The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mr Osita Aboloma

  • 60 SON workers get training

    No  fewer than 60 workers of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) are receiving training on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Enugu.

    SON Director-General Mr. Osita Aboloma, represented by the Director of Human Resources, Mallam Usman Abdullahi, said the workers were being trained on efficient service delivery.

    He noted that the training would make them live above rudimentary mistakes in their duties.

    Aboloma said: “The essence of this training is to improve the capacity of staff to deliver quality services and improve their relationship skills as they discharge their daily duty.

    “The training aimed at exploring other avenues to solve issues that concern enforcement of standards without necessarily going to the formal law courts.

    “The SON Act as amended had given SON the mandate to prosecute those that go against its mandate.

    “However, we feel that there should be other avenues apart from the courts that SON can easily achieve its mandate.

    Read also: NUFBTE warns firm against engaging expatriates

    “So, on this premise, SON is partnering with the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC) to train some of its staff on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).’’

    According to him, the training would be beneficial to the agency’s enforcement and office workers.

    Also, a facilitator of the training, Ambassador Victor Ojaide, noted that the workers would get with ADR skills.

    Ojaide, who is also the Vice President (Training) of ICMC, said the training would enable workers understand how to settle issues harmoniously.

    “The ADR lessons will equip them on how to deal with issues and win trust and public confidence even as they discharge their duties.

    “The training will teach better ways of approaching issues and people even as they carry out their official mandates,’’ he said.

     

  • SON inaugurates surveillance unit

    The Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) has inaugurated a 16-man Surveillance, Investigation and Monitoring (SIM) unit targeted at strengthening its data gathering capacity and bridging information gaps in its operations.

    The team in concert with the Federal Operations unit, the Nigerians Customs Service and other security agencies on intelligence gathering and sharing will undertake quality assurance activities, enforcement and regulatory actions to curb unbridled influx of substandard products.

    SON Director General, Mr. Osita Aboloma said the initiative was backed by the organization’s 2015 Act, mandating it to interact with stakeholders in the aspects of standards enforcement, factory inspection, market surveillance, product registration, management systems, sensitisation among others.

    According to him, the SIM unit will be domiciled in Lagos under the leadership of the Deputy Director, Isa Suleiman who will coordinate operations and administration/logistics and give reports to the Director-General.

    The decision in consonance with the anti-corruption drive of the current administration, he noted, was critical to its role of protecting the economy while maintaining the ease of doing business.

    He said: “the handling of these activities are critical to the overall reputation of SON, thus necessitating that the chief executive has all information at his fingertip to boost his capacity to respond adequately in the overall interest of the nation’s economy. This is also expected to promote effective delivery and a turnaround.”

    Assuring the Director-General of his commitment, Suleiman said: “I wish to express appreciation for the confidence expressed in us by the management. We have been given the terms of reference on exactly what we are to do and team has been carefully selected on based integrity and I assure you of performance. For every assignment, the monitoring will be there and report.”

    Read Also:

  • ASPAMDA:  Drama as SON officials shut several warehouses, shops

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has shut several shops in the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPAMDA) market along the Lagos/ Badagry expressway and arrested notorious counterfeiters and importers of fake and sub-standard goods.

    The market had come under SON’s hammer following several surveillance exercises undertaken as a result of constant complaints by the public who have endured years of losing their monies to the merchants of fake auto parts, machineries, batteries etc.

    The Director -General Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr. Osita Aboloma, said currently of much concern is the fraudulent cloning and faking of WSK Rotor Heads by Mr. Ikechukwu Egwuatu, the manager of Munduo Auto Limited despite a seal order by a Court of competent jurisdiction. He frowned at the practice of cloning successful brands by unscrupulous business men to make quick gains, depriving the trade mark owners of their benefit.

    He said that SON Act 2015 empowers the agency to arrest and prosecute offenders and warned that they would make it impossible for fakers to thrive.

