The Nation Newspaper

Tag: SON

  • Customer drags Samsung to SON over warranty

    A customer of Samsung Electronics, Dan Aibangbe, has written a petition to the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) over a product he bought from the South Korea original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

    The petition dated July 24, was on a product, Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime 351692/09/348434/2, he bought from Lummy Communications.

    “Incidentally, the product developed a major fault, i.e blank out completely within a short period of three and half months.

    “This incident occurred very early within the two- year warranty period offered as part of the sale condition and I returned same to Samsung Channel Partner who examined it and advised that I take the product straight to Samsung Service Centre to avoid delay.

    “On the same day as advised, I took the product to Samsung Service Centre where it was received with receipt number 0004453 on warranty condition.

    “However, to my disbelief, I was called over the phone  the next day by one Tayo, Samsung Regional Manager on 08129459001, 012341701. He  told me that liquid was found inside the phone and that I am required to pay N41, 500 to repair the defective part,” the petition read in part.

    He said throughout the period he used the phone, it did not come in contact with water or any other liquid. He said  the  phone was not opened in his presence and therefore, doubted the veracity of Samsung’s claims.

    “Therefore, I appeal to you to use your office to properly advice as to my right as a consumer and as well assist me in redressing the situation, bearing in mind that this device is a major tool of my trade. I bought the phone despite its relative high cost based on my belief about its high quality and promised durability.

    “I cannot afford lengthy delay in a repair or replacement. Already, the device has been in Samsung’s possession for over four weeks with no favourable response. As a result, I have lost uncountable business calls and usual opportunities, which by my calculation, amounted to over N20 million.

    “I am convinced that the action of Samsung is a deliberate attempt to void the device’s warranty and compel me to pay for the repairs. This is evidently what Nigerians go through in the hands of Samsung on a regular basis.

    “It is beyond argument that Samsung deliberately flouts the laws of the land in order to keep exploiting and extorting money from Nigerians, whereas it cannot do the same in its mother country or in Europe and America,” Aibangbe said.

    He urged the regulator to investigate the likelihood of Samsung ripping off Nigerians through the distribution and sale of sub- standard models of their device offering, adding that the number of people he met with similar complains on the day of his visit to Samsung was massive.

    Efforts to get the reaction of Samsung proved futile as calls to its Managing Director, Bravo Kim, fell through while the email that was sent to him failed to deliver.

  • Accident kills magistrate, son, relation, driver

    Magistrate Banji Ayeomoni of Okitipupa Magistrates’ Court in Ondo State, his son Dara, another relation and his driver were reported dead in an inferno caused by a petrol tanker spillage in Ekpoma.

    An official of the court, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday the incident happened on Friday night close to Ambrose Ali University (AAU), Ekpoma.

    The official said that the late Ayeomoni went to visit his children at Ekpoma, adding that while returning his vehicle ran into the petrol spillage of a tanker which caused fire and other vehicles behind were also affected.

    The source added that the Magistrate, Dara, who is a 500 level student of Medicine of Ambrose Alli University, Akpoma, a young boy of the deceased wife’s sister and the driver died at an undisclosed hospital shortly after the accident.

    “We heard that the late Magistrate went to visit his children at AAU when the incident occurred through a petrol tanker oil spillage, which claimed their lives.

    “It was indeed very sad news to all members of staff and lawyers in our court,’’ the source said. The court prosecutor, Inspector Zedekiah Orogbemi, who also confirmed the incident, said that he was shocked when he got the news.

    The 59 year-old Magistrate, who was due for retirement next year, left behind his wife and two other children.

  • Father, son arraigned for theft

    A 52-year-old man, Pius Miller, and his son, Israel, 17, were yesterday arraigned at an Ile-Ife Magistrates’ Court in Osun State for allegedly stealing a telecommunications cable.

    It was valued at N11, 700.

    Prosecutor Sunday Osanyintuyi told the court that the accused committed the offence on July 30 at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital complex, Ile-Ife.

    He alleged that the accused conspired with intent to commit felony to wit: stealing telecommunications cable, property of the hospital.

    Osanyintuyi said the offence contravened sections 383, 390 (9) and 516 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Osun State, 2002. The accused pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of conspiracy and theft.

    The defence counsel, Mr. Ben Adirieje, applied for the bail of the accused on liberal terms. He said the accused would not jump bail.

    Magistrate Mr. Ishola Omisade granted bail to the accused at N100, 000 with one surety.

