The Nation Newspaper

Tag: SON

  • SON, ECOWAS to end agric products’ rejection

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) working in partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), yesterday met to foster unity among African countries on how to stop non-acceptance of exported food to European countries.

    The Acting Director-General, SON, Paul Angya who was represented by the Director, Business  Support Service, Mrs. Margaret Eshiett, addressed the issue at the opening ceremony of the second workshop on Codex for Member Countries of ECOWAS in Abuja.

    He said: “Codex Alimentarius Commission is responsible for coordinating the development of international food standards that are used as the global reference for consumers, producers, national food control agencies and all those involved in international trade. It presents a unique opportunity for all countries to join the international community in formulating and harmonising food standards and ensuring their global implementation.

    “We want a situation where if food leaves Nigeria for Ghana it should not be discriminated against; there should be same standard operating in the entire ECOWAS region,” he stated.

  • SON involves women in standardisation

    SON involves women in standardisation

    The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) is involving women in the promotion of  African trade as well as improving participation in international standardisation by shaping the future of African industries.

    Its Acting Director-General, Paul Angya, spoke during the celebration of the 4th African Day of Standardisation in Abuja, with the theme: Women Empowerment Development Towards AU Agenda 2063,  stating that the idea was to promote the involvement of women in regional and continental standardisation.

    He said: “It is to also involve women in regional and continental standardisation, reduce unnecessary regulatory barriers to trade, and ensure availability of uniform and consistent African standards for promotion of African trade.

    “All over the world, the issue of women empowerment is a core focus of government’s view of their economic contributions. This is also to address the role of standards in women empowerment.

    “Standard is an integral part of women development, to support production, choices in supplies as well as patronage and consumption. As the continent is working towards the establishment of a continental free trade area, women must be carried along to adopt standards for enhanced empowerment.

    “I will use this opportunity to invite all women group to support and join hands with SON in promoting the values of quality especially at the grassroots where ignorance has remained the bane for gullibility in consuming substandard and fake products. They may be cheap but remain dangerous to our finances, economy and health.”

    Angya reinstated the agency’s commitment to the promotion of patronage of certified made-in-Nigeria products as well as the support of legislations that will encourage the patronage of the products in government procurement processes to support and encourage the growth of the industrial sectors.

    The Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar said this year’s celebration honoured the contribution of African women to the development of the continent. She said African women continue to strive to take a large portion of the economy and as such must be encouraged.

  • Parents seek justice over son’s death

    Parents seek justice over son’s death

    •Police: he died of cardiac arrest

    How did a 19-year old barber, Gafar Ayoola, die after his arrest by the police last Friday at Oyingbo Market in Ebute Meta, Lagos Mainland?

    A source at Denton Police Station claimed that Ayoola was tortured to death by his colleagues despite not finding any incriminating evidence on the late suspect.

    The policemen allegedly hanged and beat him until he passed out following his arrest for “wandering” by a corporal.

    When the late Ayoola became unconscious, the policemen called their Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and told him the suspect was dying. But the DPO told them the late suspect was just “pretending”.

    When his men insisted that the late suspect was not pretending, the DPO was said to have directed them to take him to the hospital, where he died.

    The police source told The Nation that the suspect’s body was taken to Lagos Mainland Hospital Mortuary at Yaba, without notifying his parents.

    The source claimed that the teenager was tortured and rushed to a hospital on Kano Street, where he died.

    “The boy’s parents reside at 16, Bridge Road, Otto in Ebute-Meta but he was a barber at Okoafo in Badagry.

    “A corporal arrested him around 8:30am at Oyingbo bus stop. The corporal claimed the boy was wandering but nothing was found on him to indicate he was a suspect.

    “I don’t like the way the boy was tortured. The boy was hanged as if he was a notorious armed robber or kidnapper. The worst part is that the station wants to shield the corporal for killing an innocent just like that.