    He said: “This man has being importing substandard Rotor Heads with another person’s trade mark. He was arrested three years ago and rather than refraining from the illegal Act he decided to go to court and predictably lost at the court. One would think that good reasoning would have made him to refrain and engage in a legal business besides working on getting his own trademark but unfortunately he has refused all entreaties and we were left with no other option but to bring to bear the full weight of the law on him to serve as deterrent”.

    The SON boss who was represented by the agency’s Director of Market Survey, Mr.Isa Suleiman said SON is working on every sector to bring sanity and also raise the confidence of both manufacturers and consumers. He said standards are improved and reviewed regularly to meet up with current technology.

    On the arrest of several battery  and tyre importers and the sealing of their warehouses in the market, he explained that many of them have being found to be engaged in illegal relabeling of popular battery brands with low quality varieties. He added that they go to the extent of inputting wrong capacities to the batteries, deceiving the public.

    Furthermore, he said the agency has done a lot to rid the country of fake and sub-standard tyres by carrying out surprise raids on unscrupulous importers insisting that it is imperative for motorists to observe safety standards in the purchase of tyres.
    On the call by some section of the traders for more enlightenment and sensitization on standardization decrying the huge amount they loose when apprehended by the agency.

    The SON chief said they have no reason to import fake and sub-standard  products into the country especially  when the agency have guidelines to guide importers and indigenous manufactures on standardisation.  In his words: “We have SON Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) for importers to ensure that whatever they import is in conformity with the nation’s standards  from the country of origin while the MANCAP scheme is a detailed guideline for  local manufacturers to ensure quality and standard in the production process.

    Therefore no importer or local manufacturers have any reason to import or manufacture products that are not in conformity with the nation’s industrial standards.  We insist that all importers, manufacturers and indeed dealers must be registered for traceability”.

    Furthermore, he advised Nigerians to desist from buying used tyres noting that it is a sure way to sudden death. He encouraged the people to buy new tyres and ensure that they check the day of manufacture, storage condition and packaging.  He also advised that the newer the date of manufacture better for the buyer.

    Read Also: SON shuts warehouses, shops in Lagos

  • SON warns SME’s against substandard products

    SON warns SME’s against substandard products

    The Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria ( SON ), Mr. Osita Aboloma, has warned operators of the Small and Medium Enterprises and agro-allied businesses against substandard products.

    He asked them to comply with ISO standards or their businesses would be doomed.

    Aboloma, represented by the Regional Coordinator, South-South, Mr. Papanye Don-Pedro, spoke at a one-day sensitisation workshop on compliance with international standards for SMEs and agro -allied enterprises.

    The workshop ended in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, on Thursday.

    He said there was the need to help SMEs and agro-allied businesses to enhance efficiency and increase their productivity.

    The workshop was organised to sensitize participants on the international organization for standardization’s ISO 9001:2015 generic standards.

    Aboloma stated that with the enormous potential in the agro-allied industry and with the diversification agenda of the Federal Government, it was imperative to sensitize SME entrepreneurs on the fundamentals of the international organization for standardization’s ISO 9001:2015 model.

    The SON DG explained that the workshop was geared towards enlightening entrepreneurs on the benefits of adopting the ISO standards.

    He said: “This workshop will among others help you to focus on the important areas of your agro-business and improve efficiency.

    “It will reduce wastages, increase productivity and profit, improve customer retention and acquisition, bring about consistent outcomes, and give your customers and clients confidence that you are working to standards and procedures that will provide them with high standard of customer service.”

    A consultant, Mr. Nweze Chamberlain, stressed that the essence of the workshop was to enable SMEs to realign with modern management techniques.

    In a presentation, the Coordinator of SON in Rivers and Bayelsa states, Ololade Ayoola,  said it was important to encourage SMEs and agro-allied enterprises to step up their game and align with international best practices.

    He said the international organization for standardization’s ISO ISO 9001:2015 is a quality management system first published in 1987.

    He said the latest, which is the most successful and widely used, according ISO standard to experts, was brought to the fore in 2015.