    He said the sureties must swear to an affidavit of means and live in the court’s jurisdiction. Omisade adjourned the case till September 3 for hearing.

  • Dad, mum, son held for ‘burglary, theft’

    The police have arrested a couple, Uroye and Margaret Teddy, their teenage son, Tega, and his lover, Karima Edom, for alleged burglary and theft.

    The suspects were said to have broken into 8, Ade Onitiri, Harmony Estate in Langbasa Lagos home of Mrs. Folasade Odunuga.

    According to the police, Mrs. Odunuga was on a three-month vacation, which started on May 27 when the incident occurred.

    It was gathered that the suspects looted her car and other household items after entering her house from the ceiling.

    Edom, who is said to be victim’s neighbour, allegedly informed Tega that Mrs Odunuga was away from home, laying grounds for the burglary.

    Police alleged that the lovers also cooked, wined and dined in the house.

    It was gathered that Tega with the aid of his parents, started looting the woman’s home and continued for weeks before Mrs. Odunuga’s maid, Eniola Abisola, came and discovered that many items were missing.

    She was said to have alerted the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Adaobi Okafor, a Superintendent (SP), who mobilised her men to search the neighbourhood for suspects on the division’s watch list.

    “When the detectives checked on Tega, they saw Mrs Odunuga’s Chevrolette Aveo saloon car marked AKD512AP, parked in front of his parent’s house at New Osho layout, Langbasa. He was promptly arrested.

    “During interrogation, he revealed that he entered the victim’s house through the ceiling and gradually, he began to pack the household items to his father’s house.

    “He narrated that his mother helped him to hide the stolen items in an uncompleted building while his girlfriend Karima, hid some in her house.

    “Tega further revealed that his father went with him to the victim’s house to tow the aforementioned car. It was seen that Mrs Margaret Teddy had put the stolen properties for sale,” said spokesman for the command, Chike Oti, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP).

    Oti said the police recovered the vehicle, a flat screen television, home theatre sound system, electric generator, a standing fan, five leather bags, an iPad, baby shoes and other personal items of the victim.

    He said: “The Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, charges residents to take their personal security seriously. They should ensure that their houses are entrusted in the hands of trusted relations, friends or aides whenever they travel.

    “He admonished that people should go back to our old ways of visiting their neighbours to check on them. He added that if that was the case in this instance, Teddy and his girlfriend Karima would not have had the effrontery to cook, eat and wine in Folashade Odunuga’s house during her long absence from home.”

  • Mother, son ‘stab’ co-tenant with knife

    A mother and her son were yesterday brought before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly attacking a tenant. They were said to have attacked their victim with a knife.

    Ekaete John, 55, a trader and Isaac Godwin, 20, a company worker, living at 27, Segun Adetiba Street, Alakuko, Lagos, are standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and unlawful assault.

    Prosecuting Inspector Victor Eruada told the court that the accused committed the offences with others at large on July 15, at their residence.

    The prosecutor said that a fight broke out between the duo and the complainant, Mr Fabian Owotikwu, following an argument.

    “In the process, John and her son brought out a knife which they used to cut Owotikwu’s private parts and inflict injuries on him,” Eruada said .

    Eruada said Owotikwu suffered various injuries following the attack.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Chief Magistrate M. I. Dan-Oni granted the accused N50,000 bail with one surety in the like sum.

    The case continues on August 20.

     

  • ‘I kidnapped my boss’ son to punish him’

    Niger State Police Command has arrested two suspects for allegedly kidnapping a 10- year-old-boy.

    One of the suspects, Yushau Bala, who claimed to be the mastermind of the abduction, confessed he kidnapped the victim, Afdal Mohammed Adi, to punish his parents, who accused him of theft.

    Yushau, who worked as a security guard in Adi’s house, said he had never been accused of stealing.

    “When my employer, Adi, accused me of stealing and sent me out of the house, I became annoyed and decided to kidnap his son, to punish him,” he added.

    Yushau said he hired the other suspect, Sale Bala, for the kidnap, adding that he (Bala) phoned the victim’s parents.

    The command said the suspects kidnapped the victim, took him to an unknown place and demanded N150,000 ransom from his parents.

    “The police traced the suspects through the number they used to call the victim’s parents, and arrested them at the spot of delivery of the ransom. They released the victim,” a source said.

    Police spokesman Muhammad Abubakar, who paraded the suspects, said they would be arraigned after investigation.

