The Nation Newspaper

Tag: substandard

  • Substandard electrical equipment

    •Government has a duty to check their influx into the country

    Barely five days after the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Mustapha Shehuri, lamented the influx of substandard electrical equipment into the country, the Federal Government has directed the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) to establish its presence at all the airports and seaports in the country, to check the influx. Shehuri had disclosed at the official presentation of the conditions of service of NEMSA and the inauguration of the agency’s security surveillance equipment in Abuja the possibility of the government taking such a stance, in view of the consequences of the importation of substandard electrical equipment into the country.

    “Today, if you see the quality of the products we use, either as electrical appliances in our homes or others, they are far below standard. We are not only talking of meters, but we are also talking of transformers that are used by DisCos, as well as transformers used by the TCN (Transmission Company of Nigeria) in the transmission sector. So, I see a situa tion where NEMSA ought to have an office at the ports to help reduce the inflow of such substandard equipment.”

    NEMSA’s managing director, Peter Ewesor, corroborated what the minister said. He told journalists on the sidelines of the event that the development had contributed to making the country’s power network unstable.

    We agree with the government that there is the need to stop this influx to protect lives and property, as well as improve the output from the nation’s power sector. What we do not know is whether the decision to have NEMSA at all seaports and airports would not lead to further proliferation of Federal Government agencies in those places, a situation which was identified in the past as a factor for delays in clearing of goods, especially at the seaports. We recall that we had almost all agencies of government at the ports before the reforms that pruned their number.

    The point is; efficiency would not return to our points of entry only on account of the number of government agencies there. Rather, those places would be better policed if the respective public officials there do their jobs the way they should. This also implies that they are provided with the modern equipment required to facilitate their assignments and they are well motivated.

    Anyway, now that the government has allowed NEMSA officials at the ports, what is important is that they do their job thoroughly and not see their presence at the ports as their own opportunity to enrich themselves. One good thing about this development with regard to NEMSA is that the agency appears to have been provided the needed tools to make the job easier for its officials.

    It is gratifying that the agency has acquired a surveillance system that would aid its officers and men in the performance of their duties. According to Ewesor, the functions of the system “include real-time tracking, live viewing, video playback, download, alarm viewing and query logs for future retrieval and use. The surveillance equipment will enhance security and monitoring of NEMSA’s power infrastructure in our widespread facilities nationwide remotely at the headquarters in Abuja.”

    With the surveillance equipment allowing NEMSA management at the headquarters to monitor, real-time online 24/7 the operations and activities in its three National Meter Test Stations at Lagos, Kaduna and Port Harcourt, it does not require a retinue of personnel anywhere to get the job properly done. Indeed, this is where the world is headed; monitoring and surveillance do not necessarily have to be done manually; there is a surfeit of IT equipment to take care of that today.

    We commend government’s prompt response to the request by the power ministry and NEMSA for the latter’s presence at the sea and airports. However, the government should ensure that this system is not abused. It is only when sanity is enforced all-round that the aim of freeing the country from the apron strings of those importing substandard electrical equipment can be achieved.

  • ‘Substandard’ product impounded

    The Standard Organisations of Nigeria (SON) in Anambra State has impounded 1,223 cartons of “EmmaScale” paint for non-compliance to quality standards.

    It also sealed the warehouse of EmmaScale Nigeria Ltd. on Modebe Street and its Operational Office in the Building Materials Market, Bridge Head, Onitsha.

    A SON official, Viginus Omeje, said the seized product was neither registered nor presented for quality assessment.

    According to Omeje, the company also faked SON’s registration logo which was assigned to a similar product, thus misleading the public.

    He said the impounded products would be kept at the Enugu office for further investigation, adding that the firm’s Managing Director, still at large, will face the consequences of counterfeiting the government’s seal.

  • WHO: how to reduce substandard products in developing countries

    WHO: how to reduce substandard products in developing countries

    • Reports urge govts to take action

    One in every 10 medical products circulating in the low and middle income countries has been estimated to be either substandard or fake, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said in its latest two reports.

    The implication is that people are taking medicines that either fail to treat or prevent disease. Not only is this a waste of money for individuals and health systems that purchase these products, substandard or falsified (fake) medical products can cause serious illness or death.