    “The DPO was not around when the boy was arrested and beaten. He was only called on phone and when he was appealing to the bereaved father for peace on Saturday, he told the man that Gafar belonged to a four-man gang of cultists and armed robbers. He claimed that his three other accomplices escaped and that they have been on wanted list. That is a lie. There’s no allegation against him and no exhibit was found on him,” the source said.

    The bereaved parents, Mr and Mrs Sulaiman Ayoola, said some people that told one of their sons that his brother had been arrested.

    Ayoola, a private security guard with First Bank, told The Nation that he was shocked when one of his sons called him around 10pm to tell him that Gafar was arrested and killed by the police.

    “It was around 10pm that one of my sons called me. I was still at work and he told me that he was on his way home when he saw people gathered and they told him that Gafar was arrested by the police and killed.

    “At first, I did not understand what he meant because I did not even understand why police would arrest my son. So, I quickly left for the police station, I asked to see my son whom they arrested in the morning.

    “Initially, they denied arresting him. They showed me the names of suspects in their custody and my son’s name was not there. I told them that the person who arrested my son was one Corporal Taiwo but they claimed there was no officer with that name in their station.

    “After much argument, they told me to come back on Saturday after environmental sanitation because the DPO was not around, which I did. By the time I got there on Saturday morning, most of my people were already around and I think they were scared that the people, out of anger might do something crazy.

    “Then, the DPO called us inside and he started begging us to take heart. That we should go and take the body at Mainland Hospital. That the boy was arrested for ‘wandering’ and he died of cardiac arrest, probably because he has never been arrested before.”Despite their effort to cover up the evil they did to my son, whom they did not find any incriminating thing on; at the station, we were told by some people who did not like what happened to the boy that he was hanged and tortured. They said the policemen hanged him and were beating him until he collapsed.

    “The DPO begged us to go and collect the body and bury him but I have not gone there. I cannot go there. My son cannot die like that because he’s not a criminal. I want President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and all Nigerians to help me get justice for my son. Why did the police kill my son and they tried to cover up his death? Why did they arrest my boy without telling anyone? Why are they covering up the officer who arrested my son for ‘wandering’? I need justice for my son,” he said.

    Police spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent (SP), said the case would be investigated adding:

    “It was learnt that shortly after he was arrested and brought to the division, he complained that he was feeling sick and he was rushed to the hospital. It was while he was receiving treatment at the hospital that he passed on.

    “The leadership of the command and the Force in general are keen about entrenchment of and respect for human rights. The police abhor any form of torture. Therefore, I believe no officer will take that risk. However, we will commence an investigation into the case,” she said.

  • SON impounds N10m tyres in Awka

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on Wednesday impounded two truckloads of fake tyres worth N10 million from a warehouse in Awka.

    The warehouse located at a residential building on Zik Ave., Awka, was discovered following intelligence reports, according to the organisation.

    Speaking with newsmen, the Head of the organisation in Anambra, Mr Samuel Ayuba, said the raid was part of the national campaign to rid the country of fake and substandard tyres.

    He said that substandard tyres included those that had been used or stayed for up to six years, saying they had caused a lot crashes and deaths.

    “With our surveillance, we identified where this business is thriving and now we are on a raid, the target is to remove all substandard tyres from circulation in Anambra.

    “Some of them got wind of our operation today and they took off and moved their tyres to secret places and here in this residential building. You can see a large quantity of these substandard tyres.

    “These are tyres that have been used in other countries, produced for very temperate regions and even made for short distances like agricultural purposes but these people import them, clean them and sell them to our people.

    “The seizures we made here are in the upward of N10 million. This now amounts to economic loss to the country,” he said.

    Mr John Obi, one of the dealers in the product, said that their business was genuine and wondered why they should be the ones to bear the brunt of the loss.

    “The issue of used tyres should be addressed at the ports and borders if the government wants to remove them from the markets,’’ he said.

    Also speaking, motorists who preferred anonymity said the clampdown on used tyres would further worsen the plight of the users, as they were economically cheaper.