     

  • SON shuts substandard LPG cylinder facilities

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has shut some facilities used for the fabrication of suspected substandard liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders in Onitsha, Anambra State.

    Located on Bida Road in  Onitsha, the LPG cylinder fabrication sites were filled with various sizes of cylinders including 3kg, 5kg, 6kg, 12.5 kg and 50 kg.

    Its Director-General, Mr. Osita Aboloma, in a statement, explained that the standards enforcement activity was carried out by the agency’s Anambra State office in exercise of the agency’s mandate as prescribed in SON Act No. 14 of 2015.

    The state Co-ordinator, Nwaoma Olujie said the fabrication sites were found lacking in basic requisite facilities for the manufacture of LPG cylinders such as shot blasting and metallising. Others are heat treatment furnace, tensile testing machine, spectrometer, burst testing machine and x-ray machines, among others.

    Olujie described the cylinders as ‘time bombs’ and added that the fabricators went as far as printing  SON  quality sign on the finished products, thereby misleading the public.

    The co-ordinator, who led the enforcement, said no arrests were made as the illegal producers all took to their heels on sighting the SON team.

    Three lorry loads of suspected substandard LPG cylinders, welding machines, paint spraying machines, compressors and gauges etc. were evacuated from the three locations raided.

    According to the statement, large quantities of petrol tanks and air tanks for pneumatic braking systems suspected to be used in the fabrication of the LPG cylinders were found at the sites, some of which were also evacuated.

    “Samples of the LPG cylinders will be sent to the SON laboratory for tests and analysis to enable further action,” the statement said.

    SON operatives had recently mopped up substandard LPG cylinders in Kano, Kaduna and Katsina states, which were all destroyed for recycling after Laboratory tests and analysis confirmed the substandard status.

    The statement urged Nigerians to pay close attention to LPG cylinders quality status to forestall avoidable unpleasant consequences.

    It also appealed to the general public to continue to provide useful information to regulatory and security agencies on suspected substandard products, with emphasis on those classified as life endangering.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • SON uncovers N1.5b fake tyres in Lagos warehouse

    The Standards Organi-sation of Nigeria (SON) at the weekend uncovered a warehouse in Abule-Oshun and Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos where a consignment of fake tyres, said to be worth N1.5billion, were packed.

    This is a second haul in recent times where previously poor quality tyres were imported into the country through the ports.

    Stakeholders have said that the incessant importation of sub standard goods into the country is as a fall-out of the quit order given to SON and other relevant agencies to leave the ports as a result of the ease-of-doing business.

    Earlier, the Senate Chairman on Industry, Senator Sam Egwu asked that they return to the ports as a result of the essentials role they play in standardisation and safe guarding of lives of the populace.

    Speaking with The Nation at the warehouse Head, Surveillance Intelligence & Monitoring (SIM), Mr. Suleiman Isah said the agency seized over 50 containers of stuffed tyres packed in fives.

    He said the process of stuffing tyres and separating them with iron rod destroys the quality and strength for use.

    He lamented that each bundle of five is packed and wrapped as new stressing that this is possibly why there is increase in road accidents and the consequent high carnage on our roads.

    He regretted that Nigerians collude with foreigners to sabotage the economic policies of government by not only under declaring or outright false declaration of imported items but also hinge on security issues.

    According to him, the deluge of fake and imported products into the country would have been minimised if they are allowed to be at the ports to examine containers before they are cleared by other agencies.

    He said gong after goods that have left the ports was cumbersome and advised that they be allowed to return to the ports.

    He said: “The country is losing out on import duties on products falsely declared by unscrupulous importers and they are also a threat to the safety and security of lives. But as an agency of government we are poised towards achieving our mandate of securing lives through ensuring that life threatening items are properly manufactured and distributed.

    “Furthermore, as a means of securing lives and property we will ensure that all economic  saboteurs and merchants of death in the name of making quick money who are  bent on negating the good policies of government are exposed and prosecuted in the court of law.”

  • SON, JETRO, others to strengthen fight against counterfeiting

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) are leading other critical stakeholders in a renewed collaboration to put more verve in the fight against product counterfeiting.

    Others involved in the push to rein in product counterfeiters, who have been denying the government the much-needed revenue and hurting genuine manufacturers, include Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Nigerian Copyright Commission, among others.

    To kick-start the new fight against counterfeiting, JETRO Nigeria, in collaboration with SON and with the support of the Embassy of Japan in Nigeria, organised the “Nigeria-Japan Anti-Counterfeiting Seminar.”