    According to WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “substandard and falsified medicines particularly affect the most vulnerable communities. Imagine a mother, who gives up food or other basic needs to pay for her child’s treatment, unaware that the medicines are substandard or falsified, and then that treatment causes her child to die. This is unacceptable. Countries have agreed on measures at the global level – it is time to translate them into tangible action.”

    Since 2013, WHO has received 1500 reports of cases of substandard or falsified products.  Of these, anti-malarials and antibiotics are the most commonly reported. Most of the reports (42per cent) come from the WHO African Region, 21 per cent from the WHO Region of the Americas, and 21per cent from the WHO European Region.

    This is in tandem with Nigerian Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)’s report- In July of 2013, it seized 150,000 doses of a falsified emergency contraceptive.

    This is likely just a small fraction of the total problem and many cases may be going unreported. For example, only eight per cent of reports of substandard or falsified products to WHO came from the WHO Western Pacific Region, six per cent from the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, and just two per cent from the WHO South-East Asia Region.

    “Many of these products, like antibiotics, are vital for people’s survival and wellbeing,” said Dr Mariângela Simão, Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines, Vaccines and Pharmaceuticals at WHO, “Substandard or falsified medicines not only have a tragic impact on individual patients and their families, but also are a threat to antimicrobial resistance, adding to the worrying trend of medicines losing their power to treat.”

    Prior to 2013, there was no global reporting of this information. Since WHO established the Global Surveillance and Monitoring System for substandard and falsified products, many countries are now active in reporting suspicious medicines, vaccines and medical devices. WHO has trained 550 regulators from 141 countries to detect and respond to this issue.  As more people are trained, more cases are reported to WHO.

    WHO has received reports of substandard or falsified medical products ranging from cancer treatment to contraception. They are not confined to high-value medicines or well-known brand names and are split almost evenly between generic and patented products.

    In conjunction with the first report from the Global Surveillance and Monitoring System published today, WHO is publishing research that estimates a 10.5 percent failure rate in all medical products used in low- and middle-income countries.

    This study was based on more than 100 published research papers on medicine quality surveys done in 88 low- and middle-income countries involving 48 000 samples of medicines. Lack of accurate data means that these estimates are just an indication of the scale of the problem. More research is needed to more accurately estimate the threat posed by substandard and falsified medical products.

    Based on 10 per cent estimates of substandard and falsified medicines, a modeling exercise developed by the University of Edinburgh estimates that 72 000 to 169 000 children may be dying each year from pneumonia due to substandard and falsified antibiotics. A second model done by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine estimates that 116 000 (64 000 – 158 000) additional deaths from malaria could be caused every year by substandard and falsified antimalarials in sub-Saharan Africa, with a cost of US$ 38.5 million (21.4 million – 52.4 million) to patients and health providers for further care due to failure of treatment.

    Substandard medical products reach patients when the tools and technical capacity to enforce quality standards in manufacturing, supply and distribution are limited. Falsified products, on the other hand, tend to circulate where inadequate regulation and governance are compounded by unethical practice by wholesalers, distributors, retailers and health care workers. A high proportion of cases reported to WHO occur in countries with constrained access to medical products.

    Modern purchasing models such as online pharmacies can easily circumvent regulatory oversight. These are especially popular in high-income countries, but more research is needed to determine the proportion and impact of sales of substandard or falsified medical products.

    Globalisation is making it harder to regulate medical products. Many falsifiers manufacture and print packaging in different countries, shipping components to a final destination where they are assembled and distributed. Sometimes, offshore companies and bank accounts have been used to facilitate the sale of falsified medicines.

    “The bottom line is that this is a global problem,” said Dr Simão. As, “Countries need to assess the extent of the problem at home and cooperate regionally and globally to prevent the traffic of these products and improve detection and response.”

  • Substandard phones responsible for cancer ailments, NCC warns

    Substandard phones responsible for cancer ailments, NCC warns

    Nigerians have been warned to refrain from using substandard phones. Reason: it is responsible for some cancer ailments, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday.

    An official of the commission, Mr  Kunle Olorundare, gave the warning at a stakeholders workshop organised by the Ibadan Zonal office of the NCC in Ado Ekiti.

