiPur airfreshner valued at N30 million. He also voluntarily consented to put in writing this agreement to burn the consignment,” he said. Anyanwutaku said, his company partners the NAFDAC, SON, Balogun Business Association and other governmental agencies in the fight against counterfeit products in the Nigerian market to bring sanity to the market. “Today’s event is a further confirmation of the determination of Asco Investment Ltd to protect our franchise and join all well meaning business men and women to bring sanity to the Nigerian market place by teaming up with the NAFDAC, SON and other governmental agencies to fight against counterfeiting,” he said. He called on the Nigerian government to ensure stiffer punishment for importers of counterfeited products into the country and urged it to sit up and put a stop to the influx of fake products mostly imported from China into the country. “Chinese products have become big problems and treat to our economy, almost everything in Nigerian market now are fake, imported from China. We don’t have quality things any more in Nigeria
•The fake product set on fire By Amidu Arije
market, because of the Chinese. They fake everything and ship them into Nigeria; so the government has to sit up and know how to handle the goods that come out from China and that is the only way we can be able to boost our economy,” he said.
Anyanwutaku said, they were able to track and confiscate the fake Ambipur airfreshner imported by Prince Mega Agency, with the help of Balogun Business Association (BBA). The representative of the BBA, Mr Okey Akunne said the association is working in partnership with other law enforcement agencies to sanitise
the market and rid it of fake products.. The company’s counsel, Mr Chris Ekemezie also urged the government to come up with a policy that will see to the end of importation of fake products into the country. “It is only in Nigeria you see the influx of fake products, I understand
it to be so because these other countries have stiff penalties for the importation of fake products but our country has none. I therefore call on the government especially the parliament to review these laws with a view to making stiffer punishment to persons engaged in counterfeiting;” he said.
At Ikogosi Ekiti, the Affirmative Action campaign takes centre stage
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HE affirmative action campaign for more political representation for women received a boost recently at a two-day gathering of women across the Southwest states of Nigeria at the Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort in Ikogosi Ekiti. The event organised by Women Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON) in partnership with the United Nations Women was, according to WOCON’s Executive Director, Chief Bisi Olateru-Olagbegi, meant to enhance the attainment of Affirmative Action Law Reform in Nigeria. The two-day retreat, coordinated by Southwest Women Political Empowerment Project was attended by women and a handful of men across private and public sectors and nongovernmental bodies. It was meant to offer opportunities for the women to recommit themselves to the task of achieving the affirmative action goals, through some of the identified groupings, In her address at the opening of the two-day retreat, Chief OlateruOlagbegi clarified that the organisation was non-government and committed to the promotion of the rights of women and children towards the attainment of equality development and peace. Justifying needs for increased women participation in governance, Mrs. Olateru-Olagbegi explained that women had always played a part in the political development of
From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti
the country. Said she: “Presently, out of 469 members in the National Assembly, 439 are men which represents over 93 per cent, while only 30 are women. The situation is even worse at the states’ parliamentary level where only 69 females represent women across the entire 36 states Houses of Assembly. In totality, this means only 99 women out of a total of 1,531 of those who represent the whole country, represent well over 70 million women and girls! According to Olateru-Olagbegi, despite the fact that the National Gender Policy was adopted by the Federal Executive Council comprising the President, the Vice President, the 36 state governors and all Ministers, Nigeria was yet to attain the 35 per cent women representation in elective positions since 2006 when the policy was adopted. She however praised President Goodluck Jonathan and some state governors, especially those in the Southwest states of Ekiti, Lagos and Osun who, according to her, were “striving to achieve the 35 per cent representation in appointive positions.” Said she: “In particular, we commend the Southwest where the political parties have adopted the winning policy at the executive level in which the governor is male and the deputy female, which is tantamount
to 50 per cent. In her own remarks, Hon. Ayo Olajide Fatunbi clarified that affirmative action was generally intended to increase the number of people from certain groups within businesses, institutions, and other areas of society in which they had hitherto been under-represented, adding “the concept is often considered a means of countering historical discrimination against a women group.” Identifying the progress so far made in the state in respect of the action, the female lawmaker representing Moba II Constituency stated “Women Empowerment is one of the agenda of Ekiti State Government; the state has developed a Gender Policy and enacted Equal Opportunity Law; the state has passed a Law prohibiting violence against women; and the state has established Women Development Centre to empower women across board.” The Assembly Committee Chair
on Women Affairs also noted that Ekiti State equally organises an annual Gender Summit where issues of women development are reviewed and new priorities set for the coming year. However, in a separate address to journalists, the lawmaker added that the campaign on Affirmative Action would be successful only if more women are “practically educated in modern ways.” She queried: “Would we not be deceiving ourselves if we continue to advocate and adjudicate for improved women involvement in national dialogues and development when we still don’t feel anything is wrong if more of our female children are kept out of school by whatever reason?” Fatunbi, popularly known as Ayoka Moba, insisted that the “basic effort for us women is to improve the female children’s presence in the classrooms,” adding ”governments
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Women Empowerment is one of the agenda of Ekiti State Government; the state has developed a Gender Policy and enacted Equal Opportunity Law; the state has passed a Law prohibiting violence against women; and the state has established Women Development Centre to empower women across board
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at various levels of administration has done well by recognising needs for increasing the physical presence of women in governance to a minimum of 35 per cent across the arms of legislature and executive.” She explained that it was in recognition of the importance of education in attaining the Affirmative Action goals that the wife of the Ekiti state governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi has embarked on a statewide campaign for compulsory education for children, especially the females. Said she: “Remember in Ekiti now, it is a crime to make your child hawk wares during school time. if any parent indulges in that, the sanction is imprisonment or a heavy fine or both. This is the message in the many campaigns mounted by Erelu Fayemi which is already in effect.” Also, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Mrs. Fola Richie-Adewusi, noted that the Ministry has continued to partner efforts at making life better for women through various empowerment programmes. According to her, the Ministry had partnered the Ekiti Development Foundation founded by the Governor’s wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, in ensuring that programmes like ‘The Food Bank, Soup Kitchen and Community Empowerment Outreaches’ which she said were primarily targeted at women’s socio-economic enhancement were successful.