Farouk Salim takes over as SON new Director-General 

Leadership baton has changed at the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) as Mallam Farouk Salim has taken over from Osita Aboloma as the new Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the organization.

The handing over ceremony took place at the Conference Room of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and witnessed by the Honourable Minister, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, the Permanent Secretary and Chairman, SON Governing Council, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, and some members of Management of the Ministry and SON.

Commenting on his vision for the organisation in response to the handover speech by his predecessor, Farouk Salim promised to bring changes by promoting public safety, the role of standards in local manufacturing, import and export as well as creating an enabling environment for innovations that will stimulate national self-sufficiency.

The new Director General promised to bring his core competencies in organisational restructuring, quality assurance and project management to bear in driving the relevance of SON in national socio-economic development further.

Salim stressed his desire to strengthen enforcement through increased cooperation with relevant authorities like the Police and the Judiciary, work more closely with the National Assembly and the Executive arm of Government to update regulations and penalties as well as lobby for improved budgetary allocations for needed improvements and staff welfare.

According to him, “We would also leverage on information and communication technology to disseminate our activities more efficiently, real time, in order to engender greater stakeholders’ buy-in and revamp public confidence in our organisation”.

The SON helmsman promised to also lessen red tape, further simplify payment systems through increased investment in information technology, to guarantee improved service delivery, operational efficiency and encourage customer feedback and suggestions towards achieving the goals.

He assured the staff of a level playing field to enable free flow of ideas and expression of competencies and urged them all to continue to give their best to the Nation through the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.

The new SON Chief Executive promised to make stakeholders, particularly the organised private sector groups a fulcrum of his administration’s focus.

Mallam Salim expressed appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for the opportunity to further contribute to National development through the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, stressing that he would put in his best to justify the confidence of the number one citizen.

He also expressed appreciation to his predecessor for his selfless services to SON in the last four years and wished him well in his future endeavour.

Welcoming the incoming Director General on behalf of the Management and Staff,  Aboloma commended his predecessors for laying a solid foundation for the advancement of standardisation activities in Nigeria in line with international best practices.

He assured Mallam Salim of bequeathing to him, a crop of highly competent staff in virtually all fields of standardisation, who according to him, compare favourably with their counterparts in the developed economies of the world.

Aboloma stated that the last four years has brought forward greater relevance of the SON mandate to the general socio-economic development of the Nigerian Nation more than ever before.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo at the occasion, presented a formal letter of commendation and appreciation to Aboloma for his selfless and dedicated services to the Nation through SON and wished him well in his future endeavour.

Ondo Election: Akeredolu, Jegede, Agboola, others sign peace pact

Candidates participating in Saturday governorship election in Ondo State have signed a pact to ensure violence-free election and accept outcome of the exercise.

All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and those of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Eyitayo Jegede, the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Akeredolu’s deputy, Agboola Ajayi and thirteen other candidates signed the Accord facilitated by the National Peace Committee.

The signing was witnessed by National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Yakubu Mahmood; Sultan of Sokoto Abukabar Saa’d; Bishop of Sokoto Diocese Hassan Kukah; former Bishop of Abuja Diocese John Onaiyekan and traditional rulers, among others.