    Olorundare, who lamented that fake phones had taken over the country’s phone market, added that such phones have had negative implications on the health of their users.

    The NCC official also identified unapproved phones as a major cause of network interruptions.

    He said the preponderance of substandard phones was causing colossal damage to network services and health of users.

    Olorundare warned that sellers of unapproved Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products were flouting the commission’s Act.

    He said they could face prosecution or seizure of their market items if they did not desist from selling such henceforth.

    Olorundare also advised phone sellers across the country to ensure the phones they buy from manufacturers and dealers were approved by the NCC.

    He added that the NCC had a list of all Information and Communication ICT products approved for sale and use in Nigeria.

    Another official of the commission, who represented the Head of Zonal Operations in Abuja, Mr. Ekisola Oladosu, promised that the NCC would do all within its powers to check the proliferation of substandard phones.

    He noted that the task of sanitising the Nigerian phone market rested on all stakeholders, and called on Nigerians to support the campaign.

  • Emir Sanusi backs SON’s war against substandard products

    Emir Sanusi backs SON’s war against substandard products

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria’s battle against the influx and circulation of substandard products has received the backing of Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II.

    He expressed his support when he received the SON management in Kano, led by the State Coordinator Yahaya Bukar.

    The Emir described the SON responsibility as very tasking, particularly in relation to the fight against the influx, storage and distribution of substandard products.

    He assured the SON delegation of the full support of his council to assist the organisation to win the war.

    Bukar thanked the emir, the Emirate Council, the government and people of Kano State for their support to SON since its establishment in the state in 1988.

    The SON State Coordinator acknowledged the valuable contributions of the Royal Father to the realisation of the SON offshore conformity assessment programme, SONCAP aimed at checkmating the influx of substandard products into Nigeria, as the then Governor of Central Bank, under the Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS).

    He reiterated the determination of SON to assist micro, small and medium enterprises in Kano State grow, through the diligent implementation of the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) designed to promote the competitiveness of all made-in-Nigeria products.

    This, according to him, will also promote consumer safety while ensuring that they get value for their hard earned money expended on products.

    He highlighted the stakeholders’ sensitisation efforts being carried out in the state by SON in markets, colleges, mosques and churches in addition to daily inspection visits to factories.

    Bukar briefed the royal father on SON consumer complaints resolution and standards enforcement activities in the state, all aimed at ensuring consumer satisfaction and safety through substantial reduction in the volume of substandard products in circulation.

    The historic visit was rounded off with the presentation of SON stickers, car hangers and wall clocks to Emir  Sanusi II on behalf of the Director-General, Mr. Osita Aboloma.

  • Substandard in more ways than one

    We have discovered that the United Nations (UN) standard of policing says one policeman to 400 citizens, but from our calculation and statistics, we found out that we now have one policeman to 600, that is where the stress of policing is coming from.” That was the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Training and Development, Mr. Emmanuel Inyang. He is the Supervising DIG in charge of the  South-south.

    Inyang spoke during a visit to the headquarters of the Bayelsa State Police Command on April 20. He did not say when and how the police authorities “discovered” the UN standard. Perhaps he did not fully understand what it meant to say that the police leadership had “discovered” what the UN considered ideal for proper policing.

    Inyang unveiled an ambitious recruitment plan: ‘’So, we have written to the President to give us the power to recruit 31,000 police officers every year for the next five years. This is how we can achieve that standard; but, at least, even if we cannot make the 31,000 personnel, at least, 10,000 or 15,000 we hope to get and with that, very soon, we can meet the UN standard.’’

    Two questions: Where will the recruits be trained? How will the recruits be trained? It is noteworthy that the police recruitment process last year prompted a picture by the then Commandant, Police Staff College, Jos, Plateau State, Mr. Joseph Mbu, an Assistant Inspector General (AIG).  Mbu retired in 2016 but his words are still relevant. He was quoted as saying: “Our police colleges, both senior and junior are in very bad state. Most of the structures you see there are dilapidated and the issue of poor staffing is also there. Recruitment exercise into various cadres in the force has begun, but the major lacuna will be where to train the recruits. We need good facilities and atmosphere to make them better policemen.”

