By Gladys Fred Kole
Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has commended National Bureau of Standards (NBS) for meeting the best interest of the citizens and serving national security priority.
CEPO’s executive director, Edmond Yakani said NBS chief executive officer (CEO), Mary Gordon Muortat qualifies for an outstanding leadership award from the civil society body.
He added that the NBS boss also deserves national reward from political leadership of the country.
“Chief Executive Officer Mary Gordon, well done and CEPO will extend Certificate of Recognition as Honest Civil Servant of the Year 2023 on 26th July, 2023 in your office at 12 noon.” CEPO promised.
The acclamation comes after the NBS conducted a massive destruction of more than 10,000 metric tons of expired food and non-food items impounded from all markets in Juba city.
Ms. Mary Gordon Muortat (file Photo), waiting to be awarded by Community Empowerment for Progress Organization.
Expired wheat flour, sugar, powdered milk, oil, and soap among other were the goods set ablaze during the operation in Juba on Thursday 20th July, 2023. Last week.
CEPO ‘s Executive director stated that allowing expired, counterfeit, and substandard goods to sell in markets for citizens is a national security threat due to health implications on the consumers.
“Dangerous health illnesses are directly associated with the consumption of unhealthy food and goods. “ Yakani stated.
The activist said NBS is serving national security interest and standing firm for the safety and protection of the citizens from consuming any expired, counterfeit, and substandard goods.
He said it’s a great step to serving national interest.
“It is time really for our law makers to take strong stand as our NBS on providing oversight on matters of dealing with supply of goods and services to the country” he noted.
Yakani further explained that “Our lawmakers” in East Africa Community Legislative Assembly should raise a motion on this matter.
“I’m urging the Ministry of East Africa Community Affairs in the Republic of South Sudan to raise up and bring this issue for serious deliberations in East African Community gathering,” Yakani stressed.
He said the sale of expired and counterfeit goods to a nation of regional body defies the ideology togetherness.
“This act poses insecurity to citizens of East Africa Community at large and it undermines the regional integration principles and purposes.” Yakani said.
CEPO also suggests the government should assist National Bureau of Standards (NBS) to hold East African Community member states deliberations on roles of serving a regional interest.
Yakani said the regional Bureau of Standards meeting will prevent unhealthy practices such as marketing expired, counterfeit, and substandard goods.
“With due respect and honour, I will urge H.E. President to support the facilitation of this suggestion/proposal,” Yakani pleaded.
He said that harmonizing the East African countries bureau of standards from service individual nations to regional interests would prevent proliferation of illegitimate commodities.
“It is a top national security priority for each EAC member state bureau of standards to prevent supply and selling of expired, counterfeit, and substandard goods,” the activist stressed.
Last week, the CEO of the National Bureau of Standards, Mary Gordon Muortat, told the media after the destruction of the expired goods that they were committed to making South Sudan a safe place by eliminating expired, counterfeit, and substandard goods from the market.