    Farmers, captains of agro-allied businesses and SMEs as well as government officials attended the workshop.

  • Relief, as stakeholders endorse SON ACT 14, 2015 in Kano … seek increased collaboration

    Relief, as stakeholders endorse SON ACT 14, 2015 in Kano … seek increased collaboration

    In continuation of its quest to boost public awareness and support for the campaign against substandard products in the country, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) recently took its nationwide sensitization exercise on the SON Act to Kano.

    The objective of this, according to the Director General of SON, Mr. Osita Aboloma, was to increase consumers’ awareness on the Act and how it would impact on  the organization’s pursuit of its mandate and  on businesses, and generally on Nigerians. Indeed, participants at the forum, which had two guest speakers–Alhaji Ali Madugu-Vice President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and a Lecturer from Bayero University, Barrister Usman Muhammad Shu’aib Zunnrain stressed their desire for more collaboration with SON for a mutually beneficial relationship.

    Other dignitaries at the forum which held at the Grand Central hotel, Bompai Road, Kano included the Kano State Commissioner of Police-Rabi’u Yusuf, who was represented by Assistant Commissioner  of Police(ACP) Abubakar Zubair,  representative of the State Commandant of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corp (NCDC)  Chief Superintendent Abdulhamid Kabara, representative of the Director of the  Department of State Security Service (DSS), Alhaji Nasir Ibraheem and the Kano State Coordinator of SON in Kano and Jigawa States-Alhaji Yunusa Mohamme, who represented the Director General, Mr Osita Aboloma

    There were also the Managing Director, S.G International Agencies and Coordinator, Association of Nigerian Licensed Custom Agent (ANCLA)-Alhaji Mohammed Sanusi Wakili, the Chairman, Chosen Cargo Services Nigeria Limited-Sir Patrick Agbato, the Secretary, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Kano-Alhaji Tijani Ahmed and representative of the Nigerian Spinners & Dyers,  Kano- Engineer Haruna Musa of the Department of Mechatronics Engineering,  Bayero University, Kano.

    In his welcome address at the forum with the theme: “SON ACT 14, 2015: The imperative of consumer engagement”, the Director General explained that what  the SON Act was intended to achieve was to halt the prevailing situation where criminals flood the country with substandard products with impunity, largely because the previous laws under which the organization operated did not provide commensurate sanctions to offenders and deserved protection and sufficient power to SON officials. Now that the new laws have provided an enabling environment for the organization, he stated, Nigerians could be rest assured that the menace of substandard products would now be decisively dealt with and culprits instantly reprimanded, ultimately prosecuted and appropriately sanctioned. Aboloma added that faithful Implementation of the new Act would guarantee increased sales to genuine manufacturers and importers who, he noted, are presently shortchanged because of their inability to compete with cheaper substandard products which flood the nation’s markets.

    The DG however disclosed that there are provisions in the Act which manufacturers, importers and other stakeholders and indeed all Nigerians must know so as to ensure necessary sensitization and collaboration in the campaign against substandard products. This imperative, he explained, informed the agency’s sustained stakeholders forum, where SON, sister agencies and other partners, among others, share information and experiences and proffer suggestions on how to win the anti-substandard products battle.

  • SON Boss lauds NASS on fight against substandard products

    SON Boss lauds NASS on fight against substandard products

    The Director General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr. Osita Aboloma has given thumbs up to the National Assembly for empowering the agency to combat the influx, production and distribution of substandard products in the country.

    According to him, the passage of the SON Act 14 of 2015 has provided the leeway for the organisation to prevent suspected substandard products from circulation even while investigations to ascertain the compliance to relevant standards are being carried out.

    Mr. Aboloma commended the general provisions in the new SON Act giving the agency the power to prosecute perpetrators of substandard products manufacture, importation and distribution while also providing stiffer penalties for convictions including jail terms. The Act also empowers SON to seize and dispose of non-compliant products including through destruction, he said.