    The example of the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos, will suffice. Built to accommodate 700 trainees, it reportedly housed over 2, 554 occupants as at January 2013.

    Against this background, there is no doubt that police recruits face infrastructural challenges as well as instructional challenges. It is clear that the Federal Government needs to address these challenges urgently. Police training is too important to be neglected or left to suffer the consequences of neglect. It goes without saying that the police cannot be properly trained when the facilities for their training are improper. So, a holistic approach is necessary, beyond the narrow and simplistic focus on recruitment.

  • SON seals off factory over substandard fans

    SON seals off factory over substandard fans

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has clamped down on a company at Abule Oshun, Lagos, for manufacturing substandard fans.

    SON Director of Compliance & Enforcement Mr. Bede Obayi, told The Nation that the agency acted based on surveillance. He said HangFair International Company Limited, which claimed to have imported the fans from China actually manufacture them in their warehouse without conformity to standard practice.

    He said the company was involved in counterfeiting and faking, using a SON registration number given to another manufacturer who went through the agency’s standards procedures.

    Obayi regretted that the genuine manufacturer is somewhere believing he has done something right by registering his product with SON, but unknown to him somebody in Abule Oshun was reaping his benefit.

    The SON director said: “This man is doing nothing but simply reaping where he did not sow. We have the mandate to close the factory, which we have done and until his product goes through our mandatory assessment programme (MANCAP), we will ensure he does not go back to his illicit business, we insist that the procedure is right.”

    Obayi accused the Managing Director of the company, Mr. Uchenna Ugah, of depriving people the benefit of enjoying the cash they spend on his products.

    He further accused him of using ISO 9002, which SON has discontinued since 1987, stressing that it shows the ignorance of the manufacturer on the need to adhere to quality standards.

    Obayi said SON insists that manufacturers do the right thing, especially as the Federal Government is diversifying the economy and encouraging Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME).

  • SON seizes substandard electrical products

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has seized substandard electrical products worth billions of naira at a warehouse  in Okokomaiko, Lagos.

    Its Director-General, Mr. Osita Aboloma, told reporters that the items owned by a Chinese were also labelled with a forged SON registration identity. They included electrical switches, sockets, energy saving bulbs, street lamps, rechargeable fans and lamp holders, among others.

    Aboloma said the importer could not tender any document to back the importation nor could he provide a certification from SON (SONCAP).

    Aboloma, who was represented by Mr. Suleiman Isa, head, Market Surveillance, said the fake products were found by its Surveillance Unit 111.

    Aboloma added that SON had to confiscate the products after efforts  by the owner to show proof and certification failed.

    “The owner was invited to our office to show proof of importation and certification by SON, but the owner refused to show up. That is why we are here today. We have seized all the products because they have very funny labels. We have also seen some of the products with SON logo, which is not our official logo. That means the products were illegally brought in,” Aboloma said.

    Aboloma urged the public to look at products carefully before purchase, especially the expiry date, SONCAP logo and if the seal was tampered with.

    The agency’s state Coordinator, Lagos Office III, Mrs. Ngozi Ekwueme, said the warehouse would remain sealed until investigation on how the products entered into the country was concluded.

    A senior staff member of the company said he could not speak for the importer.

    In another development, PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc Chairman Chief Kola Jamodu has lamented the continued influx of fake  products into the market, urging the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to  curtail the scourge.

    He spoke in Lagos at the presentation of International Organisation for Standardisation’s ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems certificates to the company for its Ikorodu and Aba factories, by SON’s Director-General Dr. Osita Aboloma.

    ISO 9001:2015 QMS is the latest version that replaced the ISO 9001:2008, and PZ Cussons is the first manufacturing company in the country to achieve the certification after a year of rigorous audits of its manufacturing processes across factories.

    Jamodu commended the SON chief, asking him to sustain the heat on importers of fake and sub-standard products. He stressed that indigenous manufacturers needed to be protected. He urged SON  to stop  the influx of fake and substandard products.

    He commended the standards body for having put the ISO 9001:2015 in place, stressing “we have continuously made self-regulation our target and we are, therefore, pleased to be the first Nigerian company to achieve the certification.”