     

  • Bukky Wright’s son joins US Air Force

    Bukky Wright’s son joins US Air Force

    Hollywood actress, Bukky Wright, last friday, revealed that her second son, Wilson Amu-Wright, has just completed the process of becoming an American Air Force official. The thespian shared the news via several posts on her Instagram page.

    Wright shared cute and sharp photos of her son in the complete Air Force regalia, gushing about how proud she was of him.

    She captioned one of the photographs; “Am so proud of my son as an American air force officer.”

    Wright who made her acting debut in 1996, is also an entrepreneur, and runs a fashion house, a clothing line; B Collections, and a beauty spa; B Wright.

  • Police arrest man for ‘chaining’ son

    The police have arrested a man, Akanbi Lawal for allegedly chaining his son for two months.

    Lawal was arrested on Saturday after Tayo Olukoya discovered that the victim, Yusuf Lawal, 35, who has been missing for almost two months, was chained in his room at 4, Ifekoya Street in Papa Ashafa, Agege, Lagos.

    It was gathered that the victim’s wrists were already decaying because of the chains.

    The Nation learnt that the father took the action because of what he described as the shame and embarrassment his son was causing him in the neighbourhood. He was also said not to be happy with the friends he keeps.

    Police spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent (SP) said the matter was reported at about 6:30pm on Saturday, adding that the victim was rescued and rushed to the hospital.

    “On receipt of the complaint, police operatives from Dopemu division moved in. The victim was rescued and brought to the station. The chains removed from his hands and he was rushed to General Hospital, Oke Odo, where he’s receiving treatment. The father is in custody while investigation is ongoing,” she said.

  • SON, EU partner on export

    SON, EU partner on export

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the European Union (EU) have begun an initiative to establish a code of practice for Nigerian agricultural products for exportation.

    A statement jointly signed by the Deputy Director, Standards Directorate, SON, Mrs. Chinyere Egwuonwu and Mrs. Irina Kireeva of EU said to achieve the goal, the organisations planned a national training on standards on code of practices for products.

    The theme of the training, scheduled to hold in Abuja on Thursday, is “Standard and Quality: Unleashing the Potential of Agricultural Products to Grow the Non-oil Export in Nigeria.”

    The statement said the training will focus on products such as cocoa, beans, Shea butter and melon. It added that the event would unveil the result of training facilitated by the organisations focusing on exports on key agricultural commodities.

    The workshop would equip participants with the technicalities of the export market with regard to the issues of development of standards and the engagement of the private sector.

    It said the workshop was critical for transforming agriculture in Nigeria and would help participants understand that Africa could feed itself through agriculture and export.

    The statement said the training would lead to adopting modernised and commercial agriculture, which was the key to transforming the country’s economy.

    The training is to be organised by African Caribbean and Pacific Countries from the EU’s Technical Barriers to Trade.

  • SON, MAN step up campaign for made-in-Nigeria goods

    SON, MAN step up campaign for made-in-Nigeria goods

    The growing concerns for the patronage of made-in- Nigeria products under the present administration has seen a renewed vigour on the part of regulatory bodies, namely: the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria [MAN] to achieve that laudable objective.

    Justifying the need for the synergy of cooperation, the Acting Director-General of SON, Dr. Paul Angya, while addressing news men in Lagos, said, Nigeria has for long been operating what could be termed a “a cargo economy” that is, mainly import- dependent system whereby the country has been spending billions of dollars at the foreign exchange market just to import goods and services from other nations across the world.

    Angya who noted that the high rate of consumption of foreign products by end-users and consumers has become so chronic that anything tagged: ‘made-in-Nigeria’ is already dead on arrival at the local market.

    SON, he said, is expected to ensure compliance via monitoring and enforcement of standards. Insiders within the agency disclosed that the job has never been easy especially given the vastness of the country, coupled with the desperation of economic saboteurs, importers of fake and sub-standard products and other sharp practices within the system.

