The maritime stakeholders’ have urged the federal government [FG], to return Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to the nation’s ports, in order to stem the increased inflow of substandard products into the country.
They also said that the return of SON back to ports would help to achieve FG’s initiative of ease of doing business. According to them, the idea of the agency chasing container on the high way or going to warehouse for enforcement on importer of substandard products does not benefit the country any longer.
“We need them at the ports now, so that the agency can carry out its mandate along with other agencies at the ports,” said the President, Nigeria National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Chief Uche Increase, during a one-day stakeholders collaborations titled ‘stakeholders collaboration as a tool for zero substandard products’ held in Kaduna recently.
“The role of SON in preventing substandard products is crucial. We need them to stop the influx of fake and substandard product,” adding that “the association would sustain its enlightenment and sensitisation campaign to ensure the drastic reduction of substandard products in the country.”.
The Director General of (SON), Osita Aboloma, emphasised that the organisation will not rest on its oars in ridding Nigeria of substandard products, while calling on all stakeholders to support them in achieving same.
According to him, the organisation is enforcing compliance, through various standards like MANCAP, SONCAP and other logos on products to let customers know the difference between substandard and counterfeit products and the original.
Represented by SON’s Regional Coordinator North West, Alhaji Abubakar Abba (Galajen Bauchi), he cautioned Nigerians against endangering themselves and loved ones by patronising fake or substandard products.
Increase further warned that compromise by bank officials portends serious danger as it relates to imports.
He also called on SON to lend support to Nigerian Shippers Council in reducing substandard products or cargo through CTN while urging the FG to speed up implementation of Single Windows Facility, whereby all agencies of government and SON can sit in their offices and make inputs. “SON is expected to do more and ensure synergy with other agencies, especially the Nigerian Customs.”
In another paper presentation, National Vice President, ANLCA, Dr. Kayode Collins Farinto, said that as patriotic citizens, all Nigerians are compelled to collaborate with SON to stamp out substandard products from the country.
“Please be informed that the hazard/adverse effect of substandard goods on our economy, health cannot be quantified, let alone, the high number of our citizens that have been killed, maimed as a result of use of these products. We shall be playing our roles in national interest, if we all agree to collaborate as stakeholders to stamp out substandard goods in our economy,” he said.
Meanwhile, the regulatory agency has also cautioned consumers against low gauge and galvanised roofing sheets even as it embarks on a nationwide evacuation.
Last weekend, SON stormed Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and Lagos to seize substandard aluminium sheets worth over N200 million from three aluminium companies. In Lagos, it confiscated substandard galvanised sheets worth over N150 million from many companies.
The Director General, SON, Osita Aboloma, said that the organisation worked on intelligence gathering to locate the three ware houses stocked with low gauges of aluminium products.
Aboloma, who was represented by the Inspectorate and Compliance Director of the regulatory agency, Mr Obiora Manafa, said they have discovered that most of the unscrupulous dealers have relocated to remote areas to carry out their nefarious activities.
Aboloma said that all the aluminium coils were tested and failed the basic minimum standards.
In his words: “These aluminium coils failed the basic parameters and they are hereby seized so it can serve as deterrent to those that will want to engage in the importation of substandard products into the country and to save the hard earned resources of Nigerians.”
He said that the ongoing exercise would be carried out in every part of country and warned the perpetrators to desist from the practice. He explained that the minimum standard required of an aluminium was 0.40mm instead of 0.25mm, which some companies use for the production of roofing sheets.
“Once you buy it, any little wind will blow your roof off. These are the reasons we are trying to discourage Nigerians from importing substandard products. People go out there, import these products knowing full well that Nigerian standard is 0.40millilitre yet they bring it in,” he said.
Reacting to questions on why the product was not stopped at the port of entry, he regretted that SON was not fully at the port to inspect the quality of goods that come in. He noted that SON was only invited sparely to do examination of goods saying that such development have seriously affected the role of the agency in checking influx of goods into the country.
SON boss stated further that the roofing sheets were either smuggled in or cleared from the ports without SON quality verification, necessitating the need to track them to three different company premises in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. This was facilitated by classified information provided by concerned stakeholders, he said.
“There are a lot of negative consequences having such aluminium roofing sheets in the Nigerian markets. Government is denied legitimate revenue, consumers do not get value for money, plus the unfair competition with certified made-in-Nigeria aluminium roofing sheets through low pricing. This unfair competition leads to low capacity utilisation by the local manufacturers, loss of jobs by Nigerians and a general downturn in the nation’s economy,” Manafa stated.