    Aboloma said: “The agency is determined to see that SON does not only seize substandard products but that those behind it are prosecuted.”

    He lauded PZ Cusson’s achievement, saying: “By this feat, the company has joined a privileged class of ISO 9001:2015 QMS certified organisations and a trail blazer for other manufacturers to follow on the requirements for this standards.”

  • SON destroys N500m substandard goods

    SON destroys N500m substandard goods

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), at the weekend destroyed substandard goods worth N500 million at a dumpsite in Epe, Lagos.

    Director General of SON Mr. Osita Anthony Aboloma, said the coming of substandard goods into the country is an act of corruption worthy of death sentence

    He warned culprits to comply with the campaign against fake products importation or face the music.

    He said most of the goods found their way into the country through unapproved routes along the borders.

    Aboloma noted that despite the series of enlightenment campaigns organised by the SON to educate the citizenry about the harmful effects of these products, importers, especially smugglers, have continued to indulge in the illicit trade.

    According to him, the sub-standard products destroyed include, armored cables, energy saving lamp, Pampers for babies, expired extension sockets, shaving sticks and shaving blades, and mobile phones.

    “We are destroying this huge volume of goods that have created jobs for people overseas. Unfortunately, by the time we destroy these goods, we get nothing but economic loss.

    “We are not happy destroying these products, but if we can save the life of one Nigerian by doing this,, we would have done something for this country and this is exactly the core mandate of our agency by showing zero tolerance for substandard goods?,” he added.

    He said the government would continue to show commitment to its zero tolerance policy on fake and sub-standard products, including those produced in Nigeria.

    “These goods were destroyed to save the lives of Nigerians who are not aware of the harmful effect of these products. So many people have lost their loved ones by consuming these substandard products.

    “We want to use this opportunity to beg Nigerians, especially the genuine importers, to always insist on doing the right thing, by working together with the authorities, to get the ?right minimum requirements to import goods into the country.

    “We want to also commend the media for being the vanguard of our enlightenment campaigns and we will continue to fight until only goods that meet the minimum requirements are paraded in our markets.”

    Aboloma said the destruction was carried out in accordance with SON’s procedure which started with market survey, surveillance, inventory, seizure, sampling, laboratory tests and analyses to ascertain conformity to specifications and requirements of Nigeria Industrial Standards (NIS).

  • ‘Substandard products threaten economic diversification’

    ‘Substandard products threaten economic diversification’

    Diversification of the economy may be mirage if substandard products still flood the market, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Director-General, Dr Paul Angya has said.

    Angya said substandard products were overwhelming the country, adding that they are a threat to the economy.

    He said: “This is a very challenging time in our history and we must lay emphasis on standard. Which area can we say is immune from the incidence of substandard good? Substandard products have overrun the economy. They have wreaked havoc the nation’s economy.

    “If we do not sanitise the country of substandard goods, all efforts for diversification of the nation’s economy will fail. Until we clean up the country of substandard products, our economy has not started. We, as a nation, have not started.

    “We are in another type of war. These substandard products are seriously attacking our economy; until we address the upsurge, we would make no headway.”

    Angya said the agency is collaborating with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to fight the menace of substandard goods import.

    “SON and NCS have concluded arrangements to fight importation of substandard products into the country,” he said, adding that there was need for the establishment of a system that could support SON to raise the alarm on non-conformity and substandard products in the ports and borders.

    He said the nation has declared war on substandard products,  emphasising that SON would need the support of an institution such as NCS in fighting the war.

    He said: “Our mandate and what we do is very important for people living quality and fulfilled life. People can only live a quality life if there is quality goods. Our job affects people’s lives. That is why we need collaboration from the Customs because they are the first point of call of importation.”

    Angya said the organisation had shut down the Electronic Professional Clearance Certificate (EPCC) platform, so that people bringing goods into Nigeria conformed to SONCAP regime.

    “For us to succeed, we need the cooperation of Customs as the landlords of the ports. They are first point of contact, when products land. So, we need their support; we need their manpower and their expertise. Customs have been assisting us in the past; but, we are asking them to give us more. The problem is there. It has not gone away. We need additional support from them to be able to curb the influx of substandard products in the country,” he said.