    To this end, the SON boss said he has given notice to importers of products that are available locally to look for something else to do or pack up, maintaining that the country could no longer afford to be a dumping site for all manner of imported products which in turn kill local industries.

    According to Engr. Bede Obayi, Head, SON’s Inspectorate and Compliance Directorate, 80 percent of sub-standard products circulating in Nigeria are imported ones.

    The agency has therefore continued to beam search light on imported materials. It recently launched its operations into a single window known as Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System [NICIS] for effective monitoring of all products billed for Nigeria from overseas.

    “We gathered that the integration of SON’s e-certificates and services into the NICIS for processing SONCAP, Form “M” and Pre-Arrival Assessment Report [PAAR] would facilitate trade and block leakages. Based on the scheme, all importers are required to key into the system for seamless importation. The agency has therefore drawn up a programme to train operators in the maritime, airports and land borders on how to access the electronic device.”

    Winning the “Buy Nigeria” campaign indeed requires the concerted efforts of all stakeholders, public, private sectors including SMEs, manufacturers, importers, exporters, chambers of commerce, business community as well as governmental and non-governmental bodies.

    According to the president, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria [MAN], Dr. Frank Jacobs Udemba through the instrumentality of SON regulatory regimes, the manufacturing sector of the economy has since stepped up its operations to ensuring that made in Nigeria products adhere to global best practices.

    The media has been awash with reports of how some local manufacturers have since resorted to shipping their products to other countries only to label and bring them into Nigeria as imported ones in order to attract patronage. For instance, made-in-Aba shoes are said to be among the affected products that migrate out of Nigeria only to resurface with foreign labels.

  • Mother, son ‘slit’ husband’s throat with knife

    A 49-year old woman and her son, 31, were yesterday arraigned at an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for the alleged murder of her 49-year-old husband, Lucky Bassey.

    Grace Bassey and Benjamin Otu were alleged to have conspired to slit the pastor’s throat with a kitchen knife.

    Prosecuting Inspector Julius Babatope said the accused committed the offence on January 25 around 4am on 23, Abari Street, Iyana-Ipaja, a Lagos suburb.

    Babatope said the accused made the incident look like suicide.

    Magistrate H.O. Omisore refused to take the plea of the accused because her court lacks jurisdiction to try murder.

    Omisore directed the prosecutor to duplicate the case file and forward it to the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPPs) for advice.

    She ordered that the accused be remanded in the Ikoyi Prisons pending receipt of the DPP’s advice.

    She said the advice would indicate the court where the accused would be tried.

    Omisore adjourned the case to April 12.

  • SON gets merit certificate from global Customs body

    SON gets merit certificate from global Customs body

    On recognition of its exceptional service to the International Customs community, the World Customs Organisation (WCO) has presented a Certificate of Merit to the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), representing Partner Government Agencies.

    In a statement by Head, Public Relations, Mathias Bassey, the certificate was presented to SON on the occasion of the International Customs Day through its affiliate, the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and signed by the Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya.

    Receiving the award, the Acting Director General SON, Dr. Paul Angya, said the award could not have come at a better time than now that SON has doubled its efforts to rid Nigeria of substandard products through collaboration with critical stakeholders.

    He  thanked the WCO for the award, adding that it would serve to double the efforts of SON at stepping up its activities in the area of standards.

    He said: “I reiterate SON’s commitment of ensuring that Nigeria is not made a dumping ground for all manner of products, as I am advising importers to always cross check with SON before importing into the country.”

    “The Merit Award recognizes SON’s effort in partnering with the Nigerian Customs Service and other world Customs bodies to ensure that only wholesome products that meet up with Standards are allowed in and out of the country.

    “Standards Organization of Nigeria is the government agency mandated by law for the elaboration of standards for products in the country and has been a partner with the Customs authority and other stakeholders in the country with its offshore Conformity Assessment Program (SONCAP), which ensures that goods and products destined for Nigeria from all over the world are tested to comply with standards and quality assurance.