    Aboloma stated these while inspecting seized substandard products at the SON warehouse in Lagos, stressing that the National Assembly had in words and deeds shown great commitment to the eradication of substandard products in the country.

    The SON Director General described substandard products as a serious social and economic challenge which require the concerted efforts of all patriots to contend with in addition to provision of adequate financial resources, manpower and technology deployment .

    Aboloma said his agency was strengthening its internal mechanisms to combat substandard products head on and urged all Nigerians to join hands with SON in order to create greater opportunities for genuine and certified locally manufactured products to thrive.

    This will improve capacity utilization, create massive employment opportunities and a more robust economy for the Nation, he said.

    The SON Chief Executive described as unfounded recent insinuations of undermining or casting the National Assembly in bad light, adding that nothing could be further from the truth.

    He affirmed his high respect for members of the National Assembly particularly in the course of their oversight functions on Ministries, Departments and Agencies, adding that such are aimed at making Nigeria a better place to live.

    The SON DG said there are abundant evidences of the sterling contributions of the National Assembly to the course of the country’s developmental strides, stressing that no right-thinking person would undermine such.

    He referred to recent assurances from the leaderships of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Industry to the SON as evidence of the National Assembly’s full backing to his agency to deliver on its mandate to Nigerians.

    Mr. Aboloma expressed his appreciation for the collaborative efforts existing between the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the National Assembly in the bid to improve the lives of Nigerians through Standards.

    The SON DG then pledged his total commitment to protecting the lives and properties of Nigerians as well its economy using the instruments of standardization and quality assurance.

     

  • New standards for rice harvesting, processing – SON

    New standards for rice harvesting, processing – SON

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), says it has developed new standards for rice seeds, harvest, milling, drying and hygiene practice for processing and storage of rice in the country.

    The Director-General of the organisation, Mr Osita Aboloma, said this in Abuja on Tuesday at the 3rd Nigeria Rice Investment Forum organised by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

    Represented by Dr Barth Ugwu, the Head, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) office of the organisation, Aboloma said the standards, developed in 2016 was to improve the quality of paddy and milled rice.

    He said that total compliance with the standards would ensure zero rejection of the country’s agricultural products at the international markets.

    The director-general listed some of the quality parameters embedded in the standards to include germination, huskless seed, pesticides, residues, packaging, labelling and storage.

    “The focus of these developed standards is to provide guidance and recommendations to both small and large operators involved in growing and processing of rice to raise product quality.

    “The use of these standards will provide rice farmers, processors and transporters proper ground to produce safe food that can compete favourably in the international markets.

    “The implementation of these standards will promote the development of the rice industry in Nigeria and grow the rice value chain,’’ he said.

    The Chief Executive Officer, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Business Group, Mrs Gloria Akobundu, said that increase in agricultural production was crucial to promoting the country’s economy.

    Akobundu said that increasing in rice production in the country would guarantee economic growth.

    According to her, an average Nigerian citizen consumes over 24.5 kilogrammes of rice annually, adding that the nation`s production level of 3.5 million tonnes of rice annually is insufficient.

    She said that the theme of the forum entitled: “2018 Self Sufficiency in Rice Production: Opportunities, Challenges and Road Ahead’’, was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to diversify the economy.

    “Nigeria is the second highest importer of rice in the world and the highest in Africa,’’ she said.

    Mr Hiroshi Kodama, the Senior Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), said the agency had assisted Nigerian farmers in rice milling and processing in Niger and Nasarawa States.

    He said the agency would extend its assistance to other states of the federation to boost rice production in the country.

    Earlier, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, commended NEPAD for its efforts toward boosting rice production in the country.

    Represented by Mr Obinna Opara, an official at the Cereals Unit of the ministry, Ogbeh said the Federal Government would rehabilitate irrigation facilities and support farmers with farm inputs.

    He assured that the country would meet its target of attaining self-sufficiency in rice production by 2018.