    At the opening of the seminar in Lagos on Wednesday, the Trade Commissioner/Managing Director of JETRO, Mr. Shigeyo Nishizawa, said the seminar was aimed at promoting mutual understanding of intellectual property protection and strengthening anti-counterfeiting between Nigeria and Japan.

    He said seven Japanese companies in Nigeria and other countries were on hand to showcase and differentiate their original products from the fake ones so as to create awareness to the Federal Government’s standard enforcement agencies and the general public.

    Some of the Japanese companies that made presentations included Brother Int’l  (Gulf FZE), makers of   consumable parts of laser printers, Multi-Function Centres (MFCs), fax machines and label printers; Canon Europe Limited in the EMEA region, manufacturers of inkjet printers and professional printers for business and home users.

    Others were Japan Tobacco International (JTI), producers of tobacco/cigarette; NGK Spark Plug Middle East FZE, makers of genuine engine spark plugs; air-condition giant Panasonic Marketing Services Nigeria Ltd.

    Also on hand to help Nigerian consumers spot the original products were Sharp Middle East FZE, makers of consumable/spare parts for digital Multifunction Peripheral (MFPs)/Printers; TOSHIBA Gulf FZE, specialising in hard disk drives, USB flash drive, SD card, printer, home appliances, etc.

    Nishizawa said the number of Japanese companies in Nigeria has continued to increase, noting that with 40 such firms are operating in the country, and that there was the need to educate and enlighten consumers on how to identify genuine products from counterfeits.

    SON Director General Osita Aboloma expressed the agency’s commitment to promoting quality in all its ramifications through diligent implementation of policies and initiatives on standardisation and quality assurance.

    “The need to protect genuine investors, manufacturers, importers and dealers in quality products in Nigeria from the damaging effects of purveyors of substandard and life endangering products cannot be over-emphasised,” he said.

    Aboloma, represented by SON Director, Inspectorate and Compliance, Engr. Bede Obayi, said counterfeiting was one of the known sources of substandard products across the world.

    Describing counterfeiting as illicit trade, he said it has been a major source of worry to governments, businesses and regulatory institutions in developed and developing economies.

    The SON boss, however, said Nigeria’s population and market in the West Africa and on the continent, presents a worrying scenario for the negative effects of counterfeiting and the illicit trade associated with it.

    Aboloma said aside depriving industry of sales and eroding long-term sustainability of business, counterfeiting promotes unemployment, drains national income through tax evasion and threatens national security as the proceeds are not easily traceable.

    He also added that because counterfeited products usually do not meet quality and safety requirements, they are, therefore, life-endangering. Besides, purveyors of such products, he added, do not give value for money, as the quality is usually far below those of the genuine products and brands.

     

     

  • Chinese nationals’ trial: Judge orders SON to appear in court

    A FEDERAL High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered the Director of Legal Services, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), to appear before it in connection with the trial of two Chinese nationals, charged with importing

    substandard tyres into the country.

    Justice Mojisola Olatoregun handed down the order following a ruling that the prosecution of the defendants, arraigned on allegations of importation of fake tyres into the country, was incompetent.

    The accused – Tao Shen, 36 and Jing Yau, 22 – were charged alongside a Nigerian, Chinedu Madubuike and two companies, Sino Nigeria Import and Export Ltd and Nedeca International Ltd.

    At the resumed trial of the case yesterday, Mr. Babatunde Alajogun, appeared for the prosecution and began the examination-in-chief of the prosecutions’ third witness (PW3).

    The PW3, Mr. Sylvester Aigbe, told the court that he was the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), who recovered the substandard tyres and iron

    rods from the defendants’ warehouse.

    According to Aigbe, the tyres, which came in different sizes, were tucked in bigger ones in batches.

    Alajogun sought to tender the tyres and the iron rod as exhibits, but when the court asked for the number of tyres recovered, Alajogun and the witness were embroiled in an argument.

    The argument went on for about three minutes before the court interjected and delivered a  short ruling.

    “It is obvious you are not capable of prosecuting this case, you are either incompetent or corrupt.

    “How can a prosecutor not see the exhibit in his case or meet the witness before the case is called.

    “The Director of Legal Services of your organisation must appear before this court before this case can proceed,” Justice Olatoregun ruled.

    Consequently, she adjourned the case until Sept. 26 for continuation of trial.

    The accused were alleged to have committed the offences sometime in February by conspiring to import tyres that did not meet the relevant Nigerian standards.